LivingTheDream
AH legend
Better Lucky Than Good!!!
I was actually in camp right after Dave (375Ruger), and then got to spend some time with him upon his return. It was nice to have another AH’er in camp, if only for a short period of time.
A leopard hunt was probably the most agonizing hunt I have every booked short of my sheep hunt. As everyone knows, even the best outfitters/PHs in the best of conditions can’t guarantee a cat. However, from the moment I met Nick and Isabel at the 2023 SCI show, it felt like I was talking with old friends rather than as a client. I booked a Leopard hunt for 2025, obviously 2 years is a long time but it goes by so quick. Before I knew it I was boarding a plane to Frankfurt, eventually making my way to Windhoek, hopefully to complete my Big 5, by taking a Leopard with Nick.
I was going to a day by day report, as Leopard hunting is usually a battle of wits, a long game for a target cat. But as the title suggests, I apparently am more lucky than I am necessarily good.
Before discussing the hunting, I want to say communication was great, Benny (Nick and Isabel's son) waited for over 2 hours for me to clear the Namibia eVISA line, it is a new process and obviously they are working out the kinks (very TIA moment). But we had a nice uneventful 3 hour ride to camp, getting in just at sundown. My room/lodge was unbelievably nice and is the nicest lodge I have ever stayed in (both in the states and in Africa). Food was fantastic and though I did hope to lose weight on this trip, I can tell you it didn't happen.
I had always passed on Zebra on previous hunts planning that I would need to get some for leopard bait. Well Day 1 of my leopard hunt and we would start off hunting Zebra, hoping to get one early so we could hang some fresh baits in the afternoon. As we were going to check the zero of the camp rifle, we spotted tracks of a herd of Mtn Zebra. So we haven’t even made it to range and we are on the track, and so began quite a long stalk and a game of cat and mouse. Essentially, we were trying to get the wind in our favor and they were trying to keep the wind in theirs, but we finally got ahead of them and by 10 am I had bait. The rest of the day was spent checking baits and refreshing the ones that were out. Checking and updating baits is a bit of rinse and repeat, so will spare you the details there.
The Leopard Hunt
The leopard hunt itself went beyond textbook and to write about it is almost anti-climactic. Early on Day 3, A fresh warthog kill was found with big male leopard tracks around it. We rushed over to check it out, we made a plan based on the wind to build a blind, 90 yards away and wait for the leopard to come back. Apparently, finding their own kill ups the odds significantly, so now it was a waiting game and a hope he would be back before dark. Well just like you read, as the sun is starting to set, you hear some animals spook, the Francolin put out there warning cry and out of nowhere, a tap on the leg, and he is there back on his kill. At this point it is all mental, you are calming your nerves, trying to slow your heart beat and take a solid steady shot. Just as you squeeze the trigger and focus on your breathing, and I have thought about this with every dangerous game animal, as you pull the trigger you have hit a point of no turning back. You have the lit the fuse, and the only thing you can hope for is that your shot is true.
At the shot he dropped, and rolled a bit, as I reloaded he lunged straight away, rolled some more and then all was still. My shot had broken both shoulders, and maybe an inch high, but had hit the big cat hard making him essentially immobile. This is when the adrenaline hit, I couldn't take my eyes off of him, no way he was done, Francois hit me on the back and said well done. No way, I couldn't believe it. Then we get to the cat, and I am thinking he is Big. Francois says you had no idea what you have done, this is a monster my friend. I thanked the cat, I thanked God for this moment and keeping everyone safe, it was all surreal.
I have read about super cats, and didn't ever think about it, I just wanted a cat, I wanted to hunt him on his terms and wanted to come away successful. Well, this Leopard was probably 12 years old, weighed 180LBS and skull measured 16.5 inches!!! This is a cat of a lifetime. I am not going to post pictures of me with the cat for obvious reasons, but he is truly a monster.
Other details
The pressure was off, and did take some other animals over the next couple of days, a Burchell zebra to give me a matching set and a Waterbuck that was too good to pass up. The mass on this Waterbuck is truly amazing and he had me fooled.
One special thing to note about the Burchell Zebra, Benny was tagging along being an Appy PH, went we spotted the Zebra Franscious gave him the sticks and said lead the way, this was Benny's first guided client and though I did my best to mess it up, he got his first guided kill. He said to me, thank you for trusting me with your hunt, I said thank you for trusting me to walk behind you with a loaded gun. Given the reputation and tradition of the Notle family, it is quite an honor and privilege to be Benny's client.
I was able to do some predator hunting and took a couple of jackals, which were a first for me in Africa. But I was able to change my flights and get back early, to a very happy wife.
It was just a trip where everything went right, I was beyond lucky and had an experience I will never forget! I know there was countless hours spent in the background to make my hunt a success, and I can't thank everyone involved enough. I am already planning on when I can go back.
I was actually in camp right after Dave (375Ruger), and then got to spend some time with him upon his return. It was nice to have another AH’er in camp, if only for a short period of time.
A leopard hunt was probably the most agonizing hunt I have every booked short of my sheep hunt. As everyone knows, even the best outfitters/PHs in the best of conditions can’t guarantee a cat. However, from the moment I met Nick and Isabel at the 2023 SCI show, it felt like I was talking with old friends rather than as a client. I booked a Leopard hunt for 2025, obviously 2 years is a long time but it goes by so quick. Before I knew it I was boarding a plane to Frankfurt, eventually making my way to Windhoek, hopefully to complete my Big 5, by taking a Leopard with Nick.
I was going to a day by day report, as Leopard hunting is usually a battle of wits, a long game for a target cat. But as the title suggests, I apparently am more lucky than I am necessarily good.
Before discussing the hunting, I want to say communication was great, Benny (Nick and Isabel's son) waited for over 2 hours for me to clear the Namibia eVISA line, it is a new process and obviously they are working out the kinks (very TIA moment). But we had a nice uneventful 3 hour ride to camp, getting in just at sundown. My room/lodge was unbelievably nice and is the nicest lodge I have ever stayed in (both in the states and in Africa). Food was fantastic and though I did hope to lose weight on this trip, I can tell you it didn't happen.
I had always passed on Zebra on previous hunts planning that I would need to get some for leopard bait. Well Day 1 of my leopard hunt and we would start off hunting Zebra, hoping to get one early so we could hang some fresh baits in the afternoon. As we were going to check the zero of the camp rifle, we spotted tracks of a herd of Mtn Zebra. So we haven’t even made it to range and we are on the track, and so began quite a long stalk and a game of cat and mouse. Essentially, we were trying to get the wind in our favor and they were trying to keep the wind in theirs, but we finally got ahead of them and by 10 am I had bait. The rest of the day was spent checking baits and refreshing the ones that were out. Checking and updating baits is a bit of rinse and repeat, so will spare you the details there.
The Leopard Hunt
The leopard hunt itself went beyond textbook and to write about it is almost anti-climactic. Early on Day 3, A fresh warthog kill was found with big male leopard tracks around it. We rushed over to check it out, we made a plan based on the wind to build a blind, 90 yards away and wait for the leopard to come back. Apparently, finding their own kill ups the odds significantly, so now it was a waiting game and a hope he would be back before dark. Well just like you read, as the sun is starting to set, you hear some animals spook, the Francolin put out there warning cry and out of nowhere, a tap on the leg, and he is there back on his kill. At this point it is all mental, you are calming your nerves, trying to slow your heart beat and take a solid steady shot. Just as you squeeze the trigger and focus on your breathing, and I have thought about this with every dangerous game animal, as you pull the trigger you have hit a point of no turning back. You have the lit the fuse, and the only thing you can hope for is that your shot is true.
At the shot he dropped, and rolled a bit, as I reloaded he lunged straight away, rolled some more and then all was still. My shot had broken both shoulders, and maybe an inch high, but had hit the big cat hard making him essentially immobile. This is when the adrenaline hit, I couldn't take my eyes off of him, no way he was done, Francois hit me on the back and said well done. No way, I couldn't believe it. Then we get to the cat, and I am thinking he is Big. Francois says you had no idea what you have done, this is a monster my friend. I thanked the cat, I thanked God for this moment and keeping everyone safe, it was all surreal.
I have read about super cats, and didn't ever think about it, I just wanted a cat, I wanted to hunt him on his terms and wanted to come away successful. Well, this Leopard was probably 12 years old, weighed 180LBS and skull measured 16.5 inches!!! This is a cat of a lifetime. I am not going to post pictures of me with the cat for obvious reasons, but he is truly a monster.
Other details
The pressure was off, and did take some other animals over the next couple of days, a Burchell zebra to give me a matching set and a Waterbuck that was too good to pass up. The mass on this Waterbuck is truly amazing and he had me fooled.
One special thing to note about the Burchell Zebra, Benny was tagging along being an Appy PH, went we spotted the Zebra Franscious gave him the sticks and said lead the way, this was Benny's first guided client and though I did my best to mess it up, he got his first guided kill. He said to me, thank you for trusting me with your hunt, I said thank you for trusting me to walk behind you with a loaded gun. Given the reputation and tradition of the Notle family, it is quite an honor and privilege to be Benny's client.
I was able to do some predator hunting and took a couple of jackals, which were a first for me in Africa. But I was able to change my flights and get back early, to a very happy wife.
It was just a trip where everything went right, I was beyond lucky and had an experience I will never forget! I know there was countless hours spent in the background to make my hunt a success, and I can't thank everyone involved enough. I am already planning on when I can go back.
