A couple of months ago, I embarked on an unforgettable adventure to Mozambique for a leopard hunt. My wife and I settled into the charming Muanza Camp, nestled near the pristine Gorongoza National Park. Knowing her passion for bird photography, I arranged a separate birdwatching safari for her, allowing her to immerse herself in her craft while I focused on the hunt. It was the perfect arrangement—she could explore the vibrant avian life, and I could concentrate on tracking leopards without worrying about her boredom.
We were the only guests at the camp, which made our experience feel even more exclusive. The leopard hunting operation was meticulously organized under the guidance of Gavin Lipjes (Panthers Trackers), our experienced guide.
He had a dedicated team of five pairs of scouts who roamed the riverbeds each night before dawn, searching for tracks. These scouts camped out in spike camps during the hunt, reporting their findings to Gavin each morning. Their nightly treks, covering between four to six miles, provided us with an accurate picture of the leopards' movements.
After a few days of tracking, we learned that our hunting area was home to two large males and three females with cubs. Despite our best efforts, our initial attempts to let the dogs loose on the leopard tracks were thwarted by unfavorable weather conditions that muddled the scent trails.
However, just a couple of days before my successful hunt, the scouts stumbled upon a reedbuck carcass hidden under water in a dip in the riverbed. They discovered large hyena tracks and drag marks leading into the bushes, alongside tracks of a female leopard with a small cub who had also stashed a dead antelope in the riverbed.
The scenario painted a vivid picture: a male leopard had likely made the initial kill, only for a hyena to find it and drag it away. The female leopard, along with her cub, had then scavenged what remained, stashing the leftovers under the water for safekeeping.
To secure the remains from the hyenas, we hoisted what was left of the reedbuck into a tree and set up a camera to capture any activity. That very night, the big tom returned to the kill, and we were able to record his visit.
The following day, we followed his tracks across the river and released the dogs. The dogs quickly located him, treed him, and soon we found him perched high in a tall tree, nearly invisible among the thick branches and dense leaves. After a few tense moments of searching for a clear shot, we finally spotted his chest. My shot was almost vertical, and as the bullet struck, the leopard dropped just 1.5 yards from my feet. The dogs were immediately on him, and thankfully for them—and us—the leopard was dead.
The bullet, a well-constructed 370-grain Safari Raptor made by Cutting Edge Bullets, had pierced his right front leg, entered the chest cavity, and ended up at the base of the skull, severing the spinal cord and breaking the occipital bone in the process.
The hunt was a resounding success, and I was ecstatic.
This trip proved to be equally rewarding for my wife. By the end of our stay in Mozambique, she had captured stunning photographs of over 60 different bird species, enriching her experience in the wild.
If you enjoy hunting with dogs, this hunt is definitely for you. Gavin knows what he is doing; his dogs are exceptionally well-trained, and everything was meticulously planned and organized. This trip was not just a hunt; it was a shared adventure that brought us closer together while allowing us to pursue our individual passions in the heart of Mozambique's breathtaking wilderness.
He had a dedicated team of five pairs of scouts who roamed the riverbeds each night before dawn, searching for tracks. These scouts camped out in spike camps during the hunt, reporting their findings to Gavin each morning. Their nightly treks, covering between four to six miles, provided us with an accurate picture of the leopards' movements.
After a few days of tracking, we learned that our hunting area was home to two large males and three females with cubs. Despite our best efforts, our initial attempts to let the dogs loose on the leopard tracks were thwarted by unfavorable weather conditions that muddled the scent trails.
However, just a couple of days before my successful hunt, the scouts stumbled upon a reedbuck carcass hidden under water in a dip in the riverbed. They discovered large hyena tracks and drag marks leading into the bushes, alongside tracks of a female leopard with a small cub who had also stashed a dead antelope in the riverbed.
The scenario painted a vivid picture: a male leopard had likely made the initial kill, only for a hyena to find it and drag it away. The female leopard, along with her cub, had then scavenged what remained, stashing the leftovers under the water for safekeeping.
To secure the remains from the hyenas, we hoisted what was left of the reedbuck into a tree and set up a camera to capture any activity. That very night, the big tom returned to the kill, and we were able to record his visit.
The following day, we followed his tracks across the river and released the dogs. The dogs quickly located him, treed him, and soon we found him perched high in a tall tree, nearly invisible among the thick branches and dense leaves. After a few tense moments of searching for a clear shot, we finally spotted his chest. My shot was almost vertical, and as the bullet struck, the leopard dropped just 1.5 yards from my feet. The dogs were immediately on him, and thankfully for them—and us—the leopard was dead.
The bullet, a well-constructed 370-grain Safari Raptor made by Cutting Edge Bullets, had pierced his right front leg, entered the chest cavity, and ended up at the base of the skull, severing the spinal cord and breaking the occipital bone in the process.
The hunt was a resounding success, and I was ecstatic.
This trip proved to be equally rewarding for my wife. By the end of our stay in Mozambique, she had captured stunning photographs of over 60 different bird species, enriching her experience in the wild.
If you enjoy hunting with dogs, this hunt is definitely for you. Gavin knows what he is doing; his dogs are exceptionally well-trained, and everything was meticulously planned and organized. This trip was not just a hunt; it was a shared adventure that brought us closer together while allowing us to pursue our individual passions in the heart of Mozambique's breathtaking wilderness.
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