Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Leopard or sable?

I'm finalizing my next safari, which will be to the Luangwa Valley in Zambia is '18. Was going to do the classic buff and plains game, but you know how these things go. Do I do a cat? Maybe it all closes and I never get back. Cat and/or sable? Actually, I'm not so sure that is a rich sable area.

Of course, the limiting factor for all of us non Rockefellers is the expense. The good news, I already have bagged both. Bad news, I enjoyed it so much I want to do it again. Better news, I'm at the point in my safari career where 16 days in the bush is more important that length of horn or size. Not enough "Africa" left for my liking.

I would go for a leopard.

+1

I would go for sable and, if successful, have it done up in a pedestal mount. There few, if any, better taxidermy mounts than that.


RS

Leopard. Sable will always be open.

Leopard gets my vote too.

Howdy Jeff, trying hard to make this happen for me too. I agree on the cat. Will you be able to hunt at night over bait or daylight hours only? In any case you could hunt PG during the day and then the typical Cat drill, look for baits that have been hit then sit late afternoon/early morning if it's a daylight only hunt. What other species of PG are available that you might not have but want? There's always another kudu and of course my favorites, Warties and Bushpigs.

In 18, if Trump then Leopard. If Hillary, then Sable as Leopard will be non-importable.

Sable. Short of hogs, I cannot and will not hunt from a blind.

There are no other options for leopards. Lions, yes although tough to "walk up", but leopard? NEVER

Drove up to, two Leopards today in Kruger. It's amazing how close they will get when they are not hunted. On a side note, Leopard was captured at the hotel I am currently at and released into Kruger.

Zim leopards are BIG! There are good sable around Chinoi, however.

DANG! I wish I had your problem, and you had mine right now.

You noted that you will be hunting Zambia and that you have already taken both Leopard and Sable. Consider another Leopard but pair that with the Sable's close relative - Roan. A Roan would make a great addition to your Sable and the trophy quality is high in Zambia.

Good call Pinot!

OOPS!

Just saw it was Zambia!

They have MONSTER sable.

(I'm having eye troubles and just got back from the doc...dilated... )

Hunting leopard from a blind is very boring. It leaves you tired and groggy during the day.
If you really want a big leopard it will hurt the day-to-day hunting.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


THIS!!!

Since this is the internet, I'd say to "Get both!"

I'm going to Zambia (Kafue) next year for leopard, sable and hippo for bait. But regardless, the cat is the priority!

Get the lechwe!

Hatari, I understand about the costs involved, but what about doing a Leopard with hounds?

At Kruger for a second day, Leopard walk right up to vehicle. Could have reached out the side and touch it. Not so sure they you have to sit sit in a blind all day to hunt Leopard, maybe it's just park Leopards that you can just drive.

Leopard

I'd go with whichever makes a smaller mount otherwise you're going to have to add in the expense of expanding your trophy room!

Guest bedroom needs decorating,,,,,,,

Great idea, Mr. Roan is a little tougher to find.

Do you need a leopard to complete your Big Five? if so, the answer is obvious.

As you undoubtedly know, leopard hunting is quite technical and not always successful It took three (3) safaris before I got a leopard.

Boils down to what you want more in your trophy room, I suppose.

I don't recommend a buff/leopard hunt together. It can be done, but reduces your chances of success on either.

For best chances of success, IMO, a leopard hunt should be a single purpose exercise. Shooting and hanging baits, refreshing baits, building blinds and sitting in the blind are all time consuming endeavors.

Your best chances of success are in an area that permits hunting at night.

Lou Hallmore's book "Chui" is very informative.

Good hunting!

I've been blessed enough to have gotten in some good hunting starting early on. No Big 5. Rhino and lion are stupid expensive. Helps to be lucky in the bush (and shoot straight).

Been 7-8 years since my last Africa trip, but I've got the itch.

Nice leopard,bongo and that's a great buffalo bull!

Info on the double rifle please.

.450/.400 Jeffery's built in 1909. Wonderfully balanced and pleasant to shoot.

Thanks Hatari.

I offered a very tall, busty blonde in exchange for that double. It's truly a joy to shoulder..

BWAHAHAH, You're gonna get punched in the ribs if she reads that.

Hatari, BOTH!

As she reminds me, she is the keeper of the 51/100 rule. She is not only 51% of the population but one 100 % of the pussy!

And the snatch remains undefeated. Our kryptonite.

Great bongo, Jeff! One of the few critters I believe should be a full-body mount every time. And that buff... whoof!

Anyways, back to the topic... I'd do the leopard, for the same reason as others have posted, i.e., it's questionable whether leopards will be huntable in the not too distant future. Better get one while you can!

Sable, Roan, Leopard, Lechwe and be good

Great pics Jeff!

Couple things to consider. The use of artificial light isn't legal in Zambia (in the GMA's)
Also, Sable isn't available in all of the Luangwa Valley. I've hunted extensively in Nyaminga, Chanjuzi and have spent non-hunting time in Chifunda, right next door to Nyaminga. I killed a 44" Sable in the Tondwa concession which is extreme NE Zambia right up near Tanzania.

There are some fabulous Sable area's to be found in other Zambia area's. The Kafue GMA's are the best for big (44"+)

I agree that a Roan would be a really nice adder since I guess you have both a Sable and Leopard previously?

There are other Zambia only animals to consider also, Cookson's Wildebeest, only found in the Luangwa Valley. Be sure to shoot a Puku and if the time and money hold out a trip to Bangweulu Swamp for a Black Lechwe and the Kafue Flats for a Kafue Lechwe, both totally unique to Zambia. Neither are too time consuming and more of a collecting trip than a hunt.

The Luangwa valley's Leopard concentration is remarkable, you should have no trouble killing a Leopard there as long as you're with a good operator in one of the decent area's.

My original reason for responding to you is Sitatunga. If you are going to Zambia and you've killed the Sable and Leopard, I really recommend a Sitatunga. My opinion it is the finest and most unique Spiral Horned Antelope to hunt in the world. Their habitat and nocturnal nature make hunting them a true game of chess mixed with cat and mouse, with a bit of a hippo hunt thrown in.

Whatever you decide best of luck.

Considering where you're going leopard ALL DAY LONG!

Tremendous cats there.

Had a chance to leopard hunt for the trophy fee only when in Zim 2 years ago, with a PH in the party who has at least 120 in the bag by now. But I was there for ele and passed on the leopard. The cats have not called to me on either side of the Atlantic so far. YMMV

I'd go for the sable, but I'm biased as I hope to have a chance at one before kicking the bucket for the last time. I know you're headed to Zambia but if I were after a great sable I'd look at Moz Coutada10. Plentiful and quite good horns. Out party brought back 3 in in 12 days, including one with a bow. Just my 2 cents as I near the dusk of a hunting career.

We've talked about going up to Bangweulu for sitatunga and Black lechwe, but I've wanted to do Luangwa forever, it seems.

Leopard is exciting but the prep for it in baiting can take away some of the fun if you are determined to focus on the cat and if you are on a leopard hunt you are comitted to focusing on it. Luckily you will not make a bad decision as either way you will find your way back to Africa.

Good point!!!

Hunt sable during the day and leopard at night....maximize your hunt time

I hunted Luangwa with Luangwa Safaris back in the day when Capstick was just getting started with them. I won't go into how amusing that was again, not now anyway.
However, Luangwa was a wonderful place and, to a great extent, still is.
Our area did not have sable and male roan were not seen. In the words of John Wooters, even where there's a lot of roan, there's not a lot of roan. Of course John was talking about jaguars, but I've found it's a pretty good description for quite a few desirable species.
I'd go back in a minute but would eschew the leopard and also try to take in some of the other areas mentioned for more species. But a hunt centered around Luangwa is never a bad choice. BTW Jack Acheson Sr. is who talked me into going to Luangwa and I remain grateful to this day.

Good points here
I would go for the cat, but not of I could not bring it home

Eventually you (or your heirs) will have to dispose of this stuff. I suspect that there would be a much greater market for a leopard rug than another antelope shoulder mount.

Besides, as one poster noted, leopard hunting may eventually be closed, as lion and elephant (in most areas) now are.

But why not ask your PH about hunting both? Why would there be a conflict? I hunted cats and other game in Zim in 2011. The meat from the other game was used for lion and leopard baits.

You will never be president!