Lion, Leopard, Grizzly, Polar Bear

[sharpshooter97]

I would really like to hunt the big bears, I probably would never be able to afford it, but if given the opportunity I would probably hunt them if I was able to keep some of the meat to try and use the hide. Not so sure about lions or a leopord in Africa, my logical and most realistic goal for a predator hunt is a mtn lion here in North Dakota, we tracked one once and would really like the experience to actually kill one.

 

[6mm Remington]

Um, I haven't seen that post on the forum! Would love to hear about it if you want to share.

I know just haven't had time to get it written up and post some pictures. I'll try and do it soon..

 

[6mm Remington]

I am so glad you had an enjoyable and successful hunt. Both you and Guy had a successful trip and I hope you both come back soon.

I have been fortunate enough to have hunted Grizzly and Brown's , as well as Cougars (with hounds ) and truly enjoyed all three. So yes I would enjoy a Polar Bear, and Lion hunt. I would not hunt Leopards via a blind but would enjoy hunting them with hounds

Thanks for the comments. I do need to write up a story and put some pictures on for sure. I had a wonderful hunt, had a great guide and the outfitters were fantastic also.
David

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I've hunted Mt Grizzlies (BC, 66 days over a 5 year period), Polar bear (Nunavut) and brown bear (Alaska) successfully with my bow. They all were great adventures and a bit hair raising...i.e. the grizzly shot was 13 yards and he ran past at 2 yards as he "escaped". Then the sow had to be spooked away from 15 yards. Took two days for the adrenaline to subside. The brown was taken at 12:40 AM...and it was barely light. The followup at good light in the morning was hairy in the alders. The polar was taken on day 11 (of a 10 day hunt) on Feb 23. (The sun came back the week prior after being gone for three months). Living at -40* (F or C) out on the polar ice over 100 km from any other people with two great Inuits in a 6'x9' tent and seeing how they survive, how much tougher they are to cold than I, how they utilize the dogs, hunting seals, how the foxes follow the bears for survival were all the experience of a lifetime. Seeing the immense size of the Canadian north that lies beyond "civilization" was mind boggling. Following the great bear across the ice by dog team, when he eventually turned t make a stand, the pre-historic monster size of him, the dogs baying him, pulling off the caribou hair parka so I could shoot the bow and wondering if my bow was going to work at the extreme temps, backed up by the Inuit guide with a very rusty .303 Enfield with 180 grain soft-points, seeing the arrow hit perfectly at 30 yards....I'll never forget it. The guide and assistant skinned him entirely, paws and head included in 33 minutes. He had about 4" of fat over his body and wasn't the least bit starved. Every last bit of meat was utilized by the Inuits, and I got the hide and head. Fortunately living in BC I have the bear at my house and admire him everyday. Yes, hunting the big bears might be described as days of glassing and enjoying some of the wildest and most beautiful country in North America, followed up by a very intense hunt where the bear might win the battle if things go wrong.

... wow...

Welcome to the forum, I sincerely hope you take the time to post some pictures of some of your hunts, it sounds like you have had some pretty amazing adventures.

 

[thusby]

All. Day.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I'd love to do a self-guided grizzly hunt in the lower 48 if such a thing ever became possible

 

[Hunting Wife]

I don’t have a huge desire to hunt any of the four species mentioned. I think I would enjoy just watching them too much. The big predators hold some kind of aura in my mind that I can’t really describe, but that I feel like I would greatly diminish by reducing them to my possessions. Put another way, if I killed one I feel like it would lose the thing that makes it so captivating to me. Probably makes no sense. But I certainly don’t begrudge others who have those on their bucket list.

 

[Europe]

Put another way, if I killed one I feel like it would lose the thing that makes it so captivating to me.

What a perfect and beautiful statement.

Although I have hunted them, I understand your point and agree. Many times when hunting and when not, I have enjoyed watching animals in the wild.

also hunting wife, I have requested a specific study that I remembered and thought you would enjoy, about the birds of the amazon, and will forward it to you when it arrives

 

[Panda Bear]

I don’t have a huge desire to hunt any of the four species mentioned. I think I would enjoy just watching them too much. The big predators hold some kind of aura in my mind that I can’t really describe, but that I feel like I would greatly diminish by reducing them to my possessions. Put another way, if I killed one I feel like it would lose the thing that makes it so captivating to me. Probably makes no sense. But I certainly don’t begrudge others who have those on their bucket list.

Nice. Sometimes watching the young ones play ( all species ) is relaxing, enjoyable, and funny.

Mother Nature, all aspects of it, streams, meadows, mountains, ice, lakes, rivers, oceans, and the animals, large and small, Love it!

The guys on the forum are probably thinking, I knew their was a reason we didn't want females on the forum But to me 'Mother Nature" is amazing---except during an Ice Storm

 

[BrentD]

The guys on the forum are probably thinking, I knew their was a reason we didn't want females on the forum

Nah, not really.

 

[bushman13]

If it's not a steak with hooves or tasty fowl, I'll pass.

 

[Pucky Freak]

On a side note, just SEEING a polar bear in the wild is on my bucket list. I've had the privilege to see the other 3 in the wild, and griz and lion up close.

 

[BrentD]

Sadly, I've seen none of them in the wild. Gotta lotta catching up.

 

[Desk Pop]

I have been able to hunt lion...but only because of a basically 90% off, last minute "deal" where people running concessions in the area decided they weren't going to be worth the amount of game they kill due to US import ban in 2016. They were going to shoot them if they couldn't get hunters in. I killed a good male 3 days before ban went into effect. The bigger miracle was when I told my wife about the deal and she said, "sounds like you may regret it if you don't try, but when would you leave." I was like, "ummm, well...that's the thing....Wednesday..." She still let me go. The hunt story ended up in Sporting Classics mag.

I would love to hunt leopard, especially with hounds. As a houndsman myself, I think it would be neat. The bears are cool as well, and I am not against a hunt when importation is impossible like the polar bear because I am in it for the experience, but leopard and the bears are just too much on my current budget.

I can relate to some of the sentiments on killing iconis animals, however. I would gladly hunt all of these the OP listed, but would not hunt, say, a cheetah unless it was an actual problem animal. I think what any given hunter is willing to kill is super personal.