Who the hell crashes into a lion?!?

African Lion

07XL0027 said:

What's next Chip, African lion?[emoji881]

Click to expand...

I've never killed an African Lion and doubt that I ever will. But Charley has. He took this 3 year old male lion in Tanzania, east Africa. They don't grow much of a mane near the equator. African Lion hunting is very tightly controlled by government game officials and will probably come to an end within a decade. We have experienced two unprovoked lion charges while hunting other game and nothing is more horrifying (or exciting).

Chip

Arizona Lion

Awsum GT said:

Chip, is it odd for there to be a lion in the area you were driving?

Click to expand...

No, lions are numerous and common all over Arizona. They are so common that no lottery draw is required to hunt them. Just walk in to a sporting goods shop, buy a tag over the counter and go. But they are so hard to hunt that almost nobody goes after them. Mountain Lions hunt at night and don't move much during the day. And it's not legal to hunt them at night. The only effective way to hunt a lion is with hounds and that is a backbreaking young man's game. When I was 28 years old I chased a pack of hounds for 5 hours in knee deep snow up and down mountains. I was wet, freezing, and miserable. Though I was ultimately successful I swore I'd never kill another lion and I was sad when I hit that cat with my truck, more so for the animal than my vehicle. One Mountain Lion will kill and consume about 50 deer EACH YEAR but they are seldom dangerous to people and attacks are much rarer that getting hit by lightning.

What is rare is hitting one with a car. Unlike deer and elk that are always darting out in front of speeding cars, lions are almost never killed on a road.

This lion has been up on my wall for 35 years and every time I look up at it I can feel the wet snow, the bitter cold, and hear the hounds that night.

Chip

Lady Moose said:

Chip,
That's PAWSatively scary! Others have said it PERRRfectly - sorry for the lion, yet glad you are fine! And what the heck do you do with a 125 pound cat carcass?

Lady Moose

Click to expand...

I took him home, bagged and froze him. One of my employees teaches taxidermy and she will put the lion to good use.

Chip