well maybe not long long, but this is a sequel to a dark and stormy night.
even as snoopy sits on his dog house, we were happy, and maybe elated with the huge leopard we had bagged a couple days ago. a 56" kudu had followed, but then even though it was the end of june it started to rain. and it rained and rained. the roads became mud, the animals headed for cover and we sat in camp waiting for it to clear. days can drag by as you sit around watching each drop come down. After a day or two travel became almost impossible.
It was after breakfast and far to long for a sundowner when jumbo asked me if perhaps i wanted to go after a lion. After a short breath and regaining consiousnes i agreed. We had to mmove camp to a communal area adjoining ghona re zhou.
Breaking camp and heading out in a couple hours we pasted by his river camp and picked up quarter of hippo for bait. thaat was the loveliest cam i have ever seen. Showers were made to look like a waterfall, the huts deluxe plus and the area almost totally barren, save for the river animals. squatters had moved in and completely ruined the entire area.
Still the rains continued. We got to camp late in the afternoon and immediaately hung a bair or two.
this camp was almost a complete opposite of the river camp. Spartan with allmost no view, and wet wet wet.
THis year it seems had been a disaster for jumbo. He had 4 lion hunter booked and they all canceled. He had paid the quota fees already and was set to loose hhis dollars. Hence i became a lion hunter. poor me.
The rains had washed any sent trace away and nothing was looking at out bait, even hyenas.
Early afternoonthe net day there was an old man on a bicycle coming into camp almost in tears. Jumbo Jumbo he shouted, a lion had killed by donkey, you must come and shoot the lion.
reluctantly (of course) we agreed and drove to his farm, which was oneof several adjoing the park. We found the partially eaten donkey, and to make things wore for the farmer we found his other donkey which the lion had killed as well
Now the poor old guy was really distraught.
We set up a blind hearby the firt fonkey and waited. At least the rain finally stopped.
We had folowed the tracks back to the park bountry and found this old guy had made a habit of crossing out of the park, but only at night. that branded hi as problem animal.
Dark came aoubt 6 pm and we sat as still as we could. Perhaps it was bout 7:30 we heard the first crunches. He had come back to his kill and was having supper. Jumbo flipped on the spotlight and the cat was gone in a moments breath. I didn't see anything other than a flash. Jumbo wispered that was a huge lion and i think he had a black mane, but he was so fast i can't be sure. So we waited once again. LEss than an hour passed when the crunching sould was back. we waited for awhile befor turning on the light. I was looking through the scope when it went on. The cat was counched down eating. the trigger squeeze was stqarting, when once again he leaped, turned and disappeared. It was a huge fellow and yet he did have a black mane. but he was gone. Obviously this was a snart old guy.
OK that's it jumbo said out loud we're going to pavoritti thi guy. No no no lets just wait. nope we're go call him in. so despite all our hrd work building a bling, hiding, sitting for hours, we drive the landcruised up next to the blind and crawl into the back. Pavoritti it seems wasa tape on a boom box of hyenas feeding. ( this is all legal since he was now a problem animal) The boom box was set on the top of th cab and the volume turned up.
It took moments until the cat was on the move. no hyena was going to get his kill and get away with it. He came in at a run, and when the light hit him we flipped sideways and headed for the tall grass.
In my hands was the twing brother of the beretta 30/06 o/u. but in 9.3x74r. Loaded with 300 gr swift a frames and 65 gr. of 4831. Perhaps in hind sight i shouldn't have, but at the time a running shot was all i had. The bottom barrel went off just before he reached the tall grass and disappeared.
Now we had a problem. It was about 10:00 pm, and we had a wounded lion in the tall grass.
We loaded up and in we went. Now if going into shoulder high grass in the dark, after a wounded lion doesn't get your juiced flowing, nother ever will.
We waded in, not to far, maybe 50 yds or so when he let u know that he was hurting and not at all happy about it. So, we waded back out.
We could hear him wheezing and having trouble breathing, but still quite angry about the circumstances.
We commenced tactical methods. that is we threw anything and every thing we could in his general direction. time passed, and all went quiet.
Back into the grass, slowly, carefully unti we suddenly came out into an open area. With a dead lion laying in the middle. We loaded him on the back of the cruised and headed toward camp. On the was we passed by the home of the farmer and his entire family. We honked the horn until their light went on and they came out. Thrilled beyond belief that their nemesis was gone the dancing began, but not until the grandma brought her grandkids with. she pointed to the lion and told them see see this i why i tell you knt to go into the bush and night.
It took an hour or se to get back to camp where as soon as the headlight lit up the area, the entire camp came alive. One look and i got this biggest hun kiss from dianne along with the cheers and songs from the retof the camp.
Now in a single hunt i had bagged not only a dream leoprd, but a 10'2" black maned lion. And the icing on the cake was that with all the problems it cost was 2 old tires, 2 new donkeys and a 4000 trophy fee. It is indeed better to be dumb and lucky than smart .
There are yet sequels yet to come but enough for now

Sounds like a great adventure. Any pics?

We get lucky now and then.


Now, how about some pics.

I have seen the lion mount.

His taxidermist screwed up and the mane was combed out.... but it truly is a heroic cat!

He also tells the story much better in person!


The days of a $4000 wild lion add on are long gone, I am afraid.

Exciting story,
would be much easier to read if you'd
take a few minutes and fix the typos.

Thanks, let's see the pics now.

george