Hunting & Fishing Mountain Lion advice

[superde]

Going on my annual West Texas hunting trip in a couple of weeks. There are lots of signs of Mountain lions in the area we hunt (although I know they travel long distances). I don't have any dogs, and there is usually not any snow to track them. What advice can you guys give me to help me bag one - as unlikely as it will be LOL. We shot a javelina last year that a mountain lion turned inside out. I found the gut pile, and spent the next 30 minutes trying to find where the rest of the carcass went over the arid terrain. This is a Mule deer hunt, but i've already filled my freezer with the Elk I shot a month ago. I've shot Mule deer, Aoudad, and Javelina on this trip. I'm trying to complete the quad-fecta.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

Mountain lions travel like no other animal. Nothing for them to travel a hundrel miles or more. When I was younger, back in 1970 or so, I hunted coon with dogs. I put them on some fresh tracks and trailed the cat for two days and never got close.

Mountain lions unless you go out with a professional guide is iffy. There are a lot around here but you're more then likely to see one by accident then hunting them. I just buy a $20 licence every year and if I see one I'll shoot it, if not, I wasted $20. No big deal, but at my age I'm not about to go out and try to run one down.

 

[3hundredWM]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

Move to Boulder, Co...you can bag one in your back yard..lol. Mountain lions are not easy to track. And unfortunately, like the old proverb says...they see you before you see them. Dogs are the best way to hunt them. I have heard some hunters here in CO say they have been able to call them in with a fawn call. Good luck to you.

 

[rszkutak]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

The only time i have actually seen a mountain lion here in AZ is either if we accidentally corner it in a mine shaft or something, or were watching a water hole from about 800-1000 yards out and it went to drink.

I've been hunting years here in AZ, and only seen 2, both times I didn't have a tag so I didn't shoot. I contemplated taking the shot on the Lion drinking at the water hole, but it was about 900 yards out with a .308 under heavy winds coming directly to me.

My advice is keep your eyes peeled for tracks, and mine shaft's / caves. From what I know of them here in AZ, they do like hiding in those area's during the peak of daylight.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

All you need to do is pedal through the bush on a bicycle...LOL! No seriously, I've seen their tracks often, but never the real deal. My suggestion would be to use NVG's in an area where you've got a water source....but then again, I've never killed a lion.

 

[fireguyty]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kraigWY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Mountain lions travel like no other animal. Nothing for them to travel a hundrel miles or more. When I was younger, back in 1970 or so, I hunted coon with dogs. I put them on some fresh tracks and trailed the cat for two days and never got close.

Mountain lions unless you go out with a professional guide is iffy. There are a lot around here but you're more then likely to see one by accident then hunting them. I just buy a $20 licence every year and if I see one I'll shoot it, if not, I wasted $20. No big deal, but at my age I'm not about to go out and try to run one down.</div></div>

What he said.

We have em thick here in Nevada. After the "environmentalists" decided to protect them from us wicked hunters. Their numbers blew up and they killed most of the mulies off, and then some got into the cattle. The ones that didn't starved to death. All the sudden the "environmentalists" did a study that said that they need to be controlled by hunting, and now we can buy as many tags over counter as you want. 10 years later and the Mule deer herds still haven't recovered. Their ignorance is amazing.

Even with all that going on you are hard pressed to ever see one in your lifetime in the day with out a knowledgable guide and good dogs. My father is 68 years old, has hunted for 4-6 months out of the year for his whole life and he has only seen 2 in the day light.

We have been spotlighting and calling coyotes (legal in some parts of NV) and have lit what we believe to be a lion up a couple of times, but they give you a glance and then are gone. No interest in the call, light, nothing...just gone.

It may be different in TX, good luck. Any day out side hunting is 20X better than working.

Ty

 

[signal211]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

Take bait is all I can think of. If you can get a pig or something here in Bryan freeze the bait and take some with you. I have seen chickens work for bobcat. Dont know how diffrent that would be. Use fresh live chickens and bleed them out at your spot. Or check with some commerical version of attractent.

 

[gonzaga]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

I called one while using a deer distress sound. He showed up at about the 20 minute mark. Like others have said, once they see you, they will be gone. It can be done and has been done, get yourself hidden real good and minimize your movement. If using an electronic caller is legal, use that.

Good luck.

 

[dirty_drew]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

Been fortunate to see one in Iowa of all places when we were rafting down our local creek. Got pictures of prints. Dnr still denies they are here though.

 

[superde]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

We found what looked to be an abandoned den last year. Lots of trails leading in, with an area of bones and turds. Staked it out for an evening from a hill top about 300 yards away, but saw nothing.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: signal211</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Take bait is all I can think of. If you can get a pig or something here in Bryan freeze the bait and take some with you. I have seen chickens work for bobcat. Dont know how diffrent that would be. Use fresh live chickens and bleed them out at your spot. Or check with some commerical version of attractent. </div></div>

I thought about bringing bait, or shooting a Javelina, but wasn't sure if it would work or not.

 

[jakel]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

ive called in about 12 in california. in areas where they are a possibility(damn near everywhere except the desert regions)i always get positioned to call with my rear protected. at least a tree, but bigger rocks or a cliff or bank is preferred. ive found that using a decoy/remote electric call is the most effective. as long youre still, they are so focused on the decoy that never see me.

 

[jakel]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

well, at least the ones that i have seen first havent seen me. there are so many of them in ca, im sure there have been plenty that have seen me first that i stayed unaware of.

 

[jakel]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

also, my best luck has been with doe, fawn, and piglet distress calls. 1 also came to a bobcat in heat.

 

[xs hedspace]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

I saw a coyote scent advertised in a spray can, called "Gutpile". Might work on cats. Or you could spray it into the heater vents of a guy you rally hate...... NY DEC claims there are no Mt. Lions here in NY. So I told a warden if I see one, I'll shoot it, because it really doesn't exist, right? Ohh, nooo. Another claim of the DEC is that they're escaped exotic pets...right. So we're allowed to shoot feral house cats, too, so its dead meat either way around my house, dammit!

 

[hrwilliams22]

Re: Mountain Lion advice

I saw one about a month ago on my place, but of course I didn't have a f-ing rifle... I know some guys in west tx. though that hunt with dogs on horseback, and that only works if they know a cat is nearby. But I've baited a couple before and you just buy a frozen turkey from the store, let it partially defrost, run a rope through it and hang it from a tree so it's at least 6-7 ft off the ground and the same distance from the branch above. If the bait has been torn up at all, you know a cat is in the area b/c thats pretty much the only thing that can get to it. Then you scent protect yourself real well and sit and wait I guess. I've also staked out a kid goat and when he gets to bleating, that's a perfect cat call. But there's a lot of country to cover in W Tx., so good luck and I hope you get one