Snapshot Report post Posted February 7, 2012 I really like watching "Tracks across Africa" and "Hornady's Africa" on the outdoor channels. I see alot of Leopard hunting on these shows,but as of yet, have not seen them filming a free range Lion Hunt. Just wondering if this maybe due to the efforts of various orginizations that are trying to shut down Lion hunting. Maybe these producers are limiting exposure to Lion Hunting on T.V? Just wondering! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Snapshot: It's probably because of what Robert Ruark called "the high cost of lions." A hunt for free-ranging lions in Zambia (where I shot mine), Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Tanzania will run as much as $1,500 per day for a minimum of 21 days, plus a very expensive trophy fee when a lion is killed or wounded. It is not unusual for hunters to pay $50,000 to $70,000 for a mature male lion. Most TV shows simply don't have that type of budget. I was lucky to have taken mine in 1993, before lion hunt prices went out of sight. I don't watch hunting videos or hunting TV shows, but I understand that videos of lion hunts in South Africa have been shown from time to time. What the producers won't tell you is that most lion hunts in that country are conducted behind high wire, and that most of those lions were born and raised on lion farms and taken to where they are "hunted." A few lions from South Africa and Namibia are not "canned," but most are. That's why SCI lists lions from those two countries in a separate category in its record books. Bill Quimby 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Bill, Without a doubt,hunting in Africa is not cheap. Daily rates in Tanzania can be over $3000 for a big 4 hunt, on a 21 day license. The hunts on these shows are alot of regular guys booking hunts in Africa, and being filmed by Safari Classic productions. I was just hoping to see a good lion hunt, I just didn't know if they were limiting TV exposure too keep from giving the bunny huggers anything to point fingers at.? Even with limited Lion quotas, they are mostly sold out every year. Some of the better areas for Lion can have a 2-3 year waiting list. The outfitter who controls the Mumbwa concession in Zambia, where you shot yours, charges $85,000 for a 24 day full bag Safari, trophy fee's excluded. Not long ago, Zambia cut its Lion quotas in half in most concessions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Looks like my info is more than a tad out of date. Daily rates in Tanzania have always been Africa's most expensive but its trophy fees used to be lower than others. I doubt that the TV guys are limiting exposure because they're worried about bunny huggers. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 7, 2012 With the big push by the "Save the Lion" activists, it could be smart to keep Lion hunting off of T.V, but it is probably not the reason. Lately on the National Geographic Wild channel, they were claiming that Africa barely has 20,000 Lion left. However, I read some research data that claimed a population of approx 65,000? What these folks won't tell the viewer is that more Lions are killed each year by poachers, poison, wire snares, and Maasai Warriors, then what sportsman will harvest.Not to mention what sportsman's dollars do for their economy. Most good outfitters run year round anti-poaching teams in their concessions, and also try and teach the locals about the value of conservation. In return, most of the meat taken on safari is distributed to local villages. Last year a PH that worked for Robin Hurt Safaris was shot and Killed by highly organized elephant poachers in the Maswa region of Tanzania, next to the Serengeti National Park. He was leading a Safari at the time. Trophy fee's for Lion in Tanzania average $8000.00. About the Same in Zambia. I have seen trophy fee prices in Zimbabwe as high as $20,000. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted February 7, 2012 There definitely is an organized campaign to end trophy hunting of lions, even though as you say others kill more lions than trophy hunters, and will continue to do so even after trophy hunting ends. The National Geographic Wild "documentaries" seldom tell an unbiased story. Accuratereloading.com covered the shooting of Robin Hurt's PH well when it happened. Scary. $8,000 sounds "reasonable" for a trophy fee in Tanzania at first glance, but add the $63,000 for a $3,000 daily rate for 21 days, and a lion hunt in Zimbabwe is less expensive, even with a $20,000 trophy fee. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Well Bill, Looks like I need to eat my words. Last night on Hornady's Africa with Ivan Carter, they featured a Lion hunt in the Chewore South region of Zimbabwe. After hanging baits, they actually ended up tracking a LIon, and finding it asleep in the sandy river bottom. They got it, and now they are going after a lioness. It had been such a long time since I saw a lion hunt, I thought they had given up putting themon TV. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Snapshot: It's probably because of what Robert Ruark called "the high cost of lions." A hunt for free-ranging lions in Zambia (where I shot mine), Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Tanzania will run as much as $1,500 per day for a minimum of 21 days, plus a very expensive trophy fee when a lion is killed or wounded. It is not unusual for hunters to pay $50,000 to $70,000 for a mature male lion. Most TV shows simply don't have that type of budget. I was lucky to have taken mine in 1993, before lion hunt prices went out of sight. I don't watch hunting videos or hunting TV shows, but I understand that videos of lion hunts in South Africa have been shown from time to time. What the producers won't tell you is that most lion hunts in that country are conducted behind high wire, and that most of those lions were born and raised on lion farms and taken to where they are "hunted." A few lions from South Africa and Namibia are not "canned," but most are. That's why SCI lists lions from those two countries in a separate category in its record books. Bill Quimby I agree 100%! I was blessed to film the Lion hunt in Zim for my friend and client, Ron P. last year and let me tell you... hunting big cats is the BEST hunting there is!! It is amazing!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Well Bill, Looks like I need to eat my words. Last night on Hornady's Africa with Ivan Carter, they featured a Lion hunt in the Chewore South region of Zimbabwe. After hanging baits, they actually ended up tracking a LIon, and finding it asleep in the sandy river bottom. They got it, and now they are going after a lioness. It had been such a long time since I saw a lion hunt, I thought they had given up putting themon TV. When I was there (Zim) last year one of the biggest lions we were hunting was crossing back and forth from Chewore to Dande... we tracked him one day and almost got a shot at him... He busted out of a bush 20 yds to our right and that was last we saw of him cuz back to Chowore he went! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Well Bill, Looks like I need to eat my words. Last night on Hornady's Africa with Ivan Carter, they featured a Lion hunt in the Chewore South region of Zimbabwe. After hanging baits, they actually ended up tracking a LIon, and finding it asleep in the sandy river bottom. They got it, and now they are going after a lioness. It had been such a long time since I saw a lion hunt, I thought they had given up putting themon TV. When I was there (Zim) last year one of the biggest lions we were hunting was crossing back and forth from Chewore to Dande... we tracked him one day and almost got a shot at him... He busted out of a bush 20 yds to our right and that was last we saw of him cuz back to Chowore he went! If memory serves me, you guys were hunting with Buzz Charlton of CMS? Dande is a great area from what I have heard, and CMS is a good outfit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted February 9, 2012 If memory serves me, you guys were hunting with Buzz Charlton of CMS? Dande is a great area from what I have heard, and CMS is a good outfit. Yes! Buzz is a Great PH and my friend Ron has hunted with him once since then and is booking another ele hunt with him this year as well! Great outfit!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 9, 2012 If memory serves me, you guys were hunting with Buzz Charlton of CMS? Dande is a great area from what I have heard, and CMS is a good outfit. Yes! Buzz is a Great PH and my friend Ron has hunted with him once since then and is booking another ele hunt with him this year as well! Great outfit!! Sounds like a great time. I hope my time to hunt there comes someday! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
