Dries Visser Sr.

[paleFace]

just got word that Dries Sr. was attacked by a leopard.  He was hunting leopards with hounds in Botswana. They were driving in the truck when the unwounded leopard charged. Dries shot the leopard in the chest as it was jumping in the back of the truck but enough time elapsed before the cat died for the wounded leopard to get hold of Dries. He jammed his hands down the cat's throat to prevent it from getting to his neck. He still got bites on his head and neck and his hands are badly damaged. He is out of the hospital now and doing better but obviously has some healing to do.

hopefully Gene will get on here and give us an update when he gets one.

[Gene Wensel]

It happened nine days ago. Both arms, hands and one ear are very bad with lots of neck, head and upper body wounds. He was in the hospital for a week but out of danger and home now. He is fighting infection from multiple wounds and is not looking good. It will be a long time before he is completely healed and back to normal. Prayers appreciated.

[bucksaw]

Nice man. I hope he will recover quickly.

[ncsturkey]

When someone with the experience of Dries Sr has this kind of accident it makes you appreciate just how unpredicible these cats can be.  Prayers for a speedy recovery.

[njstykbow]

Makes a fella a little apprehensive about riding around in an open vehicle over there!  Also have to wonder a little if this was a cat which they had previously hunted/shot at?  Hope the recovery goes well for him.

[Gene Wensel]

Dries had an elderly client (near 70) who had a hard time walking. They were gun hunting with hounds in Botswana. They jumped leopards three times but the client never got a good shot. Since the old guy had a hard time walking, they started following the hounds with the truck. The cat charged from brush at 12 yards. Dries' gun was in the rack. He managed to get to it in time for a point blank shot, which hit the leopard in the chest but didn't kill it quick enough. The cat pulled him from the truck and they started hand to hand combat on the ground. Dries yelled not to shoot the leopard as there was too much chance for the bullet to hit him. The tracker ended up clubbing the leopard on the head with a pump handle until it died. They were 2 1/2 hours from a hospital. He spent one day there, then they flew him to South Africa, where he spent a week. He lost a lot of blood on the long trip to the first hospital. He is home in bed now, fighting infection and pain. He cannot move his fingers yet as the bones in his hands are broken. He is okay but will carry multiple scars the rest of his life. Never play with leopards.

[njstykbow]

Must make the daily rate for hunting those spotted devils seem like loose change to Dries right about now.  It would also be pretty hard to convince me it wouldn't be worth the added expense to have a guy like Dries doing the hand-to-hand thing with the leopard instead of stepping aside and allowing a client to possibly be mauled.  Pretty hard to instill those kind of qualities in a PH.

[Joseph]

That is to bad but I am sure he will come out on top.  I didn't spend a lot of time around him while I was there but you definetly got the impression that he was harder than woodpecker lips, a wonderful host and he has probably forgotten more about hunting in Africa than most will know.  Joseph

[Extreme Hunter]

When I hit my buff and 15 of 16 in camp said he would still be standing  next day, only Dries Sr, said " he is a dead Buff"
Hit was perfect , but only 14-15 inches of  Penetqrion .He went 120 yards and died within 10 minutes.

Dries Sr, was the only one right on that Cape Buff in a camp of 5 ph adn otehr bowhunters.
Tehy called him in for the follow the next day.

[BUFF]

I had supper with him Sunday night. He is doing really well though he has a long way to go to get full use of his hand. He was headed out the next morning to hang Lepord bait so I guess he is a believer in getting back on the horse that threw you.