MyOutdoorForum - Buffalo/Leopard Hunt

In Outdoor Blogs Buffalo/Leopard Hunt

#1

08-20-2007 02:24 PM

I just returned August 1 from a magnificent safari to Zimbabwe. I went with Zimafrica Safaris of Bulawayo,Zimbabwe. My first animal was to be a Cape Buffalo. We found fresh tracks and followed the herd for about six miles the first day and stopped late in the day. On the second day we tracked about four miles and the wind changed to our back. The herd would circle and wait. Something was suspicious. The game scout felt we could circle the herd and come in downwind. This worked. The herd consisted of about forty animals but there was a cow standing away from the herd with a snare imbedded in her neck. My PH assigned two other PH's to watch the cow. She constantly stared at us. Their direction was if the cow charged, shoot her. This would rout the herd but one does not take chances with Cape Buffalos. My PH and I crawled to within 150 yards of the herd and they stood up. The first bull I saw was huge but the PH said no. That was not the herd bull. Then the herd bull moved into view. WOW. My heart missed three beats. The herd bull then decided to shine his horns on a tree. I stood on the sticks for 5 minutes waiting for a shot. Shot placement had been discussed and hopefully I was ready. A later comment was made that I either fell asleep or died standing up. I don't remember. Just look thru the scope and shoot when the shot was right. Finally the bull stepped out from behind the tree at a slight angle away from me. His shoulder was clear and BANG. The bull went down like a lead weight. We then ran to within 100 yards and the PH yelled, "Shoot Again". The second shot broke his back and went into his vitals. My PH exclaimed that in 25 years of hunting buffalos had he seen a buffalo go down with one shot from a 375 H&H. The bull was now dead. Upon inspection, the first bullet had broke his shoulder, broke his neck, and then went thru his right horn. Four holes in one buffalo with one Federal Sledgehammer bullet. Not a Giant. But he did have 16 inch bosses and a 40 inch spread. The largest bosses that had been taken in sometime. I had waited my whole life for that moment and it was everything I had expected.

Now on to the Leopard.
We hung and checked baits for 12 days with no hits by a large male leopard. Many female and male tracks but no hits on the bait. Come to find out a snare line had been set by poachers and the leopards were feeding on those carcasses. One interesting point was the game scout and trackers would say large male or female track. I began to wonder. Just what is going on here. What happened to the small males? Sounds fishy to me. Come to find out, the young small male track can resemble a female. At least that is what I am told. On the last day of my safari, the decision was made to use the hounds to try for my leopard. WOW,Was this the right decision. We quickly found three sets of large male tracks. Two had left the property but the third went into the property. The hounds were released. Talking about excitement. The hounds tracking the leopard and the trackers tracking the hounds. Five hours later my leopard came to bay on the ground. I am told that small leopards will go up a tree and the large guys tend to fight on the ground. Again, mine came to bay on the ground. The trackers quickly found us and we were able to drive within 500-600 yards of the melee. The hound PH then released three small Jack Russell/Wirehaired Terrier crosses.These small dogs harass the leopard and lessen the chances of his trailing hounds being harmed. We then approached the area of all the noise. When we were about 100 yards away, the hound PH advised everyone but himself, me, and a second PH to not come any further. The three of us then went to the hounds.As we approached, the sound of hounds barking and the leopard growling got louder and louder. We approached to within 50 feet of the leopard but I could not get a clear shot. He then moved a short distance and we moved to within 30 feet of the leopard. At that moment, the dogs seperated, the leopard crouched on his hind legs and looked me straight in the eye. I shot instantly. An instant kill. The Federal 375 H&H Barnes X bullet had gone thru his chest and broke his back. The hounds were calmed down and the three little terriers were allowed to enjoy their success. The hound PH came up to me and said" When that leopard looked you in the eye, you were his target, and you had two seconds to shoot". My knees waivered a bit. One sees many TV hunting shows where it always happens the last day. Folks, mine did. What an ending to my second trip to the Dark Continent. Now, what will I do on my third!!!!!!!

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