2years now, lion-2, me-0

snafu · March 08, 2015, 05:10:31 PM

I had better expectations for this Winter. Than I did in the previous one. Especially with all of the sightings that occurred. Which of course happened w/o snow cover. 2 early shallow snows that didn't last. Then finally 2 good snows, one in Jan & one in Feb. Of course sickness hit me right bout then. As well as all of the high winds, then the freezing & melting. Damn murphy & the crows

No matter, I await next years snow cover. It isn't over

FinsnFur · March 08, 2015, 07:05:10 PM

Its far from overrrr

Carolina Coyote · March 09, 2015, 07:07:33 AM

The lion would be a Trophy for sure and with your dedication I think you will eventually will tag him, I have been following your pursuit and enjoyed your comments. I'm pulling for you. You know I like for the Crows to come in and start making a fuss, I may be wrong but my thinking is they help to bring in the prey, The fact they show up tells me the sounds are doing the job but their acute eyesight is incredible so concealment is very important and I'm sure you are well aware of that, just hope you get him figured out.

cc

JohnP · March 09, 2015, 11:53:02 AM

We live in prime mountain lion country and have seen my fair share of them. I have seen most when I was not looking for them but scouting/hunting for deer or other big game. If I was to go out looking for a lion I would do one of two things, find a well used game trail and set up off of it or find a fresh kill an set up off of it.

snafu · March 10, 2015, 11:05:19 PM

I tell ya I've read pretty much all there is about lions/radio collared lion, lion this, lion that. Even talked to a lion hunter from the SouWest. This animal is an enigma to me. No rhythm or reason as to their travel behaviors. There is NO patterning to them. I'm in over my head & I know it. Being an experienced coyote hunter don't cut it. When it comes to figuring out where a resident lion may be. I've gathered info about the sightings for the last 8yrs. Et started actively pursuing one since 2 Winters ago(including this last Winter). Still with all my info gathered & my own observations. It all doesn't amount to jack squat.

However, I do not plan to ever quit until I hunt/kill one. I'll have the last laugh on that one. Then I'm going to kill crows, kill them twice.

Lion hunting, a humbling experience for sure.

Okanagan · March 10, 2015, 11:36:34 PM

Quote from: Carolina Coyote on March 09, 2015, 07:07:33 AM
... I have been following your pursuit and enjoyed your comments. I'm pulling for you. You know I like for the Crows to come in and start making a fuss, I may be wrong but my thinking is they help to bring in the prey, The fact they show up tells me the sounds are doing the job but their acute eyesight is incredible so concealment is very important and I'm sure you are well aware of that, just hope you get him figured out. cc

Ditto to all of the above.

Re crows: I have had crows dive bomb a lion and tip me off that he is approaching the call or lying nearby spying on me.

I hear you on the snow. For yet another season, we haven't had a good tracking snow in my nearby lion country all winter.

Am thinking of doing some cold calling without tracks or lion sign this week. That is mostly a way to add empty calling stands and lower my success ratio -- yet OTOH you don't call a lion for sure if you don't try! And by now I know a few basins etc. that are better odds than purely random, like maybe one chance in 25 rather than one chance in 250.

snafu · March 19, 2015, 10:38:16 PM

My wife works evenings. The town she works in is 13 miles from where we live in a smaller town. Well 5 or 6? nights ago. She was 2.5 miles South from our town. She seen something on the far side road shoulder of the on-coming lane. She thought big A** bobcat, but when the cat turned broadside she seen the thick long tail. Lion briefly looked at her, then dropped down into the road ditch heading West bound.

She frantically called home. Told me what she had seen. As soon as she got home we took off. I drove the area & never seen a thing. This is her 2nd sighting in the last year along this highway.

Well the next day I tell the male clerk at the grocery store in our town of my wife's sighting. He then told me you need to talk to so & so. She seen a lion just West of here a few days ago. I have yet to talk to that woman.

No snow, no anything

snafu · March 19, 2015, 10:44:30 PM

That stretch of highway. This last Winter & the Winter prior. I covered that area all Winter day after day. Did that both Winters. Not one lousy track. I can't believe snow or no snow. Would play a part on where a resident lion travels or doesn't travel. Their travel behaviors is an enigma to me.

HaMeR · March 20, 2015, 07:19:05 AM

snafu-- After reading all of your posts I can't help but wonder.

Is it possible you are in a travel area for lions as opposed to a home range type of area for them? A co-worker has big bucks around his place right up until the pre-rut. Then they are no where to be found. My conclusion is that since there are very little woods around him,, hay & crop fields mostly,, they seek out the woodsy area for rubs & scrapes. Do you think you just have a travel corridor so to speak?

I'm sure being cats they can live right there without being huntable since they are so sneaky. Just a thought I had.

Dale · March 20, 2015, 12:39:54 PM

Glen... been following these postings also and have been having the same thoughts...

snafu · March 20, 2015, 01:23:44 PM

Glen & Dale, I've pondered that idea as well. But how can there be so many sightings in one yr? Year after year. It's not like my area is over run with lions. Trying to figure out what is what, is driving me sane. Most irritating hunt I've ever had. If I was a betting man. I would've thought surely this last Winter would be my hunt.

Maybe/ in regular lion areas. Their travel behaviors are more cut & dry? Like I mentioned previously I'm in over my head trying to figure them out.

I'm going on my 51st year hunting/observing predators. Even with my experience...None of it, amounts to jack squat.

JohnP · March 20, 2015, 03:10:36 PM

Start picking up your wife after work, maybe you'll see one on the ride home.

HaMeR · March 20, 2015, 03:16:29 PM

@ ^^^^!!

My thoughts are that you could be in a travel corridor maybe. I have no idea of the lay of the land or your surrounding areas so I just thought maybe I would throw this out for discussion & see if something might stick.

I don't doubt your abilities or experience at all. Maybe Lions are just a heckuva lot harder to hunt.

snafu · March 20, 2015, 03:28:47 PM

Quote from: JohnP on March 20, 2015, 03:10:36 PM
Start picking up your wife after work, maybe you'll see one on the ride home.

Haha! Well during harsh Winter weather I often do drive her to work. Last year we were about 2 miles out of the town she works in. Off to my left (on-coming road shoulder)up ahead. I seen 2 large yellow eyes. I locked onto them. They were still in the ditch weeds. The animal was considering? crossing the highway. As we drew nearer, it squatted down. I took that as a feline response. I shouted to my wife, I think that was a lion! I slowed to whip around & shine my lights into that ditch. But...she was so ticked about her shift. I didn't want to go through that headache twice. So I drove on. To this day I believe that was a lion.

snafu · March 20, 2015, 03:31:08 PM

Quote from: snafu on March 20, 2015, 03:28:47 PM
Quote from: JohnP on March 20, 2015, 03:10:36 PM
Start picking up your wife after work, maybe you'll see one on the ride home.

Haha! Well during harsh Winter weather I often do drive her to work. Last year we were about 2 miles out of the town she works in. Off to my left (on-coming road shoulder)up ahead. I seen 2 large yellow eyes. I locked onto them. They were still in the ditch weeds. The animal was considering? crossing the highway. As we drew nearer, it squatted down. I took that as a feline response. I shouted to my wife, I think that was a lion! I slowed to whip around & shine my lights into that ditch. But...she was so ticked about her shift. I didn't want to go through that headache twice. So I drove on. To this day I believe that was a lion.

Again...no snow on the ground.

Okanagan · March 20, 2015, 08:24:37 PM

snafu, as you know, you picked a hard mountain to climb.

We're rooting for you.

snafu · March 20, 2015, 09:36:16 PM

Quote from: Okanagan on March 20, 2015, 08:24:37 PM
snafu, as you know, you picked a hard mountain to climb.

We're rooting for you.

Thanks. (Epitaph) Remind me to never be a Mountain Lion guide.

snafu · March 20, 2015, 09:38:35 PM

I finally met & talked to the woman at the local grocery store. She seen a large Bobcat not a lion, like her co-worker told me. 2nd hand stories don't quit cut it at times

Dale · March 21, 2015, 06:37:45 PM

how large an area does a lion have for home range?... could it be they're only passing through from one hunting area to another every so often?...have you or anyone found a lion kill in your area?...

snafu · March 21, 2015, 08:18:33 PM

Quote from: Dale on March 21, 2015, 06:37:45 PM
how large an area does a lion have for home range?... could it be they're only passing through from one hunting area to another every so often?...have you or anyone found a lion kill in your area?...

Territory of a resident lion varies greatly from what I've read, Dale. Dependent upon things such as prey base, terrain, habitat, ect. I'm thinking the lions in my part of the state inhabit at least 3 counties. Each county being roughly 90 sq. miles.

Myself I have never seen a lion kill. However, a friend of ours stepson. He had a cow & newborn calf killed near the river last yr. Young cattle man is not the most social person. So I never got to see the kill, even though his Dad told him about me. 2yrs ago I was talking about lions with an old family friend. He told me a few yrs back. He & his friend happened upon one in some tall weeds. As they were making their way to the river to fish. Something just ahead of them in the weeds along a narrow trail. Growled at them. When they were almost upon the kill. They froze, then backed out quickly. Friend said it was a large cat, not a dog. Just so happens where they were at the time. Is within a mile. From where a crop/cattle farmer's farm is. 2yrs ago he lost a few calves. One of those calves weighed 80-90 or so lbs. Calves were taken out of a large fenced pasture. Gone...nothing of them were ever found. I told him, a good bet a lion took them.