I just finished watching "Boddington on Lion". I have watched Boddington on Buffalo I and II along with Boddington on Leopard. I have watched about twenty or so other DVD's on African hunting so I have a reasonable level of understanding of the African DVD genre.

Overall, it is extremel well put together. The editing and actual footage is excellent. Craig's comments in the various parts of the DVD are very good and typical Craig. His style is folksey and very much like a guy you would enjoy hunting with.

His only comment that came as a bit of a surprise to me was that he was not against captive reared lion hunting in South Africa - as long as all involved fully understood what they were doing and that the lion was captive reared and released.

The video is over two hours and features Aaron Neilson on a couple of hunts, Ivan Carter on a couple including a dramatic follow up and charge. You get to see this 6 or 7 times, I lost count. That is one of a couple of aspects of this DVD I did not like - many scenes of the shot or of the lions walking around are shown over and over and over again. I can understand showing a sequence a couple of times but some of the footage - very good footage- is used over and over again.

I was underwhelmed by two of the hunters shown in the DVD. The first was a the president of Trijicon. He was grossly out of shape and appeared to struggle to walk. He was relatively young guy but was carrying a great deal of weight. He got one or two lions on the DVD (not fully sure if it was the same lion twice) with the help of a second PH/team hunting the same area. You will see what I mean when you see the "dead lion in front of the hunter" sequence.

The second was an older man that had trouble seeing a lion that was laying down quartering away. He made a shot that appeared poor on the lion (I could not see where the bullet hit even after the lion was dead). The PH did the follow up and killed the lion while the older guy stayed behind. I saw no smiles or enthusiasm on that hunter's face.

Ivan Carter's client wounded his lion and Ivan made an "Ivan" follow up walking up within yards of the cat before it charged. He made 2 quick shots that dropped the lion. His comment immediately after was, "That is why you have double rifles." This was dramatic and excellent footage but we got to see it 6 or 7 more times.

Jack Brittingham is shown taking a lion with a bow. The lion is a dandy. His shot looked very low and the lion did not really act hit. He shot a second arrow that you could not see on camera. There was high fiving and dancing as he got out of the blind but then they had a tense follow up that was staged to look like the lion died from the arrows. I am not so sure. I have been in one hunting video and several parts are staged for editing and story continuity, but this section was almost too fake for me. I leave it to the bow hunters to tell if that lion died from the bow and arrow.

Aaron Neilson takes two lions. He does it very well and probably should have made his own video on lion hunting. His two lions are good ones.

Overall, the instructional aspect of the video is very good - especially the part on baiting. Craig accompanies a guy on a lion hunt in Tanzania and they do not take a lion until the 18th day. That section had me rooting for the hunter as he was trying hard and the PH was doing all he could. It was a great section.

Chifuti is well represented in the video and there are several lions taken with their PH's - all good hunts.

An observation - I was surprised that most of the lions looked like old warriors with thin manes. They were definitely old and shooters but the manes were short and thin on many. One of Aaron's lions was thin haired. I have not hunted lions nor have I seen wild lions so I guess I expected lions to full maned or mostly maned. Craig says that many do not have full manes and that genetics and area play a role in this. That is something new I learned.

Second observations - Female lions are being hunted in Zimbabwe in the Zambezi valley as the population takes big toll on buffalo calves. I did not realize that what happening. A good idea and I hope other places catch on to it.

Overall, I want to go lion hunting. I want to go soon. It is a good, not great, DVD. I did not feel it as good as Boddington on Buffalo I or Mountain Buffalo, but it is solid and well done. I was distracted by the repetition of various footage but otherwise it was good.

I would rate this an 8 out of 10 on the dogcat scale.

Good review. I, too, grow weary of repeated scenes, both 'scenery' scenes as well as action scenes. Two times is sufficient and if the scene needs to be repeated 6 times I know how to use my DVD.

A good review overall. A couple of comments if you'll allow.

Why the continued bashing of overweight hunters? Yes, Steve Bindon is overweight. Some here on AR really focus in on the physical condition of the hunter. I just don't understand that. I don't watch hunting videos to enjoy the physique of the hunter. I watch them to enjoy the hunt itself. I suppose it's just a matter of taste. The only thing that really puts me off about an individual hunter is if he repeatedly muffs the shots requiring the PH to finish the job. I'm not talking about the need for the PH to help out as happens occasionally. I'm talking about the guys that obviously can't shoot. I don't care to see the animals suffer from poor shooting. To each his own I suppose.

On the Brittingham segment. Personally I have some issues with hunting DG with a bow. Not that it can't be done effectively but it just seems contrived to me as the rifle back up is always there. We've beat that horse to death several times here on AR. But watching that clip, he hit the Lion exactly where you would want to hit it. The heart on the big cats sits low and back compared to your typical plains game. If you watch the cat as it walks away from the bait, you can see MASSIVE amounts of blood just gushing from the offside wound from his first arrow. It is obvious that Jack hit the heart squarely with that first shot. You are correct that the second arrow is not shown as connecting but I doubt it was necessary after that first hit. My opinion is that the cat probably succumbed just off camera to the first arrow placement.

Aaron's segments are good and he does have them included in his latest DVD set. I spoke with Dave at our chapter SCI meeting right after Boddington on Elephant came out. I asked if they were planning on a B. on Lion. At the time, the answer was no. He explained that there just weren't enough hunts being conducted to put together a quality DVD on par with the others in the Safari Classics lineup. I'm sure that's why Aaron and Jack's hunts were included. Things happen when trying to film hunts and for one reason or another, some hunts just don't film well enough to make the grade. I enjoyed seeing Aaron and Jack in the lineup however as they are both well respected and accomplished DG hunters.

My overall take was that it's a good DVD but not on par with the others, basically for the reasons mentioned. Certainly worth having in the collection however.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
Why the continued bashing of overweight hunters? Yes, Steve Bindon is overweight. Some here on AR really focus in on the physical condition of the hunter. I just don't understand that. I don't watch hunting videos to enjoy the physique of the hunter.

I suspect most like or prefer to view success and an obviously out of shape sportsman has in some ways limited or obliterated their opportunity for success. I went sheep hunting while out of shape and with a partner in similar condition. We both failed in more ways than no sheep taken. That sheep hunt would have made an aggravating video for anyone to watch.

Certainly I wish the hunters well, but in preparation for the hunt and the filming for posterity I'd wish they sight in their rifle, paractice shooting for proficiency, bring appropriate apparel and be in appropriate physical condition. Physically able to walk on a lion hunt seems as appropriate as being able to set out and pick up decoys on a waterfowl hunt. I'd rather not watch a video of hunters gasping for air on the tailgate of the pickup while others arrainge the decoys.

It seems that folks expect as much real hunting out of the DVD's they watch as possible. Guys, fat people hunt. Lots of them. If you want real you have to look at the old fat dudes too. If only slim people hunted PH's would starve.

Fat Guy

Dogcat:

I think Aaron should make his video on lion. He certainly has killed more than anyone that talks about it.

I also get really tired of repeated scenes, especially on TV. I am really tired of the "Shockey sandwich" - a shot shown twice with a commercial sandwiched in between.