Hunting lion
Hunting in Africa – where hunting black maned lion is our speciality!
Hunting Lion (Panthera leo)
Back to: Hunting dangerous game
Description:
Hunting a black maned lion must be the pinnacle of cat hunting. This is the largest of all the African cats. Color differs from a reddish gray to tan with a lighter undercarriage. Spots occur on juvenile animals that usually disappear when the animal reaches adulthood. The tuft of hair on the tip of the tail is usually black.
Only adult male lions have mane that stretches from the sides of the face down the neck, shoulders and chest. The color of the mane differs from tan to black. White lions do occur and are not true albinos, but rather a genetic variation with reduced pigmentation. Hunting lion can be done over bait, and or the traditional walk-and-see-more tactic. The capabilities of the hunter mostly determines the hunting method.
Habitat:
Lions can adjust in a wide range of different habitats from semi-desert to bushveld to open savanna. They do not adjust to equatorial forest.
Reproduction:
Litters on average are from 1 – 4 kittens and can be born any time of year.
General:
Gestation period About 110 days
Average shoulder height 48”
Average weight: mature lion 330 lbs – 500 lbs
Average weight: mature lioness 240 lbs – 300 lbs
Hunting notes:
Hunting lion is traditionally done in one of two ways:
One – by baiting. Bait is set up in much the similar fashion to that of leopard, excepting that the bait is not all the way up in a tree to make it accessible to the lion. Drags are created and a blind / hide is built soon as the lion starts feeding.
Two – walk-and-stalk. Soon as fresh tracks are found, the hunt is on. The tracks are easily lost on hard ground. During the midday heat the hunter can expect to find lion in a shady spot.
The best recommended caliber to hunt lion with is the 375 and up. We prefer any caliber from 400 and up.
The average shooting distance when hunting lion is 40 – 60 yards