Another Cougar Story!

[rainshadow1]

Ok, ok, I'll save you the scrolling, I didn't put it on the ground.   


Lemme rewind to Sunday... I saw a fellow Lion Hunter friend at church. I said, "Hey, weather looks great for Tuesday, wanna go?" He hemmed and hawed about it, said he'd see about it. He never called.

Cost him a lion



Well, I guess anything can happen....



No, it cost him a lion!



Well, you be the judge....



I went as high as I could go today, LOTS of Bobcat tracks. They were frolicking in the pre-dawn this AM! But no lion.

I got to where I was dragging bottom in the snow with chains on the front, riding on about 8" of crust, in 5" ruts. I figured if I started breaking through I'd be up there all day shoveling. So I turned back. Got quite high, but still had 3 or 4 miles to go. LOTS of snow.

Anyway, stopped for two quick bobcat stands on the way back out. Hadn't got to where I had seen the most tracks yet. Nothing.

I cut some bigger tracks and stopped, they were a small lion. I wasn't sure if I'd missed them in the morning or if they were new. It had been about 3 hours.

I came to a side road that I KNOW didn't have any tracks in it this morning. They ran up the road!

I drove them for about 1/4 mile and found this...


The Lion had sat down on his haunches, pawed a couple times, and watched the road. Then wheeled around and followed his tracks back down the road.

This was an uphill side road. I followed back down and hit the main line. The cat had walked the ditch for about 50 yards, then crossed and went downhill of the main line. This was a little lower elevation, so let me tell you, it was THICK!

I went a little further and got on another side road that went down. I drove it for about 300yds and the lion had come out onto that road for a little ways and then headed up a brushy timbered ridge.

I drove the road all the way around the ridge, no tracks. So I stopped and headed up that side to the top. Super thick, I got literally stuck a few times in the undergrowth. There were 12 foot tall Rhodys, impenetrable salal brush, and the typical dark timber underjunk.

On top there was some opening. Very small, but some. I could see about 50 yards from uphill to downhill on the crown of the ridge. Still thick, but low brush and many shooting lanes thru the timber. I figured I'd try it.

I set up on the uphill side of the opening and set the call about 10 yards up from the downhill scrub. I would have set up off to the side, but there was almost no visibility until I got about 10 yards from the call, so I decided to go uphill of the call and just get slightly to one side of the crown of the ridge.

Big Mistake.

I was alone, as usual, so that meant most of my 360 was unobserved.

(If my friend had come with me we would have set up different, and had almost the whole 360 covered.)

I started the call. Distress for about 1 minute, then my favorite vocal (the one I did the CD on) for about 10 minutes. Then another vocal for about 3 minutes, then back to my favorite vocal again.

The Lion sounded off RIGHT BEHIND ME!!! I mean, CLOSE!

I was right up against some very thick stuff, so I didn't have much of a view. Probably 3 shooting lanes on my 6 for MAYBE 40 yards. MAYBE!

My heart's pounding out of my chest again!

I saw nothing behind me, so I slowly and carefully got the gun pointing behind me and kept watching. Nothing.

I sat like that for about 10 minutes, the re-oriented back towards the call...  VERY NERVOUS!!! I kept calling, changing sounds, some silences, heart still pounding.... Nothing. For about another hour.

I finally gave it up.

I got up and snuck back behind me...

This is a close up of the track, the little red twig goes diagonally thru it.

44 VERY SHORT steps!!! Probably 70 feet!!! It had come in, then right where it could see little bits of the opening it veered off and went down and around. It went around my front, but down deep in the scrub. I never saw it or heard it again.

It must have seen me. I stood in its tracks, and danged if I could see my spot, but these cats are SHARP! It must have known something was up.

So, anyway, I've got the same adreanlin headache as a couple weeks ago, but nothing to show for it!

Fun Fun!!!

[keekee]

Wow! Close for sure! Good story.


Brent

[FinsnFur]

POSSUM!  :roflmao:

No I'm kidding. I think I need to find my way out there I'm lovin your write ups here on these cat encounters. Thanks a ton 

[cb223]

WOW that really sounds like a rush! Maybe one day.

[rainshadow1]

You know... when you're in real good coyote country... I have to travel, but I've done it a couple times... and you're getting real good call-in percentages, and you get busted on a stand, you're like, "Dang. Oh well, that was fun!" ???

Well, this ain't like that!

I've been doing really good for only getting out about once per week. But even with getting onto cats consistently, it's kind of a bummer later, when the rush wears off Think about it... I just blew a stand on a Mountain Lion! It's.... welll...... Motivating! I want to earn that one back! 

[HaMeR]

A lion called to within 25yds is still exciting & an accomplishment I think. Congrats on that part of it & just keep trying. You're gonna score!! It's just a matter of time now is all.   


And if I lived closer you would have a new hunting partner!! 

[vvarmitr]

And if I lived closer you would have a new hunting partner!! 

Get in line bucko!

Wow, what a hunt! :shck:  I got shivers down my spine reading that!

What the heck is the matter w/ people out there that they won't go on a lion hunt?

BTW Do you carry a pistol w/ you too?

[rainshadow1]

This country is so thick that you really have to adjust your brain. That's hard for lots of guys to do. I have friends around here who travel east to hunt every year because the just don't want to hunt the thick.

I usually carry a pistol, but I didn't on this hunt. Don't know why. The theory is that if I had the pistol, I could have left the rifle on the sticks, taken the pistol from my lap with my right hand, and let the Lion walk out from behind my right ear before raising it and popping him at 4 feet.... You could have sat still for that, Right?!?!?!

[vvarmitr]

You could have sat still for that, Right?!?!?!

Yeah, but it wouldn't smell pretty.  :roflmao:

[possumal]

That is a bit too close to suit me. I remember Gerry Blair talking about Larry Gates having a cougar jump across his shoulder on a stand, and he went back in another time and killed him.  I believe that lion hunting is tailor made for two guys!

[rainshadow1]

Couldn't agree more, Al. That being said, I'll probably spend most of my time solo for the next few years. My primary huntin' buddy is gonna hit the big OH - 4 in May! I'll take him Coyote hunting, but not Cougar hunting. Too much like a decoy!