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Posted by Okanagan (Member # 870) on March 15, 2009, 07:49 PM:
While calling with my son on Thursday, we called in a cougar that he shot. We set up in open old growth coastal forest on a spur ridge off a big mountain.
The cat showed up at the 2 1/2 minute mark. My son watched it for at least 30 seconds till it gave him a chance to raise the rifle. He shot it at 80 yards but it was coming in with such intensity, moving and pausing, that he was sure it would have come much closer. Our philosophy is to take the first shot the shooter knows he can make, at least if it is an animal we want pretty badly. Photo below is looking from the stand up the ridge to where the lion showed and was shot.
Minaska M1 with the larger speaker added for volume. I started with dueling fawns as my standard to make sure all is working well, then switched to the loudest sound I have, myself blowing a Weems Wild Call. At about 1 1/2 minute I switched to a cougar vocal I got from Rainshadow, juvenile.
We backtracked and the lion had started from a thicket several hundred yards above and around the mountain. It had approached with a swift stride while it contoured, then when it got to the spur ridge straight above, it began a running lope downhill. I think that is the point when the Rainshadow sound started. When it came into the edge of visibility, it switched to intermittent stops and crouching dashes closer.
Male, average size frame and tracks but very lean with little body fat and an empty stomach so lighter weight for its size. Scarred all over from fighting. It's mouth was scarred and had some fresh fighting cuts, and below shows a fresh healign scar on its chest.
Packing it down to the road.
[ March 15, 2009, 07:51 PM: Message edited by: Okanagan ]
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 15, 2009, 08:40 PM:
Great story and photos. Thanks for posting!
Good hunting. LB
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on March 16, 2009, 03:58 AM:
Congrets , very cool , thanks for the story.
if you get a chance can you list weight and and length ect.
Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on March 16, 2009, 04:51 AM:
Great Job !!! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
That's a beautiful cat !
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on March 16, 2009, 06:14 AM:
Nicely done and well told!
- DAA
Posted by Okanagan (Member # 870) on March 16, 2009, 07:50 AM:
The cat weighed 98 lbs. It's track was average cougar size, and its frame looked larger than it weighed. It was very lean, and until we skinned it we thought that it was almost emaciated with backbone and pelvis prominent, etc. but it had some fat in the belly area. It seemed healthy, just skinny and recovering from a fight with another cougar.
Its stomach was totally empty, and that plus very little body fat indicated a cat that could have weighed between 110 and 120 lbs with more normal amount of body fat and a few pounds of meat in its stomach.
We didn't think to measure the cat until we were starting to skin it and rigor had set in big time. I'm not quite sure how to measure a cougar anyway. At that point, from nose to tip of tail, straight and not over curves, it was either 6 foot six inches or 6'7" and I can't remember for sure.
Any advice on how to measure etc. appreciated.
[ March 16, 2009, 07:55 AM: Message edited by: Okanagan ]
Posted by sparkyibewlocal440 (Member # 397) on March 16, 2009, 08:46 PM:
Thanks for posting!
Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on March 22, 2009, 12:13 AM:
WOOO HOOO! Way to go guys!!!
Posted by Lone Howl (Member # 29) on March 24, 2009, 06:40 PM:
That is awsome!
Posted by RedRabbit (Member # 796) on May 02, 2009, 09:26 PM:
That still is a big cat big forearms, blocky head. Very Nice!!
I was out somewhere in my semi sleeper getting in my DOT 10 hrs rest and had a dream I was a visitor at a circus and was attacked by a cougar that was part of the show the dam thing jumped me from behind and latched onto my neck and collar bone it scared me shit less. I awoke on my side and my shoulder was numb from digging into the poor matress that is supplied by Peterbuilt. Its kinda funny what your mind comes up with to wake you up. I topped the mattress with memory foam and now I sleep good..
Posted by Okanagan (Member # 870) on May 06, 2009, 12:23 PM:
Redrabbit, what a dream! Or nightmare! I dreamed cougars for a few days after we got this one, mostly scheming about the next one. Do you see lots of game driving truck at night?
Posted by RedRabbit (Member # 796) on May 09, 2009, 09:42 PM:
Okanagan, I see more game during the day mostly deer and elk, but I'm always looking for coyotes and do see them mostly early in the mourning or at sunset. I've even seen a wolf and another driver seen the whole pack in that same area. He always keeps me posted of any predator sighting.
I've been actively plotting where the higher populations are and do talk with people who I deliver fertilizer and or other materials to, who live on very large farms in those areas and would be delighted I'd come out to take care of them.
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