Seems to be the general reputation of the South African hunting industry, and while it wouldn't be fair to tar everyone with the same brush, any ethically minded hunt operators will have a hard time of it in such an environment.

I recently went to a business luncheon program here in San Antonio where the speaker was a relatively new South African outfitter, and along with numerous videos of animals being shot while they stood over piles of alfalfa hay and water troughs, he gave his speech about how they strictly work to accommodate the hunter, as in "if the hunter wants to shoot from the vehicle we are fine with that, etc."

I left rather disgusted but I didn't start any arguments.

Agree 100%. Except that I would imagine a pen-raised deer adjusts to his new environment easier than a pen-raised lion. Lion social structure being much more refined than that of deer would suggest that a released lion can't just go join the herd. (or pride- which there's probably not one out there anyway, but even if there was he wouldn't be welcome)

So it would be like dropping a lifelong country boy in the middle of New York, where he would be alone in a very strange environment, and that unfamiliarity makes him that much more vulnerable.

I'm essentially splitting hairs and in no way am I defending put-and-take hunting. I generally agree with the hunting as conservation argument, but I think it crosses the line when it comes to canned hunting of lions, which does not provide any sort of benefit to the species as I see it.