Each to their own. Billcollector has it about right. Supply and demand. Some sell product, some sell an experience. All tastes are catered for in a free market.
I speak for myself only .... whenever I hear someone say they hunted a lion in South Africa and sound proud of it, I immediately suspect everything else about them and my trust factor in that individual falls to near zero. There are naive consumers out there who are uninformed and also consumers who don't give a toss about conservation. ( as this is a commercial forum I maybe running close to the mark ) There are also providors out there who will not exactly tell the whole story in regard to the product they sell. It will be a cold day in hell before I believe someone trying to sell me something, telling me it is good value before I education myself.
At the end of the day you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and know you did the right thing by yourself.
Well I'll tell ya what. I hunted lion in SA and I'm damn proud of it. What's that say about me. An assumption based on what you believe may or may not have happened is ridiculous. It is this sort of statement , "when I hear someone did blah blah, that makes me suspect them of being dishonest, unethical, etc...." where I draw the line. That's ignorant period. Unless one was there with me and knew where I hunted and the circumstances I hunted in one has NO right to judge me based on this.
Second those throwing the biggest fit over this do so with limited to NO knowledge of what in the hell they are talking about.
Canned hunts are illegal in RSA. A released lion hunt through a reputable outfitter is not a canned hunt.
Drugging or injuring a animal before a hunt to even the odds is both illegal and grossly unethical, again not what we are talking about here. Just because so in so did this onetime because a friend of a guy who was there said so is generally A. a bullshit story or B. Illegal and should have been prosecuted for it.
My hunt was conducted in an absolutely fair chase circumstance with a real lion that no one had doped or injured. It took many miles of tracking and the danger was VERY real.
Do unethical and illegal things happen from time to time yes, as they do in any walk of life. Those who bring shame in this area should be diligently hunted down and prosecuted for their acts.
Furthermore, to do a lion hunt in SA a very strict set of rules apply, it MUST be done in a fair chase circumstance by law and you must read and sign a contract agree to this. If violation of these rules occurred then you are subject to prosecution. I KNOW IVE DONE IT AND HAD TO SIGN THE CONTRACT. It spells out exactly what can and can't be done. Every opportunity is there for the animal to escape and or kill you.
During my lion hunt there was most assuredly more than one lion, they most assuredly hunted and killed there own food, they had been there quite a long while, and damn sure would stalk you and eat you if given the chance. We had lions stalking us not only during the lion hunt but the Cape buffalo hunt as well.
Conservation, to say it has no role in conservation is untrue. First, it provides an economic value to the animal. Animals with out such, especially ones like lions who compete with and will eat man, will go extinct. Why the hell do you think there are so few to begin with, they sure as shit didn't commit mass suicide.
Second, it provides valuable income that is put back into conservation of all species.
Third, it takes pressure off of wild lion populations which aren't doing so hot at the current moment. I'd rather see a raised lion shot than a immature wild lion killed or a mature pride lion killed. When a pride is taken over by another lion all the Cubs are KILLED so that lion can ensure the survival of his genes. That is a scientific fact.
Many have been quick to judge and throw opinions. People are certainly entitled to there opinions but do yourself a favor and at least know something about what you are talking about! Is SA lion hunting for everyone, perhaps not. Does it make me unethical and dishonest because I do, no it doesn't and your a fool if you think it does. We are all in agreement that shooting a lion in a pen or one that is drugged is wrong. That is NOT the issue nor is it what a SA lion hunt is about. Know the facts it keeps one from looking like a fool.
