Stopping A Devil Cat’s Charge

Panther Shooter, thanks for sharing Enayet Hamza‘s story with us. It was very exciting!
I have always believed that of the two (luck and skill) I would prefer luck to skill, but having both...well that is something to be envied!
 
Well written , Panther Shooter !
I'll have to ask Enayet again what brand of .458 Winchester magnum calibre rifle his Safari Out Fitter had lent him in Zimbabwe .
Major Khan Sir
Thank you very much . The .458 Winchester Magnum was a Mannlicher Shoenauer bolt action rifle , employing a rotary magazine . The ammunition was Hornady 500 grain Full Metal Jacket solid factory loaded cartridges. Enayet told me , today.
 
Panther shooter, that was another captivating story. Please do lean on Enayet to join AH and post his own articles. No doubt, they will be well received. As you so aptly pointed out "luck plays a very important part in a hunter's success" whether he or she is experienced or not.
Shootist43
Thank you , very much . Enayet would , indeed fit in ,extremely well amongst the members of AH forums , just like both Major Poton Khan Sir and I have .
 
Great story. Enayet Really should join AH, Especially since he has been to Africa. Good thing he was prepared for that charge. Certainly could of gone badly for him. Looking forward to more stories of years gone by. Thanks for sharing.
Bruce
Bruce
Thank you very much . The hilarious irony about Enayet’s life is that all five of the man eating Hunting Leopards killed by him , were wounded fiends which had charged Enayet after he was spooring them .

On his 1983 Safari to Zimbabwe , Enayet brought down :
1) Francolin partridge
2) Guinea Fowl
3) Sand Grouse
4) Gemsbok
5) Zebra
6 ) Cape Buffalo

For the winged game , he used his Baikal 12 Bore Side By Side shotgun . For the mammalian game , he used a .458 Winchester Magnum and a .300 Holland & Holland Magnum ( both of which were provided by the outfitter ) .
 
Luck.....and very good shooting !

Great story.
Nyati
Thank you very much . Enayet is an absolute wizard , with that Baikal 12 Bore Side By Side shotgun . I have once seen him successfully bring down four Common Sheldrake Ducks simultaneously , just by firing the left barrel of his Baikal shotgun .
He was using Eley 3 inch Alphamax Magnum BB cartridges .
 
You guys from that culture and that part of the world write with a style of truth that is refreshing and seems somewhat rare in our modern world. I much enjoy all your stories and it is appreciated- thanks for sharing!
Four Five Eight
Thank you very much . We try relating our experiences , exactly the way that they happened . Impartiality and honesty must always be strived for , without any exaggeration. Enayet was initially a little hesitant about including the part , where he actually contemplated hiding the carcass of the Hunting Leopard . However, I encouraged him to openly include that part ,as well .
 
Panther Shooter, thanks for sharing Enayet Hamza‘s story with us. It was very exciting!
I have always believed that of the two (luck and skill) I would prefer luck to skill, but having both...well that is something to be envied!
Ridge Walker
Thank you very much. Enayet’s third man eater had actually attempted to spring on him , from the top of a tree . While Enayet was under the tree .
 
Enayet was initially a little hesitant about including the part , where he actually contemplated hiding the carcass of the Hunting Leopard . However, I encouraged him to openly include that part ,as well .

panther shooter,
i believe that the honest concern of what to do next, and things like that make the stories you guys tell compelling and more believable. you are simply conveying what most of would think if we indeed were confronted with a similar situation. tell Enayet i admire his courage during his hunting and his convictions for standing his ground and telling the truth. a great story.
 
A very close younger friend of mine , who has been eagerly reading @Major Khan Sir’s and my writings on AH Forums , decided ( Upon my encouragement ) to try his hand at writing , recently . He is my compatriot , young Mr . Enayet Hamza ( Well , he is 57 years old . So he is definitely younger than I ) .

Enayet is a true Shikari and a sportsman to boot . He has even gone on a safari to Zimbabwe in 1983 , where he has successfully brought down a Cape Buffalo , a Gemsbok and a Zebra . As well as some guinea fowl and francolin partridges ( And he is Hellbent on going off on another African safari , very soon ) . However , Enayet’s exploits in his ( our ) motherland are nothing too mundane , either ; by any stretch of imagination .

Being an exceptionally competent Shikari and extremely adept with the use of firearms , Enayet’s services ( over the years ) have frequently been called upon by his local forest department in order to help deal with any hostile wildlife , which might be posing a threat to the locals . Among these hostile wildlife , is the greatest fiend to ever menace South East Asia - The man eating Hunting Leopard . And indeed ; Enayet has brought down more than his fair share of these fiends , over the years .

Enayet has long been a reader of AH Forums , and my writings ( as well as Major Poton Khan Sir’s ) on these forums have given him inspiration. He asked me if I could share one of his Shikar experiences on AH forums on his behalf , if he put it on paper . I happily agreed and rather encouraged him to go for it . Well , he eloquently wrote down the account of how he successfully brought down his life’s very first man eating Hunting Leopard and sent it to me today , via email .Along with a few gripping photographs , for me to use .

Thus , I shall be narrating Enayet Hamza’s adventure today . I honestly hope that everyone here finds it to as enjoyable as I did , when I read Enayet’s rough draft this morning . I would also personally like to thank Enayet for coming forward and sharing his story , on AH forums for all of us to enjoy .
View attachment 350591
Man Eating Hunting Leopard brought down by the Author . Henceforth , all photographs used in this write up are provided by Enayet Hamza .
My dear friend Panther Shooter
I look forward to reading his stories. How big is the cat you are holding. It looks a magnificent specimen my friend.
Your friend
Bob Nelson
 
You know ... Young Enayet and I could never stop arguing about the superiority of the single trigger versus double trigger set up . It remains 1 of our most hotly debated topics !
Friend Ponton
Give me two triggers any day. Some of the single trigger guns operate on inertia and if the first barrel doesn't fire you need to either rerecock the action or give the but a,slap to activate the second barrel.
My son's over and under has a single trigger but not other inertia. You pull the trigger and it activates the second barrel.
Two triggers you should have at least one work in case of a misfire.
Your humble reader and friend
Bob
 
Friend Ponton
Give me two triggers any day. Some of the single trigger guns operate on inertia and if the first barrel doesn't fire you need to either rerecock the action or give the but a,slap to activate the second barrel.
My son's over and under has a single trigger but not other inertia. You pull the trigger and it activates the second barrel.
Two triggers you should have at least one work in case of a misfire.
Your humble reader and friend
Bob
I could not agree more , Bob ! I prefer the double trigger configuration on my " Old Belgian " for the very same reason . You can even shoot 2.5inch Eley Grand Prix #6 cartridges in my shot gun ( Which has 3 inch chambers ) ... With out worrying about whether the 2nd barrel will discharge , or not . No inertia or recoil considerations to think about .

Enayet circumvents this problem , by only using 3 inch cartridges in his beloved Baikal 12 Bore single selective trigger side by side shot gun . To the best of my knowledge , he has never used 2.5 or even 2.75 inch cartridges in his shot gun .
 
Written by Enayet
“ Winter was coming , and my engineering college’s second semester had come to a close . I was free for the rest of the year , and so decided to spend my time hunting in the beloved forests around my family home . I would dedicate some of my time , watching Mother’s bakery . The rest of my time was dedicated to doing what I loved best .

One evening , I told my parents that I was going out to bag a lovely Kakar deer , for our dinner . However on that day , one servant was going to be accompanying Mother to the bazaar . The other servant was needed at home to tend to the main gate . My parents were both a little bit reluctant about letting me go off into the forests , alone . However in the end , they did not think much of it . They knew that I was always an extremely cautious young man , who neither ever took any unnecessary chances , nor attempted to tempt fate in any way . I got up on my Harley motorcycle , and packed my flashlight , my Baikal and a dozen hand-loaded 3 inch 00 buckshot shells , before departing . I also packed my Buck 110 lock-back folding knife , a coil of para-cord , a hurricane lamp , some wax paper , a box of matches , a flask of cold coffee ( my favorite drink ) and some chicken liver pate sandwiches from the bakery . I then departed into the wilderness .

Within 40 minutes or so , I reached a spot which was dense with gooseberry trees . Knowing that Kakar deer would regularly frequent this area to feed ( on the goose berries ) , I decided to “ stake out “ the place . I lit the hurricane lamp and hung it from the branch of a goose berry tree . Then , I lay down on my stomach amongst the thick bushes on the green grassy ground - Baikal in one hand , flashlight in the other . I was roughly 5 meters away from the tree , which had the hurricane lamp hanging from it . The trick was to keep myself concealed from my quarry’s line of sight , for as long as possible . Far off into the distance , I suddenly heard 2 gunshots . However , I thought nothing of it . This part of the forest , was an extremely popular hunting spot . No doubt , the 2 gunshots which I had heard were simply the works of other local Shikaris in a nearby area .

Roughly 75 minutes passed before I finally began to hear some movement amongst the bushes . I could see a sizable Kakar buck , slowly making his way towards the gooseberry trees . The animal ( just as my experience had taught me ) came towards the hurricane lamp , curious as to what brightly glowing object this might be .
As he raised his head upwards to look curiously at the suspended hurricane lamp , I leapt up ( having decided to waste no more time ) . Snapping my Baikal up to my shoulder , I instantly pulled the trigger . The left barrel went off , loudly and the charge of copper plated 00 buckshot blew clean into the Kakar buck’s neck and shoulder . It dropped to the shot , on the spot . It had been hit by 8 of the 15 copper plated 00 buckshot pellets .

I immediately approached the slain buck and took out my Buck 110 . Opening the stainless steel Bowie style blade , I resolved to make the venison “ Halal “ . Reciting the customary line of “ Bismillah Her Rahman Er Raheem “ , I proceeded to slice the Kakar buck’s throat ( right down to the spinal column ) in order to ensure that it completely bled dry . In the mean time , I went back to where I had parked my Harley ( which was roughly 5 minutes away , from where I had shot the Kakar buck ) and retrieved my snacks from my bag-pack . I sat on the motorcycle’s seat , while I drank a cup of cold coffee and ate a chicken liver pate sandwich .

I then , decided that it was time to go and retrieve my Kakar buck . I casually strolled back to the area , where the hurricane lamp was hanging . In the mean time , I opened the breech of my Baikal and took out the empty shell from the left chamber . I replaced it with another hand-loaded Eley Alphamax Magnum 76 mm 00 buckshot shell , before closing it again . When I reached the sight of the slain Kakar buck , I saw that it had properly bled out . I used my Buck 110 to cut off a few pieces of para-cord which I then , used to lash the fore legs and the hind legs of the Kakar buck together . I carried the buck all the way , back to my Harley and I tied the slain animal securely to the top of my motorcycle seat .

I then , returned to the area where I had shot the Kakar buck , in order to retrieve my hurricane lamp . However when I reached the site of the gooseberry trees , something was amiss . I heard quite an unforgettable noise . It sounded a bit , like the growling of a dog . But not quite . It sounded far more aggressive than a dog’s growling . I looked cautiously at the bushes , from which the noise was emanating . My Baikal was in my hands , as I pulled closers towards the bushes . I wondered what the animal causing this noise , could be . A wild jackal , perhaps ? Must be . Wild dogs and jackals were known to frequent this part of the forests . And then , it happened .

The jackal propelled itself out of the bushes , with the speed of being shot out of a catapult . My reaction was purely instinctive. I acted in self defense . Whipping my Baikal up to my shoulder , I took aim at the lunging creature and pulled the trigger , when it was less than 5 meters away from me . The left barrel went off and the concentrated charge of copper plated 00 buckshot took the jackal full on , in the cranium . The animal dropped to the ground . Dead . I turned on my flashlight and shone the light over the dead jackal . You can imagine my level of shock when it had dawned upon me that what I had shot , was no jackal .

It was HUGE . About the size of a large calf . It was covered in black spots ( or rosettes ) . The face had whiskers and looked nothing like a dog’s . On it’s paws , were sharp talons . I suddenly realized that I had just shot and killed a Hunting Leopard . A Hunting Leopard which had stalked and charged me . For a few seconds , I tried my best to compose myself . All species of leopards were legally protected by the laws of Bangladesh - One simply is not legally permitted to kill a leopard , unless if :
1) It is a man eater
2) The person who killed the leopard , acted either in self defense or to protect the lives of other human beings .

I did not want to get into any trouble with the law and thus , I began to weigh in my options . I could dig a hole in the ground and quickly bury the slain Hunting Leopard , in order to hide what I had done . Or I could simply try explaining to the Boda Upozila Forest Department , that I had genuinely acted in self defense . I decided to opt for the latter option . All of the locals ( including forest department officers ) knew Father , extremely well as a respected Doctor and member of the local community . The forest department officers also knew me as a completely harmless and law abiding young man , who always hunted legally and with police permission . They knew me long enough ( since my childhood ) to be well aware of the fact that I never even shot a Teal , without taking the requisite police permission ( where necessary ) . They also knew that this area was one of my frequent haunts , and that I would normally hunt around here during this time of the year .


The more important question was this : What was a Hunting Leopard doing over here , in the first place ? Father and I had been hunting in this part of Panchagarh for quite a few years . And we had never come across anything more dangerous than a Bengal bush boar . Granted , there were other parts of Panchagarh which were frequented by Hunting Leopards . But no one I knew had ever seen or even heard of a Hunting Leopard coming to this part of the forest . It , truly was strange .

Far off into the distance , I could see half a dozen Boda Upozila Forest Department officers , cautiously rushing towards my direction . They were all armed with their standard issue Lee Enfield bolt action rifles , chambered in .303 British which were loaded with 215 grain Remington expanding ammunition . I gulped in nervousness . Was I going to be thrown into prison ? Was I going to have my Baikal confiscated ? Was I going to be penalized with a fine ? It was difficult to say . “
View attachment 350703
The Baikal 12 gauge ( 76 mm Magnum ) single trigger box-lock side by side with extractors and 24 inch choke-less barrels
Friend Panther Shooter
You friend Enayet was lucky to blessed with such fast reflexes otherwise the story may have had a different ending. To get two such beautiful animals in one shikar is very fortunate even tho totally unplanned.
Your friend
Bob
 
Major Khan Sir ,
Better yet . Let us ask him to join AH forums !
Friend Panther Shooter
It would be a privilege to read your friends stories they would add another chapter to hunting in a more modern time than friends Ponton and Rahman as well as your self and the other gentlemen from that era.
Your humble reader and friend
Bob Nelson
 
panther shooter,
i believe that the honest concern of what to do next, and things like that make the stories you guys tell compelling and more believable. you are simply conveying what most of would think if we indeed were confronted with a similar situation. tell Enayet i admire his courage during his hunting and his convictions for standing his ground and telling the truth. a great story.
1dirthawker
Thank you very much . The difference between fiction and actual accounts , is exactly this : In real life , we are often forced into less than ideal predicaments by cruel twists of fate. And we are then , forced to conduct ourselves in manners which might be deemed “ unheroic “ in fiction . As opposed to everything turning out right , as they do in storybooks . I shall certainly convey your appreciative words to Enayet . He shall be joining AH forums , in about a week or so . The lockdown in Bangladesh has recently been lifted and Enayet is an architect , so he just has to complete a few of his pending assignments before he can clear up some free time on his schedule .
 
Friend Panther Shooter
You friend Enayet was lucky to blessed with such fast reflexes otherwise the story may have had a different ending. To get two such beautiful animals in one shikar is very fortunate even tho totally unplanned.
Your friend
Bob
Bob
Thank you very much . Enayet’s style of shooting is extremely instinctive , but methodical . He relies upon the fact that his shotgun has no choke in either barrel , to get wide patterns with his hand loaded 3 inch copper plated SG cartridges ( each of which , holds 15 copper plated SG pellets) . He also exercises extreme self restraint and stalking skills . Most of the shots which he takes at game with that shotgun , are within a range of ten meters .
 
Bob
Thank you very much . Enayet’s style of shooting is extremely instinctive , but methodical . He relies upon the fact that his shotgun has no choke in either barrel , to get wide patterns with his hand loaded 3 inch copper plated SG cartridges ( each of which , holds 15 copper plated SG pellets) . He also exercises extreme self restraint and stalking skills . Most of the shots which he takes at game with that shotgun , are within a range of ten meters .
Friend panther shooter.
Our friend Enayet is truly gifted and he has good nerves to go with it.
Your friend bob
 
we are often forced into less than ideal predicaments by cruel twists of fate. And we are then , forced to conduct ourselves in manners which might be deemed “ unheroic “ in fiction . As opposed to everything turning out right , as they do in storybooks

panther shooter,

i am a fireman by trade, i just retired. the quote that we often use amongst ourselves is "reality is weirder than fiction". so, reality can be weird, un heroic, frustrating, terrifying, horrible, stupid or....you pick the phrase. thank you again for the excellent read.

don
 
Another great story thanks for sharing it with us.
 

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