24 June 2015, 20:09
Phillip SmytheIVORY TRAIL SAFARIS - Leopard
A quick report on a recent hunt that we conducted is in order!Rifle used - 9.3 x 62 Sauer
Date of Safari - 7th June - 19th June
Area - Beitbridge East
Operator - Ivory Trail Safaris
PH - Phillip Smythe
I am posting this on behalf of my hunter.
After posting a LEOPARD / BUFFALO special on AR - one of our very own jumped at the chance to hunt these critters in a great area at a great price.
Hunting in a communal area has it advantages with being able to hunt at night, but also its disadvantages with dealing with local cattle and with that the abundant source of food for the leopards!
To cut a long story short - we decided to focus solely on the leopard and we had our sights on 2 SUPER CATS (tracks that looks like lioness'!)
8 baits later and 'almost' a cat on bait (he walked up to our bait and decided it was not for him) - we got a report of a calf that had been killed by a leopard close to one of our baits.
Walking the 2 miles off the beaten track we came across his kill. It had killed a large calf which governed this must be a BIG cat - quickly popping up our blind and clearing a small lane we made everything 'perfect'.
Leaving the blind early as not wanting to spook the leopard we sat there the following evening having got some trail cam videos of the cat... and waited....
http://vid1119.photobucket.com...ipsmythe/leopard.mp4
Sitting in a blind for a leopard is some of the most rewarding time one can spend contemplating nature and the excitement that goes with what is about to take place - As the wilderness shuts down for the day - the other half wakes up....
THEN - the crunching!!
Placing a bait on the ground is challenging as we needed the cat to be in the exact position and to STAY there...
After a few predetermined hand signals - the light went on - and choosing the shot - the rifle retort broke the silence of the night.
An hour later (we go VERY slowly when following a blood trail!) there lay an ENORMOUS CAT!
Well done my friend, great shooting and a cat of a lifetime!
The baboon did not leave the tree after the shot - Fig trees have extremely smooth bark making retrieval... interesting!
One of our bait sites
Limpopo River
Well...... safety first .... a gate!
