While some people might point out that lions are far more dangerous than black bears, especially when wounded, the big differences I've heard from several PH's are:
1) Lion hunters are often over-gunned, because....
2) Lions scare the schidt out of them, and....
3) Lion trophy fees are VERY expensive.
Have also heard the first two factors applied to the average Cape buffalo hunter, plus the hunter being middle-aged, tired and hot when he finally gets a shot.
I had two friends mauled by black bears in the last two season because the bears were shot with smaller calibers and didn't go down quick enough. One guy was knocked unconscious and were it not for a valiant pack of hounds he would be dead. I won't argue that lions are not more dangerous as I have never seen one outside of a theme park but folks tend to underestimate bears.
yeah but a lion is more apt to kill a person in the short time during which a mauling generally happens...one bite from a lion can put its canines into the skull or well into the thoracic cavity.....ive read a hell of alot of bear attack incidents where even large griz dont successfully do this with any regularity compared to a lion....i would fear the jaws of a lion much more than a bear with the same skull size....but then again ive read alot of official accounts of attacks by each and not had the chance to hunt either....i respect bears, even black bears....but its not the same level of respect i hold for big cats....
A serious student of the "Armchair Safari" always looking for Africa/Asia hunting books
