In the bush, in Zimbabwe you have native people who live in small villages through out the hunting concessions. These natives are not allowed any kind of firearm for hunting. For them to eat meat they either raise their own cattle or goats. Or depend on the hunters in that concession to provide you the meat from the kills that they have made. The money the hunter pays for that animal whether it be trophy fee or bait fee goes to the people of the villages. The money is divided up for them to buy feed, seed, books, whatever they need. Africa, like anywhere else, has poachers that will catch a leopard or lion even elephants in snares. It's a cruel death. They take what they can sell and leave the rest to rot. Because our economy is down, US hunters are not spending the money to travel or hunt. One of the results is that poaching all over Africa is at an all time high.
This is Absent, one of our trackers, hanging bait for the leopard. It has to be hung high to prevent hyenas and lions from stealing it. Leopards love to climb trees with their meat for the same reason.
Here is the tree they put the bait in. Because Ken is bow hunting, there is a lot of strategy that goes into preparing for the hunt and building the blind. After the bait is in place and a male leopard has hit the bait, George, our PH, mounts a remote control lighting system that has to shine on the cat. Once they hear it feeding he turns on the light to identify whether it is a male or female. Only males are legal. The blind is 22 yards from the bait tree. This is the distance Ken will shoot.
Leopard track and it's a male. You will be fined big bucks if a female leopard is harmed. When you hunt an area you always have a game scout. His job is to make sure you and your PH abide by the laws.
This is Towel. He is 69 year old and can out walk, and out carry all of us. He was our human GPS system since he was intimately familiar with the hunting area.
I found several pods of lucky beans in the area where we were baiting the leopard.
This is the blind 22 yards from the meat hanging in the tree. CLOSE, VERY CLOSE!!! A blind is only set up after a male has eaten some of the bait. The male leopard tracks left behind are the only sign needed. The first night Ken and George sat in the blind, they heard dogs barking. Later they found out it was poachers running dogs.
Ken looking out the hole of the blind. What you see hanging in the background is the bait.
Because you have to use big portions of meat to bait a cat, zebra, impala and cape buffalo were the chosen ones.
Once your baits are hung, you cover them with limbs and branches to keep vultures from finding them. All together we had six different baits out. We drove about 50 miles every morning checking our bait line. This would take about six hours over very bumpy "roads".
Towel sharpening his axe head, which he uses for something every day. They used it for everything from skinning a fish to chopping a fallen tree from the road.
Their was no single place for my eyes to rest. My eyes would search for other signs of human life. Space was far and wide and did I mention beautiful?
Ken taking a rest after we chased buffalo FoRRR- EvERRR...:)
Midnight sun you touch my soul.
My sweetie living his dream.
We had just walked several miles trying to catch up with the buffalo.
Mopane flies are a lot like our gnats. In places there would be swarms of them, up your nose, in your eyes, in your ears buzzing around, in your mouth. They don't bite, just pesky, and it would feel like millions of them at once.
This is one of the mornings we were out looking for baits. George decided to cross the dried riverbed. Down, down, down we go. The boys finally got us pushed out.
Dig, push, Dig, push.....
Women can balance a five gallon bucket full of water on their heads, plus have a baby strapped to their back. I found this so amazing. I can't balance squat on my head.
You are looking at the hot water heater that heated the water in the lodge rooms. It was an oven too. Two loaves of bread a day are baked fresh... Soooo Good!
Ken and Absent tieing down equipment.
This is the stalking approach. George our Professional Hunter, two trackers, Absent and Jimson, our personal human GPS, Towel, Ian (who is studying to be a PH) and our game scout.
Ken with his Impala male.
The age of time Baobab trees.
Ken sighting in his gun.
Bullseye baby!!
Here's a story for ya.. Look close at the gaping hole in George's truck. A female elephant with a bad attitude, drove her tusk through the hood of his truck and pushed him backwards over three trees and almost off a cliff before stopping and running off.
George said he had his brakes to the floor the entire time.
Do not piss off the animals in Africa they have a way of getting revenge.
This is Absent, one of our trackers, hanging bait for the leopard. It has to be hung high to prevent hyenas and lions from stealing it. Leopards love to climb trees with their meat for the same reason.
Here is the tree they put the bait in. Because Ken is bow hunting, there is a lot of strategy that goes into preparing for the hunt and building the blind. After the bait is in place and a male leopard has hit the bait, George, our PH, mounts a remote control lighting system that has to shine on the cat. Once they hear it feeding he turns on the light to identify whether it is a male or female. Only males are legal. The blind is 22 yards from the bait tree. This is the distance Ken will shoot.
Leopard track and it's a male. You will be fined big bucks if a female leopard is harmed. When you hunt an area you always have a game scout. His job is to make sure you and your PH abide by the laws.
This is Towel. He is 69 year old and can out walk, and out carry all of us. He was our human GPS system since he was intimately familiar with the hunting area.
I found several pods of lucky beans in the area where we were baiting the leopard.
This is the blind 22 yards from the meat hanging in the tree. CLOSE, VERY CLOSE!!! A blind is only set up after a male has eaten some of the bait. The male leopard tracks left behind are the only sign needed. The first night Ken and George sat in the blind, they heard dogs barking. Later they found out it was poachers running dogs. 
Ken looking out the hole of the blind. What you see hanging in the background is the bait.
Because you have to use big portions of meat to bait a cat, zebra, impala and cape buffalo were the chosen ones.
Once your baits are hung, you cover them with limbs and branches to keep vultures from finding them. All together we had six different baits out. We drove about 50 miles every morning checking our bait line. This would take about six hours over very bumpy "roads".
Towel sharpening his axe head, which he uses for something every day. They used it for everything from skinning a fish to chopping a fallen tree from the road.
Their was no single place for my eyes to rest. My eyes would search for other signs of human life. Space was far and wide and did I mention beautiful?
Ken taking a rest after we chased buffalo FoRRR- EvERRR...:)
Midnight sun you touch my soul.
My sweetie living his dream.
We had just walked several miles trying to catch up with the buffalo.
Mopane flies are a lot like our gnats. In places there would be swarms of them, up your nose, in your eyes, in your ears buzzing around, in your mouth. They don't bite, just pesky, and it would feel like millions of them at once.
This is one of the mornings we were out looking for baits. George decided to cross the dried riverbed. Down, down, down we go. The boys finally got us pushed out.
Dig, push, Dig, push.....
Women can balance a five gallon bucket full of water on their heads, plus have a baby strapped to their back. I found this so amazing. I can't balance squat on my head.
You are looking at the hot water heater that heated the water in the lodge rooms. It was an oven too. Two loaves of bread a day are baked fresh... Soooo Good!
Ken and Absent tieing down equipment.
This is the stalking approach. George our Professional Hunter, two trackers, Absent and Jimson, our personal human GPS, Towel, Ian (who is studying to be a PH) and our game scout.
Ken with his Impala male.
The age of time Baobab trees.
Ken sighting in his gun.
Bullseye baby!!
Here's a story for ya.. Look close at the gaping hole in George's truck. A female elephant with a bad attitude, drove her tusk through the hood of his truck and pushed him backwards over three trees and almost off a cliff before stopping and running off.
George said he had his brakes to the floor the entire time.
Do not piss off the animals in Africa they have a way of getting revenge.
2 comments:
What are the feathers?
African bug shield. Feathers are Vulture
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