Who the hell crashes into a lion?!?

[ChipBeck]

African Lion

What's next Chip, African lion?[emoji881]

I've never killed an African Lion and doubt that I ever will. But Charley has. He took this 3 year old male lion in Tanzania, east Africa. They don't grow much of a mane near the equator. African Lion hunting is very tightly controlled by government game officials and will probably come to an end within a decade. We have experienced two unprovoked lion charges while hunting other game and nothing is more horrifying (or exciting).

Chip

 

[ChipBeck]

Arizona Lion

Chip, is it odd for there to be a lion in the area you were driving?

No, lions are numerous and common all over Arizona. They are so common that no lottery draw is required to hunt them. Just walk in to a sporting goods shop, buy a tag over the counter and go. But they are so hard to hunt that almost nobody goes after them. Mountain Lions hunt at night and don't move much during the day. And it's not legal to hunt them at night. The only effective way to hunt a lion is with hounds and that is a backbreaking young man's game. When I was 28 years old I chased a pack of hounds for 5 hours in knee deep snow up and down mountains. I was wet, freezing, and miserable. Though I was ultimately successful I swore I'd never kill another lion and I was sad when I hit that cat with my truck, more so for the animal than my vehicle. One Mountain Lion will kill and consume about 50 deer EACH YEAR but they are seldom dangerous to people and attacks are much rarer that getting hit by lightning.

What is rare is hitting one with a car. Unlike deer and elk that are always darting out in front of speeding cars, lions are almost never killed on a road.

This lion has been up on my wall for 35 years and every time I look up at it I can feel the wet snow, the bitter cold, and hear the hounds that night.

Chip

 

[THamonGT]

There beautiful on a wall mount but not so entwined in Aluminum or Carbon Fiber of a Ford Truck or a Ford GT.

 

[Awsum GT]

............

 

[GTJack]

^^^ You must be driving a Volvo! That would be scary, whether you were driving and hit it, or were watching it and it decided to scratch an itch on your car.

 

[PL510*Jeff]

Chip your truck has a few more lives left in it . The cat's 9 are officially used up.

Has a few close calls over the years. Had LARGE moose run across the road in front of in my MGA. Very late at night up in the mountains near Mt. Rainier. At a minimum 3 times larger than the car.

Missed a few deer over the years. Kissed the ass of a open range cow with the front bumper of my car in eastern Oregon. Left a little cow poop on the fender.

And in the GT, I barely missed hitting a decent sized bear and her cub that jumped the Jersey barrier , coming around a corner in the mountains in upstate New York. Some where near Lake George.

 

[Lady Moose]

Chip,
That's PAWSatively scary! Others have said it PERRRfectly - sorry for the lion, yet glad you are fine! And what the heck do you do with a 125 pound cat carcass?

Lady Moose

 

[ChipBeck]

Chip,
That's PAWSatively scary! Others have said it PERRRfectly - sorry for the lion, yet glad you are fine! And what the heck do you do with a 125 pound cat carcass?

Lady Moose

I took him home, bagged and froze him. One of my employees teaches taxidermy and she will put the lion to good use.

Chip

 

[THamonGT]

Anything low to the ground (like a S. Texas Pig) is devistating to any automobile or truck taking out front end, lower engine, transmission etc. It happens very often in South Texas anytime during the year. When I drive farm and rural roads at night I drive slow and very attentive with bright lights on. You are very lucky my friend as your accident could have very bad for you and your truck. Glad your safe and sound. I don't want to even think about driving a GT in that situation!!!

 

[Triheart7]

There was a dentist who shot a Lion a few years back. I recall things didn't go so well for him afterwards.

 

[2112]

There was a dentist who shot a Lion a few years back. I recall things didn't go so well for him afterwards.

:facepalm:

That episode gave us all a black eye. :frown

 

[Ed Sims]

I read about a motorist hitting a mountain lion here in NorCal. They stopped to pull the lion off the road. As they were reaching for the lion it jumped up & took off. It could have easily attacked the motorist!

Who carries bolt cutters & saves a road kill carcass? That's our buddy Chip! LOL!

Ed

PS My friend in OR wanted to give me an arrow quiver made from a mountain lion but I had to refuse the gift as it is illegal to own any mountain lion parts in CA! No hunting lions either. It is estimated that CA has 2-3x more mountain lions than NV.