Pre-baiting for Leopard...

[TokkieM]

@johnnyblues Every Outfitter is going to do his best to get you a Leopard if they have been in business as long as the folks you mentioned. I am pretty sure that they may be able to pull in a cat in 12 days and that may be their standard package. What I also believe is that if they are pre baiting for 5 days they are stacking the odds in your favour, I would rather shoot a Leopard on day 2 of my safari than on day 12. Also look at it this way,there are no guarantees on Leopard hunts,they are pricey no matter how you look at it,pre baiting for 5 days is a hell of a lot cheaper than a second safari for the same animal.
Be straightforward with the Outfitter and tell him about your concern about if they are in fact pre baiting,I personally would have no issue with this as it is in my best interest to get a Leopard on the bait ASAP and to keep it there. Ask them to send you photos of each bait sight and drag pattern every time they replenish the baits. Should be no problem with a cellphone,even better if there is a trailcam.
One more thing I would recommend is that you get the book CHUI by Lew Hallamore, read it before you go and keep reading it on your trip in the blind.
Best of luck and may Diana smile on you.

 

[johnnyblues]

Good advise I appreciate that. They have offered to pre bait for 3 days at no charge I am not sure if they want me to pay for the other 2 day's or if they will just pre bait for 3 days only. I m waiting to hear back from them. As mentioned they will not loose and money because whatever savings I get there I will use towards another plains game trophy.

 

[laststand]

Good advise I appreciate that. They have offered to pre bait for 3 days at no charge I am not sure if they want me to pay for the other 2 day's or if they will just pre bait for 3 days only. I m waiting to hear back from them. As mentioned they will not loose and money because whatever savings I get there I will use towards another plains game trophy.

I have been on 3 Leopard hunts, the last one was pre-baited. If you figure 2 men, 1 vehicle, it takes almost all day to check and hang new baits. Price sounds very reasonable especially if bait is included. Leopard hunting is hit or miss, and you need all the help [luck] you can get. Prebaiting is very small % of overall cost of safari. Finally got my 200lb'er. Best of luck.

 

[johnnyblues]

Congratulations on your cat. Would love to see a picture.

 

[CAustin]

JohnnyBlues we are all hoping you get a very big CAT and have a great report to share. I intend to learn from you on this as spots is on my list.

 

[johnnyblues]

Thanks Charlie, guess I ve asked a lot of questions here but I am grateful for all the help....Gotta excuse the rookie

 

[no1waterdog]

Best of luck on your Leopard hunt. I hunt mind in 90 days with Jaco,I need some luck also,did not get my cat last year. John

 

[johnnyblues]

Best of luck on your Leopard hunt. I hunt mind in 90 days with Jaco,I need some luck also,did not get my cat last year. John

I wish you ALL the best of luck possible. I have a feeling your gonna get one this year. Look forward to your report and pictures!

 

[Hank2211]

Good luck, and count yourself lucky that there will be any pre-baiting! It is - or at least was a a few years ago - illegal to pre-bait on national parks concessions in Zimbabwe. I had the pleasure of shooting an animal as quickly as possible every morning and then driving around all day setting and checking baits. You don't get a lot of plains game hunting in when you're doing that (unless you count shooting every impala you see).

 

[johnnyblues]

Good luck, and count yourself lucky that there will be any pre-baiting! It is - or at least was a a few years ago - illegal to pre-bait on national parks concessions in Zimbabwe. I had the pleasure of shooting an animal as quickly as possible every morning and then driving around all day setting and checking baits. You don't get a lot of plains game hunting in when you're doing that (unless you count shooting every impala you see).

Thanks Hank. My only regret is no night hunting in Namibia. Would love that option. But in September I guess it's light till 8 30 or so

 

[Red Leg]

Very few bargain hunters end up in places like Cameroon or Tanzania. It is a function of supply, demand, and the costs of maintaining a concession in a truly remote area. Regardless of what you are being charged a day, none of these guys are getting rich in this business. Even in Namibia, the cost differential between maintaining a ranchland based operation and a DG concession in the Caprivi is enormous - and the daily rates reflect that differential. It is one reason that a leopard is a relatively affordable DG animal. They exist in good numbers in ranch country where outfitter costs are less astronomical.

 

[Spooksar]

I leave Friday for Namibia for Leopard, my PH sent me trail cam photos of 2 leopards on bait a week ago. I hope they are still there on Sunday when I get there

 

[rookhawk]

For fraud detection:

As others suggested, trail pics would be helpful. I would also think seeing signs of various ages of dried up bait remnants would also be evidence that the PH is doing as advertised.

Another suggestion: don't you think you'd get a lot more out of the experience if you could join for the 5 additional days of baiting with your PH? What if you only see a cat on day 2 and you're not there until day 6? I just think you're giving up a really cool experience that would be free if you asked the PH to do baiting with him for 5 days.

 

[bluey]

That's plain crazy. 3k a day. If I won the lottery I would not pay that. Just on principal.

if l had money coming out my ears, id pay 3 grand a day to hunt Tanzania , every bloody year , ......
location , location, location .
30 day hunt in true Africa wilderness.year after year after year..............

 

[bluey]

I leave Friday for Namibia for Leopard, my PH sent me trail cam photos of 2 leopards on bait a week ago. I hope they are still there on Sunday when I get there

hey spooks , I hope they are still there too, mate.
hope you work hard for your succsess, and enjoy every second of it ,mate
looking foreward to living through you story , bud....
don't forget the bloody photos, and heaps of em ..........

 

[bluey]

For fraud detection:

As others suggested, trail pics would be helpful. I would also think seeing signs of various ages of dried up bait remnants would also be evidence that the PH is doing as advertised.

Another suggestion: don't you think you'd get a lot more out of the experience if you could join for the 5 additional days of baiting with your PH? What if you only see a cat on day 2 and you're not there until day 6? I just think you're giving up a really cool experience that would be free if you asked the PH to do baiting with him for 5 days.

that would be great if you have to time to kill ,to participate in this .
but wouldn't the outfitter charge you atleast obrever rates if you are there for these five days .
but then , id rather be hunting if l was there ..
in all my experience in leopard hunting ( 0 days, my next day leopard hunting ,will be my first)
but listening to the wise words , of many experienced leopard hunting outfits, pre baiting , is like buying most of the tickets in a lottery , it ups your chances considerabely.....
I rekon a P.H that talks shit ,about prebaiting , and not doing it is a P.H that wouldn't last very long .
if you were that worried about , getting jibbed on the pre baiting, you could always send him your own tree cameras, to set up a month before you arrive.....

 

[johnnyblues]

I leave Friday for Namibia for Leopard, my PH sent me trail cam photos of 2 leopards on bait a week ago. I hope they are still there on Sunday when I get there

Good luck sir, who are you hunting with?

 

[johnnyblues]

For fraud detection:

As others suggested, trail pics would be helpful. I would also think seeing signs of various ages of dried up bait remnants would also be evidence that the PH is doing as advertised.

Another suggestion: don't you think you'd get a lot more out of the experience if you could join for the 5 additional days of baiting with your PH? What if you only see a cat on day 2 and you're not there until day 6? I just think you're giving up a really cool experience that would be free if you asked the PH to do baiting with him for 5 days.

Well this pre baiting is supposed to be done prior to my arrival and then if the bait it active they would replenish it and hopefully hold the cat on it until I arrive.

 

[johnnyblues]

if l had money coming out my ears, id pay 3 grand a day to hunt Tanzania , every bloody year , ......
location , location, location .
30 day hunt in true Africa wilderness.year after year after year..............

You may have a point, let me check my ears in case I missed something

 

[spike.t]

never had any prebaiting on any of the leopard or lion hunts i did or booked for people. you hunted what was on your license and used those animals for the baits. this was in zim and tanzania where you couldnt prebait then and i presume cant now. in zambian gmas you cant, as here is an extract from the zawa regulations

17. All wires used to set baits, and all baits must be removed when the client’s hunt is completed.