Lion hunters only: Vote for your states top lionhunter

[Emily]

What about Steve Mathis or Charlie Tant out here in Ca. They are both dead and I didn't know either of them but Steve writes a pretty good book ]:}. Heard people really talk up those Mathis bred lion dogs all though noone seems to mention them anymore. Never seen one and don't know. Had a walker dog that was supposed to have some Charlie Tant blood in him. I was to young to know much about hound hunting and didn't really know how to start him so sold him. Dont know how he turned out.

What's the name of Steve Mathis' book? Haven't seen mention of it before...

[lionhunterdaves]

Another colorado hunter that should be mentioned is Garnett Weese.

[liontracker]

Dallas, does he still run those big blue dogs?

[lionhunterdaves]

Tim,
He has one left, and for some odd reason switched to cur's. The one he has left is a two year old, and is huge. He is a good dog. I ran him for Garnett all of bear season, and he got to where he would rig and run a bear on his own. He was going to sale him if you know of anybody

[liontracker]

Ask him if the dog goes back to the Sugar Creek male he got from Rob Mellow.

[cobalt]

Ted Craddock in N.E. Oregon is not only a great person and houndman, he is, at 70(Ihope that's close, Ted) one of the hardest hunters I've ever met and hunted with and has been for about 50 years. Although he hunts bear and bobcat, too, he averages anywhere from 30 to 50 or more lions a year. Here's to you, Ted

[cobalt]

Has anyone heard of an old lion hunter in the S.W. named Dean Robinson? I hear he was pretty good.

[double j]

for wyoming i vote vern phillips. i had the the boys out one day and vern at 91 years old had turned his dogs loose on a lion. can't get better than that at that age.

[Mr.pacojack]

for wyoming i vote vern phillips. i had the the boys out one day and vern at 91 years old had turned his dogs loose on a lion. can't get better than that at that age.

I will second that on ole Vern for Wyoming. He was a heck of a guy and a heck of a hunter. That Shine dog of his was hard to beat.

[Everlast]

Emily..............it's called "Brave". I'm fortunate enough to have an autographed copy of it. It's a pretty interesting book.

[catkidd]

oregon les gorwot [not sure on spelling] he long gone he was still put them up in his late 80s with a hound on a lead and bobcat the same way.

[open ears]

I guess it depends what day you ask about!I think its like winning the superbowl one year and being at the bottom of the Stats the next. But my hat goes off to those who have spent a lifetime doing it such as the now gone Ben Lily and those such as Del Cameron,Van Johnson, The Farmers,Igrams along with many others!I meet new ones every day so Im sure im forgetting many!I once had someone tell me they had the best rig dog on the mountain!I have no way of knowing who all is exactly on the mountain at any given moment!Maybe He had the best one in his own box!

[Ike]

In my opinion, a top lion hunter is always a top lion hunter until the day he dies and far beyond if people remember his deeds. There may be a time when a guy doesn't have hounds, or only has young hounds, but if that person has truely earned their strips in the field that knowledge and ability travels on with them to the grave and beyond. That's probably why this post was a really neat one because it gave all of us a chance to talk about some of the people who have achieved the status or title of "top lion hunter."

ike

[vaughndog]

hey, there are many that come to my mind in the different states i have hunted, to name a few i would say the batemans, and a great old school team i go with on occasion, jon and tammy atencio, lots of new great hunters also, great thread, nice to hear some familiar names as well as some i hadent heard of.

[ZeluvaRIP69er]

I didn't hear much about colorado accept Van Johnson. He is an extrordinary hunter/houndsmen but I would have to go wiyh Bobby and Tommy Farmer. Every dog they have is a top notch start to finish hound.

I grew up about 30 miles from Bobby and Tommy Farmer. Good guys, watched Bobby on the hunting channel once catching a lion.

Ryan Weimer and Ross Ward might not go out and catch 500 a year, but if you are down for the life changing experience of meeting two of gods favorite people, go to Cougar Crazy Outfitters! If the terrain don't kill you, laughing at these two hooligans will.

Ross Abney out of Whyoming I believe, shocked my dad with the game he caught with two Plott dogs (I know, Plotts can't smell) But he drove all the way to Vernon Arizona to show us the tapes after my dad repetitively called BS that he caught that much stuff with those two pups. My dad stood up, shook his hand, and said "I will never doubt a word you say again".

Edited to change Ross's location since I wasn't sure lol