DAY FOUR

Day four dawned as it always does over the Turgwe River – with unparalleled raw splendor. For various reasons, we left camp 30 minutes later than usual and the scarlet smudge of dawn already capped the eastern mountains as we drove the river road, down towards the drift. I was riding the Captain’s rig which was the last to depart camp. At the main road junction, we came across Rick and Pete parked by the roadside. It turned out that a leopard had hit one of Pete’s baits the night before, and that they were waiting for the light to strengthen before making a spoor assessment. We too decided to wait.

Fifteen minutes later, Pete and Isaac confirmed that the leopard was a big male and Nico was summoned on the radio. At about the same time, a leopard was heard grunting from a kopje not far off. The build-up was electric and I was almost quivering with excitement. Once Nico, Marthiens and the dogs arrived, it was all systems go, with the strike dogs wasting no time and moving quickly on the trail. The leopard’s route took us back to the road, the large pugmarks distinct in the soft gravel. I knew that this was it, and then a spanner was thrown in the works. Although hunting curveballs frustrate us so much at the time, when we reflect I think we are all able to agree that that is what it’s all about. It would be much less fun if there wasn’t an occasional kink in the road, the odd blind-rise, don’t you think? Anyway, this curveball comes in the form of a female leopard, which teamed up with the male at some stage during the night. The spoor was this way and that and Nico called Marthiens and the strike dogs back, so that he could thoroughly appraise the situation and formulate a gameplan. Enough cannot be said about the professionalism of these dog handlers and their dogs. When Nico or Marthiens summon them, the dogs come in, no matter how hot the trail they are on. The communication and understanding between these men and the hounds is absolutely mind-boggling. Hanging around close to Nico throughout the time of temporary confusion, I was witness to this extraordinary relationship, with Nico keeping us regularly updated as to what the hounds were saying and doing! As stated, mind-boggling. I have nothing but praise for this team – they are thoroughly professional in all respects and highly competent.

It turns out to be just as well that Nico called in his strike dogs, because tracks subsequently indicated that they were onto the female. As the trackers worked the roadside trying to pick up a point on the male’s trail from which the dogs could work, a leopard grunted again, from the same kopje as earlier. It grunted from the direction the dogs were initially headed, and after conferring, Nico and Pete were in doubt that the vocal cat was the female. Shortly afterwards, this was confirmed 100% when Jay the tracker found the male’s spoor heading off in the opposite direction, into dense bush, back down towards the river. All of this did not take very long – 30 minutes max – and then April and Sammy were onto the male in a big way, moving fast into the thick stuff. PH Wood, Marthiens and trackers Isaac and Rindai disappeared into the scrub after the dogs and were soon swallowed up and out of sight. Although they obviously didn’t move as fast as the dogs, they were just as determined and Pete’s shredded legs would later tell the tale fairly effectively! Though the rest of us followed at a more sedate pace, we still had a hard time negotiating the clinging riverine. But that was the difference you see – we were actually negotiating whilst negotiation was far from the minds of the forward runners. Striding along in single file behind Nico, we were kept up to scratch (no pun intended!) as Marthiens and the dogs informed the boss of progress. It was not long before Marthiens told Nico that April and Sammy were onto the leopard – really onto it and needing support. David the number two handler and PH Lymon released the back-up dogs and they streaked in to lend their support. The dogs bayed the cat for a few minutes in a large sausage tree (kigilia africana) and we moved in as fast as possible, Rick at Nico’s shoulder, rifle gripped firmly. Just as we arrived on the scene and hooked up with Pete and Marthiens, the leopard emitted a spine-tingling snarl and flashed from the tree, evaporating into the lantana. The dogs were onto it again in seconds and forced it up into another tree. We moved in purposefully but quietly, keeping low and no longer feeling the thorns tearing our flesh. The situation was far too exciting for pain or discomfort to enter the equation! Led in by Pete and Nico, we sneaked in as close as possible, adrenaline pounding. Though the leopard was no further than thirty yards from us, it still took the hunters a little time to pick it out, flattened out on a limb and growling at the dogs below. Nico pointed the cat out to Rick and two seconds later, Nick shot it perfectly through the shoulders. The leopard dropped from the tree like a sack of potatoes and was dead before it hit the ground. Rick Rice is an incredible rifle shot – though the shot was hardly a long one, there was much brush and stick to contend with and Rick placed his bullet impeccably.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGWE!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGWE!!!!! The cries echoed through the bush as the trackers and handlers let it be known that the cat was down and out. Jubilation ensued, with Rick receiving almost as much praise as the dogs. What an amazing pack of hounds this is. Within the space of 4 days they have brought two big leopards to book and not one of them suffered a scratch. And it’s not as if they’ve held off at all – both encounters involved baying the cat for extended periods in seriously prohibitive bush. This is a smoking hot unit, perfectly synchronized. Nico Lourens says that it is all about control – if a handler has complete control of his hounds, mistakes and injury are kept to a minimum.

As a result of this hunt, I intend to write a very pro dog hunting article in the near future. I have been meaning to do this for a long time, as I know that dog hunting has received a bad rap from uninformed writers in recent times. I believe it is important for people to understand the truth about hunting leopard with hounds and I am determined to do my bit as far as that is concerned. To say that I was impressed by the way operations were carried out on these two leopard hunts would be a gross understatement. I have received a real education, of that there is no doubt. I hope to hunt again with Nico, Marthiens and their awesome pack, but I know that it will not happen again until next year. We have finished dog hunting on Humani for 2007 and we wrapped it up in 4 days. The rest of our leopard quota will probably be taken from blinds. We have accounted for 2 huge river cats that have eluded hunters for some time, and that, as you well know, is a very good thing. More males will now move into those territories. Control is what it is all about.

Late in the evening of day 4, Captain Bob and his crew placed a sweet cherry on proceedings by taking a great dagga boy at last light. After an hour long follow-up through mopani forest away from the river, the hunters came up on two dagga boys along a wending little sand tributary of the Turgwe. The captain made an excellent lung shot on one of the bulls and, mortally hit, it did not go far before stopping. Whilst following up, all that concerned the hunters was the waning light. Fortunately, they were able to espy the bull before darkness descended completely, and the Captain administered a flawless coup de grace. I was not there when the Captain took his bull and still need to brush up on a few details, but apparently it all went like clockwork. We are a really content group of hunters right now and who wouldn’t be? Today is the fifth day and we have taken two typically hefty Humani dagga boys and two fantastic leopards. All is well at Turgwe Camp and we are looking forward to more exciting hunting in the 10 days to come. I have no doubt that we shall procure some excellent plainsgame trophies during that time. I shall keep you posted.

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The Captain's 'bruiser' dagga boy

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Two grizzled dagga boys

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Captain Bob and Brent Sinclair rubbing up our orphaned rhino Jimmy the right way

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Oh no, he's not going to beat me up again is he?