A Discussion on the Reliability of Hunting Records

[Dr Panthera]

(11-04-2015, 11:46 PM)GuateGojira Wrote: I agree, the old records have a great value. Some modern scientists do not share the same idea on them (Yamaguchi and Karanth, among others), but they can't discard them because they also don't know how they were taken and they would be assuming things that do not happened.

Records like those of Brander, the Maharaha of Cooch Behar, Hewett, Hunter and Burton, among a few others, are highly reliable sources, very accurate, and has been well documented.

@Pckts, correct me if I am wrong, are this weighs the ones that you quote?
1. Ustad - 240 kg.
2. Jai - 220 kg.
3. Sariska-1 (male) - 220 kg.
4. Gabbar - 185 kg.

Could you post the email about the weight of Jai? It will be used for the reference of the weight in the tables.

Most scientists will not accept hunting records for the following reasons:
1- Old records with varied methods that could not be verified, and are prone to individual errors.
2- The absence of peer- review or independent verification by a third party , a hunter could exaggerate the size of its trophy and who is there to verify? 
3-When royalty and nobility were members of the hunting party the records , the local ruler/governor/maharaja/chief attempted to please their guests by exaggerating the size of the animals they shot.
So yes scientists will have issues with records of 390. Kg tigers and 384 kg lions..these animals do not exist ..they would not be able to hunt...when the record is almost twice the known size of the animal it is definitely not likely to be true.
Having said that some hunting records are more reliable and can provide a general idea and guide lines when no scientific records exist, the tranqualization and collaring of animals and subsequent measurement taking is not without danger, some animals die of over dosing with the tranquilizer/ hypnotic medication, others of hypothermia or hyperthermia, one tiger even drowned when was semi tranquillized so some governments banned that practice or restricted it ( India ) .
I have seen Ngorongoro crater lions with my own eyes and have seen videos of Assam tigers and both are massive but sadly no records or few records mean that nothing becomes a scientifically accepted fact before it is measured, demonstrated, proven, and reviewed. Reply