Lion trophy importation?

[JPmbogo]

What's the current status on bringing in a trophy lion skin into the US?

 

[Sarg]

Hi bud, I'm thinking that's like asking how long is a piece of string ?

We would need to know from which country in Africa (Africa if hunted there not bought online) & under what circumstances, Free Range - Managed or CBL ?

 

[Scott CWO]

Case by case basis determination by USFWS of the area, country and conservation measures implemented locally in the hunt area. The past countrywide approval decisions no longer apply. Like I said, case by case basis approvals so you need to hunt somewhere with strong conservation occurring that can be documented.

 

[ActionBob]

You will not get a CBL in. That is done. Your only hope from South Africa is a "wild managed lion". And I would not say that is a sure thing.

Tanzania is a good option. And if booking a hunt there, a lion can be a reasonable add on.... granted the total gets up there but the additional for the lion can be quite reasonable.

 

[Sarg]

Case by case basis determination by USFWS of the area, country and conservation measures implemented locally in the hunt area. The past countrywide approval decisions no longer apply. Like I said, case by case basis approvals so you need to hunt somewhere with strong conservation occurring that can be documented.

Well done, much better than my smart ass reply !

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

Case by case basis determination by USFWS of the area, country and conservation measures implemented locally in the hunt area. The past countrywide approval decisions no longer apply. Like I said, case by case basis approvals so you need to hunt somewhere with strong conservation occurring that can be documented.

Spot on, but like Ele, I’d like to wish you good luck. We receive 1 lion a season in a park where all research is in place (NDF on lion aged 6 years and older) (MOZ) and we are not able to get them imported…..

Once again a lot of stories going around about someone getting a lion in but no concrete evidence or the actual individuals name and or number…
As with Elle I have dealt with John Jackson and SCI but they have no teeth.
No lion is a sure thing I would put potential hunters at ease by giving them a chance of roughly 10%.
I would love to get the actual stats on Tanzania as I do not believe that they had a successful application into the U.S. last year.

With that said the hunting industry in SA has been the architect (not solely but partial) of this current environment we find ourselves in.
My best.

 

[ActionBob]

I would love to get the actual stats on Tanzania as I do not believe that they had a successful application into the U.S. last year.

Not sure of the stats, but I'm aware of several getting approved. The hunters are just not real noisy about it

Spot on about South African hunting industry.

 

[JPmbogo]

You will not get a CBL in. That is done. Your only hope from South Africa is a "wild managed lion". And I would not say that is a sure thing.

Tanzania is a good option. And if booking a hunt there, a lion can be a reasonable add on.... granted the total gets up there but the additional for the lion can be quite reasonable.

What is a CBL?

 

[JPmbogo]

To be more specific than my original query, thinking of one more Africa trip. Have not taken the big stuff and certainly if we go, want to bring back more than photos of same.

 

[ActionBob]

What is a CBL?

Confined Bred Lion... the lion hunts being sold at such low cost in the Republic of South Africa are these, bred and fed in relatively small confinement areas then turned loose on a hunting property, usually but not always in the Kalahari where they can be tracked in that sand. The quality of those hunts can vary widely. The good operators make it a great experience. The bad ones have destroyed it for everyone. They dart the lions to move them. Preferably the lions are out roaming the area at least a couple weeks before being "hunted". There is a video of the PH excitedly telling his client to shoot. The lion is laying under a bush where it was obviously placed. It is still drugged and barely moving. The client shoots into the sand about 3 feet in front of the cat and it barely reacts. The PH tells the client he got it but to calm down and very carefully put one more into him just for insurance. A real shit show on par with the crocodile torture and botched execution in the film Trophy.

I was told by a prominent Outfitter on here that some of his competitors can be a bit "careless with the truth"..... That understatement became very clearly true.

When booking a Dangerous Game hunt in RSA, be very careful that you are sold what you think you are buying There are some really good operators who will tell you the truth if you ask questions.

 

[mikecatt13]

If anyone has gotten a lion imported to US (or know first hand of one) in the last couple/few years please PM me any info you're willing to. Outfitter, country, hunt area. Will keep it 100% private, just gathering info to research this for myself and any data will be very important and appreciated to try and determine the best chances of import.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

If anyone has gotten a lion imported to US (or know first hand of one) in the last couple/few years please PM me any info you're willing to. Outfitter, country, hunt area. Will keep it 100% private, just gathering info to research this for myself and any data will be very important and appreciated to try and determine the best chances of import.

PM sent

HH

 

[ActionBob]

To be more specific than my original query, thinking of one more Africa trip. Have not taken the big stuff and certainly if we go, want to bring back more than photos of same.

On your profile it looks like you're hunted South Africa. Do you want to stay with South Africa or are you open to other countries? What type of hunting do you want to do? It doesn't get bigger than elephant and tracking elephant in Zimbabwe was one of my favorite hunts. Be prepared to walk 10 miles or more per day for the best chances. Of course you can get lucky Elephant permits are being processed and granted for Zimbabwe on a case by case basis. The hunt must be deemed positive for the overall conservation of elephant. So pick an outfitter with the right circumstances in place and preferably one who has gotten permits granted by USFWS. Book at least 10 days, 12 or 14 woukd be better. Zimbabwe has been and seems to continue to be the place to get the best deal. And with case by case, it does not seem to be a given to get a permit in Namibia like it used to be. Of course Botswana is an option but seems to be very costly.

Next biggest would be rhino, when taken in the correct context, white rhino in RSA is a good deal right now and again must have all the i's dotted and t's crossed, but has been very straigt forward. A kill hunt is very doable as is dart. On a dart hunt, you can get measurements and have a replica mount made. This is a straight forward hunt but can be enough of a challenge if you book the right area with the right people. Book 5 days for the hunt done in a large area. 3 is probably plenty in a smaller area but more of a shoot.

Hippo, same as croc, I personally don't want to do these in RSA as my impression is that they are canned deals, like a hippo in a farm pond. I'd hunt these two together as they should be in the same habitat. Mozambique would be my first choice and Zimbabwe second. As long as export permits are in order, the import permits should be attainable without much trouble.

Buffalo, the Devil's red eyed cattle to me this is what you should consider if you haven't done it and want a real exciting dangerous game hunt. You can find a good hunt in any country or area they exist in good numbers (there were none in the part of Mozambique I got my leopard). No drama importing, striking simple shoulder mount that can fit into a normal home without high ceilings or a lot of extra floor space. Economical to hunt. If you are going to go after a wild lion or in many cases even leopard.... you are going to need bait and Buffalo produce a lot of good bait. So combine them. In fact Hunting Buffalo whenever available is a great plan

Lion has been covered. Leopard you can hunt in many places. They are almost everywhere in Africa. My hound hunt in Mozambique was very exciting. Hunting them over bait is a unique experience as well and my experience with that was great as we sat a very short time before the cat was in the tree. But leopard can give people fitscand add up to the most expensive hunt in Africa if you go back multiple times before getting one

 

[JPmbogo]

Thanks for

On your profile it looks like you're hunted South Africa. Do you want to stay with South Africa or are you open to other countries? What type of hunting do you want to do? It doesn't get bigger than elephant and tracking elephant in Zimbabwe was one of my favorite hunts. Be prepared to walk 10 miles or more per day for the best chances. Of course you can get lucky Elephant permits are being processed and granted for Zimbabwe on a case by case basis. The hunt must be deemed positive for the overall conservation of elephant. So pick an outfitter with the right circumstances in place and preferably one who has gotten permits granted by USFWS. Book at least 10 days, 12 or 14 woukd be better. Zimbabwe has been and seems to continue to be the place to get the best deal. And with case by case, it does not seem to be a given to get a permit in Namibia like it used to be. Of course Botswana is an option but seems to be very costly.

Next biggest would be rhino, when taken in the correct context, white rhino in RSA is a good deal right now and again must have all the i's dotted and t's crossed, but has been very straigt forward. A kill hunt is very doable as is dart. On a dart hunt, you can get measurements and have a replica mount made. This is a straight forward hunt but can be enough of a challenge if you book the right area with the right people. Book 5 days for the hunt done in a large area. 3 is probably plenty in a smaller area but more of a shoot.

Hippo, same as croc, I personally don't want to do these in RSA as my impression is that they are canned deals, like a hippo in a farm pond. I'd hunt these two together as they should be in the same habitat. Mozambique would be my first choice and Zimbabwe second. As long as export permits are in order, the import permits should be attainable without much trouble.

Buffalo, the Devil's red eyed cattle to me this is what you should consider if you haven't done it and want a real exciting dangerous game hunt. You can find a good hunt in any country or area they exist in good numbers (there were none in the part of Mozambique I got my leopard). No drama importing, striking simple shoulder mount that can fit into a normal home without high ceilings or a lot of extra floor space. Economical to hunt. If you are going to go after a wild lion or in many cases even leopard.... you are going to need bait and Buffalo produce a lot of good bait. So combine them. In fact Hunting Buffalo whenever available is a great plan

Lion has been covered. Leopard you can hunt in many places. They are almost everywhere in Africa. My hound hunt in Mozambique was very exciting. Hunting them over bait is a unique experience as well and my experience with that was great as we sat a very short time before the cat was in the tree. But leopard can give people fitscand add up to the most expensive hunt in Africa if you go back multiple times before getting one

Thanks for all the info. I have looked into an elephant cull hunt as there photos would suffice. Also, buff hunt is still on the top of my list as you can probably tell from my tag.

 

[ActionBob]

Thanks for

Thanks for all the info. I have looked into an elephant cull hunt as there photos would suffice. Also, buff hunt is still on the top of my list as you can probably tell from my tag.

I would think an elephant cull hunt could be as good an experience as any. Especially if it's a cull bull. Like one broken tusk. @Royal27 and myself had discussed this with @Mbalabala Safaris. I didn't get that far into it, but if you could get replica tusks made they are not expensive and just fiberglass so easy to ship home. Have them put on some nice hand carved wood bases and they look great. TCI in Bulawayo does a great job.

And if you book that hunt, ask about the trophy fee to add a buffalo or hippo or whatever may be available if you finish the elephant early. Realize the camp staff may want the day off after an elephant is taken, but if you have more days available, pretty economical to add a trophy fee when you are there (no additional travel expenses) and have the day fees paid.

 

[AES]

Confined Bred Lion... the lion hunts being sold at such low cost in the Republic of South Africa are these, bred and fed in relatively small confinement areas then turned loose on a hunting property, usually but not always in the Kalahari where they can be tracked in that sand. The quality of those hunts can vary widely. The good operators make it a great experience. The bad ones have destroyed it for everyone. They dart the lions to move them. Preferably the lions are out roaming the area at least a couple weeks before being "hunted". There is a video of the PH excitedly telling his client to shoot. The lion is laying under a bush where it was obviously placed. It is still drugged and barely moving. The client shoots into the sand about 3 feet in front of the cat and it barely reacts. The PH tells the client he got it but to calm down and very carefully put one more into him just for insurance. A real shit show on par with the crocodile torture and botched execution in the film Trophy.

I was told by a prominent Outfitter on here that some of his competitors can be a bit "careless with the truth"..... That understatement became very clearly true.

When booking a Dangerous Game hunt in RSA, be very careful that you are sold what you think you are buying There are some really good operators who will tell you the truth if you ask questions.

Could you name a couple outfits that put on high quality CBL and rhino hunts?

 

[ActionBob]

Could you name a couple outfits that put on high quality CBL and rhino hunts?

I cannot personally vouch for CBL. @PHOENIX PHIL has represented such hunts. I can say I would not book a lion hunt in RSA over near Kruger.

I hunted my rhino with Bossie of @LIMPOPO BIG GAME SAFARIS and can highly recommend him for a kill hunt. There are others on here advertising who have reports by other members. Look at the deals section and do a search.

Ask questions and openly discuss your expectations. Bossie and Phil will be able to explain what to expect and if your expectations can be met.

 

[DieJager]

they are not expensive and just fiberglass so easy to ship home

Sightly of topic: is the picture from the replicas?

 

[ActionBob]

Sightly of topic: is the picture from the replicas?

Yes

 

[Philip Glass]

What's the current status on bringing in a trophy lion skin into the US?

From Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, and the very few classified as "wild managed" lions in RSA are importable on a case by case basis by USFWS. There have been some court cases won and they are supposed to be issuing permits. As we have seen from a recent elephant import post on AH it can still be a lot of trouble.
I suggest going to SCI in Nashville and learning all you can on the subject. the SCI attorneys usually have a seminar to discuss these current issues. Ill attend and can report if others cant make it.
My suggestion is always to go hunt and fight USFWS every step of the way and get your trophy. I plan to hunt anoher leopard next year and this is my plan.