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I have always wanted to hunt a lion like this one. They are truly the alpha predator in the area and show absolutely no fear. Debbie took a great lioness on an exciting and challenging hunt. It is not just the hunting opportunities or the game that make trips like this a success it is the hard work of the staff of the Safari companies. In our case these guys exemplified the term professional! Our cameraman Tyge Floyd was greatly helpful during the hunt in spotting the lioness several times and was able to get some superb footage of this hunt of a lifetime. Here are some details:

We hunted the lions in the Kalahari on Limcroma’s Mankwe concession. The hunting area is roughly 44,000 hectares (109,000 acres) of un broken desert. This was a physically and mentally tough hunt from clawing through miles of blackthorn groves to stalking for hours in talcum powder fine sand. But that is why we hunt lions!

Lion hunting requires absolute precision on shot placement as a poor shot can turn they trophy of a lifetime into a widow maker quickly! Because of this we spent a good deal of time watching and studying The Perfect Shot video prior to our trip to Africa. We also discussed proper shot placement with our PHs on the hunt as they are the real experts. Our goal is always a one shot stop and a safe humane hunt.

Debbie was carrying her Blaser R93 Attaché in .375 H&H using the superb 300gr Barnes Triple Shock bullets and Barnes banded solids (all hand loaded). On this hunt she was loaded with the triple shocks, which as always preformed perfectly. She uses a Zeiss 1.8-5.5X42 scope in Blaser QD mounts. Her rifle was fitted to her and had a RAD installed on the stock to help with recoil and speed follow up shots. Debbie is absolutely a crack shot with this rifle as proven on numerous heads of game. In order to hone this perishable skill we maintain a strong practice regimen, which includes shooting from various positions including off the sticks. We focus on accuracy and speed so when a shot presents itself we can make it. She also used her Swarovski 10X25 binos during the stalk. When hunting dangerous game binos are an absolute must! They give you the ability to spot the game in tough cover.

We stalked Debbie’s lioness for 7+ miles (by GPS) after we got on the initial track. I was a tough hunt and our PHs’ kept us on track and assured we stayed hydrated. Several times we “bumped” the lioness from close cover without getting a decent shot opportunity. On one occasion we literally were right on top of her before she shot out of a bush! Thank goodness she decided not to attack because she would have certainly had us cold! After several more miles of tracking we settled on a strategy of pushing the lioness until she stands her ground and presents a shot. It was at this point Freddie (one of our PHs) was attempting to hem lioness in so Debbie could get a clean shot when we heard some tremendous roaring from the and Freddie yelling “Come! Come!” Freddie had her at 5 yards and was holding fire with his 505 Gibbs (now that is some serious balls) until Debbie could get in position. At the last moment the lioness rushed by us and was off again.

Finally, she made her last stand as the light was fading over the Kalahari. She pulled in under a tree and prepared for a charge! Her tail was lashing back and forth as she examined her pursuers to see which would be the focus of her attach. She was panting nervously as she crouched coiling her legs for the rush.

Debbie got on target and was resented with a frontal chest shot. Hannes instructed her to “wait until her head clears and the chest opens up but be sure of your shot”. At that moment all eyes were focused on the lioness. Just then she moved her head opening her chest up for a perfect frontal shot. Hannes looked at Debbie and said “take her now”. The 375 H&H cracked and the lioness crumpled from her pre charge crouch onto her left side her tail waved for a few seconds and then was still. Debbie made the final stalk to the lioness and put in an insurance shot. My beloved wife had just taken the first of her dangerous game animals with a perfectly placed shot thus ending a fabulous yet tough day!

We returned to camp in the dark and the temperature was dropping quickly. Our feet were so sore from the trek that we pulled off our boots and soaked our feet in the icy cold pool. I was so exhausted, I fell asleep before dinner. Thankfully, our hostess thoughtfully saved some excellent fried kudu from dinner for breakfast the next morning. The pros were in better shape than we were, but everyone was tired enough that everyone went to bed not long after dinner.

That evening the trackers were out dragging the airfield when the big male lion I would eventually take charged the land cruiser. He literally tried to get inside and make a midnight snack of the lads! So early the next morning we were out of the airstrip looking for tracks in the soft sand. But more on that later!