I am planning a hunt in Tanzania in the next couple of years. I want to hunt in Masailand as this area has always fascinated me. My dillema is that I do want buffalo, but I am not sure about lion or leopard hunting. It has nothing to do with the extra days to book the cat hunts, it has to do with not feeling the urge to actually kill these great cats.

My friends tell me I have the ugly duck syndrome as although I do hunt deer and will continue to do so, sometimes I do feel a bit sadden when I take a buck. This does not happen when I take a wild pig.

Just wondering if anyone else feels the same on the taking of game others live to hunt for. There is just something about lion and leopard for me that just does not get me fired up.

Paul C

I find it natural to feel sadness on taking a beautiful animal, and I have noticed that feral hogs do not tend to inspire the same sort of feelings. Respect for the game and admiration for the way they are in life is normal, but if you have no desire to hunt the cats I would spend the money on something else.

You may feel differently when you are there, but cat hunting is expensive and time-consuming so you may as well focus on what you truly want.

Yeah, I feel that way about giraffe and gerenuk. Wouldn't shoot one if given a free tag. Don't know why.

The feelings a hunter has upon taking an animal are, I think, universal among all true hunters and are what define us as human sentient beings. I would be concerned about any hunter that doesn't have those feelings. The decision of whether to take a particular animal or not are completely personal. If I, like you, had any concerns about it, I certainly wouldn't do it. Especially, when the extreme costs of cat hunting are considered.

In my experience, many times hunters get into a hunt in Africa and then decide they'd like to hunt a species they had previously said they'd never hunt. This happens frequently with plains game hunts and Zebra, and PAC elephants in Zim.

Yes, that's how I feel about sheep hunting, and that's how my sheep hunting buddies feel about hunting Africa. Go figure.

Awe now don't be mad at the sheeple

quote:

Originally posted by Paul C:
I am planning a hunt in Tanzania in the next couple of years. I want to hunt in Masailand as this area has always fascinated me. My dillema is that I do want buffalo, but I am not sure about lion or leopard hunting. It has nothing to do with the extra days to book the cat hunts, it has to do with not feeling the urge to actually kill these great cats.

My friends tell me I have the ugly duck syndrome as although I do hunt deer and will continue to do so, sometimes I do feel a bit sadden when I take a buck. This does not happen when I take a wild pig.

Just wondering if anyone else feels the same on the taking of game others live to hunt for. There is just something about lion and leopard for me that just does not get me fired up.

Paul C

I used to feel the same way about elephant. I just couldn't imagine shooting one. I think I had "circus syndrome". Once I had been chased by one, and had to maneuver around a herd, my opinion changed. Same thing with baboons. I saw one holding a candy bowl and thought it was the most tasteless thing I'd ever seen. The first animal i saw on the ground was a mother baboon with a baby on her back. I pointed excitedly, and my PH said, "You can't shoot them on the first day, it's bad luck."

"Oh, I couldn't shoot one of those..."

Four days, and six baboons later....

Your feelings may change with time and experience.

Ann, don't you know if you ain't hunting sheep you ain't hunting. At least that is the gospel according FNAWS and their following.

Sheeple. . .interesting term, Ann. I like it.

I think most hunters have a species or several that they just don't want to hunt. Giraffe and baboon are on my no-no list. I had plenty of chances for baboon but they remind me too much of the people I worked with to ever shoot one. For many taking one of a species is enough. I am that way about leopard and sable. I wouldn't trade either for anything but I don't think I will ever shoot another of either species. The big cats are rare enough that maybe they should be reserved for those that want and will appreciate them the most.

465H&H

Paul,

Like 465 H&H I don't really want to shoot a giraffe or babboons but I didn't come to that conclusion until I'd seen them. I think it is a mistake to write off any African game until you've been around it for sometime. On my first safari I turned down grysbok and klipspringer because they didn't look like game animals to me. What a dumb ass! Now I'd be very happy to get a shot at either.

If you are not interested in cats at this point perhaps a buffalo safari would be best but I'd almost bet money you'll come back for cats later. I think particularly the lion is the most difficult to hunt of all African game and definitely can be the most frustrating, disheartening and just plain work of them all. When they come to the bait though it is just magic.

A bit of saddness mixed with elation at the death of a worthy trophy is normal. If you had some other emotion I might worry about you.

Mark

I am not aware of any animals in Africa that I wouldn't at least consider hunting.

As a confirmed DG hunter, the only one of the big five I wouldn't hunt would be rhino. Just not enough challenge.

But I will hunt the big cats every chance I get, especially a big lion, if I should ever see one again. The level of excitement and the challenge are at their highest, only surpassed in my experience by elephant hunting. Lion hunting is truly a peak experience!

Leopard hunting is only slightly less exciting, IMO. I will concede that sitting in a blind is generally boring - unless a hyena or hippo or the leopard himself decides to start sniffing around just a foot or two away from you, separated only by a thin grass wall!

But generally with leopard, the excitement spikes suddenly. One minute he's not there; the next he is. Light is generally poor, yet you absolutely must concentrate to your fullest and make a killing shot.

A leopard is one animal that you definitely do not want to wound and have to follow up!

PaulC, , if you don't want to shoot the cats, then don't shoot them. The $30, or $40K needed to take a big lion, and a leopard will buy a lot of Buffalo hunting!

Paul C,

Jack O'Connor wrote "He who has faced the lion in combat is considered to be a brave man, and one king of antiquity had only these words put on his tomb: I HAVE HUNTED THE LION "(from A Treasury of African Hunting).

Why does it occur at every gathering you attend that when a person finds you have
hunted Africa,the question always is,"have you killed a lion?".

To me, the lion is the ultimate symbol of Africa. When my husband shot his lion I was elated for him yet had tears in my eyes for what I consider to be the greatest animal on earth.

I do not mean this in a derogitory sense. If you are not 100% commited to the idea of killing a lion, then do not. Leave him to the hunter who wants him more than anything else on this planet. The lion deserves it.

Best of luck on your hunt.

Very interesting........ I have hunted buff and leopard but have no desire to hunt the rest of the big 5. Lions and elephant have no appeal to me. Rino is an animal from another lifetime and another taxbracket. On the other hand, a zebra and a giraffe are at the top of my list..... go figure. Good hunting for whatever you want to hunt. "D"

Its interesting to see how different our feelings of remorse are.

I have shot 2 leopard and 3 lions and have never felt bad about any of them. Although I doubt I will shoot another big cat I could shoot a dozen of them with no regrets - the same for buff.

On the other hand after shooting one elephant bull I wished I never had done it. When I walked up and looked into the eye of this animal that was as old as me I could only think "sorry old boy".

Isn't it grand that we all have somewhat diffewrent tsastes in what we want out of an african safari. That makes it more possible for us then when we all want the same.

465H&H

When I booked my hunt in Tanzania I at first thought of only shooting buffalo, didn't feel like shooting cats or an elephant. The more I thought about it I decided to go for a 21 day hunt and shoot buffalo, lion, leopard and elephant.(that is if the opportunity arises) The more I thought about it the more illogical my feelings were about not wanting to shoot cats and an elephant. Watched too much disney growing up.

I agree with Kathi. Your correct you could shoot a thousand other animals in Africa, but everybody wants to hear about the Lion. The Lion is also the main attraction in any trophy room (a large bear Grizzy,Polar, Brown compares)they just comand respect. When people go to the Museum they will walk by the buffalo, antilope, elephant, but they will stop at the lion.

I'm prepared to commit un-natural acts with farm animals in order to hunt lion! jorge

I don’t think that what others find fascinating would be a good point to start – like Mac said: if you don’t feel like it don’t do it - IMO it is fair to the game and to the guy that would love to hunt them after you.

For me - hum – lion yes, but only by tracking on foot (imagine the odds tho ). No cats at the bait for me - magnificent trophies no doubt and I can understand guys being so passionate about – tho - been on many baiting hunts for brown bear but no fire there for me.

I appreciate everyone getting posting on my subject. I just feel that going on safari should entail more than the killing of the animals. I do look forward to harvesting buffalo, tommies, Grants, warthog, impala and so on, but the excitement of getting the trip planned, putting gear together, the flight over and just enjoying the time in Tanzania is what I want. I dont need record book animals, just fair chase representative heads which I can look at in my trophy room to remember the hunt. I remember a friend of mine who hunted with his dad in Uganda in 1970. He told me that the last day pulling out of camp he was crying like a baby because he did not want to leave and after watching his homemade 8mm film of the hunts and his pictures I could see why. I hope to have the same feelings.

Paul C

You know, I was a bit ambivalent about elephant until I shot my first one last month; now, I cannot wait to go again. that was the most fun I have ever had with my clothes on!

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:
I'm prepared to commit un-natural acts with farm animals in order to hunt lion! jorge

Jorge,

I have not hunted lion, but I think most people shoot a zebra or buffalo and use it as bait to attract lions.

Some very interesting comments made here. I have hunted and killed a very good leopard. At the conclusion of the hunt I was neither sad, remorseful nor did I have any interest in hunting another.I have thought a lot about lion and try as I may, I just can't bring myself to shoot one. The same goes for elephant and rhino, although I have no problem with other hunters legally doing so.
Lately though I have been getting the urge to hunt Leopard again and of course buffalo is always on the agenda. Strange how we sometimes think about these things.

Touche' Lhook jorge

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:
I'm prepared to commit un-natural acts with farm animals in order to hunt lion! jorge

I suspected so.

Uh, Jorge? We could film it, then sell it. The only problem is ensuring the customers never find out it was a Navy pilot starring in the film! They might consider that only normal behavior

Retired Air Force.

Why else do you think they call it "the goat locker"?

For me tracking Lions on foot in Burkina Faso was the most exciting hunting I have done in Africa. Following a wounded Lion on foot is something you need to experience to appreciate the tension and adrenalin flowing in your veins; I most definitely do not want to repeat that experience.

In my opinion Lion hunting along with Forest Elephant hunting is the most exciting DG hunting one can do.

Regards
Aziz

I too feel a love for all the great cats of Africa. I also feel the same way about the cats in north America and Grizzly as well. I tell people it's because of the kin ship I feel with a fellow hunter. That may or not be the only reason,but I can't explain it completely,I just don't want to shoot fellow preditors..

Prof: we're SO misunderstood as to the Goat Locker, that is the purview of the Chief Petty Officer's Mess. They wouldn't even think of allowing us mere aviators and officers to boot down there! jorge

jorge,don't try to be someone you can NEVER be!

I don't get fired up about the idea of hunting lion, leopard, giraffe or elephant. I don't know exactly why. I am sure I was expecially turned off of lion hunting by Mark Sullivan's videos though (Shot to Death in particular).

I agree with those that say your opinion will change with experience. Mine definitely has....as an example, I am far more apt to consider trying elephant hunting than before. Like Ngagi, getting chased by them has modified my feeling about it a bit. I think I would find tuskless cow ele hunting the most interesting, with the large number of close encounters, etc, etc.

I also don't say that I would never shoot a lion, leopard, or giraffe either....under the right circumstances I would probably try the experience on for size. And who knows...I just might love it! But for now, the idea of killing one just doesn't turn my crank...even though seeing them adds immeasurably to the experience in Africa!

I do love sheep hunting though, and covet a grizz tag like almost no other!

Just my rambling 2c,
Canuck