Cougar hunt. bow or rifle?

[bearbait]

Just booked a couger hunt and still cant decide if i should bow or rifle hunt it. would like to bow hunt it but wanted to get the opinions of some of the guides here on it.. is there added risks to the dogs when taken by bow? do you guys have a prefrance one way or the other when taking out hunters?any feed back would be great!
Rob

[Nait Hadya]

not a guide, if the care is taken to tie the hounds back before the shot i don't see an issue. if they are not, it can go wrong in a hurry, bow or rifle. your outfitter should be able to accomodate your choice. the shot opportunities with the bow may be somewhat less than with a rifle,given angles,distance and awkward stances. good luck

[bowhunter9841]

Why not just take both? If you're chasing hounds you'll have lots of time to make up your mind! Once the Tom is treed you can figure out which would be a better choice! I would try my darndest for a bow kill, but it's always nice to have a back up plan! This is just my opinion, sorry! I'm not a guide either!

[buckbrushoutdoors]

bow is the only way to go! shots are super close its a great bow hunting trophy!

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted by buckbrushoutdoors

bow is the only way to go! shots are super close its a great bow hunting trophy!

I agree that bow is really cool to do it with. But shots aren't always close, sometimes they can be out right impossible. Shooting in tight spaces, through small opening at angles that some guys have never even practiced once.

I had to shoot at almost a 85 degree angle at mine, through a opening about the size of a soft ball at a Tom that was about 18 yards up..lets just say I drew down once and had my guide worried as heck. ( he had an archer make a bad shot the year previous that cost the guide almost losinng 2 dogs and the client had the cat shot by the guide to save the dogs).

I would practice shoting vertically through small opening if you can, before you go. I just tied a target to a rope and pulled it up a tree and practiced that way.(i don't live in the city)

[timba]

i would go bow

[gunslinger]

This hunt is super exciting , when you finally get the cat treed you could take it with a bow for sure, it takes alot of practice as sometimes the cats get up there 30-40 yards straight up.

I for one decided to take my cougar with my late granpas 300 savage gun, i wanted to take granps on one more hunt and this is the perfect hunt to do it on, For the second one i go on i will deffintly be taking it with the bow.

[cacty]

Bow, without question, if you are an experienced archer with some years behind ya.

[Honker1]

Bow is awesome but if you choose a rifle take something ulta-cool a old lever in a not so popular caliber would be my choice it's a different hunt why not choose a weapon that is different and unique

[bearbait]

think ill have to hang a target and start shooting into a tree and see how i do with that would be cool to to take it with my new carbon element but also just ordered a tikka sporter in a 6.5x55 so could be cool to take it with that as well..thanks for the ideas guys!!
rob

[steve]

The risks to dogs start when the cat is wounded and comes out of the tree. The dogs will bay it and fight it on the ground, thats when the vet bills can start.

Whatever weapon you feel confident with, there will be a back up gun at the tree.

The hanging target is a good idea. I put mine on a pulley, practice close and far from the base of the "tree".

Like Potty said, sometimes you really got to thread the needle. Sometimes its a basic 15yd up hill shot.

[Nait Hadya]

no worries. how do you think you could do with this angle? it's flat ground so you can't walk uphill to decrease the angle. talk about threading the needle....lol. i got an ole gun that don't shoot worth a dam and that piece of #*@! will never go to the woods with me, ever again. don't take grampas ole lever off the mantle and go hunting with it, unless it's a shooter. you may have to thread the needle with a bullet. either way, it's a great hunt.

[steve]

This would be another tricky one with a bow..