Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa What is the best month in Southern Zimbabwe to hunt Leopard?

I don�t want to hear the best month is when ever the Leopard is there. What is the ideal month to hunt Leopard, considering heat, moon, bugs, when prey drop their new �borns, etc.

On a side note I bought a new (actually is was used) Sako 375 H & H and just got my new Swarovski Z6 1.7-10 X 42 illuminated today in the mail. What rings would you recommend? How do the guys that have used their Z6 like them?

Thanks,
Thanks

Man, can't get better than that scope you are carrying. As for the month, June through August is my guess, with particular attention to the moon phase. Rings, Hard to beat Talleys. jorge

Great scope and as Jorge says Talley's are hard to beat.

A lot people think moon phase is important in Leopard hunting but personally I don't think it makes any difference if you set it up right....... in fact, in some ways a fullish moon can be an advantage because most of the time the cat will come to the bait earlier because he wants to eat before the moon gets too bright. After all, he still gets hungry and has to eat.

I've found the trick is to put a good thick roof on the blind so no light shines in - but I always do that no matter what the moon phase.

I have heard that typically May through July is best. But then some places I've been told are best later, when water and so prey are more concentrated. Tougher baiting then though since your baits go off (spoil and rot) quicker in the higher heat.

I've tried in May, September and October and have yet to connect. So what do I know, eh? I'll be trying again in October.

JPK

I would go by mid July. No good reason other than fewer hunters have been in camp.
More important pick an area that allows hunting at night.

I have the 1,7-10 and the 1x6 non illuminated Z6
I have the 2,5x15x56 will illuminated reticle coming in October.
The 1,7-10 I have had for a year now and really ove it. I just picked up the 1-6 and it is equally liked.

Sorry I cannot help with the rings, I have gone with the rail mounts and prefer them. The rail mounts designed for my Blaser work to my likeing better.

I have to say the very best QD mounts I've ever come across are the Blaser ones, but I don't know if they can be mounted on non Blaser rifles. They actually look like they're held on with chewing gum and prayer but they really do (bleep)ing work........

Motor,

Both my Zim leopard hunts were in mid to end of September in the Low Veld. I took this leopard during the full moon as well.

jim

Nice Leopard Jim,
I was thinking of going in October of this year, but have changed my mind. Now going to plan a hunt for next year for 2 leopard for myslef and my father.

October would be very hot

The only leopard I have seen come to bait was a female.
when I went with a couple of friends that were hunting and I wasn't I saw 4 leopards driving around and they saw nothing till the last night when one of them conected on a very nice cat.
At least with you and your dad hunting it will double the chances of one of you finding a leopard.

The leopard is one animal I wonder if I will be lucky enough to take.
They are mythical you know

Motor,

Thanks for the compliment, I had to go on three leopard hunts to get him.

If you are going for two leopard, you need an outfitter that has the wherewithal to produce two leopards in the same 10 day to 2 week period. I know this sounds simple, but cats are not easy to find or to hunt.

Zimbabwe does have a lot of leopards. When I hunted in the Save' Conservancy in '02 I saw seven of them (males and females).

jim

If you do baits only, I think the best months are June to August, if you can stomach the cold nights in the blinds. (Can push it to September and October, but be prepared to shoot more bait). If you use dogs, anything form mid- April to end October will work, with the best months also June to August.
Here is a story about a lucky break that I posted on another forum, and copied here:

31 July 2008 22:42
We had something really extraordinary happen with a leopard client yesterday. He arrived a day late, missing his flight, one of his bags where missing (the one with his ammo in), his rifle/ scope/ Windhoek bought ammo where just not working together. In general, he was p$%sed off. I offered him the use of my 8x68, and as one of the baits where hit the night before, we where off just after lunch on his first day. He shot a bait gemsbok, as the leopard just about finished the back leg of the one we hanged out. We had him in the blind by 15h45, and he shot his cat 17h45, before it was on the bait...



Now this has happend before, but what is unusual is that our previous client (see his report in hunting reports- first day leopard), had the same luck! Here is his pic:



And now for the even better part- when I sent my driver to fetch the perfectly good leg (IMO) for human consumption, he came back without the leg, but with the Trail camera:

This kitty came in about 3h after we left!!!

Have been in on quite a few leopard hunts mostly in August/September but believe the best time would be calving time as they eat quite a few cattle and seem to come to their natural kills better than to baited kills. Just from the Leopards i've seen killed over the 8 years I was present I DO believe that the full moon is NOT the best time to hunt them. Never thought to put a roof on the blinds though but it makes sense. When hunting with dogs it seems that the drier it gets the quicker the scent is lost in the morning.

I can honestly say that of all the Leopards I've taken around half would be at or close to the full moon and the only difference I've noticed is that they come to bait earlier. Usually after sunset and before the moon comes up and gets bright. I think the main reason many people have a lower success rate at that time is that they don't put a roof on or if they do, they don't make it thick enough and the cat sees them through the blind.

The pic below is of one of the Leopards I took last year (I think in May) and if I remember correctly it was either the evening before or the evening after the full moon.

Thinking of doing a late May or early Jun hunt next year. I am going on an Alaskan cruise in July and have to work the hunt around it.