by Wayne Grant
(Ross Murphy - Oklahoma, USA)
Leopard hunting! Talk about passion for hunting one animal - Grant is addicted and has made a career of studying and hunting leopard. This is not another "how to" book eventhough it contains a great deal of information on how to hunt leopard in his area in Zimbabwe. He discusses his methods and ideas on everything from the actual hunting to guns to baiting to hunting with hounds (he is strongly against this but hunts at night with a light) to current lack of leopard management to a a variety of interesting clients he has hunted with.
I think this is his first book. He is articulate and "matter of fact" in his style. If he has an opinion on a subject, he states it without regard to stirring up a controversy. He strikes me as a serious specialist at his craft much like Kai Uwe-Denker (elephant hunter in Namibia). He loves leopards and the hunting of them.
I have read a couple of other leopard oriented books (In the Salt by Hallamore in particular) and this is the most in-depth. Grant's style is not boring or repetitive. He breaks up sections of his book with his opinions on methods or CITES or other issues, then resumes teaching about leopard hunting in Zimbabwe.
I rate this an 8 out of 10 on the dogcat scale for its freshness, up to date information and lack of sugar coating issues on leopard hunting that concern African sportsman. The only drawback to this fine book is the price of $100 USD, a bit steep for some but worth the money to committed leopard hunters or soon to be leopard hunters.