Goin’ on a Lion Hunt . . .

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would hunt an African lion. But several months earlier, our good friend and hunting consultant, George Brainard, of Stoney Creek Adventures, showed us pictures of trophy lions taken at Hartzview Hunting Safaris in South Africa. We had also met Professional Hunter Jacques Spamer at a couple of hunting shows and learned more about these hunts. It made my trigger figure itch. Our adventure began very early in the morning of August 29, 2011 with flights from our home town of Grand Rapids, Michigan to Chicago, Washington D.C., and finally to Johannesburg, South Africa. In D.C., we connected with George and Brenda Brainard, long-time friends and hunting companions. On arrival in Jo-burg, late on Tuesday, we were met by Jacques Spamer of HartzView Safaris, who was to be our professional hunter and guide for this trip. www.hvsafaris.com The drive to the kalahari concession of Hartzview Hunting Safaris took about four hours, including a pit stop en route. Our accommodations in thatched-roof chalets were first rate. After a good night’s rest, we were set to look for lions. In the morning, we also met Hannes Pienaar, our professional videographer for the hunt. www.hpproductions.co.za Our first stop after breakfast was to the shooting range to try out the rifle. I had opted to borrow Jacques’ .375, rather than a heavier rifle, being assured that this caliber would be adequate. We have recently chosen to borrow rifles to spare ourselves the hassles and risks of traveling with our own guns. My goal was to hunt a fully mature male lion. Also, a couple of months prior, George had asked Pete if he would like to hunt a white female lion.

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