Trophy Hunter Bagged...

[Joe Guy]

Trophy hunter shot dead while trying to bag his second lion
By Mike Moffitt, SFGATE

A Croatian big game hunter was preparing to shoot a lion during a hunting expedition in South Africa when he himself was shot and killed.

Pero Jelinic, whose friends say had "hunted everything that could be hunted in Europe," had already killed one lion and was sighting in a second Saturday at a remote lodge near Setiagole, according to Total Croatia News.

Initially, the bullet that hit Jelinic was described as "stray," but police are now investigating the incident as a possible homicide.

The lions were captive-bred. They had been farm-raised to be hunted in a legal yet controversial sport often called "canned hunting."

Total Croatia News reported that Jelinic, 75, was killed by "unknown assailants." South Africa's News24 quoted police as saying it was not clear who fired the fatal shot but that a case of "culpable homicide" had been opened and were investigating possible illegal firearms charges.

Jelenic, a retired hotelier on the island of Pag, was passionate about stalking and shooting animals of all sizes. A friend of Jelenic told Total Croatia News that the lion trophy was to be the crowning jewel of his rich hunting career.

Earlier this month, the Dallas Safari Club condemned the practice of canned hunting, stating that "there is no evidence or scientific research to suggest that captive bred lion hunting contributes to the conservation of wild lion."

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[RayThom]

Trophy hunter canned while canned hunting

A Croatian big game hunter was preparing to shoot a lion during a hunting expedition in South Africa when he himself was shot and killed... The lions were captive-bred. They had been farm-raised to be hunted in a legal yet controversial sport often called "canned hunting."...

Poetic justice. PETA will be so happy.

[Burning Petard]

Canned hunting for African game is a big business in Texas. 35 years ago I went on a canned hunt for 'wild boar' in Pennsylvania. Pen raised quail and pheasant are available in almost every state in the US on 'hunting preserves'. "Outdoor Life", "Field and Stream" "Sports Afield" magazines don't have many stories about this, but you can find ads for these services in the back of each of them. This is modern life. On the other hand, such has 'always' been the case for hunters in Europe since long before 1776. Hunting was reserved for the nobility in parks or royal reserves or their own estates and anybody else caught eating wild game (and salmon in Scotland) could be executed as a poacher--an act of rebellion against the sovereign..

And Joe Guy--just what model of SMLE had the muzzle brake, as used by the lioness? I have never seen that one.

snailgate

[Sue U]

Does anyone here not think it is immoral to kill animals for "sport"? I can't imagine what kind of sickness makes a person think that's "fun".

[Joe Guy]

And Joe Guy--just what model of SMLE had the muzzle brake, as used by the lioness? I have never seen that one.

I don't know anything about rifles but I think it's an available accessory for a 308....

[Burning Petard]

Technically the SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) was/is almost always a .303. There were a few made in .308 to use the standard 7.62mm NATO cartridge, but the SMLE always preferred rimmed cartridges. (That is why the magazine is not flat across the bottom, to allow for the space taken by the rim.) But a muzzle brake from the US military M14 could probably be easily adapted for the SMLE. In the opening scene of the movie POST, the Americans are using M14s (mostly semiautomatic) and encounter the enemy equipped with AK47s, mostly full auto.

snailgate