Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Thinking about lions...

I'm thinking about lions. Well, one lion, actually.

I didn't used to think about lions, at all. Like anybody else, I'd seen lions in zoos and in circuses and on TV, but these seemed dull and shabby to me, even when I was a young boy. Where's the excitement, when the animal will sit on a stool for its trainer and roar on command for a scrap of old horsemeat? And what's the thrill of the sound of a grunting roar in a zoo that is barely audible over the sounds of the thousands of other pedestrians and the omnipresent drone of city traffic all around you? What would be the point in stalking a lion, who National Geographic TV explained was nothing more than a stud animal who lazed around all day while his wives gathered the groceries, and never lifted a finger himself? No, I didn't think about lions at all.

I thought about Cape buffalo, though, and the buff is what lured me to Africa. And it wasn't until I went to Africa to hunt and kill my buffalo bull that I met my first real lion. The lion who told me the truth: that those pathetic creatures in the zoo and on those lying National Geographic TV shows were not lions at all.

I met him in 2015, on my way to find Cape buffalo. We were out in the Land Cruiser on my first day in-country, just an afternoon's drive to look at the land and see what's what. Near the Nyati Dam, it was. A small pride consisting of a couple of adult lioness and three half-grown cubs were lounging in the shade of a smallish tree on the edge of a clearing about the size of a football field. Two of the cubs were worrying the remnants of what had been a warthog earlier in the day. The lionesses stood as we approached and watched us warily. The cubs watched, too, but with little interest. We drove to within 30 yards of the group and watched them through the windshield, and we took some photos.

Then my PH nudged me and pointed off to the right, and up the slope of the low hill, standing between a couple of mopane clumps, stood the lion. He was perhaps 30 yards away, and in the brilliant afternoon sunshine every detail stood out with crystal clarity. I could see the striations of the irises of his eyes as he looked at me. And he was looking at me; not at the hunting car, not at the trackers up on the back rack, but directly at me, as if he knew who the hunter in this group was, and I could almost hear his thoughts.

His attitude toward me was malignant. His eyes seemed to say, "I see you, and I know who you are. You are my enemy. You and your kind have been killers of me and my kind since time immemorial, and if I can, I will kill you and I will eat you." And in the depths of my soul, I felt a corresponding recognition of him as the enemy of me and my kind, and I wanted absolutely right then and there to kill him, and take his skin, and eat his meat, and then sleep the sleep of the righteous with a bellyful of lion.

Then he turned and slipped into the bush, and where he had stood was only bright yellow grass and white stones.

And ever since that day I have not been able to stop thinking about that lion, and his kind.

We saw quite a few lions on that safari, my PH and I. We also saw a lot of rhino (John counted 15, I only recall 11), a lot of elephant, and even a leopard. I was impressed by all of them, they're wonderful animals. But none of them stirred my blood, none of them made me want to kill him. Only the lion did that. When my wife came back to Africa with me in 2019, we only glimpsed a pair of lionesses one time, never an adult lion. But that didn't matter, I heard him grunting and roaring in the night, and I knew he was there, and I wanted him.

So now I'm wondering if I can make it happen. Can I get the money together to do this? Lions are hellish expensive, unless you shoot a tame one on a game ranch in SA. (I have no interest in shooting a tame lion.) The price tag isn't just for the lion himself, but for the way he is hunted. You have to shoot bait, which means buffalo (trophy and non-trophy, in most places), zebra, and maybe giraffe. Those all cost money, too. Not to mention the fact that lions live in country where all the other wonderful African plains game live, so there's chance you'll run across a sable, a kudu better than the one on your wall, an eland, or that elusive waterbuck you've not managed to collect on your previous safaris. And you need to invest time, because lions don't show up on a schedule... you need to book a minimum of 3 weeks in-country to have a reasonable chance of putting a bullet into simba's brisket.

Can I afford it? Probably not, but if I can move some dates and some other things around, and if I can line up some work I'm lining up that will pay as well as the proprietors say it will, I might be able to make a go of it. And if I do it, I have to do it soon. I'll be 70 before you know it, and even if you're a young 70, the grim reality is that a 7 followed by any other number is an age that should not be associated with a lion hunter. I'm looking online at various outfitters in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique. Wondering which of them can offer the best lion for a price I can afford, if any. I'm looking at the African outfitters who will be at the Dallas Safari Club convention in January, and thinking about who I want to talk to about this. I've reread Ruark, and Bell, and I just discovered and read Pease's The Book of the Lion (1914), and only slightly regretting the fact that chasing down lions on horseback is a sport that no longer exists, anywhere.

I have no plan to hunt lion. I have a dream, and I have a desire. Maybe you do, too.

Go for it! Scratch the itch.

My desire is for another buffalo and a leopard would would the icing on the cake. Did I mention Nyala, Eland, and a good impala.

47K trophy fee,,,

Are what you are looking for importable? Or does that not matter?

The last lions that I know of that were USFWS "importable" came out of the Kunene region in Namibia. Otherwise, you're paying for a hunt and will never see the trophy.

Lions remain importable, depending on where you hunt them. I know the lions from Bubye Valley Conservancy are importable.

Doc, just finished my third hunt with Johnlate July of this year. Did a double buffalo hunt and had a fantastic Safari. Saw lions multiple times. John just finished a 3 week hunt where they shot two lions, and also shot a leopard and multiple buffalo.

I too have the lion itch. If I could go right now, I would book with John. As I’m sure you know, he prefers to track them if conditions allow. It IS expensive and I’ve done the rough math in my head numerous times. High daily rates with minimum number of days, high trophy fees, and baits. My understanding is they are primarily using zebra and buffalo for baits. Fun to shoot a few extra buff for bait.

John will be at Dallas.

Regards

Well written Doc, I enjoyed it!

Doc, theres only two critters Ive seen in the wild that scare me.Deep primordial type scare.One is grizzlies, the other is lions. I was actually interested in a lioness because, like humans, the female is the dangerous one of the species. Almost-but not quite- got it done in Zim in 2000
Havent been back, and won't be going back...as you said, the 7+ anything is not conducive to that type hunting.
I wish you the best in your dream and quest Compadre.

+1, better budget 100K all in.

That's what I'm thinking, if I hunt in the Bubye with John. Best huntable wild lion population around, and fully importable. I'm looking at other options that may run a bit less. The price tag is daunting, I have to say...

I don't know if "scare me" applies, but I sure have a healthy respect for both those critters. I was terrified of grizzlies when I was a kid, but after a few close-ish encounters with them in Banff and Kootenay National Parks, the crap-my-pants scaredy-cat feeling went away. I've been up close with grizzlies (within 25 yards, roughly) perhaps a dozen times, and inside 5 yards twice... each time I was unarmed and very much aware of the danger level, and my heart was definitely racing, but I have never been charged or bluffed by griz, so that helps with the fear factor I suspect. I know I really, really really don't like being in griz country without a firearm any more, so that perhaps is more telling as to how I regard them than anything else.

I've debated whether I ever want to hunt Old Ephraim, and my gut tells me "nope" each time. Same as leopard. I respect them a very great deal, I love seeing them in the wild, but to date I've not wanted to hunt and kill one. I think I got bears out of my system a few years back in Alberta. I like bruins too much.

I dunno if I'll be able to get the lion deal done, but I can't stop thinking about it. I guess when I talk to John at DSC in January things will crystallize for me, or they won't. But if I don't do it by 2024, I don't think I'll ever do it.

DocRocket: first of all it is wonderful to see you posting again 😃

It is easy for me to spend other peoples money so please take my comments with a grain of salt.

If you can find a way to do the hunt without causing your future self significant financial harm I would encourage you to do it. I have had the joy and privilege of hunting in Africa four times (Namibia x 2 RSA x2) and I “dine out” on those experiences every day. I do not regret a dollar of the many I have spent in those trips.

From what I recall you are in my age bracket (60+), therefore the number of days we have that we can commit to a maximal effort project are becoming limited yet the days we have to “dine out” on those experiences are as long we are alive or at least out of the grasp of dementia.

Find the money, scratch the itch spend the three weeks in Africa hunting simba.

Final comment my opinion and $5 will get you a coffee at Starbucks.

Glad to hear you had a great hunt in the BVC! A double buff trip would be something!

Yes, part of the magic of going for lion is that a lot of bait-shooting is required. In the BVC, a 3-week lion hunter is allowed 6 non-trophy buff, one trophy buff, one each of eland and waterbuck and kudu, I think 6 zebra, 2 impala, assorted warthogs and bushpigs and hyenas, and I think 3 giraffes. The giraffes make excellent bait, I'm told (and the femurs make fantastic revolver grips and knife scales). Of course, you have to pay a trophy fee on each of those, so this adds to the cost of the deal considerably.

Of all the African species the Lion reigns supreme. Predator against predator on fair ground…..I think having a dark maned mature male would be the ultimate trophy. I hope you’re able to fulfill your dream.

I went to Africa 13 times before I even saw a lion. Most of those trips were in lion country. I've seen about a million tracks and a bunch of game camera snaps of lions eating my leopard baits though. Finally saw lions in Zambia a few years back, then saw a bunch this year and now I'm thinking I need one to crown and probably end my African hunting career.

Figure a little over $100 grand, a lot over after airfare and taxidermy, and the thing that keeps me from sending a deposit is how many leopard hunts that would pay for! And not knowing if the trophy will be importable in a couple years.

Good luck with your decision, I'm still worrying mine!

100 large is what my friend paid in Tanzania a couple of years back. He has his home now, gorgeous trophy

I had a opportunity to hunt Tanzania for plains game a couple of years ago. I hunted with KNS. I continue to communicate with them and see some hunting pics regularly. They hunt some great lions. Real brutes. In talking with them it appears they are probably the cheapest lion hunt in Tanzania. They show at DSC. You should at least stop by and chat with them. One of their newer concessions seems to have an abundance of cats. Good luck. Scratch your itch.
Bruce

Who is KNS?

Kilombero North Safaris. They have some great areas in Tanzania. Tom Dames hunts for them, great PH who is a hoot to spend time with. Ernest Dyason also hunts for them, another real good PH. I’d hunt with either.

Zambia has alot of lions, are importable, we used hippo for bait, same for leopard, plus has alot of unique plainsgame not found elsewhere, Johnny Duplooy is excellent PH - Muchinga Safaris, contact his wife Laura, first class all the way, hoping to go back with them next year for the third time, just waiting for the tender process to sort out