Snow level down to 1000 feet, fabulous tracking, but my old man bones...

[Okanagan]

Weather report says snow may get down as low as 1000 feet elevation later today, while our normal everyday rain continues here 100 feet above sea level.  If the snow does not get too deep to drive, it should be superb to show cougar tracks on many logging roads.  I really should have gone out after a bobcat yesterday afternoon in a lull between rain storms, had time at the right time etc. but home was just too warm and cozy.  The young man in me is astounded.

Son and grandson want to go after a cougar in the morning, and invited me.  Sounds good.  Hope the snow stays.   

[pitw]

Good luck Oke.  Getting out will be about 87% of the fun.

[JohnP]

Okanagan said:   "but home was just too warm and cozy.  The young man in me is astounded." 

I know the feeling all to well.  The mind is willing but the body is not.  Our son from Phoenix came down over the holidays to visit.  He said he wanted to get out at least one day to do some calling.  Told him I would like to but just can't walk any distance anymore.  He said BS I can push you along in the wheelchair.  Needless to say we went out but without the wheelchair.  Called in and killed a coyote on the first stand - I said time to go home....

[Okanagan]

Update:  No snow at all up to 4,000 feet when my son, grandson and I went out.  The weather report missed it badly.  We cooked up a big campfire meal:  deer steaks , bacon, eggs and campfire toast.  Snow started falling but not sticking as we cooked, great time with the grandson home from college.  Did one cold calling stand targeting lion.  Nada.

With snow in the mtns the next day, I went solo.  It quit snowing about 10:00 AM and I hit it by 11:30.  Not enough time for critters to stir around and make tracks.  Nothing but gorgeous unbroken snow, no vehicle on any of those roads but mine, in broken clouds and sun.  Took an afternoon nap up high to give critters some time to move but only hit a couple of fresh deer on my second patrol and down out of the snow at dusk.  6 deer tracks plus 3 live deer the whole day, one
BIG bobcat track made not long before the snow stopped, and one dawn coyote track.  That was it for the entire day.  No cougar tracks. 

Yesterday my son and I considered going hunting as it got daylight but it was snowing heavily so we did not go.  With falling snow that heavy you have to hit a track within a half hour or less of when it was made to even see it.  You almost have to catch an animal in the road.  Low odds.  We didn't go.   Last night it snowed another 6 inches here at 151 feet elevation with dark blowing storm clouds covering all above 700 feet elevation, storming hard in the mountains.  My guess is that the snow is too deep to drive any of the roads we want to hunt.  We are watching the weather for a break.   

Yes, in my dotage I am picky about when to go hunting, wanting good conditions and good odds or I don't bother. 

[Okanagan]

FWIW, been out a couple of times solo.  On Friday, 3 days ago, found one odd set of cougar tracks with two inches of snow in them.  Not sure when it last snowed up there, in a foot of total snow, but suspected that the tracks were 12-18 hours old and may have more than two days old.

  The odd part was that the tracks crossed the logging road 7 or 8 times within 60 yards, most of those back and forth without leaving the road.  That usually means the cat is hanging around a kill just off the road.  At least it indicates that when the tracks show the cat has been around a few days I.e.:   3 day old tracks, 2 day old tracks, fresh today tracks, etc.  Hard to tell but these seemed all made at the same time.  I called, really liked my ambush set-up, but nothing but ravens came in.

Today the light dawned on me re those tracks.  I'm pretty sure it was a momma cougar with a grown size kitten or likely two.  She came on the road, walked down it a ways and left, while the energetic teen lions zig zagged from ditch to ditch sniffing stumps, etc.  I had never gotten out of my vehicle and really checked the tracks.  I had opened the vehicle door, looked at one line of tracks, then to avoid disturbing the area with my scent etc. I drove on 300 yards, walked back within 25 yards and set up to call.  With inches of snow in the tracks, I.D. was by size of depressions in the snow plus pattern and length of stride, etc.  Never saw a clean paw print.

Hurt my knee so bad walking in the snow that I considered sending an InReach text to my grandsons to come and rescue me.  Managed to get back to vehicle and could drive OK, just not walk. Considered crawling the 300 yds back to vehicle.  I suppose I  should not be up there alone, but...

[pitw]

[L] I know this don't fit on your thread Oke, but, wife was looking at her tablet this orning and said,"you may wanna see this".  Seems a neighbor had posted a trail cam pic of a mountain cat on a piece of land just North of my "New Land". 
It do suck losing mobility.

[FinsnFur]

No you shouldn't be up there alone even if your knees DONT hurt