HUNTING LION IN SOUTH AFRICA & ZIMBABWE WITH MATTANJA HUNTING SAFARIS
Lion Hunting is one of the most exciting and adrenaline filled hunts a client can experience, whether it's hunting Lion over bait or tracking Lion in thick sand! A Lion is the largest of the African Cats and can weigh between 400 and 500 pounds.
The .375 H&H Magnum is the suggested caliber for hunting Lion although a .30 caliber rifle will also be sufficient, but there will be no room for error! A premium, fast expanding, soft nose bullet is highly recommended, no solid of monolithic bullets! My recommendation for a premium soft nose bullet is a Swift A-Frame. Shot distance is about 50 yards or less on average, depending on the area and circumstances, a good quality, low variable scope on your rifle can be a lot of help. You're Professional Hunter will go over shot placement with you, but studying shot placement before you're Safari can be an advantage!
Lion Hunting in South Africa is mainly done by tracking fresh spoor. Tracking Lion on foot is the most exciting method of hunting wild Lion, finding those large tracks on the ground and spotting Lion at close quarters will give you an adrenaline rush like never before! The best areas for Lion Hunting in South Africa is in the Kalahari region or certain areas of the Limpopo Province on large ranches.
Lion Hunting in Zimbabwe is for the most part completely free range hunts. My preferred areas in Zimbabwe for Lion is the Matetsi Area in the north western part of the country. Matetsi is well known for its large, dark mained Lions and most hunting is done over bait, the hard terrain makes it difficult to track Lion over large distances. Time of the year and moon phase is critical for a successful Lion Hunt over bait! Ideal time is in the winter months, May/June/July/August and during dark phase of the moon.
Travel options to get to the hunting concession in South Africa would be to fly to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and take a connecting flight to Polokwane Airport.
Travel options to get to the hunting concession in Zimbabwe would be to fly to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa and take a connecting flight to Victoria Falls International Airport or Bulawayo Airport depending where you're hunting Safari is.
On every Safari you will be greeted at the airport by myself, or one of my handpicked Professional Hunters. If you require overnight accommodation in Johannesburg, I highly recommend Africa Sky Guesthouse.