posted by Jim on Jan 22

Words cannot express the experience the Hunters Prostaff team had last week in the mountains of Arizona.  In an effort to get as much realistic and unique predator footage, we embarked on an adventure, which tested our emotions from one spectrum to the other.  Needless to say, it was an experience of a lifetime!

It started out on a long flight from Indianapolis, where we spent the weekend at the Archery Trade Association show, promoting Hunters Pro Gear, our new upcoming store.  Our voices were gone, our heads were hurting and we were spent from talking to thousands of manufactures and archery retailers. Every evening we tipped back a few, because we all know where most business promotion is done.  Obviously, not the way to prepare for one of the most grueling hunting adventures soon to come. 

We arrived in Arizona and had to make a stop at the In and Out Burger. Again, we made another bad decision prior to climbing mountains in pursuit of a good Tom.  Our first day in Arizona was spent predator calling with Darrell Nielson of 7 Seventy 7 Guide Services.  We hunted hard and made several calling sets in very diverse terrain.  This was a learning experience for us, as well as, for our guide. When a camera is involved, it makes everything change.  What may be a great set up for the hunter may be an impossible set up to get good footage.  We called in some bobcats on the first day, however, the camera and the hunter did not sync very well.  The area was too thick and seeing predators coming from a distance was near to impossible.

On day two, we met Wade Eckel and Blaine Tow of Marathon Outfitters and Guide Service. We were very impressed with these guys from the start.  They had driven hundreds of miles up and down washes, cutting lion tracks.  We had two lion tags. Blake Wollenberg, my new partner in Hunters Pro Gear was up first.  We cut two fresh tracks and they both looked to be from very good Toms.  One thing I appreciate from hunting out of my normal element in the Midwest is the learning experience of every hunt.  Wade is extraordinary in his ability to see tracks while driving 30 miles per hour on his ATV. Not only can he see a track, he has lived with these lions for so long, that he knows what their travel routes and overall behaviors will be when they are pursued.  He was very efficient and did not set his dogs on a track until he knew we were close.  By 10:00 a.m. that first morning, Wade set his phenomenal dogs loose.  Blake grabbed his bow and I grabbed our new Canon HD camera and we jumped on the four wheeler.   We were off to get as close to the dogs as possible.  Jed Speiser, our lead predator hunter and cameraman, followed with Darrell in their truck.  The goal was to get two camera angles on every hunt.  This was the first disappointment.  Our ATV was covering ground much faster than the truck and we were able to go an additional ¾ of a mile where the truck could not follow.  They were a half hour behind us.

Blaine, Blake and I arrived just in time, as the lion began to get tired and perched himself on a large boulder about 200 ft. above us.  Wade already made it to the top and yelled to us to start climbing.  It was a hand and foot climb, as fast as we could, carrying equipment.  About 5 minutes into the climb, I realized that Blake and I were not prepared for a hunt like this physically or mentally.  I could barely hear the dogs bawling over my hard breathing and my heart racing with excitement.   We eventually crested the top and I looked to the sounds of the hounds.  My mouth dropped at the view of one of the most magnificent animals I had ever set my eyes on!  His ears were tucked back and his neck, shoulder and forearm muscles were pumped up and very intimidating.  I could see and hear him growling at the dogs which were literally in his face.  He was 3 times the size of each dog and it was very obvious to me that he could kill them without a great amount of effort.  However, as I learned another very valuable lesson from Wade; he is still a cat and all cats fear dogs!  Little Daisy, Wade’s lead dog would literally turn her back on this lion and then turn right back and get in his face.  She was fearless!

I climbed up above the lion on a hogs back of loose boulders and began to settle myself down to get the lion on camera.  Blaine was behind me snapping some incredible pictures.  Here is where we made a mental mistake which caused several near tragedies.  Blake is 26 years young and he had a lot of factors going against him.  He was hunting an animal which was very intimidating. He was 20 yards in front of a lion which could take two bounds and be on top of him or I in seconds. He just climbed 200 ft up a rocky mountain and was winded.  He has not bow hunted anything in these conditions.  Finally, the lion is in a position which is not text book for any archer.

I have the experience and I feel I am partially to blame for not stopping, what was to happen.  I yelled down to Blake, as I did not like his position to the cat.  He was head on to the cat and the cat was lying down.  His only shot would be a head-on chest shot, if we got the lion to sit up.  Blake yelled back that he was more comfortable where he was and would wait for a shot opportunity.  Wade called the dogs back and the lion held his position.  The camera was rolling and I knew I needed to get the lions attention away from Blake, so he could possibly offer a shot.  I whistled and the lion turned and looked in my direction.  Then I realized that I could be making a mistake.  As the lion gazed at me, I began to think that maybe the lion was thinking I wanted him to come over and eat the camera guy.  Not good!  The lion sat up for a moment and exposed his chest.  Blake took the shot and hit the lion in the head.  

Now, for the lesson of the day!  Bow hunting is an incredible sport and a great passion of mine!  However, bow hunting has zero margins for error! We should all take this as a lesson.  Bows are faster, more efficient and more accurate than ever before, however, the rules of archery must apply in every situation.  I cannot blame Blake, as anyone in his situation may have done the same.  When we get in an excitable state and we are confident in our abilities, a small error could lead to a great loss. You will begin to understand as the story unfolds.

The lion, shaken from the hit, glanced back at us and in one swift motion of his forearm, broke the arrow and ran down the mountain in seconds.  I was amazed, but also concerned because I immediately knew the lion was going to be pissed off and ready for a fight!  I was right.  The dogs were in pursuit and we were lagging behind as the trip down the edge was very rugged with loose rocks underfoot the entire descent.  As we pursued the lion on foot, through the wash, approximately ¼ of a mile, we could hear the dogs very faintly.  They were up 600 feet, on a rocky mountain face.  The lion was on a large boulder where he would have the advantage over the dogs.  The dogs did not let up and stayed tight to his position.

As I looked up to our next climb, I had some intimidating thoughts.  I am already exhausted.  This face is even steeper, rockier and far more dangerous.  I have to carry a $3,500 camera strapped to my back.  How are we even going to get in a position for the shot? Is my life insurance paid?  By this time, Wade was already 100 feet above us and climbing like a Sherpa.  Well, here we go!  Up we went through a drainage cut in the mountain, climbing hand to foot.  At approximately, 400 feet, I mentioned to Blaine that I felt like Sylvester Stallone in “Cliffhanger”.  Blaine laughed and then made an experienced statement.  “Don’t fall backwards, because, you will die!” Oh.  Thanks.  Blaine and I climbed to try to get into a position to film as Blake and Wade were closing in on the cat.  Blaine confirmed that he was able to see the lion, so off I went up to his position.  I just arrived to a perch on a boulder with about a 60 foot drop off three sides.  I tried to turn the camera on and suddenly, there was a dog in trouble, the cat was on foot and coming my way and boom!  The cat fell 50 yards in front of me.  It was that fast.  The camera, a millisecond too slow and I could only think of one thing. Someone is hurt up there! 

I looked up and Blake was holding Wade’s Winchester Lever Action .44 and he had made a great shot on the moving lion.  Wade’s lead dog, Daisy was tore up by the lion and considering that Wade looks at his dogs as they are his children, he made the call and gave the rifle to Blake.  He didn’t want any more of his dogs or any of us to be hurt by the enraged Tom.  Again, it was a very good decision by an experienced lion guide.  It was over, just like that!  By this time, Jed and Darrell showed up in the wash below us.  Jed yelled to us. “Where are you?  I can hear you guys but I cannot see you.”  I yelled back down to him and he could not locate us.  I waved my arms and I heard him say; “My God, they are way the hell up there, Jim’s arms look like toothpicks waving to me”.  

Jed stayed down below with camera 2 and Darrell decided to ascend to assist us.  This may have been a bad decision as Darrell was soon to be our second near casualty.  The dead lion was on a steep edge, which was very hard to get to and retrieval was going to be an effort.  Blake was on his back, yelling for some water, as he was physically and emotionally consumed by the moment. 

Darrell and Wade made it to the lion and I repositioned myself to get the footage of the retrieval.  I had put myself in a huge predicament as the others were sending a rock slide my way.  I ran on my toes to get out of the way of basketball size boulders flying by me, thinking of what Blaine had told me earlier. Then, I lost my footing, sliding about 20 feet and ending up on the top of a boulder, which looked as if it was a 10 ft. golf ball positioned on top of a group of small rocks and nothing below! Needless to say, I was a tad uncomfortable, but I began to film from this position. 

Darrell and Wade are both big guys that I would be proud to back me in any bar brawl.  However, the 140 pound lion and its position had both guides in a bind.  As they descended and Wade put the lion on his shoulders, Darrell turned to look up the mountain and one of the dogs dislodged a softball sized rock that hit Darrell square in the face.  It was a bad situation, as I was concerned he was going to fall down the mountain.  He was hurt bad as the rock had fractured his cheek bone.  The tough SOB shook it off and we slowly and cautiously, descended the mountain. 

I kissed the ground and began taking pictures.  We had a dog that was compromised, a guide that was hurt, and some close calls along the way. Many valuable lessons were learned.  But most importantly, Blake was able to harvest a record book cat, which he will honor in his game room and at his dinner table.  I want to thank everyone involved for the lifetime experience, which has been etched in my head.  Thanks to Jed and Blake for your hard work at the ATA show and on the hunt.  Lastly, I cannot wait to write a new story on my upcoming lion hunt with my new, good friends, Wade, Blaine and Darrell.