I would like to know who the AR members that are members of the LCTF are?
I believe the below are members:
Aaron Neilson
LEDVM
gerryb
Brett Adam Barringer
who else?

If I am mistaken on any of this, please let me know and I will remove name.

I would like for the members of the LCTF that ar posting on this forum (and anyone else for that matter) to post if they have ever hunted a wild lion. If they have, it would be nice to have a brief description of hunt allong with pics so age, social status, hunting methods, etc. could be discussed.

I would hope that people would feel comfortable no matter what lion they shot so others could learn from their experience.

I will start, even though I am not a member of the LCTF.

I hunted Lion with Glenn Stockil of Shangaan hunters in the Save Conservancy May of 2010.

Lion was shot on 15 night of 16 day hunt. We spent 6-7 12-14 hr night in a blind.

First blind night was in a tree on a bait that a big male had come to the night before. The male never came but a sizeable group of females and cubs showed up and fed all night. We later found out that the male had traveled 6-8km's and fought with the male I ended up killing and 2 females.

Hunted the next 5-6 nights at the bait where the fight took place, 2 females came and fed all but 1 night, male came a couple of times, but never to bait. we caught a brief glimpse of him once but could not tell what he was.
Last night, 1 female came to water, male and 1 female came to bait. It was completely dark, light was not an option as the male would not stand fo it. I could see his mane (outline) in the moonlight and he looked to be 40% larger than the female. i shot him with no idea how old he was, what color his body was, how big his mane was, what color his nose was, if he had spots or black patches on his legs. It was a tremendous experience and I wouldn't do anything different if I had the opportunity to do it again. I feel confident that we never would had an opportunity to watch this lion for 48hrs, we would not have gotten him. With the new proposed restrictions, a person would not be able to do what I did without running the risk of losing their lion or possibly even committing a crime.

It turned out, the lion was 9'7", 503 lbs, skull was 24-5/8" cured, the conservancy (not Shangaan) aged him at 7-9 yrs old. I do not know what method they used or how accurate it is.

below is a pic of the lion:



So let's hear it, let's talk about hunting the "right way" and hunting "my way".

Brad, i'll play along even though my data will skew the numbers, We baited for three days and only spent 2 hours in the machan.....thats it.



Brad I feel the same as you, I would do it again in a heartbeat, playing chess with the king of all beasts is proper sport, getting a brute of a lion on your bait in the daytime is as exhilarating as international sport hunting gets. I feel that one of the last great adventures a man can endure is in its final stages.

We are looked at as primal, uncivilized savages by the unwashed masses. When in truth we are the last vestiges of true human spirit and what is left of where we all came from.

We have become antiques.

Too bad. (for the lions & all other sport animals)

Nyaminga, Alister Norton. 2005

We did not have this wonderful site back in the day, but I was one of the orifinators of Zim forestry and was their first hunter, In sijara, amundondamella (spellin0 and sukuni and lions just did not cooperate saw females bt no big males. I went to Luangua zambia in 85 and while we saw lions done that were shootable and here i will say at that time if I had seen the lion worldhunter shot I would have shot him that was then and this is now. Cameroon was kind of neat lion hunting as we called and tracked lions and while I saw several no males that i was able to shoot. Selous was the first lion shot and I was told he was old but did not have a big mane, I don't think he was as old as my PH thought looking back but he was old enough. Went to Tanzania in Masailand and shot great stuff just no big lion it was very dry no water and even buff were scarce so struck out. went back to the selous and this time I really did see a nice male and we decided he was not quite old enough but I can tell you I was close but The PH was sure it would have been a mistake, that was last year. I am going to masailand in a few weeks and try again, and to western tanzania next year to try also. I have not had good luck or been in the right place. i really think I would have shot a good lion in cameroon but broke ny leg and finger on day eight and hunted 8 more days but was pretty much useless all I could do was sit and hope. I have seen some really big lions but it seems like when I am not hunting lion , like botswana elephant hunting jesus i saw big mature lions a couple of times but could not take one. I do understand worldhunters lion and I had a different take on the thread than some right or wrong I saw it more against the operator than the hunter. I am not 100% convinced that a young lion here and there will not lead to extinction but I am 100% sure that with what i know now that a few could spell the end of importation not the end of the lion, the after effects of no importation will be devastating to the lion so i feel it is worth it to just not shoot unless you are reasonably sure and I say that knowing that judging on the hoof is not near exact but it is better than just shooting anything. I at one time shot any whitetail with horns and all spikes but that did not mean it was the right thing I have since learned somethings about deer that have changed that aspect of deer hunting. I can honestly say I did not know one person at the LCTF meeting and I was welcomed to come and say what i felt. I got the impression that everyone there was sincerely wanting to save lion hunting as well as the lions. Every topic that has been on these threads was discussed and bad science probably got as much as anything. That is why I have had a hard time understanging these post, I thought everyone would want to do this. I am quite shocked at the way it has gone and quite frankly a little ashamed at the road it has taken.That is not meant to cut you at all it is the whole subjest, it just seems we have gotten off the task at hand which is again stopping the petition and funding a new study that is more acuurate than all the others.If we just did that it would be a positive thing and I really don't think that is a bad thing. I am lucky enough to know some people that can get the ear of the powers that be and will call those favors in as we need them and if it will help the lion great. Otherwise I would like everyone to really try and look at any lion good bedore you take them and feel like it is the right thing to do.The guy going with me this time as already told the operator he will not hunt lion at all as he does not want to risk importing a young one, I have tried to explain to him that he should not take that approach but try and make the call with the help of his PH who is very exoerienced and he woulld be fine. But you never know with our gov't that they will act rationally, i have not seen them do it before so that may be a pipe dream.

I am terrible about pictures sometimes i forget to even take them but i mount them and that sure is good for the taxidery world. I just moved after 30 years at one residence and I am sure I have some pictures from back then but i think my wife will have to find them. By the way I would love to shoot either of the two lion posted above congratulations on taking whay I consider the hardest of all trophies.

i am hopeing it will help on my next lion hunt not the one this but next year tha not really caring if I shoot anything else will up my chances every other time i wanted to much stuff.

Gerry,
Am I counting right, 6 lion hunts and 1 lion? Man, thats tough hunting. post pics if you can, let me know if you need help getting them up.

Yes but I can't really say there was a great shot in zim back that long ago. tHe forestry safari camp were just starting and it was a little different equipment wise and where you could go safely. I did shoot an elephant and had a great time. I can honestly say out of those hunts i concentrated to get a lion 3 times. Now its a little different in that i need really no species except mountain nyala and I am not sure my leg will take that so I can really try and get a big lion. Next year out west in Tanzania I should have good chance but we all know the six year rule puts a lot of pressure on the PH and myself to be picky. I really act like that is a hard thing but I have done it on elk and whitetail many times just part of the hunt.I will tell you if something other than lion was being attacked and uplisted I would be on that team also even if I did not really know much about them. I have had people come into my house and later tell my 7 year old grandaughter That I was a criminal for shooting elephants when there were almost extinct--What bull shit

If I understand you correctly,

You shot an animal you could not identify with certainty,in the dark, without lights.

SSR

ok I'll try my luck

not a member of lctf.
shot mid-way (day 16 I think) thru a 21 day selous hunt. had lots of baits out, some with females on them, some with leopards on them, none with mature males on them.

Drove into a dry pan where we did not have a bait. this male and a lone female stood up in the grass, inspected first thru binocs then thru scope for what seemed like 2 hours but was probably <1min, "shoot, shoot, shoot" from all concerned, PH, trackers,game scout, little voice in my head etc...



its kind of nerve wracking posting a picture of a largely maneless lion on here but here goes,I was considerate enough to take a nose/chompers pic to assist with the aging:

did you have fun with old blood nut. Those selous lions are hard to find without other lions around. It seems like there are always several. Did you camp on the rifigi river?

quote:

If I understand you correctly,

You shot an animal you could not identify with certainty,in the dark, without lights.

SSR

It is well to go armed where arms are not allowed.

Who are you asking?

505 what is that rifle you are holding is it a model 70 or something else. Can't quite see it good enough.

Gerry,
It is a Kimber "Caprivi", 375 H&H

oh sorry I have not looked at one up close. It looks nice anyway do you like it and does it shoot good groups. i have not ever shot one.