This report is based on two lion hunts I did in 2013. Hunting lion unsuccessfully in 2011 in Zambia I knew that 2013 would be my last chance to hunt lion. I hunted Tanzania in July 2013 and did not connect on a mature lion. I thought that my lion hunting days were over. By chance a friend of mine hunted lion in Zimbabwe at the same time I was in Tanzania. He had some very bad luck and did not connect on a lion. He was offered a return hunt but due to business constraints he could not return. I had been in contact with the same outfitter for the last few years and was at the top of their cancellation list. It turns out I’d get one more chance at lion.

Both hunts:

Booking agent – Jeff C Neal – Greg Brownlee did his usual great job in handling the details of the booking.
Rifle – Dakota .375 H & H – Left hand
Bullets – 300 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw
Observer – Cindy Shelly



Hunt #1
July 1-21, 2013
Tanzania – Chunya/Pita area
Outfitter – Danny McCallum
PH – Danny McCallum – Danny is a true gentleman and very tough hunter.









Danny McCallum and his wife Joanna





My Wife Cindy knitted scarves for the guys to give to their wives. I think they liked them just a little too much.








The tsetse flies were terrible. To make it worse I had an allergic reaction.








Buffalo #1





Buffalo #2








Buffalo #3





































I had a face to face with this lion. He came in to the blind and literally stuck his nose into my window. It was intense!!!





This is where I was face to face with the young lion.





We saw a pack of 6 wild dogs. Very cool.











Hunt #2
Zimbabwe – Bubye Valley Conservancy
October 11-28, 2013
Outfitter – Pete Fick Safaris
PH – Pete Fick and Andries Kotze – Pete did a great job for us and he hunts hard. Andres is a young up and coming PH that we had for the last 6 days of our safari. It would be a pleasure to hunt with either of these guys again someday.














We shot a giraffe the first day and were able to get 5 baits hung. We put a trail camera up at each bait. The 2nd morning we checked all 5 baits with 2 of them being hit. There was a pride of nine on the first bait and a large lone male on the second bait. We immediately started setting up a blind. It was 8:00 in the morning. As the trackers began setting up the blind the lion started roaring and growling at us. I would guess he was 500 yards away. The entire bush came alive. The bird life was going crazy along with the baboons and impala barking up a storm. It was intense!!! Pete immediately sent the truck away as the trackers said “he’s coming”. We knelt down behind some brush and waited. Everything in the bush continued to carry on as the lion was actually coming. We saw him move to the back side of the bait. We decided to go after him. We walked in the direction we saw him go and probably walked about 200 yards. One shot at 120 yards off the sticks and I had my lion. It was just amazing.

































































We hunted 18 days a saw lion in person every single day. There is a ton of lion in the Bubye. I tried to hunt a hyena but we couldn’t keep the lion off the baits.














We saw several fresh leopard kills.








There was a lake about an hour from camp and the bass fishing was amazing. We fished the last 2 days for bream and largemouth. We caught over 100 each day. It was a great way to end an amazing safari.























































Final notes

Tanzania was a tough hunt and we put in a lot of miles. The tsetse flies were just terrible and definitely took some of the steam out of my hunt. We saw lion but just couldn’t find a shootable male. The buffalo hunting was outstanding. Danny and his staff were great.

The Bubye Valley in Zimbabwe is amazing. We saw incredible amounts of game every day. The conservancy should be a model for all of Africa to follow. They are fully staffed and there are game scouts everywhere. I honestly don’t think there is poaching going on anywhere in the million acres. They are managing this property at the highest standards. I would hunt here again in a heartbeat. Pete and the staff took great care of us and the accommodations were perfect.

Hope you enjoy.


Doug

HOLY SHMOKES!!!

Talk about a safari...WOW!!!

Two INCREDIBLE hunts...BIG CONGRATS to the both of you!!!

Two great Safaris.
They sure have some impressive Lion in that Bubye valley conservancy!

Holy hell you've had a cracker of a year !!
Outstanding, you make us mortals weep

What a lion! Well done!

Ayechewawa! Amazing hunts and incredible animals. Well done, sir.

nice nice job!!!!!!!
fantastic hunting!!!!

Absolutely fantastic!

This is how hunting should be.

I am so happy you had such great hunts.

Now thats a hunt, or two Congratz!!!

Congrats Doug!

How many male lions did you see in Tanzania?

Well done! Thanks for the post and pics.

Doug - congrats! What an amazing time it looks like you had. Sooo jealous. Fabulous set of trophies. Thanks for sharing

You are going to have an amazing trophy room with nothing but incredible trophies. You did very well. Congratulations!!!

That is just sensational. Very refreshing report.
Thanks.

Fantastic,what great hunts,congratulations on a awesome year!

Simply awesome - congratulations!

Incredible hunts. Amazing lion. Many congrats!

love your lion. He has a great mane. Some very nice buffalo too. You have had a great year in Africa. Congrats. Bruce

Well done Doug.

Reminds me of that July evening two years ago when we met in Joberg for drinks and dinner, each of us having the same goals, namely: lion, elephant, leopard, and buffalo . . . The Big Four.

Congrats on achieving your goal and doing it in fantastic style. Your shumba is amazing.

Hope to see you at the shows, my friend.

Doug, fantastic - two amazingly successful safaris in two different African nations in one year. Great animals, across the board. Congratulations!

Congrats. Jeff and Greg do a great job!!!

Amazing! Congrats!

Awesome Lion hunt, well done.

Proper quality hunting on BVC for sure!

Wow!

Doug: Congratulations! I love the Bubye and will be back there again in June of 2014, with PH Shaun Buffee. I've been in the very camp that you stayed in. Nice is an understatement! And, you're right, the Bubye is a fantastic place to hunt! Blondie manages it extremely well. Let's hope that Mugabe keeps his dirty hands off of it!

A proper job on a very spectacular hunt! congrats on the nice trophies.

Okay. Nobody has the stones to say it. I am flat out jealous!!!!!!!!

Nicely done!!

Jeff

Believe me when I say this guys, no one deserves a lion more than Doug did! He put in the miles, the work, the money, and thankfully connected with a giant male on this hunt (and a cranker leopard as well!).

Congratulations again Doug, and as always appreciate the business and trust. Best safari of the year for our clients hands down.

Greg

Doug,

Huge congrats! What a year you've had. Magnificent trophies.

Mark

Wow..........holy smokes!! What a hunt/s!! Congrats!!

quote:

Originally posted by Greg Brownlee:
Believe me when I say this guys, no one deserves a lion more than Doug did! He put in the miles, the work, the money, and thankfully connected with a giant male on this hunt (and a cranker leopard as well!).

Congratulations again Doug, and as always appreciate the business and trust. Best safari of the year for our clients hands down.

Greg

Congrats Greg...do you know if they took any good lions at Danny McCallum safaris this year?

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:

quote:

Originally posted by Greg Brownlee:
Believe me when I say this guys, no one deserves a lion more than Doug did! He put in the miles, the work, the money, and thankfully connected with a giant male on this hunt (and a cranker leopard as well!).

Congratulations again Doug, and as always appreciate the business and trust. Best safari of the year for our clients hands down.

Greg

Congrats Greg...do you know if they took any good lions at Danny McCallum safaris this year?

They took two I believe. Not sure how many hunters they had.

Outstanding hunts and well earned trophies. Congrats! How do you follow up on a year like this?

I'm so jealous that it took me two days to post.

Fantastic hunts!

Just incredible!

WOW!!!! Fine job and great shooting.

Mike

A decade of hunting in one year. WOW

Double wow! Literally. Two fantastic hunts with two great outfitters and some fantastic trophies to boot...

Dream safari!

Or safaris I guess.

Outstanding trophies.

WOWZA!!!

Well done Doug on your awesome blond male and fantastic Leopards.

What next?