Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Zim vs. Mozambique

If leopard is your main concern I would focus on time of year and make sure if the area allowed night hunting.

Not everybody wants to spotlight leopards. Obviously YMMV

What does YMMV stand for?

Your Mileage My Vary

Basically the statement may not always hold true.

Or, other people have other opinions or experiences.

I totally understand that not all want to use a torch. If a leopard comes in at dark and you can see him with your scope unaided by light and you have to pass up the shot because of the time of day you will think twice about being limited by such a hunt in the future. For me African hunts are few and far between and the number of days you commit to a leopard hunt are hard to find time for. In my bad luck the female came in the daylight. But the male, he came right at dark. I couldn't afford to leave and spook them. Just watch as long as I could in the scope. I won't limit my self the next time in such an area. Just offering a little experience. Also some of these areas that allow hunting at night are just better areas. You don't have to hunt at night but I dont have a problem with that either. You are hunting over bait. I have a personal issue with killing so many bait animals in areas that game is sparse. I have done that too. Just my mileage talking

Thanks CharlesL.

I had a great buffalo and PG hunt in Chewore South with Chifuti last summer. Buff was tough due to late rains and the buff not moving a lot so after 3 days of no fresh sign I took a bull out of the first herd I came across. Were I going again I would plan to go later in the year (mid to late September) when there should be less water lying around.

That said, I doubt that I'll go back to Zim for my next hunt unless things here change. Canadians are prohibited from exporting, even temporarily, firearms to Zimbabwe for any purpose. I know some guys just blow off the regs and take their chances, but given all the givens I'm nto going to put my firearms or career at risk but breaking our export laws. Nothign good can come of it. So I'm looking more at Tanzania (because I think I should hunt East Africa before it's completely gone) or Zambia. Maybe even Uganda, depending on the reports that come out of there over the next few years.

As you noted your interest in leopard and that you're leaning toward Zim, thought I'd add 2 cents more FWIW. I have no personal experience with Chifuti but no reason to think they are not a very good outfit.

A friend and I hunted Zim in August this year with Nengasha Safaris, Paul Bennie's outfit from Bulawayo. This was my second hunt with them. I didn't hunt leopard but my friend did. His PH was Wayne Bartlett and the leopard they shot was Wayne's 100th.

As far as I could tell, this PH is clearly a cat specialist, both for the northern cats they hunted (we were in the Deka area near Hwange as my focus was elephant) but also for the southern 'ranch' cats in Zim.

As you asked for as much info as you could get, thought I'd pass this along. Hope you and your son enjoy the hunt.

Wildcatter, is Wayne the son of Shane and Rose perhaps?

Don't know but can find out if you'd like.

Would be great thanks.

PM sent.

PM sent.

You don't HAVE to use a spotlight! In fact most PH's now have 'rheostat' units with listening devices. The cat is listened for and when he's on the bait and eating, the light is very slowly turned up until he's fully visual. This is a fantastic way of hunting at night. Many a time we've sat and watched the females and cubs feed for a coupla of hours and later shot the male! The photo opportunities are also awesome. The whole hunt can be filmed!The client's under much much less pressure as he has the time to calm down and really 'pick a spot'...excuse the pun!These hunts 99% of the time go without hitch and NO kitty rash!