Who Takes the Biggest Lions?

HunterHarry · Apr 14, 2003

Just wondering who you guys think takes the biggest lions?I know that some big ones pop up everywhere, but who do you think has the best average size. Over the years I have seen some whoppers taken in Canada with Marc Hubbard and I have met Wade Lemmon out of Utah, he too has taken his share of good cats,What do you guys think?-------(HunterHarry)

HoundDawg · Apr 15, 2003

My opinion is the bigger cats come from further north, like No. Idaho or north of there. Certainly not Utah.

I could be mistaken but isn't the world record lion from British Columbia? I think it is.

I don't know this Hubbard fellar and I don't know anything about him. And Wade Lemmon probably takes a few nice cats but from what I know and have seen, for every nice tom Lemmon takes, 10 dinky females with milk on their lips die.

If you are looking for a trophy lion, I'd go north or find some private ground. That's about the only place you find real trophy lions in Utah anymore is if you have private ground locked up, large chunks of it.

But Wade might be hunting outside of Utah too, I don't know. But trophy toms in Utah are becoming a thing of the past. The SFW, DWR and the new breed of hound guys here don't care what size the lion is, they just care that it dies.

And a majority of the outfitters up here now have the same mentality. I've heard they shoot some big lions in Colorado too but don't know much about it.

But if you do come to Utah for a trophy lion hunt you'd better draw a tag, because if you go to an open quota unit thinking you will kill a trophy tom, you are in for a big surprise my friend!

In Utah you'll wade through many juvenile lions to get to a big tom. (No pun intended here)

Good luck amigo!!

-Dawg

RLH · Apr 15, 2003

hunting lions is like fishing. once you catch one it's up to you whether to throw it back or keep it. i've only hunted in Az and new mex and i've caught big ones and little ones and in between ones, etc. seein' as we have ourselves a real lion problem in Az. right now, i'd recommend that anyone who gets a chance, shoots one. the ones that get big and old with them big ol' punkin heads usually come from remote places a long way from the road. usually. didn't that huge 3 footed one that had pictures floating around everywhere come from almost a neighborhood? i'd say any deep wilderness that has areas with lots of game and little access is a good bet for a big ol' tom.

Kevin D · Apr 15, 2003

Why don't you know HunterHarry, we all do!! There's not a hound dogger in America that will admit to being second best at anything.....whether it be their dog's hunting prowess, the size of their lions (or other appendages), or even their own lovemaking abilities! We're all the best!!! I guess it's just the attitude you have to have to stay in the sport despite all the costs; trash races, social ostracism, broken marriages, ass aches, and misery. I don't know that I've ever met a hound dogger that was an exception to the rule.

10r · Apr 15, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Apr-15-03 AT 11:36AM (MST)[p]Who catches the biggest? Me!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't ever take a camera, and the only cat shot out to my mutts this year has been a bobber. So theres no dead cats or pictures to prove me wrong. And who would think that a good honest hound dogger like myself would ever tell a lie about all 50 cats that I treed so far this year. Some over 200#, most over 190#, all over 180# and 8'. All struck on dry ground,treed in ten feet of snow, 20, make that 30, miles from the nearest road or trail. All on foot. It's been a slow year. honestly.
10r

HoundDawg · Apr 15, 2003

Well, I didn't want to toot my own horn... Plus it seemed to me like that was the easiest question ever posted on this site.

Am I the only one who expected everyone to respond, "Well, HoundDawg kills the biggest lions of course." ??

I kill the biggest lions, assuming CB let's me in to hunt his private game preserve. ;-)

However, when left to the spoils of public ground I usually end up trying to catch the juvenile females with milk on their lips and spots on their backs, usually reserved for Lemon and Swenson's high dollar clients.

The real question isn't whether or not I shoot the biggest lions or anyone else....

The real question is can you afford me? ;-) It's like I told my neighbor when he asked me to take him lion hunting...

I do kill lions for free, for two people:
1. The woman that sleeps next to me every night and...
2. The man listed on my birth certificate under "Father", or should I say "men"...

Anyone that doesn't fall under one of those two categories better bring their checkbook to the tree. ;-)
(Or 10'rs credit card!!)

-Mangy Sorryass Dawg

10r · Apr 15, 2003

Hell, I just don't like to take people hunting and have to get them a cat. Not that I have done it much anyway. I like to hunt with guys that I know or buy myself.
Watchin them dogs work and get a little better every weekend is what its all about. I'll take a buddy out when he draws a tag, but I have no interest in drummin up people with tags so I can take pictures with dead cats. I have nothin against shootin a cat. But it's just not what keeps me feedin them flee bags every day. It's just so damn fun to watch them deer try to out run those black dogs, who wants to give up that to hunt cats. Ive have heard that there is no rush like gettin to your first tree. I can promise ya that the first elk that runs up a tree is goin to get hung over my fire place.
I am thinkin about breedin some grayhound into my dogs. That should increase my deer ran to deer treed ratio by alot.
Maybe some scottish deer hound, or norwegian elk hound will increase my success. Its all good. 10r

BCBOY · Apr 15, 2003

HunterHarry,
Marc Hubbard has definately been finding some big toms. He's made quite the rep for himself here in BC. Actually all the Hubbard clan are quite the cat hunters.
There is another guy who lives just south of me that I've heard some pretty amazing things about. My brother was actually running his dog with him on a cat this winter. His name is Bill Watt. He's got 8 cats in the Book. Most were taken in my neck of the woods. He's also got a few huge muleys as well.

Hoslilake · Apr 30, 2003

I believe that you are right that British Columbia has the largest cats in the world. I also believe that the number 1 in the world is near Williams Lake.

Hoslilake · May 1, 2003

Nowadays, less good lions are taken in the Okanagan region each year. The fact is, there are too many people hunting cats there, and killing whatever they tree. This is a good way to put an end to the sport. Areas in B.C. that feel less hunting pressure ie. the Cariboo, are continuing to produce big, book toms year in and year out. Mark Hubbard has killed some big cats, but these days, if you compare the number of big cats he takes to the number of cats he takes over all it is less than impressive. Anyway, just my opinion.

Kevin D · May 1, 2003

Sounds like the 2 gentlemen mentioned in the initial post have a lot in common.

In my mind, it's not the guy who kills the most or even the biggest lions that I respect, it's the guy that lets them go to run another day.

DJ5 · May 1, 2003

I'm with ya on that Kevin. To answer the original question, the biggest liars take the most and biggest lions, and the first liar doesn't have a chance.

HunterHarry · May 1, 2003

Just curious, How many B&C sized lions have you guys let go?And by the way There are some honest people out there who have done some great things! I get a little tired of people that cant give another man a pat on the back and say "Good Job" out of thier own jealousy.----------(HunterHarry)

Kevin D · May 2, 2003

Well HunterHarry, I can honestly say that some of the biggest lions I have caught in my 20 years of running dogs were released unharmed. Personally, I have never killed a lion despite having numerous tags and catching scores of lions every year. I have prostituted myself out to hunters in the past and will probably do so again if they can afford me, but my heart isn't in it.

Sorry dude, but the guys I look up to in the hound dogging world aren't the ones that kill the most lions, but the ones that are in it just for the love of the sport.

edhunter · May 2, 2003

LAST EDITED ON May-02-03 AT 04:19PM (MST)[p]Harry,
From looking at your posts it is obvious that you get around a lot. I'm a redneck from the woods of Arizona and I only wish I could do the same. Instead I run a pack of flea motels in 3 western states, fish and hunt when I can. I have never turned a B&C lion loose. I have however seen one or two. I helped and inbred from Utah produce a lion video and there is at least one on there that was turned loose. Another was killed by a tag along hunter.

The video has 40 or so lions on it and lasts about 2 hours. Of all the footage, the big lion isn't my favorite. What makes my sphincer quiver is this moron recovering his dogs from a cave with a lion in it. No guns on this trip and he films the whole scene.

I have turned one B&C bear loose. Head like a wash tub and blacker than Kevin's hounds. They don't descend as fast as they climb.

Ed, http://southwestadventures.tripod.com

HunterHarry · May 2, 2003

Hey Guys!, Sorry I got a little snippy!,Sounds like you guys take your doggin' seriously! I respect that, it takes so much hard work to have good dogs.I always defend you guys to those that say doggin aint sporting as some of the most gruelling lung busting hunts I have been on have been hound chases! I have a few friends that run walkers and know the blood,sweat and tears they have shed in the process.As for my hunts, I have kinda been waiting for someone to accuse me of being "ONE OF THOSE RICH GUYS" nothing could be farther from the truth!I have had a passion for hunting since I was a kid,I am 42 now and know how to sacrafice and go where I want to out of sheer determination,I am the ultimate optimist and refuse to give up,yes at one time I thought hunting Brown Bear was impossible! but I wanted it so bad that I found a way to do it!I get real short with negative people. I truly believe that you can accomplish almost anything if YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH!and are willing to do WHATEVER it takes to get there!FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!-------------------Take Care!---(HunterHarry)

edhunter · May 3, 2003

LAST EDITED ON May-03-03 AT 08:12AM (MST)[p]Snippy doesn't bother most of the guys on this site. The way I have you figured is you have a good black bear and brown bear, what's next? Naturally a lion. You don't want any lion. You want one that will look good next to your other trophies. You are doing the right things in looking around. There are a lot of guys who will drive you around with a pack of dogs and take your money but only a few who will actually give you an opportunity to harvest a toad.

One thing I've enjoyed about your post is that you haven't whinned the "I really want a B&C lion but have a limited budget". Those guys piss me off. One suggestion, if you are tempted by a $1,500 hunt, run like hell. You might get a good lion on such a hunt but chances are you'll go empty 3-4 times before you score.

Keep posting amigo, nice to see some fresh stories and ideas hit this board.

This is one of the cats I was talking about. Credit Houndawg for the picture and memory.
Ed, http://southwestadventures.tripod.com

HunterHarry · May 4, 2003

Great Cat Ed! I thought I would never be able to post photos, but like in my post I wanted to badly enough to learn! I love the big predators!I was real young when I went on my first lion hunt, I went to Nevada and hunted with Dave Handrich out of Austin. Being concerned firstly with success, I took the first cat we treed, it was a female and at the time I was happy with it(although exausted!)You see I closley followed the antis moves (I live in.... California) land of the treehugger, and saw legislation coming to ban take and importation of lions, so I went lion hunting while I could legally and have a real nice mount, but now with many many more hunts under my belt I realize just how nice those big toms are. I do plan on moving to Oregon within the next 10 years or so, so I do keep my interest up on who and where the bigguns are coming from! once again I thank you for the photos and the taking the time to chat!-------------(HunterHarry)