Thanks AH

Well my wife and I finally settled on our first safari that is of the "wilderness" type. I've grown tired of the south african game ranch scene and for some reason have a huge desire to experience the expanses of africa.

Thanks to this site I have read many hunting reports and watched many videos. Its helped me to really decide what I want in a safari and to help me pick the exact experience I want. Going into the expo I was dead set on Martin Peiters safaris but decided to look around at all the possibilities anyways. My heart has been set on a loepard but not just any leopard. I want to hunt a leopard with hounds. Some people call it unfare and not ethical but I don't see it that way. For some reason it appears as if you have a decent chance of getting charged by a loepard this way and everything about it for some reason gets my heart rate up. After reading about craig boddingtons daughters leopard hunt I had my mind set. I know that story was very tragic but the fact that I keep hearing that so many cats don't tree and charged gets me extremely excited and this is the hunt I want. Yes I also know it may not turn out this way but the ending won't be realized until the end and thats where the excitement lies, whether it be a treed cat or a cat held up in thorn brush.

while my wife and I were wandering the floor we came across the operation on Doddieburn ranch in zimbabwe. Since it is 100,000 acres high fenced they can hunt leopard with dogs and once I heard this my ears perked right up. they have plenty of croc and buffalo to hunt and from the past clientelle I spoke with the buff hunting was of the same experience as open concession hunting which is what finally sold me on hunting with huntessential on the doddieburn ranch. yes I know its not true open concession hunting but its a leopard with hounds and for now its my dream hunt. I was almost sad to not be hunting on a true open concession with Martin Pieters but then again we are talking about my dream leopard hunt with hounds. I told my wife I will just go back and hunt with Martin next year and concentrate on my dream leopard hunt for now.

To make the experience even better I was able to cash in some skymiles and book me and my wife both first class tickets to africa and back. To add the final icing to the cake I will get the honor of telling all my jealous friends that I got to spend my fourteenth anniversary with my wife on a safari in the middle of zimbabwe. What better way to spend an anniversary than in zimbabwe on a leopard, buffalo, croc, pg hunt? I'm so excited to go I can hardly stand it.

Thanks Jerome for an awesome website that has really helped me to realize a hopefully "perfect" safari. My safari's have been booked in zim and zam. safari gal has been contacted. tickets have been bought. Only thing left is for an awesome hunting report on here with me holding a leopard with a monster skull. Wish me luck guys and good luck to you guys in all your hunts this year.

Tony A P
New Mexico

Drag someone along to videotape this thing, I want to see it too.
Have fun T.

Good Luck, tap. I hope you have a great hunt.

my wife and i will be hunting side by side the entire time. if u want me to make some video copies and send them your way i will absolutely do so. all you have to do is join me on a safari one day.

Good plan, Togetherness on your anniversary.
Have little T hold that camera steady. I think your videography section for her hunt will be easier! Less running anyway.
One day I might just do that T.

Enjoy your hunt tap, nothing like the family, you will all enjoy it. Have fun and let us know how the hunt went.

Tap well done, hope you have a wonderfull safari, and that the experience will create a memory to last a life time, As a full time guide however I would caution you not to toy with what you are about to do, Having been charged a couple times and slapped by a cat a couple of years ago (at night following up a baited tom) I can tell you that it is not a pleasant experience.....

But as you my passion for Leopard hunting runs deep and has turned into an obsession, you might like this so much that it does the same for you.

Have a great hunt, be prepared and my best always!

Shoot straight Tap! Enjoy the hunt, hope it all goes as you expect it will.

Congats on your dream hunt and good luck! Sounds like a great time!

Tony good luck and keep in touch, I want to see some photos, when in Zim, and if in Bulawayo, would enjoy having a beer with you if time permits.

Mart

Wish you lots of luck, Tony !

Sounds great.
Good luck and I am very much looking forward to the report when you come back

That's an awesome anniversary present and nice to hear that you'll be hunting together - that's all the better! We'll all be anxious to hear the stories and see the photos when you return. I hope you get to experience the adventure that you have envisioned. Good luck on the Leopard!!!

Thanks Lori, and thanks for taking the headache to book all that hopping around my wife and I are doing. As soon as I get the date figured out of when we will leave bullawayo I will let you know so that you can book that flight as well.

Originally Posted by tap

Well my wife and I finally settled on our first safari that is of the "wilderness" type. I've grown tired of the south african game ranch scene and for some reason have a huge desire to experience the expanses of africa.

Thanks to this site I have read many hunting reports and watched many videos. Its helped me to really decide what I want in a safari and to help me pick the exact experience I want. Going into the expo I was dead set on Martin Peiters safaris but decided to look around at all the possibilities anyways. My heart has been set on a loepard but not just any leopard. I want to hunt a leopard with hounds. Some people call it unfare and not ethical but I don't see it that way. For some reason it appears as if you have a decent chance of getting charged by a loepard this way and everything about it for some reason gets my heart rate up. After reading about craig boddingtons daughters leopard hunt I had my mind set. I know that story was very tragic but the fact that I keep hearing that so many cats don't tree and charged gets me extremely excited and this is the hunt I want. Yes I also know it may not turn out this way but the ending won't be realized until the end and thats where the excitement lies, whether it be a treed cat or a cat held up in thorn brush.

while my wife and I were wandering the floor we came across the operation on Doddieburn ranch in zimbabwe. Since it is 100,000 acres high fenced they can hunt leopard with dogs and once I heard this my ears perked right up. they have plenty of croc and buffalo to hunt and from the past clientelle I spoke with the buff hunting was of the same experience as open concession hunting which is what finally sold me on hunting with huntessential on the doddieburn ranch. yes I know its not true open concession hunting but its a leopard with hounds and for now its my dream hunt. I was almost sad to not be hunting on a true open concession with Martin Pieters but then again we are talking about my dream leopard hunt with hounds. I told my wife I will just go back and hunt with Martin next year and concentrate on my dream leopard hunt for now.

To make the experience even better I was able to cash in some skymiles and book me and my wife both first class tickets to africa and back. To add the final icing to the cake I will get the honor of telling all my jealous friends that I got to spend my fourteenth anniversary with my wife on a safari in the middle of zimbabwe. What better way to spend an anniversary than in zimbabwe on a leopard, buffalo, croc, pg hunt? I'm so excited to go I can hardly stand it.

Thanks Jerome for an awesome website that has really helped me to realize a hopefully "perfect" safari. My safari's have been booked in zim and zam. safari gal has been contacted. tickets have been bought. Only thing left is for an awesome hunting report on here with me holding a leopard with a monster skull. Wish me luck guys and good luck to you guys in all your hunts this year.

Tony A P
New Mexico

Tony, Thanks for the kind words regarding the site! I am glad that AH was an integral part of your decision making. I can feel the excitement and anticipation jumping off the screen from your post, and I hope that it is everything that you're looking for in your dream hunt! Remember to take lots of pictures/videos since you'll have a camerawoman with you as we'd all enjoy seeing your dream hunt become a reality.

BTW, now we've learned what it takes to get to fourteen years, an understanding wife who will go to the end of the world with you hunting on your anniversary, in case any of the single guys on the site wanted to know what to look for...

Good luck!

Do enjoy your dream hunt and let us know how things have worked out.

Have a great hunting safari ,Tony , all the best to your wife & you, may you bag record class heads , awaiting trophy pictures & a the hunt report....

Monish