lion sniping

[pegleg]

I was interested in everyone's thoughts on shooting lions off kills ? Obviously they aren't leopards or tigers so the danger factor isn't the same. . as houndsmen do you shoot at lions if you get the chance with out the dogs doing their job? I thought about it and can see a few scenarios where it might be the right choice. 1 confirmed habitual stock killers that need to be eliminated. 2 any lion threatening or worse to humans. 3 a non hound hunter who happens to get the drop on a trophy animal they wouldn't normally get a chance at. Now as a paying client for a cultural hound hunt for lion this would seem a anti climax . maybe a severely disabled person would be justified in this method. My reaction to spotting a lion or bobcat is to go get the hounds as soon as I can or wish I could. But the challenge is between hound and cat not placing a bullet in one. Any way a houndsmen brought this up and I began to wonder at the purpose or reasons you might shoot a lion your hounds hadn't caught.

[Mike Leonard]

Pegleg,

My reaction to spotting one is similar to your's just go get the hounds and see what happens. Although actually seeing a lion without hounds is a rare occurance each year several deer and elk hunters around bag a few. Also I have no probelm at all with predator callers taking one if it comes in as that is a high mark to actually get one that way. As a hound person to me the thrill of hunting lions is watching the dogs work and after decades of doing this I still never tire of hearing a pack of good hound unraveling an old lion track.


I have a friend in Nevada however that years ago spent a great deal of time in a cow camp during the winter monthes and he took a number of lions and never used a dog. He had a lot of time on his hands when the chores were done so he would spend a lot of times riding the rough edges of bronc colts and he always carried his binochulars and a trusty 30-30 Winchester in his saddle scabbard. Mule deer were numerous in the valley where his camp was and it seemed also to be right in a travel way for lions so the likelyhood of finding a fresh deer kill was always quite good. Upon finding a fresh kill he would tie his horse up a ways off and take his glasses and his rifle and get to a vantage point where he could watch the kill. He said a few times he didn't have to wait long and here comes the lion to check it over and boom he would take a hide on the horse shed. He said many times however he would wait for hours and see no movement at all. He said he learned thru patience to carefully keep glassing every likely spot over and over again and here he found that many times the lion was laid up not over 1/4 mile from the kill in a spot where he could see if coyotes or other critters were disturbing his cache. He said many times he would have looked at the same spot time and time again and saw nothing and then all of a sudden a flickering ear or the slight movement of a tail would belie the lion's presence. This fellow is most interesting and he had plenty of photographic evidence to back up his stories.

[pegleg]

tI have a cousin who cowboys year round out of a secluded line camp up north he s rather "interesting" guy to. Way to many winters alone but he's had some experiences snowed in . as a hound hunter I can't see shooting lions off kills.

[duck duck goose]

Being new to the sport I could see shooting one off of a kill as a fresh piece of cat hide would make a great training aid. I would much rather see the dog get to hunt it, but if I were after deer and the hound were at home when Sylvester the Cat went by, well, I'm afraid he'd be getting it.

[B/T]

Being new to the sport I could see shooting one off of a kill as a fresh piece of cat hide would make a great training aid. I would much rather see the dog get to hunt it, but if I were after deer and the hound were at home when Sylvester the Cat went by, well, I'm afraid he'd be getting it.

A live cougar that can leave tracks makes a way better training aid then a dead one.

[Jonsoutdoors]

Hey Guys,
I think we have to be very careful when we shove "our ethics" or our hunting ideals on how we think others of how they should hunt. Now, I want to clarify that I am talking abut hunters, not these mocho people that kill for their own feeling of being a stud of some sort or hound hunters that use hounds as a tool to kill instead of the love of the sport or illegal hunters. I am talking about a person that loves to get out, enjoy the outdoors, harvest a trophy (whatever size animal that maybe), build friendships and comradery and/or feel that you have gotten back to our hertitage. So, clarifing that, there are many people that hunt for many different reasons. As some of you have read my posts, I am just getting back into running hounds after about 30 years. As I have been trying hounds out, I have been on a handful of trees cats. Most of the guys Iwas with didn't even take a picture. Myself after not being into it for many years, was esstatic. I couldn't explain the joy I was feeling seeingthat cat ina tree. What Iam saying is eveyone is at a different place in their hunting stage of life. 20 years ago, I would shoot any legal bull elk or deer I came across. Now, if I am not going to get it mounted, I won't shoot. I am going on a caribou hunt next year. I have never shot a caribou so I can tell you thatit won't have to be the biggest B&C in the world. A good representation is justfine. We just have to be careful of not putting everyone in the same stage of our hunting and fishing life is everyone else. If you want to se how crazy happy Iwas on shooting a lynx last December. Go to my facebook "jonsoutdoors" and watch the visdeo. I was off the charts, thrilled.
Anyway, enough of my pitter-patter talk.

[pegleg]

yes everyone is at a different stage but what i was talking about was a little more complex and not something to detail online. that said lions are different then other game animals and often aren't as easily found by hunters. the situation is a guide who sells lion hound hunts collecting a clients lion in this way. if a hunter came up and told me he had shot a lion off a kill i would congratulate him in all honesty. if a houndsman did the same i would question it just my thoughts.

[Mike Leonard]

Peg leg,

I understand what you are saying now. No I don't think a real big game houndsmen who appreciates the hard work an patience of good lion hounds would do it this way. That being said not all guys who outfit and take hunters with hounds to collect big game trophies are to be considered big game hounds men. For many it is just a convenient and useful mean to an end.$$ So to th,me if it fills the tag and cashes the check it is ok.

I heard one big name outfitter who by the way is a heck of a hound man say one time. I can go chase a lion any day but some of these guys save a year to do this and if I have to run one down with the pickup and do all the tree barking myself I will do it. I can't judge them nor will I because I don't have that credential or burden. Best thing we can do is the best that we can do by our dogs every day and encourage others to enjoy the real aspects of hound hunting, and that's about it.