Roy Sparks - Recent Video you can watch online.

[Roy Sparks]

Hi guys,

A buddy I conduct hunts for sent me this link of a hunt I did for him last year with 3 hunting buddies from Texas. I can't watch the footage my computer is to slow , guess I'll have to wait for a copy to be sent to me.

Here's the link ( www.onmp3.net/video/sumsare ) hope you have better luck tham me. Hope it's worth watching.

Lookiing forward to hearing your comments.

Roy.

[Big Horn Posse]

pretty cool video Roy. Thanks for sharing

[Benny G]

Nice show Roy, just seems to lack a certain level of danger and excitement. Just kidding, after all, I've seen the one when you get mauled! I liked the guy giving the dogs credit and praise. Far too often all we ever hear is what "I" caught, what "I" did, and so on. As for me, I can't smell those tracks, I can't run that hard, and I can't get it done. That's why I feed dogs. Good work, take care. Benny

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Thats a good video Roy. Lots of dogs jumped out of the truck when the tail gate dropped. Do you always use a lot of dogs on leopard? The Hunter shot the cat from a long ways, did you do this because the cats tend to jump the tree when approached. It seems like a good way to loose a dog or two especially when guiding a hunter. Quite a show you got going there, I hope to do that hunt once in my life.
Doug

[Roy Sparks]

Guys thank's . I dont know exactly what parts of that 14 day hunt are shown on the clip. Those 3 amigo's each got a nice male leopard on the hunt. There should be some very good footage of the type of country we hunt in Namibia. Unfortunately only the leopard which was shot by Arnold Rodriguez gave us a bit of a show.It was the last of the 3 taken and it came out of a cave and was winged lightly and then holed up again then some excitment followed.

Thankfully the first 2 went into tree's which is not that common in the hill country . I was happy coz with that amount of hunters in camp you dont want to many good hounds chewed up for the next guys cat.

We like to approach as carefull as we can if they tree , not so much because of a charge but to avoid them seeing us and jumping. If that happens the next stop is normally underground and although exciting to many dogs get hurt , the danger level rises and its normally close fast work when the cat bolts.Then a charge is imminent.You need a pretty well seasoned client in those situations . Last year a guy got rattled underground and shot a dog thinking it was the leopard.( The first I've had killed by a hunters bullet. )

If they tree and we can get in as close as possible without being seen we let the hunter get calmed down get him a good rest and try get a one shot kill trying to break both shoulders so the cat can't pull in hounds when his down. Yup they do get chewed a bit but we dont lose many at all, the other hounds and the terriers are to busy with them when they hit the dirt. Infection is the biggest danger , all dogs are thoroughly treated after a contact and we carry penicillin with us all the time.

If I were to do the shooting at those treed cats I'd just pop them in the brain that way you cancell all problems before they hit the deck. I pay the vet bills and have to nurse recovering hounds so the deader they are the better. Believe me it doesn't all happen that easy I've been through many , many messy situations to often for those kind of thrills any more.The cleaner it can get done the better. When you wishing " shite " upon yourself believe me you'll recieve it in quantities more than you anticipated and you're normally the least prepared for the results that follow.

Normally eight hounds are sufficient but there were actually two teams with youngsters getting their first leopard action on those hunts.

Talk again later - Roy.

[taz]

Cool video roy!

[pete richardson]

I dont know exactly what parts of that 14 day hunt are shown on the clip

dont know if this will help you know which one it was ,

was a small white dog in the tree with the cat- hunters came in above , steep downhill to tree-

sounded like cat might have kicked and rolled quite aways down the hill
into a ravine

I liked the guy giving the dogs credit and praise. Far too often all we ever hear is what "I" caught, what "I" did,

yup , like all dog hunting videos ---i want to see more of the dog work

[Roy Sparks]

Ok , that was David Muti's leopard , that was one of my mad Jack Russell's sons in the tree , they're crazy but they invaluable. Sometimes they can wreck it if they get into the tree by forcing the cat to jump. Not always a good thing.

Thank's - Roy.

[Ike]

Thanks for the link Roy, and it looks like yall are getting it done--congrats! I sure like the looks of that country!

ike

[BlacktailStalker]

Looks like a good time.
Would like to see more dog footage though, starting the track, trailing/before the tree and at the tree (bay ups are bonus) to get a feel for how your dogs work.

[Ike]

X2........

[Roy Sparks]

Trying to get this done to share with you guys. I have some old VHS footage I need transfered to dvd then get it lined out into something , cant promise the quality will be great of that older stuff but it will show you the hounds getting their muzzles sand papered by rocks and getting into serious cold trailing.

Type of trailing where you see a hound moving up from the rear and up between the hind legs of the hound in front of him just staying plum straight on the line.

Is that the type of stuff you want to watch ?

Regards - Roy.