Hunting Leopard Part II

Leopards elicit a range of emotions as graceful yet cunning predators. While many admire their skillful hunting abilities, local communities impacted by livestock loss view them less favorably. Regulated trophy hunting—not illegal poaching—provides an alternative and much more ethical way to the indiscriminate killing of problem animals through poaching or retaliatory killings. Strict quotas, hunting regulations, and other restrictions balance conservation with African local’s interests.

Bait

Leopard hunting is unpredictable and challenging, with no guarantees of even seeing the elusive cat despite the guide’s best efforts to lure one in. It becomes a chess match, a battle of wits trying to outmaneuver the cunning “Mr. Spots.” Unlike typical hunts where you pursue the quarry, leopard hunting requires bringing the wary animal to you. The true thrill lies in this demanding mental game of enticing the leopard to take your bait.

The solitary male and female leopards are highly territorial. A male leopard will only abandon his routine patrol of territorial boundaries for two reasons: an estrous female or free prey. This instinctive response to easy meals underlies the traditional hunting technique of baiting. Successful bait sites feature natural funnels along game trails, proximity to water, concealed access for the leopard, and suitable trees for hanging bait.

Some countries allow pre-baiting while others prohibit it. In most cases, upon arrival to commence a hunt, the first step for a hunter will be shooting bait animals. The species used for bait varies by region, depending on the preferences of local professional hunters. Some prefer zebra meat for its high fat content and slower rate of decay compared to other baits. Baboons are also commonly used, but in most areas, impala is the primary choice. Impala is abundant, easily hauled into trees, and the skin helps prevent rapid decay, though leopards will consume even rancid meat.

Site

The bait must be secured high in a tree to prevent lions, leopards, and hyenas from reaching it. Small branches should camouflage the bait from vultures. After securing the bait, drag trails of scent from the entrails should lead leopards from different directions to the tree. Scatter the stomach contents around the base and rub it on the tree to mask human scent.

Inspect the baits daily for signs of leopard activity, resetting traps as needed. Keep extra entrails in a lidded bucket to continuously make fresh drag trails. Though smelly, the “slop bucket” ensures you can keep baiting while on the hunt.

Critically, leave enough meat so the leopard returns the next evening. If it eats its fill, there’s no reason to come back. A mature male leopard can eat up to 20% of its 130-200 pound body weight.

Constructing Your Blind

When the bait has been hit, the professional hunter will decide whether to build a blind and set up a trail camera. The blind may be constructed entirely from natural foliage and grass in the area, or a pop-up blind can be used and camouflaged with tree branches and grass. Inside the blind, shooting sticks will be set up to provide a steady rest for the client’s rifle, aiming toward where the leopard is expected to stand while feeding. When the leopard is comfortably eating, the client simply needs to lean forward into shooting position, aim, and fire. Some hunters even camouflage the exposed rifle barrel.

Other technology may also be used, like night vision, motion sensors, strategically placed trail cameras, listening devices, flashlights and spotlights with red lenses, and a small 12-volt red light bulb connected to a battery and rheostat above the bait. The light intensity can be adjusted from the blind. Predators are not wary of red light, so the brightness can be slowly increased for an optimal shooting view. More than one leopard may feed on the bait, so the professional hunter still needs to judge the cat’s size, age, and sex before taking a shot.

When situating the blind, two key factors must be considered – the nighttime wind direction and the most likely path the leopard will take to the tree. The blind is normally built 50-70 yards downwind of the bait. For bow hunting, even closer proximity is required.

Waiting

The hunt typically begins around four in the afternoon when you enter the blind to wait for sunset. If the leopard does not return while you remain in the blind, you can review photos and videos from the trail camera. This allows you to understand the leopard’s behavior and feeding patterns. It also provides visuals to help determine the sex and age of the visiting leopard(s). Besides seeing the scrotum in photos, mature male toms are usually solitary with noticeably large heads, thick necks, and a small dewlap.

If permitted, you could stay in the blind overnight in hopes the leopard returns to the bait. However, with trail camera data, hunters now spend less time sitting in blinds hoping for a chance encounter compared to previous years.

In areas banning night hunting, hunters must walk to and from their blinds in darkness, returning at dawn. This can create adrenaline-filled moments if bumping into curious lions or feeding elephants passing the blind. Hearing approaching elephants while sitting in the blind signals the need to vacate immediately, or risk grave danger.

Leopards have keen eyesight and hearing, so complete silence and careful movements are essential in the blind to avoid startling them. Snoring does not attract leopards; prey animal calls do. Leopards react to predator callers, often when trying to lure in small prey like suni or red duiker while unprepared and unauthorized to shoot. However, predator caller use, both manual and electronic, is outlawed in many places.

Often leopards will give a rasping, log-sawing call when approaching bait. Nearby animals may also alarm call after spotting the approaching leopard. Leopards simply materialize from nowhere, and you may hear their claws scratching the tree bark while climbing towards bait at night. Next, the branches covering the bait crash to the ground, quickening your heartbeat. It’s best to allow ample feeding time, settling the animal while controlling your own anxious breathing. Sitting there in darkness, your senses heighten acutely. Even a mouse seems audible from forty yards away.

In low light or darkness, locating the heart/lung area among the spotted rosettes can prove difficult. Uphill shots also require slight adjustments to compensate. Real-time judgments are crucial before squeezing the trigger.

Hound Hunting

Leopard hunting with hounds can be very successful, though there are risks. Two common methods are used to start the hunt. Baits may attract leopards for the hunters to then follow fresh tracks in the morning. Alternatively, dragging bushes down roads in the afternoon covers old tracks so fresh ones can be identified the next day.

At dawn, the team searches roads, tracks, and sandy riverbeds for a suitable fresh leopard track, ideally the length of a cigarette. The dogs are released to follow the scent trail, with the handlers listening for indications of progress towards the target leopard. Well-trained dogs can differentiate fresh from old scents and stay on the right trail. Keeping up with the dogs requires fitness, as the team must be nearby when the leopard is treed. GPS collars help locate the dogs.

If treed, the leopard can be evaluated before shooting or released if undersized or the wrong sex. However, baying in caves or rocks puts dogs and hunters in danger, as cornered leopards attack aggressively. So this is best for adrenaline seekers. In Mozambique, similar night hunts use hounds, headlamps, flashlights and spotlights. But tsetse flies can infect and kill susceptible dogs, so they are kept protected by day and only used to hunt at night when flies are inactive.

Dangers of Wounded Game

Hunting a wounded leopard is every professional hunter’s worst nightmare. When a leopard hits the ground with a heavy thud instead of landing on its feet, it likely signals a successful shot. However, following a wounded cat, especially at night, is extremely dangerous and should be avoided if possible. If hyenas are present, a badly mauled leopard carcass may be found if tracking is delayed until morning.

The legal minimum caliber for leopard hunting is a .375. Opinions vary on the best weapon for follow-up on a wounded leopard. Some prefer a heavy caliber rifle, others a double rifle, and some a shotgun with a slug.

Extreme caution must be exercised during the tracking process. Leopards are masters of stealth and camouflage, seemingly attacking out of nowhere with no warning, unlike lions that typically signal their charge.

Wounded leopards can lie in wait in knee-high grass, charging at lightning speed from just yards away. These ambush attacks targeting the upper body and head are extremely frightening and common. Though most professional hunters forego protective clothing, it may help safeguard the scalp, face and stomach. As one professional hunter warns, expect a hundred stitches per second in a leopard attack.

If possible, follow-up shots should be left to professionals but need backup in such a life-or-death situation. So be sure to make that first shot perfect and practice shooting while under extreme pressure. Hunting leopards is no joke and extremely dangerous. In one wounded lion follow-up, a panicked client accidentally killed two trackers and the professional hunter. In one such incident with a wounded Lion follow-up many years ago, the client accidentally killed two trackers and his professional hunter in a panic to shoot a charging Lion.

Tips

Avoid building your blind on an elephant path, as you may need to abandon your position before being surrounded by an aggressive breeding herd. In parts of Zimbabwe, elephant herds can be extremely dangerous.

Leopards are clever hunters. In some areas, they avoid approaching the bait while hunters occupy the blind. You may see photos of the cat feeding soon after you leave, indicating this behavior. Try tricking the leopard by radioing the backup vehicle to collect you noisily from the blind while you remain hidden inside. With patience, the cautious cat may return to feed once the noise subsides.

Attach fishing line from the bait to the blind to alert you if the leopard takes the bait in the dark. This can also rouse you if you doze off.

Dress in long sleeves and pants to deter mosquitoes at night. Use the facilities before arriving and urinate into a bottle in the blind to avoid leaving scent.

Avoid using lights that cause temporary night blindness when your eyes adjust.

When grass has overnight dew, leopards leave a stronger scent, ideal for hound hunting.

Final Thoughts

The quality of a leopard trophy is determined by the size of the skull, specifically the growth rings of the teeth which indicate the animal’s age. An ideal trophy is from a male leopard over 7 years old. However, accurately determining the age of a live leopard in the field is extremely difficult since there are no visible markings. Age can only be scientifically confirmed by extracting a tooth from a dead leopard. Some countries like South Africa require hunters to record measurements and photos to build a database for research. Common measurements include the leopard’s nose-to-tail length, though this is considered unreliable for judging size, similar to exaggerated “fisherman’s tales.” Many also reference a leopard’s weight as an indicator of size, with large males weighing over 90 kg (200 lbs). However, weight is influenced by genetics, food availability, and habitat. For example, desert leopards tend to be smaller than savannah leopards due to harsher conditions. Ultimately, a successful hunt of a mature male leopard is what matters most.