My #1 dream hunt is African Lion. Who here has eaten lion and how was it? If I were to kill a Lion I would definitely want to grill the backstraps, even if they taste like crap. Is it a pork-like white meat compared to Mountain Lion?

Ate leopard and mopane worms last month. Liked the worms better.

Lion tastes like shit.

I've tried leopard and it wasn't much. I imagine lion is similar.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
I've tried leopard and it wasn't much. I imagine lion is similar.

Leopard is palatable Lion is not.

Ate leopard and mopane worms last month. Liked the worms better.

LOL

When my son & I hunted in Zim (many years ago) another hunter in camp shot a lioness, and the PH sautéed tenderloin medallions with onions in some kind of sauce, and they were really good.

I suppose lion, like anything else, can be either mouth-watering or terrible, depending on a host of factors: age of the animal, method of preparation, skill of the cook, etc.

And before anyone asks, no, it didn't taste like chicken. More like veal, as I recall.

Guys,

Having eaten lion back strap properly prepared both Sadie and I found it very good and similar to pork. Leopard tenderloin is just plain delicious sauteed quickly in salt, pepper and garlic. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark

I ate some a really long time ago. As I recall, the first time wasn't too bad. The second time was horrible.

Had some a few years ago. Wasn't that bad, but a little tough. If it was prepared correctly, I don't think it would be that bad.

Once you've seen and smelled a lion being skinned and gutted, you will not want to eat one.

Although the locals ate every bit of mine. Oddly, at least to me, the cheek meat from the face was very highly prized. I'm guessing that it was more tender than other cuts. I have seen the same thing with elephants.

I have an aversion to eating other carnivores. They stink. But that's not to say I would not do it, if hungry enough.

We had the cook make schnitzel out of the blackstrap. We thought it was great; I thought my PH was going to vomit watching us eat it. With any cat, if you gut it versus just pulling the quarters and back straps, you're not going to want to eat it.

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Lion, croc or any other predator - no thanks !
Why when you can have impala or kudu or eland!!!

But what ever you enjoy go for it !

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quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Guys,

Having eaten lion back strap properly prepared both Sadie and I found it very good and similar to pork. Leopard tenderloin is just plain delicious sauteed quickly in salt, pepper and garlic. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark

Are you sure that was Lion that they prepared Mark ?

Tried it multiple times with various degrees of

When trying to fry it in a pan with butter and no marinades and only slight seasoning ( to get the real flavor of the meat ) , the smell of a dirty wet dog comes to mind....

Jan,

I'm not kidding at all and I'm sure it was lion as I shot it. We actually had it for dinner and in sandwiches the next day. The PH didn't even want his sandwich made with Palogna in the same box as ours. The leopard was especially good as was the mountain lion here in the States.

Mark

i think alot depends on the age. my lion and old leopard -well you couldn't get a fork in the gravy. my younger leopard was quite tasty. cougar is one of the best wild mets there is

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Jan,

I'm not kidding at all and I'm sure it was lion as I shot it. We actually had it for dinner and in sandwiches the next day. The PH didn't even want his sandwich made with Palongna in the same box as ours. The leopard was especially good as was the mountain lion here in the States.

Mark

Im glad you had a good experience Mark.
Your PH was a smart man.

I asked my PH about eating some of my leopard last year. His reply: "when you see what they really prefer to eat you won't want to eat any of him".

We grilled chops from the backstraps of a leaopard I shot, and they were surprisingly good. I even had 2nds. Ate a bit from my lion and didn't care for it nearly as much.

I'll pass on eating cats, thanks.

Who has tried bear meat? Is it similar?

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
Who has tried bear meat? Is it similar?

I've eaten both grizzly and black bear. In my experience, black bears can be good, depending on what they've been eating and how they're hunted. And if you want them good, don't hunt them with hounds where they've been running and fighting with the dogs. Grizzly was just so-so, but when you're in a spike camp and it's the only meat you've got, you'll eat it.

I would not eat any animal that eats rotten meat!

I've eaten lion before and would do it again . Best ever had was made up in a white cream sauce/marinade and was like a sweet pork.

I ate the back strap from both lion and leopard I shot. If I remember correctly, we marinated the lion for like 5 or 6 days in yogurt and seasoning. End result was pretty close to pork in both cases. But not something you will crave to have again as such. But was a worthwhile experience each time for me.

I've only eaten black bear but if I shot another one I certainly would take the back straps. We pot roasted it and it was quite good.

Mark

Lion was really good. The meat is a bit coarse but the flavor is really good. We've had it a few times. It's not similar at all to bear. More like mountain lion.

quote:

Lion tastes like shit.

Well said Andrew

Only meat I have ever seen an African turn their nose up at.
The trackers literally would not eat it.
They would happily eat the guts out of a Monitor lizzard, but not a damn would they eat the lion.

Lion is only good if you have nothing else to eat in camp!!!!

I shot a lioness a few years ago and since it was a once in a lifetime thing I asked for some of it to be prepared for the evening meal. It was marinated and heavily seasoned and to me tasted like tough pork. The taste was fine just tough and chewy. I am glad I tried it.

quote:

Ate leopard and mopane worms last month. Liked the worms better.

Leopard must be awful! How long did it take you to dig the spines from the mopane worm out of your teeth?

Don't ask me how I know about that!

Nothing wrong with lion!

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Oh yes ..... And then there is trichinosis!!

Surprised nobody mentioned that yet !!


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quote:

Originally posted by Charlie64:
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Oh yes ..... And then there is trichinosis!!

Surprised nobody mentioned that yet !!


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Cooked well there's no concern.

I have eaten Mt. Lion backstrap, both chicken fried and in Chile, bar b qued, I liked it and found it 10 times better than Pronghorn Antelope which not even my dogs would eat!! Im ranch raised, love deer, elk, most African PG, Cape Buffalo, even Hippo, Zebra and tasted Giraffe once, and all was good, some better than others, but all bested Speed goats, We had 100s of them on our ranch. Even the Jerky was bad!! Please don't waste your breath telling me how to cook it, clean it, been there done all that..

Must be what's your eat because ours are delicious. The key is them not running and getting the skin off and the meat cooled quickly! Pretty well all wild meat is good if handled and prepared properly. No doubt you get the odd gamey animal bu8t usually there's a reason.

Agree with Saeed on this one. I don't want to eat anything that eats rotten meat, maggots, etc. I've eaten bush pig, but didn't enjoy it for the same reason.

Ray, never eaten speed goat, but have long heard the same thing. I wonder if you could do what they do with giraffe. Dry it, cut it into small pieces, soak the pieces in peri-peri sauce and dry it again. Then serve it as "chili-bits" instead of bar nuts. If an old stink bull is somewhat palatable like that, I'd think it could work for pronghorns.

We were shooting dove in Argentina the other day and this huge sow would come out and chow down on the dead birds like crazy. Even the little piglets would come and get some.

quote:

Originally posted by sheephunterab:
Must be what's your eat because ours are delicious. The key is them not running and getting the skin off and the meat cooled quickly! Pretty well all wild meat is good if handled and prepared properly. No doubt you get the odd gamey animal bu8t usually there's a reason.

Agreed,
It is my favorite North American mammal meat,followed by elk, etc,etc.
Have taken them in Texas,NM,ID,WY,AZ,CO,MT ,
though none in Canada yet.
It is the only US mammal hunt I still look forward to,
and NM and TX are scheduled currently.

Back to the topic, lion was fair, in Africa --Eland remains
My favorite.

I wanted to try both lion and leopard when I have shot them, but the PH and the camp cook all but revolted.... admittedly with eland in camp both times, I doubt I missed a culinary experience by them refusing to do it, but I would have liked to try it nonetheless.

I guess it gives me a reason to try again, lol.