I am hoping to hear info on successful tradbow hunters who have taken the Africa lion. I saw a pic of one among us, posing with his lion and would like to hear the details and the story. I can't find his handle however. Any help would be appreciated!

Moosehunter? Dumb question? Did You try on just the name or use the key words African Lion in Your search? BE WELL Batman

Fourd hunter or something like that?

Hi Guys, Did key words search on Africa lion and get old posts from 1999 and 2008. Nothing recent. Anybody else have any luck? BE WELL Batman

His handle is fjordhunter or something like that.

STICKBENDER, No pot stirring. Try TRAD HUNT IN AFRICA and see how THAT works! BE WELL! Batman PS If You try lion....you will bet lots of things. Some that don't seem to be related! Bring lots of VISINE!!!

There's several guys on bowsite that have done it but I think most Lion hunts are put and take. The lions are pen raised then let out into a fenced area a few days or weeks before the hunter gets there. I'm sure the lions will still take your head off if given the chance but they're not born wild.

i had a chance to hunt in africa in the late 90's there were some lions at a ranch I hunted,, they were in a fenced area,,, they had been imported from a wild life area where they ate several tourist,, we shot some footage of them eating,, the rancher shot a horse and fed them,,,,it was very interesting,, to hear them roar at night was amazing,, nothing I have ever heard before of after,,i would like to go back ,, but would be happy hunting the nice vegetarian plains animals,,:):)

I believe this hunter is Norwegian, and is posting as fjordhunter. He has posted several fotos of his African game animals he's taken with stickbows. He's the real deal, no doubt about it.

TinHorn

There's a hunter from Texas who shoots a Black Widow that has hunted and taken lion with his bow. His story and pics are found on tradgang on the "Dark Continent" forum and he goes by name of "Buff".

Moosehunter,

Dennis Kamatra, longtime contributor to TBM, could probably provide you with a lot of info on lion hunting. I'm not sure if he visits LW, but I'm sure that there are folks here that can put you thru to him.

"successful tradbow hunters who have taken African lions"? The first and most famous I'm aware of was Art Young. He did it in 1925 using a selfbow, a wood arrow and a Califonia By-Products barbed broadhead. He wouldn't have known what "tradbow" meant though.

To those guys that disrespect the men who have shot "circus lions" or "put and take lions", I bet you would piss your pants if you tried to shoot one with your bow. Just because you don't have to go on a 21 day foot safari before you get a shot doesn't mean it's any easier when the time comes to drop the string. Sitting at a man made waterhole waiting for a kudu is more demanding?

Bob Swinehart got a beauty!

I guess if you give meat to someone else to eat it isn't making "good use" of the meat, esp if the other person is a nutrition deprived "native"....

who raises these idiots????

There is legitimacy in 'disrespecting' the 'hunting' of circus animals, or killing a lion or other large game in a put and take hunt. Most of us, apparently not all, have to draw the line somewhere regarding the issue of fair chase and some level of hunting ethics. Although disrespecting may be too strong a word...maybe 'not too terribly impressed with' or 'not my kind of a hunt' would be more suitable. But I kind of lean toward 'disrespecting' myself. Circus animals have already sacrificed enough and deserve euthanization by a veterinarian when there time is up.

No doubt the killing of the animal with archery equipment could still be very dangerous. But, killinstuff, with all due respect, you need to speak for yourself regarding what would make you 'piss your pants', and don't assume others would do so simply because they have a hunting ethics line they don't want to cross.

unfortunately the lion hunting available for those wanting "the big 5" is very limited.If you want it you have to take what you can get.Not for me but I know Buff did all he could and waited a long time for his lion.

Go kill one Muskrat if you're man enough. You have no clue what Buff did for his Lion. The fact that jerks like you bash the guy is why he doesn't post but the man has killed a Cape Buff, an elephant and a Lion with a bow. Go bash the guys who sit in huts over water to shoot a wall hanger is you like to bash not the guy stalking on the ground who has the balls to put an arrow into a lion. Bring a change of undies.

Fence or no fence, I don't doubt that walking up to within bow range of a lion is enough to make the hackles rise on the back of one's neck. Although I am betting that there is someone standing right next to them with a large caliber rifle and the skill to use it. If lots of hunters died on these "dangerous" hunts it would be bad for business.

ANY dangerous game hunt in South Africa and any hunt in the rest of Africa requires BY LAW that you have an armed PH with you when hunting. Losing a client can be grounds for revocation of a PHs license....

Most guys don't go hunt lions because their wife won't let them or they can not afford it. Most guys that say that have never hunted Africa at all. I will be on that.

Not sure why the opposition. Hunting a prey that can kill you back seems to be the ultimate challenge and sense of fair play. A review of some of the YouTube clips of lion charges is simply unreal!

Isn't the cape buff supposed to be the most dangerous ?

true free range lion hunts in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia, etc run to $60,000 er so.

"most" of the South Africa lion hunts are on fenced ranches of various sizes. Those lions can be every bit as dangerous as free range lions.

Shotkizer, I have no issue with folks that do this...more power to them. Actually, as mentioned above, you can't hunt them without a high power rifle backup...so it's not like Bill Negley in the late 1950's. If that law wasn't in place, there would be less bowhunters going after lion, and I most certainly would be among them. No meat is wasted over there as I understand, but it's just not my cup of tea...even if I could afford it.

George, I pretty much feel similar. Not on my radar, but have great respect for those that do choose so. There are some animals I wouldn't hunt, but African Lion isn't one of them.

The Cape Buffalo is responsible for more deaths in Africa. And from what I have read, more PH's have been killed by wounded Cape Buffalo then any other animal in Africa. But An African Lion, male or female is very dangerous, either free ranging or fenced in. Most Game ranches in South Africa have there property fenced in because of problems with poachers. And yes if you hunt any big game in Africa there will be someone backing you with a heavy caliber rifle. But not just bowhunters. Even rifle hunters in africa have someone backing them with a rifle.

I've always wanted to hunt Africa but I don't think it will ever happen for me.

Stickbender, I don't know for sure either. But I have talked to people that have hunted over there and I was told, After they drove thru the gate they never saw the fence again. I'm sure most of those areas are huge. I hope to get to hunt over there in the next couple of years.

Try sneaking up on a yard cat almost impossible then add 400 lbs the ultimate predator anyone who takes one with the stick has my respect

The subject matter and comments on this thread illustrate that "hunting" means different things to different people.

I just looked up "Lion Charges" on You Tube. I personally found the "hunting" associated with those kinds of hunts as depicted in the video to be appalling.

Hunts are expensive for sure.

I believe most fenced areas for lions are rather small. Those larger multi-thousand acre enclosures hold the plains game. One of those with lions would "eat" up the profit. 20K for a lion may not be expensive for some folks.

Some of you guys live in the past too much. Lots of guys that were supposed to be our forefathers of archery took excessively long shots that would be frowned upon today. And some even had videos of animals they killed that were obviously tethered when they were killed. Somehow that is ok. Hunting has changed. Not many old Africa hunts left. But there are some. And they are xpensive.

I think moohunter was looking for info on lion hunting, not everyones opinion of it!!! Start a new thread if all you want to do is belly-ache about life!!!

Killinstuff, in response to your "Go kill one Muskrat if you're man enough. You have no clue what Buff did for his Lion. The fact that jerks like you bash the guy is why he doesn't post but the man has killed a Cape Buff, an elephant and a Lion with a bow." I didn't put the man down, didn't even mention his name, have no idea who he is and don't care, just stating an opinion regarding fair chase and hunting ethics that many on this site hold. Nor did I put you down, but then you seem to be doing a pretty darn good job of that all on your own. Maybe you should look back at your posts and decide who the 'jerk' might really be.

What about tigers ? Aren't they larger and meaner than lions ? Does anybody hunt them with a bow ?

Nobody hunts tigers anymore . Although, I hear one is causing some problems in India that they might bend the rules for.

As far as I been able to find, only Fred Bear killed a tiger with a bow. There was a story about a soldier getting one with a bow in Vietnam but I haven't bee able to locate it.

I spent a night in a fighting hole where the week before a guy had been grabbed by a tiger. didn't get much sleep that night.

TBB

I have a pic of Art Young with his loin on my wall. I think Paul Schafer shot a female loin that was stalking the PH.

Bob, I can imagine you did not get much sleep, with the possibility that the critter had added that hole to his list of hunting spots ! That would keep me awake..

Paul Schafer took an African lion with his recurve: shot it off his guide if I remember the story correctly. Saved his guide's life. And it wasn't behind any fence.

Hippos kill the most folks yearly. Speck

Hippo and Crocs actually kill more people in Africa than Lions. or Cape Buff either one. Paul did indeed shoot his lion as it was attacking his PH. Many "hunting consignments" in Africa are fenced, so, make of that what you will. People don't think much of the hunts on the King Ranch either, but they also don't know that it has 2500 (no that's not a typo) of roads on it either.

I have no real desire to kill a lion, but that's just me.

"People don't think much of the hunts on the King Ranch either, but they also don't know that it has 2500 (no that's not a typo) of roads on it either."

Yeah some of the ranches in TX are bigger than the counties some folks hunt in. And fenced I've seen deer jump over a 10' fence without even trying.

Gotta love it when our trad elitists stick their heads out n call hunts on 100,000 to over 500,000+ acres "canned hunts".Same ones that are better than Fred Bear in their ethics. Shame when something as honest as bowhunting brings out so many elitists.

I have been to africa and seen personally how quick a lion can cover ground and kill. They are smart, imagine a fearless double sized cougar. I remember watching video of Buffs lion kill. It was scary! Stalking a lion even with rifle back-up is putting your life in danger.

I smile when I imagine some of the critics fenced in with some lions.

MikeW..I was driving the back way between Bandera and Kerrville one evening on my way back from Uvalde. That place there (I can't recall the name) that has the high fence rignt at the road. I saw a doe take 3 steps and clear the game fence by a foot. Funny thing was she was jumping INTO the fenced area. not out of it.

No word ftom Fjordhunter

That's one real big pussy...cat that Fred's got there

Mike,

You sound like you belong to PETA. That's what they say about all of us hunters.

TBB

You can get a lioness hunt in South Africa starting around $8000 for the trophy fee and a male from 12000-50,000+ depending on the size,age and mane. These are put and take hunts, which to me are as lame as the preserve hunts here in the states for "wild" boar, sheep, goats,etc. You can do a real wild lion hunt in other areas of Africa but it will be BIG money( as if 12-50G's isn't big enough). I'd love to go out west on an elk hunt but can't afford it. I can afford to drive up to NY or Vermont and plug one that was dropped off in a fenced in pasture. No thanks, I'd rather say I never got an elk. As far as the guts factor about facing a put and take lion. No doubt it's dangerous but so is any lion,buff, elephant hunt and there WILL be a couple good shoots standing next to you with 470 Nitro express rifles. I'd love to do a real wild lion,buff,leopard,hippo,croc safari but unless I hit lotto, not gonna happen. I have zero interest in an elephant or rhino hunt but don't knock the guys who do it.

I believe Mike does belong to PETA. Along with a few others on this site!

Hey Harleywriter, I meet that PH a few years back a an SCI banquet. We were talking hunting and I said I only hunt with a longbow. He says well have you ever heard of Paul Schafer? and say sure. He calmly says, "yeah Paul shot a Lion off my back once". Like it happened everyday and the stories started rolling. Very cool.

Every archery hunt for lion I've seen the ph ends up shooting it. I hope to one day hunt Africa, but I don't have lion on the list. A guy I know of mine shot these two and they're beautiful, just not on my list.

i did a hunt on the kIng ranch way back.. I was bow hunting for a tv show,, I got so lost took me half a day to get back,,,i was hunting Sika deer with a wood bow,, did get one and it was fun,,,not dangerous game,, but the chiggers got me,, and they were pretty dangerous, thought i was going to die,,,

Found the pic of Fjordhunter's lion!

Guys tell me don't discount the Lioness's either because its hard to get a mature male at a lot of cossesions any more with the great maines? I dono good for you though moose can't wait to see yours if you go.

Good Luck

Thanks! I am putting a hunt together now. Fearing the importation will be illegal soon, I want to try and hunt one so I could bring it back.

Theres only about 4 or 5 countries in Africa where you can legally hunt free range lions with a bow. Minumum bow weight I believe was and I think still is 90 lbs. Minimum rifle caliber was 375. Those tags are hard to come by.

Lions just not on my wish list, but if it was it would have to be free range or a large enough area that it wasn't like a canned hunt. Lol, circus lions are killed in canned hunts in our own country and others. I doubt many make it to Africa.

I'm no wimp but I honestly don't know if I could hold it together well enough to make the shot on one of those big lions!

Best of luck moosehunter on your hunt and hope to see your pictures and hear your story of success in the future.

Lion hunting is not for me. Maybe I am a wimp then! LOL :)

I get a 30lb dog barking at me and it puts me on edge - not sure how I'd react with a 400lb land shark in front of me! Assuming I'm on the ground of course and not in an armored blind or a tree stand 30 feet in the air.

I remember watching a 'documentary' on Americans hunting in South Africa on game farms - it was really a thinly veiled anti-hunting show. Anyway, they were interviewing a game farm owner, and he was raising lions for hunting. As they were standing there doing the interview, with the lions just on the other side of the chain link fence, those lions were focused like a laser-beam on the interviewer and the game farm owner. The interviewer asked if he felt bad that these lions, that he effectively raised, would be killed - the reply was (paraphrasing) "Look at the way those lions are watching us - to them, we're just food. If you went into that enclosure, those lions would be on you in an instant - they would eat everything, your bones, your clothes, shoes, everything, nothing would be left except the top of your skull, and they'd play with your skull cap for hours after you were gone."

The game farm owner also made the comment that his lions made much better trophies, because they weren't "all buggered'up" from fighting with other lions, which apparently is the case with wild lions that have to fight to keep what they kill (the farm-raised variety eat on a regular basis). Very interesting! For me, I'll take a 'buggered-up' wild lion, but on the other hand, maybe I'll just watch them from a safe distance.

When I was a young squad leader (USMC) we pulled into Mombassa, Kenya for a little R&R from chasing bad guys, and I saw the local Maasai cow-herders with their Asaigai lion killin' spears.

Apparently lions eat cows a lot, and the short stabbing spear was their only defense against lions.......

And everybody cleared the sidewalks when those hombres walked by, me included!

Tinhorn

Okay Bryce. I just thought you were crazy when you killed a polar bear and a musk ox with your bow. Now I KNOW you are crazy for going after a lion! Good luck friend! Keep us posted! Maybe I'll get to see you at Memphis in a few weeks!

LOL bodork, we hope to be there I'm Memphis so let's get together.

Good luck! Whatever happens it should be more interesting than sitting here chatting about why you shouldn't. Though I probably wouldn't.

The whole lion thing is based on what happens when they charge. When that happens, I want to be the guide, and get to take the shot. Better still would be to have been Paul Schafer but that die was already cast.

20 yards with a tracked, free ranging lion can be touchy with a bow. You will have a pro hunter as. back up, and there is a +50% chance that he will have to use his rifle on a bow shot lion, even with a perfect shot. Shot one with a rifle many years ago, and would love to go back and try one with a bow. Not likely, so instead I had this bow put together called SIMBA, by Craig at HHA and will just have to dream about it instead.

Good looking bow. Thanks for posting the pic

thank you sir!

If I was shooting a lion, while on the ground, to one degree, I would want to be about 20 yards away to have a good chance with an arrow. On the other hand, at that range, don't most modern PAs encourage their gun hunters to shoot and keep shooting until it is all over, and they pretty much do the same thing.

In other words, under modern tactics, unless you have been able to pick a docile animal who has nothing but love on his mind, aren't bow ranges all within the range where you just start and keep shooting no mater what? Even with stopping rifles.

Sorta like the famous 21 foot rule which states that, a determined knife attacker can't be stopped from killing you, if you have a pistol for defence if the attack is launched from @ 21 feet or closer. So will the PAs anywhere guarantee to just let you go at it, and only start shooting if you fail to anchor the animal.

http://buffsblackwidow.com/videos.htm

Here is a link to Buff's videos.

"I have a pic of Art Young with his loin on my wall."

I don't know Terry, I wouldn't want to see Art's LOIN.

A fellow at our club hunted and killed a very large Lion in Africa a few years back. He showed me the video of his hunt. He and his guide were in a blind and had hung the hindquarters of a Zebra in a tree to lure the Lion in. I watched the video, and long story short, with two arrows in him, the Lion charge the blind coming right at the camera. The guide finished off the Lion with a rifle, not that far from the blind. Just watching the video on a laptop was enough to convince me that hunting a full grown Lion was not something I ever wanted to do, on a couple of different levels. The guy told me he'd never been that scared in his whole life - yeah, I would've been too.

It doesn't take a lion to get my attention, I remember the first time I came across a caged raccoon. He was angry enough, I couldn't imagine how scary a lion would sound. And it was the thought that came to my mind at the time.

But as you say "on a couple of different levels". The hero of that day, other than the lion was the PA. I don't know why people want to pay 50K or whatever to make a PA feel like a big guy, and make themselves feel small. I would feel small for shooting a lion over a bait; I would feel small for cringing as the lion came on, which I imagine your first time out particularly armed only with a stick would be the usual experience; and I would feel small compared to the PA who put him down. I think I could be a PA, if I was 30 years younger, and had pursued that rather than climbing ice waterfalls, and rock, and kayaking, etc...

Alexander Lake has a story in his great book, about some very sporty encounters with lions, but he also mentions one... About a Dutch client, I think. He corresponded with this guy for a while, and the guy was as excited to go lion hunting as anyone. They had some narrow calls putting safaris together, and in the end got out together. On the particular day, Lake spotted a lion crouching or asleep behind a clump of grass. he client couldn't see it, and long story short, Lake told him to shoot at a spot on the clump, the lion was brained, and the first the Dutch guy saw of his trophy it was stretched out in front of him dead as a doornail. And the client was furious, not really at Lake, but just so disappointed. He never went back, but at least if one was as rich as he was, and back in those days, one could have made up for it. Today, most people only get one try, so one has to hope for the best.

WELCOME BACK FJORDHUNTER! THANKS FOR POSTING! WHAT BOW WEIGHT AND ARROW WEIGHT WERE YOU SHOOTING?

You killed that poor lion at a circus? You must have meant "carnivores." LOL! Just giving you trouble but great job.

Joe

fjordhunter,

Great story! Your lion hunt is in a class all by its self!

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