Lion Hunting Question

[375Fox]

Is there any lion hunting in Botswana anymore?

Not since reopening. Not yet anyway.

 

[BJH65]

I think the OP and I may be searching for the same as well as others. I’m not interested in a CBL hunt but would be interested in wild managed lion at one of the Big Five Reserves adjacent to the Greater Kruger area. These are so few and far between and I agree with @Mtn_Infantry, I would use Conservation Force to clear the way through USFWS for trophy export. Still would not be certain. All based on excellent record keeping which isn’t always the case and the few wild managed lion on these Private Big Five reserves are managed more for tourism not hunting.

Basically, planning on a wild managed lion hunt at a fenced in private big five reserve is a non starter. Since they are managed for tourism not hunting and when it’s necessary to remove one, if it’s a problem lion it’s handled locally and when legitimately offered as a hunt to an outsider, it’s just so seldom occurs as to not even be that viable in my opinion. I’m still researching the viability. Still ongoing.

I personally would consider a non exportable wild lion, whether a wild lion on a private big five game reserve adjacent to Kruger or in Zim, Namibia or elsewhere for reduced costs. I know many wouldn’t. Kanati Taxidermy does very realistic repro mounts but not cheap. Animal Replicas in Israel I believe, does very realistic and reasonably priced shoulder pedestal mounts. Those are the only two I’ve seen that are 100% realistic and would be based on photos and measurements.

Since it’s not in my budget to spend 100k on an exportable wild lion hunt, I will look to to late season cancellation hunts, PAC hunts and non exportable hunts outside of SA at reduced cost. Perhaps a wild lioness hunt, exportable or non exportable. This is probably the only path for me. Don’t forget to play the PowerBall for this Wednesdays drawing, it’s 1.25 billion, 572.1 million cash value!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I think the OP and I may be searching for the same as well as others. I’m not interested in a CBL hunt but would be interested in wild managed lion at one of the Big Five Reserves adjacent to the Greater Kruger area. These are so few and far between and I agree with @Mtn_Infantry, I would use Conservation Force to clear the way through USFWS for trophy export. Still would not be certain. All based on excellent record keeping which isn’t always the case and the few wild managed lion on these Private Big Five reserves are managed more for tourism not hunting.

Basically, planning on a wild managed lion hunt at a fenced in private big five reserve is a non starter. Since they are managed for tourism not hunting and when it’s necessary to remove one, if it’s a problem lion it’s handled locally and when legitimately offered as a hunt to an outsider, it’s just so seldom occurs as to not even be that viable in my opinion. I’m still researching the viability. Still ongoing.

I personally would consider a non exportable wild lion, whether a wild lion on a private big five game reserve adjacent to Kruger or in Zim, Namibia or elsewhere for reduced costs. I know many wouldn’t. Kanati Taxidermy does very realistic repro mounts but not cheap. Animal Replicas in Israel I believe, does very realistic and reasonably priced shoulder pedestal mounts. Those are the only two I’ve seen that are 100% realistic and would be based on photos and measurements.

Since it’s not in my budget to spend 100k on an exportable wild lion hunt, I will look to to late season cancellation hunts, PAC hunts and non exportable hunts outside of SA at reduced cost. Perhaps a wild lioness hunt, exportable or non exportable. This is probably the only path for me. Don’t forget to play the PowerBall for this Wednesdays drawing, it’s 1.25 billion, 572.1 million cash value!

If you compare Wild Lion vs Wild Managed Lions you’ll find they’re priced very similarly. I’ve seen many Wild Managed Lions priced more than some Wild Lion Hunts in Zim. Going back a few years, the cheapest Wild Managed Lion Hunts that I’ve seen or heard of was at the end of the season at $75-80k. Most seem to be over six figures.

Some of the reasons Wild Managed Lions are priced where they are

1) Convenience - It’s significantly more convenient to fly to South Africa than countries with exportable wild lions. Trophy export is also more convenient.
2) Time Factor - most wild lion hunts are 18-21 Days at a minimum. You’re trying to get a male on bait that’s old and no longer a pride male. You’re shooting/maintaining a lot of bait and in an ideal situation comparing multiple males. In RSA for Wild Managed Lions they know what/how many males are there, and their core areas/ranges. These hunts are often much shorter and you know going in, what lion/lions they’re targeting.
3) Comfort - Wild Managed Lion hunts often have much nicer permanent houses/lodge access. Some outfitters like CVS offer tent camps to try and maintain the image and romance of Africa to their clients but many wild lion hunts are in remote fly camps.
4) Expense - it takes a very large amount of both land and food to maintain a pride of lions like you’d find in the wild. To be truly wild managed they can’t hunt the male as he gets old and bring a new one in, so they’re forced to have multiple prides in the reserve for genetic diversity.

 

[Philip Glass]

I'm looking for some education on lion hunting. I have found quite a bit of information on wild lion hunting (which I likely would never be able to afford) and a lot on CBL hunting (which I could afford but I'm not sure I want to do). I recently read a small article in the SCI magazine that talked about Wild Management Lion hunts. It did not have a lot in the way of details other than mentioning that they were a lot more affordable than traditional wild lion hunts, the article lists around $15k as the starting price point for these types of hunts but it didn't really do a good job of explaining or defining what these hunts are. If anyone knows more about these hunts and or any outfitters that offer these types of hunts it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I believe you must have misread the article or they were just way off. Only a CBL would be attainable at that price. The wild managed lions can be very expensive due to it being an easier hunt than a wilderness hunt and many other factors such as importability.
I encourage you to keep researching lion hunts and see what works for you. A CBL hunt can be quite an adventure.

 

[Philip Glass]

I thought I read that they no longer hunt lioness in Zimbabwe.

Quotas change annually and are area specific. There is no hard and fast rule but they are reluctant to offer many permits. They really need to as the lion population is surging in some areas!

 

[Moody808]

I encourage you to keep researching lion hunts and see what works for you. A CBL hunt can be quite an adventure.

Thanks, I will do some more research and consider it.

 

[Nyati]

When a CBL charges you, there is no difference from any wild lion, this one was shot from a very short distance, less than 10 meters.

And yes, there are wild lions in SA.

MKuze Falls PGR Natal 2010