Lion Hunt:
Here's the team:
Gawie (resident PH), Patrick (lead tracker), Francois (Outfitter, PH), Simon (asst. tracker)
Here's our trusty chariot:
Rifle:
I'm borrowing Gawie's CZ 550 in 416 Rigby, open sites (I don't want a scope if I'm shooting at something huge at less than 50 yds...). He's got it set up in a synthetic stock with a mercury recoil reducer in the stock. It works great, kick reminds me of my SCAR 17S in 7.62, but less sharp- more of a push.
The hunt:
After a light breakfast of coffee and a slice of toast, we head out. Our tracker Patrick is sitting on the front of the truck, looking for lion tracks in the fine Kalahari sand. Gawie is driving and the rest of us are on the back, looking, looking...
Its surprisingly cold on the back of the truck. Enough so that I put on my beanie and gloves. After driving the blocks for a while, we stop. Patrick has spotted some lion tracks!
The tracks aren't too old, probably from earlier this morning. You can tell the age of a print by how smooth they are. If the print is still rough, has sharp edges, etc, its fresh. As time goes on, the wind smooths out the tracks, making it into more of a blob. Interestingly, on this first set of tracks, there are jackal tracks on top. A jackal has been following the lion, hoping for an easy meal!
We get back on the truck, and start driving the block again. Along the way, we spot a herd of wildebeest... they better be careful- predators are in the vicinity! About an hour later, more tracks. These are old, maybe from the night before, maybe even older. Its crazy how big the tracks are, easily spotted even from the seats in the back of the truck!
The driving continues, I'm thinking mostly about how I'm cold. All of a sudden, the truck stops. There's a bit more excitement in the expressions and moves of the usually cool, almost nonchalant Gawie and Patrick. Fresh track. Very fresh!
Get the gun! I chamber a round, rifle on safe- my thumb was on that safety, ready to flick it off at a second's notice, for the rest of the stalk! The PHs check their doubles- both use Sabatti 500s (pretty good endorsement if a guy that has hunted hundreds of lions uses one!). My wife gets off the truck- she'll be accompanying us on this stalk. She's got more courage than the rest of us combined... going after a lion with only a gopro camera in hand!
We head into the bush. Watching Patrick and Gavie work as a team is impressive. When one is looking down at the tracks, the other is always looking ahead, scanning. These guys are true professionals! By far the most nerve-racking times for me where when they'd loose the track for a minute or two. They would start to walk around the last clear track, trying to figure out which way the lion went. During that time, we would stand still so as to not damage any track. Standing there, unsure of which direction the lion has gone... it reminded me of Iraq, not sure where the ambush would be coming from.... that bush? that tree? where is that lion?? Back on the trail.
"There. There he is! RIGHT THERE!"
While we were all looking left, in the direction of the tracks, my wife spotted the lion of to our front right, about 50 yds away. I caught a glimpse of him just as he blended into the high grass, disappearing from sight. Holy Sh*t... that is a huge cat. Adrenaline is at the max, heart pounding out of my chest.
Patrick and Gawie lead us on, continuing to track the lion. A while later (time doesn't really have any meaning anymore- seconds seem to last hours, while minutes flash by in seconds), Patrick spots him in a bush, and then he's gone. I couldn't see him that time. We continue the hunt... he's zigzagging back and forth, definitely not running from us. Not scared of us. Just annoyed with us.
And then I spot him.
He's standing broadside at maybe 80 yds, next to a tree, looking right at us. His mane is huge, black, extending well past the shoulders onto his back. At this range I can see his muscles, he looks like pure power and fury. A true apex predator. I point him out to Gawie. The lion casually walks off. Gawie takes off after the lion, the pace much faster. We're not tracking him anymore. Now we're following him.
All of a sudden the sticks come up.
Gawie points him out to me. Laying down behind a bush, not more than 15 yds to our right. There's no shot. We move the sticks to the left, then again. I can see the lion looking at us, but can't make out his body. Then I see the tail flick.
Ok.
Body is to the left of the head.
I get on the sticks.
"Do you see the Y in the branches? Shot thru there, the left side." Gawie instructs.
I see the spot.
Bang.
Hit.
The lion is moving, starting to get up, but he's hit hard.
I'm trying to reload, struggling. Slow down. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
I get another round chambered as we move around to the left.
The lion is up, turning around to his right. He's so close, maybe 10 yds.
I take another shot, free hand.
Hit.
The lion lets loose a deep, angry, rumbling growl.
He goes down, slumping onto his left side.
I take one more safety shot into his spine at about 5 yds.
He goes stiff, then limp.
Its over.
Patrick checks to make sure that he's down with the shooting sticks. Hand shakes all around. I walked up to this magnificent creature, reach down and touch his paw first, then his face, then his mane. He is absolutely massive, with a majestic gold and black mane that extends halfway down his back. He has small scars on his face, and a black mark above his nose.
I am overwhelmed. There's no way to adequately describe the emotion of what has just happened. I look to my wife. She looks to almost be in shock. We hug, holding each other close. To experience something like this, together, stalking a lion on foot, nothing will ever compare.
And this is only our first day hunting in Africa!
After photos, we head back to the lodge for lunch and a nap. That afternoon, we head out for a game drive to scout the area that we will hunt tomorrow. There is game everywhere! We spot eland, hartebeest, some young kudu and sable, steenbock, etc.
Also spotted the very rare, and very expensive to hunt Kalahari Marco Polo:
Here's a nyala we spotted and the sunset on the drive back to camp:
