All of You are knowing Dan Hunsaker.
The penultimate issue of African Hunter magazine is introducing him. This guy is now in Africa to cap his Bow Big Five with a lion. He has still shot an Ele, a leopard, a Rhino and buff.
This is the message he let me on the African hunter forum :African hunter thread


posted June 25, 2005 07:53 AM
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JB,

An update.
I am heading for Africa tomorrow to hopefully complete my Big 5 with my bow. Lion is on the menu, the last critter in the 5, but for me the scariest.
I am outfitted with all the stuff I recommended to you and feel very confident in my equiptment and my physical capabilities. The mental part I am still working on.
If you are a religious man say a prayer for me, this hunt is on the ground and I hope what happened to you doesn't repeat itself.
Dan

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Dan Hunsaker

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Posts: 17 | From: Tucson, Arizona | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

Hat off, there is still really splendid hunters loving to make it the hard way.
My pronostic : he is a tough and smart guy and God is on his side. I am 90% sure he'll shoot his baited lion from the ground in the morning, behind a zariba (thorn fence). Calling lion make them often come too fast (I learnt it in March).

I wish he has a torch. Lion love to sleep on the trimmed trails leading to the zariba. Without light, one may learn the cost of kicking a sleeping lion.
Please, wish Dan Good luck

Yes, good luck Dan. I hope that Darwinism is on your side.

vote #1 for lion

Also pray for anybody else in the neighborhood if he leaves a lion wandering around with an arrow stuck in it.

i'd rather have a steady bow arm than shakey gun hands...i like the bow option, this guy just needs to have confidence in his p.h. and be able to shoot 5" groups at 50 yards

Does his PH carry a bow for a backup?

No, he uses a 45-70! Gotta stay within the spirit of the whole thing.
Peter.

Good luck Dan.

The most important thing to take with when hunting lion with a bow is a "friend" that can not run as fast as you.

Hope Dan gets his cat in range, I would not worry about him wounding the cat as bow hunters normally pick their shots more carefully than rifle hunters. Less margin for error and a much slower second shot.

Wimpie
On my way to Thabazimbi in 4 hours for Kudu hunt with bow and arrow.

All the best Dan!

I think I detect a little anti-hunting in the thread.

It's best to remember the we either hang together for a quick end to hunting, fishing and trapping. Or a slow painful end to all the different forms of hunting, fishing or trapping.

jbdeRunz,

Do you have any video of your lion calling experience? Bet it's a tad more exciting than calling fox!!!

Minkman

Good luck Dan!
I`m not religious, but I know how to do hunting-prayers...
Please post a report when you get back!

JB

Should be a fun hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Minkman:
All the best Dan!


jbdeRunz,

Do you have any video of your lion calling experience? Bet it's a tad more exciting than calling fox!!!

Minkman

Dear Minkman,

No I didn't video my lion calling and shooting.
In fact there was nobody agreeing to video the hunt. The PH refused to video when hunting DG or even Plain games, ethic and security.
The black crew could have film. The trouble was just FEAR.
My first day in the CAR was just dealing with heat so we just stalk duikers and bushbuck.
The great day was the second one.
The chief of a nearby village came complaining about a truculent buff charging everybody. The outfitter dismissed him because nobody from the village was allowed to roam on the hunting territory (2._) millions acres). Endly it was decided that we'll hunt this frigging buff with the bow. Yes it was mean but alone he had only 2 eyes, almost an easy target for a bowhunter.
Early in the morning we got his track and the blacks became ashen-faced and shivering. They were sure the hell could break loose at any moment and worst an arrow would trigger any uncertain charge.
So no way to imagine these guys videoing. They were scrutinising any bush fearing the buff would come from ,and searching the nearest tree or dense bush to take refuge.
Then we followed a herd the buff has joined, and lost them in deep jungle where tracking is too dangerous.Visibility is under one Yard and poachers-harassed eles are very irritable. Not speaking of buffs, lions and leopards
When the shaking driver had showed us the track of passing lions and we set ourselves to shoot the boss with the bow, the PH was calling so he couldn't video ; the crew was peeing in their collective pants, ashen-faced and ignominiously smelling of fear. No way to count on them to film a rushing furious lion. Should they have agreed in, their trembling would have ruin the film.