Guys - I am waiting on some additional pics before I do my hunt reports, but the pics below are from 2 - 18 day Lion hunts I did over the past 6 weeks in Zimbabwe, returning home on July 2nd. The first hunt was in the Zambezi Valley, the second hunt was in the lowveld adjacent to Ghonarzhou.

Have a look at each of the 4 lions below, and tell us what you think the ages are, and if you think the lion is a "shooter" or not? Frankly, I cannot say with any scientific fact what the age of each cat is - but I certainly have my opinion on age of each, and whether he's a shooter or not. These trail cam pics help me tremendously with consideration to hunt each of these lions or not Even though I post only a few, I have over 1,000 trail cam pics from lions over the past 6 weeks.

So, what's your thoughts/opinions on each of them - I'm just curious?

Lion 1: Zambezi Valley - The 2nd pic has two lions, the one in question is the one laying down.





Lion 2: Zambezi Valley - Note his left eye.







Lion 3: Malapati/Ghonarzhou





Lion 4: Malapati/Ghonarzhou

Aaron,

I know little about how to judge a lion's age but from looking at those pix I wouldn't think there was anything there to shoot particularly if a hunter had taken a lion before regardless of the age of the pictured lions.

Mark

Mark - Interesting observation. Do you mean that none of them are what you consider a real "trophy/big-maned lion"? I assume that's what you mean? Like I say, interesting as I was not expecting that comment.

Aaron,

That's exactly what I meant. Particularly for a hunter like yourself who has taken many lions I would have expected you to pass on any of those lions pictured while looking for something special.

Mark

I would have a hard time not to end the life of No2 valley lion. Eyes, nose, scars, spine etc he has all I look for and he looks old in the first pic looking into the cam. JMO and no expert

I Agree with AD. I think Valley #2 was a mature lion - on the others, I am not experienced enough to know. Valley #2 just looks heavy bodied, etc. like an older one. Some of the others may be shooters, I don't know.

The mane I realize in a lot of places is not the indicator of age. I hope to learn from this. I will be on a short lion hunt in about 3 weeks in an area not known for big manes.

No idea what so ever but here is my $0.2 worth

Lion 1 - mane on the neck going down to the back - do the size of his nuts count? ail tip is round and full - is he young? Ph's call.

Lion 2 - knobby bones on spine & wrinkled skin with big nuts - definitely an adult shooter.

Lion 3 - Again knobs on bony spine, no spots on belly - bang flop.

Lion 4 - same as lion 3 with mane down into chest - bang flop. he may be the oldest of the lot.

Personally I like all of them,I say "Choot'em" unless the Ph says no we will get better.Just my opinion.
Thanks
Wesley

I would say

1. pass
2. shoot
3. shoot
4. pass

But these are just a guess.

My "guesses"

Lion 1

Too young. The second cat with him looks like 2-3 Y.O and I assume they are close in age. His mane does not look like its really filled in behind the ears, and his face doesn't look too sunken in.

Lion 2

A shooter. His mane isn't that great, and with all the scars and what not, I suspect he recently had been driven out of his pride dominant spot. He does have the big blocky shoulders of a mature lion, IMO.

Lion 3

Borderline. His mane does not look all that bad- full on top, and his muscular development looks good. He looks in a bit too good of condition to be a driven out male. Probably would really want to check for signs of a pride. I just think his face looks a little too young for me to want to take him, but I'm no expert- this one would be a pure PH call for me.

Lion 4

Not a shooter. His muscle development looks light. His mane does not seem to have good development on top. I'd be surprised if he's 4 years old.

Mark's comments are pretty reasonable to me in that if you have taken one already, you should be very selective, and I would want to see #2 in some real light before committing, but of the 4, he's the only one I think I would choose given a choice in the matter.

I like #3.

I don't profess to be a lion hunting expert but I would say that they don't look like old lions to me. I guess you did not shoot one Aaron?

Welcome back

Cheers

Arjun

I don't know squat either but to me none of them are impresive. One of them looks old,skinny and on deaths door but it does not look very impressive to shoot him. Maybe put him out of his miserylol

Welcome back Aaron!

Lion 1 - no way. I guess <3 yo
Lion 2 - I would want to view him during daylight. Mane and body color would be important for me. I think he might be borderline on age and for someone like oyu who has taken several excellent lions, probably would pass. He's eaten a horse by the looks of it.
Lion 3 - no way. I guess a 4 yo
Lion 4 - 1st impression he looks old (6+) with a "frail" body. BUT would want to see him in daylight first.

Aaron hope you had an enjoyable time in God's own country,

Mate here are my best guess's, but truly hope the PH is on the game.
Lion1; mane not filled behind ears, are they brothers? Younger Lions NO shoot.,

Lion2; Once again mane not filled behind ears, but "looks" older bigger bodied, possibly blind in one eye. Of age YES shoot.,

Lion3 Youger Lion <4, No shoot

Lion4; more mature look, more pronouced backbone, older lion. YES shoot.

I really, really hope my PH is looking and judging these pics as well!!!!!!!

I have seen recent pictures of a lion with a dead left eye in Dande North. Could this be the same cat ?
Buzz has the pics.
The last lion looks in poor condition to me.

Robert,
Dande North and Chewore North are not that far apart and the amount of Klms I have tracked lion in one day in that area leads me to believe this would not be a problem. Particularly if the photo was taken in the eastern valleys of Chewore.

Very cool to see the different opinions, and suggestions, etc. I can't say for sure I am exactly correct either, but I am at least cheating a bit more than the rest of you - as I spent a considerable amount of time looking over at least a couple of them.

Here's my opinion and what I did, or tried to do at least. First off, no - I did not shoot a lion on either hunt. 36 days of lion hunting, and it was lions 36 - Aaron 0. But, that's the way it goes sometimes! Although I have shot numerous big maned lions, the mane is not solely the trophy to me now, as it might have been 5 yrs ago. The hunt, and trying to get an older/mature lion is what I'm after now. I knew the Zambezi Valley does not generally produce the huge maned lions like I have seen/shot elsewhere, but I wanted the hunt/experience in this particular area. Same for the Malapati area - I didn't know at all what to expect there, but I certainly looked forward to seeing what they had.

Lion 1: It seems everyone thinks he's a young/immature lion, and I totally agree (3-4 yrs old, IMO) I had MANY opportunities to shoot him, and his little buddy, but needless to say - I chose not to. We do have some great footage of the two of them however, so I can at least enjoy the memories of watching the two of them for 10 - 15 minutes at a time.

Lion 2: Not only do we have some GREAT pics of this lion, but I saw him in the daylight - standing just over 100 yards from me, for over 5 minutes (on film too) Unfortunately, he stood just on the bank of Sapi - and I could not shoot him (wrong area). He's an absolute brute of a cat! No doubt in my mind he's 6 yrs old plus, and honestly - I have never hunted a cat any smarter than this guy, NEVER!!!! Especially considering he's blind in one eye. I sincerely wanted to shoot him, but it wasn't to be, so I left the Valley without a lion.

Lion 3 & 4: I'll lump these two together, because they are actually traveling partners. Although I showed pics of them individually, I have lots of pics of them together at the bait too. These two lions are from the Malapati region, with Nixon Dzingai. It was hard for me at first to determine (my opinion of course, not fact) that both of these cats are old/mature males, which I believe they are. Of course, Nixon's experience with these 2 cats helped us a bit too. He has seen these two lions in the daylight on a couple of occasions, and he's totally convinced they are old, old males. He's seen both of them in roughly the same place where we got them on bait, always together, for the past 2 yrs. He said the skinny one has continued to lose condition over the past 2 yrs, and he thinks the skinny one is dependent on his buddy for hunting. When looking at all the photos/film we have on them both, I totally agree! We have some great trail cam video of these two as well, but truth is, we could NOT get them to show when we were present, though we tried. I have some very interesting observations, as they pertain to the lions in this area - but I'll save them for the hunt report. I've never experienced anything like these lions, in 17 yrs of hunting lions! But, I can't wait to try again.

RJolly - I doubt its the same cat, as he really lived in Sapi - on the western border of Chewore North. I believe that would be a long way from the Dande areas? But of course, I am only speculating, I cannot say for sure.

Lion 1) 3 year old and lion with him 2+ (not even a consideration)

Lion 2) 5-6 year old would like to see more pics

Lion 3)4-5 pass for now

Lion 4) I have a hard time with these pics...I would have to see more before I narrowed my opinion. All I would say from those is greater that 4.

Lion # 2, I would have shot for sure - no hesitations, period!

Lions #3 & #4, I believe are both over 6 yrs old - #4 in particular is on his last leg IMO. Of course, I have the advantage of knowing something of their history too, according to Nixon. But after looking at lots of pics of him, and the video we have too - which is not on here, that's my opinion. Nixon says #3 is generally quite bold, and #4 is just the opposite - always stays back and in cover, if possible.

Lane why only ~5 on cat number 2 ? what does it missing in "looks" ?

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Lane why only ~5 on cat number 2 ? what does it missing in "looks" ?

Anton,
I have the priviledge of seeing the stats on quite a few legitimately aged by experts lions. Greater than 6's...are rare in todays Africa...especially where a lot of lion are taken like Chewore. So...unless I get/see a lot of convincing data otherwise...I use 6 as my max. I gave this lion a 5-6 and I was trying to JUST USE Aaron's pics no other influence. So...If I was hunting...I would have definitely sat for him. Color pics or actaul visualization might have made him a strong 6 or > for me.

I would have to see more of 3&4 to say more but I agree...they deserve investigation...unlike #1 and his partner which are probably 2+ & 3+.

As a one time lion hunter, none of them really appeal to me.

The blind lion might be a shooter based on age and condition, but it would be hard for a guy hunting what might be his one and only lion to get excited about sitting for that guy.

Having gone through this exercise (for real) just a month ago, I can tell you that I was not tempted at all by the 3 and 4 year old lions that we had on bait (four of them much like what Aaron has in the OP), but my heart was in my throat and I was ready to build the blind and sit when I saw these pics . . .

Will,
I think you have set the benchmark in preparation, thinking, and action for today's lion hunter. Well done and well stated!

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
As a one time lion hunter, none of them really appeal to me.

The blind lion might be a shooter based on age and condition, but it would be hard for a guy hunting what might be his one and only lion to get excited about sitting for that guy.

Having gone through this exercise (for real) just a month ago, I can tell you that I was not tempted at all by the 3 and 4 year old lions that we had on bait (four of them much like what Aaron has in the OP), but my heart was in my throat and I was ready to build the blind and sit when I saw these pics . . .

Will, sometimes its hard for me to go lion hunting in places where I know the possibility of a lion like the one you took (Mane development/trophy) in the Save, is slim - but I feel like I just want to try and experience lions and lion hunting in as many places as I possibly can. I've shot some great maned lions, now I wanna have as much experience with lions, in as many places as possible. No doubt though, a lion like yours is a RARE trophy indeed!

I do still have 1 more chance for a lion this year, as I will likely hunt for one for a week or so in western Tanzania, next month. If I see one like yours, he'll be taking a dirt bath!

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
As a one time lion hunter, none of them really appeal to me.

The blind lion might be a shooter based on age and condition, but it would be hard for a guy hunting what might be his one and only lion to get excited about sitting for that guy.

Having gone through this exercise (for real) just a month ago, I can tell you that I was not tempted at all by the 3 and 4 year old lions that we had on bait (four of them much like what Aaron has in the OP), but my heart was in my throat and I was ready to build the blind and sit when I saw these pics . . .

Will, sometimes its hard for me to go lion hunting in places where I know the possibility of a lion like the one you took (Mane development/trophy) in the Save, is slim - but I feel like I just want to try and experience lions and lion hunting in as many places as I possibly can. I've shot some great maned lions, now I wanna have as much experience with lions, in as many places as possible. No doubt though, a lion like yours is a RARE trophy indeed!

I do still have 1 more chance for a lion this year, as I will likely hunt for one for a week or so in western Tanzania, next month. If I see one like yours, he'll be taking a dirt bath!

I get that. Your progression is much like that of a buffalo hunter that has shot many wide trophy buffalo in their prime and, having done that, now wants to shoot the oldest, rattiest, gnarliest buffalo that he can possibly find in as many places as he can go for the hunt and the experience that goes along with it.

Much like the lion hunts in Burkina Faso. You'll shoot a lion there and it will be a great experience being on a tracking hunt, but the lion will not look like a lion from a prime trophy area. In the end, however, it may mean more than a lion from a prime area . . . especially if you've shot a few.

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
As a one time lion hunter, none of them really appeal to me.

The blind lion might be a shooter based on age and condition, but it would be hard for a guy hunting what might be his one and only lion to get excited about sitting for that guy.

Having gone through this exercise (for real) just a month ago, I can tell you that I was not tempted at all by the 3 and 4 year old lions that we had on bait (four of them much like what Aaron has in the OP), but my heart was in my throat and I was ready to build the blind and sit when I saw these pics . . .

Will, sometimes its hard for me to go lion hunting in places where I know the possibility of a lion like the one you took (Mane development/trophy) in the Save, is slim - but I feel like I just want to try and experience lions and lion hunting in as many places as I possibly can. I've shot some great maned lions, now I wanna have as much experience with lions, in as many places as possible. No doubt though, a lion like yours is a RARE trophy indeed!

I do still have 1 more chance for a lion this year, as I will likely hunt for one for a week or so in western Tanzania, next month. If I see one like yours, he'll be taking a dirt bath!

I get that. Your progression is much like that of a buffalo hunter that has shot many wide trophy buffalo in their prime and, having done that, now wants to shoot the oldest, rattiest, gnarliest buffalo that he can possibly find in as many places as he can go for the hunt and the experience that goes along with it.

Much like the lion hunts in Burkina Faso. You'll shoot a lion there and it will be a great experience being on a tracking hunt, but the lion will not look like a lion from a prime trophy area. In the end, however, it may mean more than a lion from a prime area . . . especially if you've shot a few.

Exactly!!! Its just like my favorite whitetail hunting client that I guide every year - David Morris from Bucks of Tecomate. David has taken roughly 35 wild whitetails over 170", in fact, he's shot two with me. But then last year we find this awesome looking 8pt (158") and he wants him badly. Two days later, we're taking the trophy pics. The highest scoring buck, or the lion with the biggest mane isn't always the most important, once you've shot a bunch of em already.

But don't get me wrong, I'll take another one like yours anytime.

I don't know much about aging lions....but lion #3 looks the best to me.

Aaron thanks for posting series of trail cam pics, getting a chance to study the pics and then guessamate ages that put them in or out of the "shooter" class, really is helpful in trying to judge these wonderful beasts.
Scott