One Crazy Lion Hunt

jhelvik · Post by **jhelvik** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:38 pm

Well my lion season started off with a bang. Things got pretty western in a hurry. Bo and Cash treed this lion after a short and quick race. Me and my huntin buddy Wayne got to the tree and all was great. The lion after awhile got nervous and decided to jump. When he landed he broke his back hind leg. The dogs literally jumped on top of the lion and all hell broke loose. The lion managed to make it about 200 yards down the mountain before the dogs bayed it up against a tree. I managed to take a few pictures before I had to dispatch the lion. I did not want to take this lion but was left with no choice but to take him out before he killed my dogs. I was fortunate enough that none of my dogs were injured too seriously. Cash ended up with a good size gash in this size but that was it. Nonetheless he is an average to slightly above average size tom lion. To say the least, the whole ordeal got my blood a boiling. You gotta love lion hunting.

Here is Bo and Cash on the wood.

The lion in the tree.

Bo and Cash square off with lion.

onalimb · Post by **onalimb** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:18 pm

You did the right thing man, don't always go as planned, but all things considered, it's a trophy. It's pretty easy to see that broken leg in the one picture, that's a freak accident for a lion, for sure.

bob baldwin jr · Post by **bob baldwin jr** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:37 pm

Well it ain't never over till it is over

Will sure make great memories .Glad the hounds made it thru relatively OK .Hope the next hunt goes smoother , but aren't we in it for the excitement anyhow???

FullCryHounds · Post by **FullCryHounds** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:39 pm

Thats pretty crazy, never heard of a lion breaking a leg jumping out but its bound to happen. Some of them jump from pretty high up. You had no choice but to shoot him. Good job.

kk · Post by kk » Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:16 am

Good job. That looks like a good cat. I bet that got the dogs stirred up. I have never had a lion get hurt to bad when jumping, But you did what you had to, That is a day you will never forget. Them are some good looking hounds you have. Congrats.

whoflungdung · Post by **whoflungdung** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:36 am

Man I think its really good you took that cat. You could have had problems if you were to turn in on him at a later date. Atleast you were right there to take care of him. Good job. Nice looken red dogs.

BlacktailStalker · Post by **BlacktailStalker** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 1:12 pm

Glad it was relatively smooth sailing, awesome pics.

BigGameHunter · Post by **BigGameHunter** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:27 pm

Nice pictures! Too bad about the lion although he looks like a decent lion and you will have a unique story to go along with it. I've seen a few lions get a little banged up jumping off ledges or out of trees or trying to get up through ledges and not quite making it, but none hurt to terribly bad and most of those that I have seen have been younger lions. Perhaps they don't quite know their limits yet?

Anyway, again nice pictures!

Spokerider · Post by **Spokerider** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:00 pm

Great pics and quite a story! Glad the dogs didn't get raked too bad.

With a busted leg, that lion's fate was pretty much sealed. Taking him was the most humane choice for sure.

Are you using a Garmin Astro on one dog? Do you like it?

jhelvik · Post by **jhelvik** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:59 pm

Thanks for the compliments. I was really proud of my dogs and how they handled the lion. I am thankful that we had more than one dog or it could of been a lot worse. I have never heard or seen a lion get that injured jumping out of a tree. He really didn't jump from that high. When he went to jump I don't think he saw the one dog below him and when he saw the dog he tried to adjust and became unbalanced, thus breaking his leg. I felt as if I had no choice but to shoot him. He wouldn't of made too long with that bad of a break. He broke has big bone in this leg (femur) completely. He is a younger lion judging from the wear on his teeth but he did tip the scales at just over 145 lbs. Not a monster lion but a trophy none the less. It will be something that I will never forget; quite the memory. Thats why a lot of us do this, because you just never know what will happen.

jhelvik · Post by **jhelvik** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:01 pm

Spokerider wrote:
Are you using a Garmin Astro on one dog? Do you like it?

No, I am currently using the Marshall radio collars. I love them, but would like to try the new astro.

catdogs · Post by **catdogs** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:14 pm

Well, sometimes this stuff happens...you did the right thing. However, these pics and story are prime ammo for the antis that are trying to ban lion hunting and even lion chasing in Montana right now JMO. Those are some nice lookin' red dogs ya got there.

spruce mountain · Post by **spruce mountain** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:28 am

I get where your coming from catdogs but I get sick and tired of trying to be politically correct .The anti's dont have to come on here to get pictures to use against us. They have hundreds of places they can get them,There is way worse things to see right on youtube.The reality is there are way more horrific scenes right on national geografic where preditors are eating animals while their still alive.Hideing what happens makes it seem like we have something to be ashamed of.I know we have to be carefull but I do get sick of it.This site is for people who enjoy the sport and I say keep the pictures coming ( within reason) I enjoy them.If they take them out of context and use them against us,oh well thier going to get them somewhere..JMO.

pat_kemp · Post by **pat_kemp** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:02 am

nice pics and sounds like a pretty interesting hunt. well at least it wasnt a female right? that would have sucked bad to have to take a female. right?
well happy hunting
Pat

One Crazy Lion Hunt

One Crazy Lion Hunt

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Pictures