Chasing cats without hounds
cougar
Hello all. Frequent the Leatherwall often but figured this would hit more ears. Im wondering if any of you have heard of, or have personal experience chasing cats without dogs. Its another thing on the bucket list and want to diversify my options. I'm less interested in anecdotal happenings and more interested in those who specifically pursue. Don't care about hounds. I'm interested in a harder challenge with the trad bow.
I got a call from Rain Shadow and learning certain calls. (FYI no electronics in MT). Any of you notice one call better than the other.
Also heard of strictly running the cat down yourself. I had a fellow who tans my hides tell me of a guy who chased them down and treed them. He said they only run when chasing or chased. When you see them start to bound, turn on the heat and make noise. Seems like a good opportunity with all the tracks I cut in the mountains.
This has to be a first... please wear a go pro on your head. Good luck with the harder challenge. Ed F
Make sure you wear a gps collar....
So I have actually treed a cat on accident. I cut a track on the road and before I wanted to turn the dogs out I walked it for about 200 yards. Before I knew it I jumped one in front of me. If I had to put money on it, I’d bet I couldn’t do that again. What you could do is find a fresh set of tracks and follow it. Once you hit a bowl or a drain that the cat may be in throw out some calls and see what happens. Wish I had a guaranteed formula!
This sounds like a really, really fun challenge. I'd be all about this if there were lions where I live.
Larry Hatfield says he calls them in pretty routinely with cow calls... and a partner to watch his 6:00....
I've tried it. The lion had way more endurance than I did. If you find one with a full belly from a fresh kill you might get lucky. My money is on the lion. :)
I'm going in a few weeks with a fellow bowsiter (that title means nothing, i'd fly to Honduras to bail this guy out of jail) and I can't wait for the chase with dogs...
As stated above, if you have the winning formula without... wear a go-pro.
That's a pretty ambitious goal. Do you sprint marathons?
I have killed three cougars in the last four years with my bow. All were by chance encounters while deer or elk hunting. One came to a doe bleat (primos can), one came to a cow call, and another saw my elk I arrowed and thought would be an easy meal. I do go out and set up for them. Spend many days in the off season trying to cull some cats out of my hunting areas with no luck. If you have snow I would get on some fresh tracks get close and do some calling. I have head of Rainshadow before and think he would be the best resource for sounds. Good luck
Thanks for the replies. I know its a long shot, but maybe I'll have a story of my own. I've been close to cats in the wild and I know I can do it again, just trying o up the very small odds.
Traditional Bowhunter magazine had an article about 10 years ago of this succesfully done in Colorado. I believe his name was Gary Renfro. I suspect a call to the magazine would surface a copy of the article.
I've called in 2 of them to very close range, once when elk hunting, and once when turkey hunting.
This picture was taken from about 8 feet.
I called one in to 5 yards in Colorado this year...by accident. Was cow calling at dusk and he came in from my right, completely silent. He ended up right in front of me so I yelled and waved my arms and it bolted.
Shook me up for quite awhile, it was the first lion I've ever seen. I got on my bike and booked outta there in record time.
I have tracked them in snow hoping to find them but never got close enough while hunting to see them. They have tracked me in snow too - found their tracks inside of mine when I circled back to my tracks. I did walk up on a mother with two yearlings and a YOY drinking from a creek one spring while shed hunting, and they were only 25 yds away before bolting in every direction. I have found several kill burial sites, with fresh tracks around them. More so in Oregon and WA, and a few sets of tracks found in MT. You mentioned running them down - that is where the long shot comes in. You can call them in or sneak up on them tracking in snow probably much easier that trying to tree them on foot. Ya gotta be in some seriously good physical condition to run a cat on foot.
On foot without calling....good luck. I've only seen 4-5 cats in the wild without calling in over 30 years of tromping around.
Calling works....Foxpro baby hog squeals....or blacktail in distress works here in Ca.....[from what I hear- wink] You will have to shoot your way through a bunch of Coyotes though....an added bonus!
Step 1: don't buy a lion tag. Step 2: call or hike randomly and you'll see a lion LOL.
Buddy was calling elk last season and called a lion that wouldn't leave him alone. He was paranoid about shooting it because it wasn't actually attacking him, but it followed him for 20-min hissing and stalking about 20-yards away. I always buy a lion tag "just in case".
I buy my tag every year. Never know when the opportunity will present itself. Ive seen enough in the woods and came super close one year.
I was walking along the blackfoot looking for a doe in the evening. I made my way pretty far and decided I'd hunt my last minutes while walking back. On the way I heard a rustle in the brush. It sounded like a grouse but I pulled a broadhead out for some reason. I poked my head around the doug fir patch and out popped a lion. I could have smacked it on the tail with my longbow. It ran but not how the usually escape. This one playfully jaunted off. He stopped at 60ish and I needed to close the distance. I crept up on him and got to about 30. He lopped off again to my left. I went to the spot looking for him. Thee he was crouched at 20. Just as I started to draw he left up and ran off again. I was certain if there was snow I would have had that one.
Anyway, I'm willing to try. Plus when Im trapping I'm on skis which might help cover the distance. Going to have the bow in hand then. Thanks for the contributions. Generally it seems ill have to find out for myself.
