Bowsite.com

Western Extreme Show/Lion Hunt

I have dreamed of that hunt for years!

I started to watch it, but knowing what the story had to be behind that lion (it was in South Africa), I moved on to something else.

I watched it and I kept waiting for them to disclose it was a game farm/fenced operation but they never did. Nearly 100% of SA hunts are fenced am I correct?

The fence is only part tiny of it. They are hunting raised and released lions.

Hunting a lion behind a fence is still hunting behind a fence.

Hunting a Lion is still hunting a Lion.

It's not for me, especially with 3 firearms, but it still takes a certain amount of juevos.

I'll never take a lion, along with so many other things.

I heard that lions behind those 30K hectares high fences wont attack and kill you.....

The fence isn't really the issue with these hunts guys. These lions didn't grow up in 30k hectare enclosures. They are essentially pen raised then later released into the 30k hectare for the hunter to then track down and kill. I have zero problem with this being available for people to do if that's how they want to spend their money, but I do realize the difference in it from a more natural pursuit.

I don't have a problem with this kind of hunt if that's what someone wants to do. It's not for me. The tv show was sort of misleading by not disclosing all the facts. They left the average viewer with the idea that this was a free range spot & stalk on a truly wild lion.

These SA lion hunting theads have been debated ad naseum. First off, there are not many areas for lion hunting in SA that are 30K Ha (74,130 acres). A landowner or group may have access to that much total acreage but the actual lion camp (specific enclosure into which the lion is released) will almost certainly be no more than a few thousand acres. These lion, for the most part, are hand raised and released for hunting. Regardless of what the SA law states as the lion has to be released and unrestrained for "X" amount of time before the actual hunt occurs, most are released the day of the hunt or a day or so prior to. There are some operators that do have lion out and about on their properties for long durations but these areas are enclosed by fence and electrics and the lion must be fed, normally donkeys, goats, etc. for them to survive. Rarely do any of these lion possess the ability to hunt for themselves and no one is going to release those types of lion into an area with expensive plains game as their primary food source. Would be very stupid wouldn't you say? I did, however, have the exclusive hunting rights to a single enclosed nature reserve of 28,000 acres one year that had all of the Big 5 present. This was an eco-tourism operation that wanted to remove their excess game thru bowhunting. While I was there the resident pride of lion killed over one dozen nyala bulls in less than a month. At about $2000 a pop those were some expensive appetizers. That situation was ridiculous and the landowners learned a very valuable lesson. Lion hunting in SA is what it is and if the client has full knowledge of how his particular hunt is going to be conducted then I have zero problem with it. If he is led to believe that he is involved in something that it it not, then I do have a very big problem with it. Caveat Emptor I suppose. What is empahtically true is that these lion are very dangerous and much more prone to attack humans than their wild bretheren. They have no fear of man as they've been in close proximity to man their entire lives. In fact, if bowhunting, you stand about a 25% chance of being charged so don't take this type of hunt too lightly.

That wasn't a "hunt", it was the shooting of a pen raised livestock.

Few free range "wild" loins hunts available is my understanding. WRT SA I read there are a few permits around Kruger? But what kind of hunt are park lions I'd have to wonder, "wild" or not.

Free range was near 6 figure range on a quick couple minute search? Maybe more? Big difference. And I'm not sure how free range some of the other African hunts are, some of the countries listed are....questionable to visit I would think.

Like Ken said. I have no problem with it if it's upfront and honest about the game. Fences don't even enter into it IMO. Fences are just boundaries. Few places to hunt many animals that doesn't involve some form of boundary or another.

Not many hunts that pen raised livestock can charge and kill you either..... I don't think it's quite on the same level as shooting whitetails out of a treestand..... "pen raised" cape buffalo will leave what's left of you just as wet a spot in the dirt as a "wild" one....

I imagine the hunter is more likely to have full knowledge of how these hunts are conducted than the people admiring his trophy back in the states. lol

"Few free range "wild" loins hunts available"

- back in the day I did a few of these in Atlanta at night - success was somewhat unpredictable

flipping spill checker.....

As long as the hunter knows what he's buying into I guess it's not up to me to comment on this type of hunt. It would however have been nice of ol' Jim would have been honest about what the hunt really was, meaning a pen raised high fence hunt.

Well said Midwest. I HATE when shows do not admit to hunting in a fence, making themselves look like super heroes. HATE. I don't care if you choose to hunt that way, that's your prerogative, but if you are going to televise it, have the cajones to admit it!

Both the fence and the captive raised nature of the lion were worthy of mention

Register here to reply to this topic