Called in a mountain lion....

bubbagodkin · #1 03-26-2011, 09:25 AM

Hi Guys,

So I went out to a quarter here in central alberta canada... It is some really nice land and the river runs through it. they have two small walking bridges that cross this small river. so I set up on the first one and put my foxpro out east of me and start playing coyote pup screams. After about 2 mins a beatiful coyote is coming in hard on the frozen river so bam drop him in his tracks with my robinson arms xcr .223 (my first kill with it). I then went down to check out my yote, I decided that I could prob do another set up so I start walking on some quad trails and notice what I assume to be a day old cougar track. We have had alot of snow lately in the past few days. So I decided to walk back to my truck and grab my iphone to take a pic of it, to show my dad and bro. So I come back to the second bridge (about 200 yards farther up the river then the first one I used). I put the fox pro out about 50 yards in front of me and I sit butt down on the bridge and use the railings on the bridge as a rest it is really steady. I start playing coyote pup screams on the foxpro and go with that for about 2 mins. I then start thinkin what the heck and goto the cougar sounds, I play the cougar whistle twice. I then play the cougar in heat twice.... I catch a fat head bob out of the trees and staring right at me about 100 yards through a alley in the spruce. He didnt move the entire time he watched me and all I could see was his head/neck.. But what a fat head on these cougars..I sat there looking at him down the tube of my robinson xcr knowing that I could have dropped him in his tracks... But knowing that the season was already over for a month... so I shut off the foxpro the entire time I was watching him... and after a few minutes he slinked off.... I am guessing that this animal was in the 100 to 120lb range and I have enclosed one of the tracks that I took a pic of with my iphone. the cartridge in the pic is a .223 rem that measures 2.15". for all you experts what size do you think this cougar was?????? i tried to take a pic of the cougar with my phone upto my scope but that didnt work....

IR_mike · #2 03-26-2011, 09:34 AM

I believe if you are on private land which is yours or that you have access to the season never closes.

It would be a lot easier to guess the weight with a dead cat and a scale then a pic of the paw print.

bubbagodkin · #3 03-26-2011, 09:45 AM

It was not my land but I have permission to hunt there... There are no livestock on the quarter as well... so it is my understanding that it would not be legal to harvest the animal?

Lefty-Canuck · #4 03-26-2011, 09:46 AM

I am not sure about the rules surrounding hunting cougars (never gone after them before) but I think they are all on a quota status. Meaning you need to call in and find out if a quota is met before going after them. Also with the description of where you were if it was in the parkland zones (200 series) only zone 216 has a cougar season.

Lefty

bubbagodkin · #5 03-26-2011, 09:48 AM

well there is a season in the area but it is over.. it was in the 300 series...

benny · #6 03-26-2011, 09:56 AM

thanks for posting this man!
I know this place Bubba is talking about as he took me there for deer hunting. It seems like a perfect place for a cougar, no doubt.

IR_mike · #7 03-26-2011, 10:07 AM

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/hun...ason-wmus.html

Cougar
Any person who is the owner or occupant of privately owned land may at any time of the year, hunt (but not trap) cougar on such lands, without a licence. Hunting with dogs is prohibited under this authority. Under this authority, registration is required within one week of the kill and the skin and skull or the intact carcass must be turned in to a Fish and Wildlife District office to be retained by the Crown.

I guess I was wrong, you must be the owner or occupant.
My bad.

bubbagodkin · #8 03-26-2011, 10:10 AM

ah no worries better safe than sorry... It was fun just knowing that i called him in and could have taken him.

ishootbambi · #9 03-26-2011, 10:17 AM

thats awesome! i cant wait until i can try that here in the south. bring on the new regs!

Speckle55 · #10 03-26-2011, 10:17 AM

I have tracked cougars a few times u sure thats a cougar track.. most times a cat track u don't see claws.. and also the lobe on a cat track should be distinct ie two lobes.. just checking? google ..cougar track compared to cainie.. food for thought

nice post though ...the love those cougars especially the ones in the bar;;

sheepguide · #11 03-26-2011, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

thats awesome! i cant wait until i can try that here in the south. bring on the new regs!

Yep a few changes are coming that will affect a few areas!

bubbagodkin · #12 03-26-2011, 10:26 AM

ya its a cougar track... I posted on another forum and it was noted that it is rare to see claws but all that posted agreed it was a cougar... ut upon seeing the other tracks it was more obvious that is was a cat track, this one was under a huge spruce so the snow wasnt as deep.

Speckle55 · #13 03-26-2011, 10:36 AM

K sorry ..nice post !!

Ken07AOVette · #14 03-26-2011, 10:39 AM

I have no interest in shooting one, but you have to surrender the skull and skin to the crown? Why?

sheepguide · #15 03-26-2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

I have no interest in shooting one, but you have to surrender the skull and skin to the crown? Why?

Landowners who shot cougars out of season or without a tag had to surrender the cat to the crown. That is supposed to change with the up coming Cougar Managment changes.
SG

roger · #16 03-26-2011, 03:18 PM

bubba here is my 12 foot encounter, in the same area too.
this one got arrowed 3 months later a few miles from were I seen it.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...rattled+cougar

my real comment is how many things actually come in to a predator call and we never see it.....makes your hair stand up on your neck.

bubbagodkin · #17 03-26-2011, 03:43 PM

I bet alot come to predator call and alot go unnoticed. I was very lucky to catch the movement of him... he remained so still and crept away so sneaky they truly are on a higher level on the predator scale.

bubbagodkin · #18 03-26-2011, 03:44 PM

It was interesting to note that he was called in only 15-20 mins after I fired my rifle on a coyote....

steve · #19 03-26-2011, 05:15 PM

Cool story. Looks like a small tom track.

bubbagodkin · #20 03-27-2011, 09:48 AM

sheep guide, what exactly are the proposed changes to the cougar management act?

sheepguide · #21 03-27-2011, 10:03 AM

A few I can remember are,

Closing of the hound season in 216(think thats the right zone)
Some new CMA,s in some 500WMU's
More aging on harvested cats.
Non hound(Boot or calling) season but only in areas that area currently not covered by a CMA.
Possibly some quota changes.
Land owners may be allowed to keep cats they harvested on their land.

Thats all I can remember off the top of my head. Hope I got them right.

SG

KBF · #22 03-27-2011, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbagodkin

ah no worries better safe than sorry... It was fun just knowing that i called him in and could have taken him.

That is real lucky that he came in from your front side and you knew he was there. Coming from backside might be a little different.

pickrel pat · #23 03-27-2011, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbf

that is real lucky that he came in from your front side and you knew he was there. Coming from backside might be a little different.

this .. . . . . . .

bubbagodkin · #24 03-27-2011, 03:00 PM

I was actually on a narrow bridge so my back was to the bridge which made me very steady and safe... I was wearing a full white coverall as well to decoy in.....

Nait Hadya · #25 03-28-2011, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbagodkin

nice wolf track...

pickrel pat · #26 03-28-2011, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nait Hadya

nice wolf track...

way to round for wolf, nice try.

houndsmen · #27 03-29-2011, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nait Hadya

nice wolf track...

Boy, you must be one hell of a lion hunter there Nait!

H380 · #28 03-29-2011, 12:16 PM

I called in a pair of cougars in 326 a couple years ago. Had a feeling I was being watched and when I finally spotted her all I could see was a pink nose and two very large yellow eyes at 6 steps . The big male did come in behind us to about 40 " and we had a hard time making them leave . Didn't call anywhere after that for quite awhile . They seemed to lose all fear once they had heard the fawn in distress call, even after we stood up . Hit the female with a rock and she wouldn't leave .

Nait Hadya · #29 03-29-2011, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbagodkin

Hi Guys,

So I went out to a quarter here in central alberta canada... It is some really nice land and the river runs through it. they have two small walking bridges that cross this small river. so I set up on the first one and put my foxpro out east of me and start playing coyote pup screams. After about 2 mins a beatiful coyote is coming in hard on the frozen river so bam drop him in his tracks with my robinson arms xcr .223 (my first kill with it). I then went down to check out my yote, I decided that I could prob do another set up so I start walking on some quad trails and notice what I assume to be a day old cougar track. We have had alot of snow lately in the past few days. So I decided to walk back to my truck and grab my iphone to take a pic of it, to show my dad and bro. So I come back to the second bridge (about 200 yards farther up the river then the first one I used). I put the fox pro out about 50 yards in front of me and I sit butt down on the bridge and use the railings on the bridge as a rest it is really steady. I start playing coyote pup screams on the foxpro and go with that for about 2 mins. I then start thinkin what the heck and goto the cougar sounds, I play the cougar whistle twice. I then play the cougar in heat twice.... I catch a fat head bob out of the trees and staring right at me about 100 yards through a alley in the spruce. He didnt move the entire time he watched me and all I could see was his head/neck.. But what a fat head on these cougars..I sat there looking at him down the tube of my robinson xcr knowing that I could have dropped him in his tracks... But knowing that the season was already over for a month... so I shut off the foxpro the entire time I was watching him... and after a few minutes he slinked off.... I am guessing that this animal was in the 100 to 120lb range and I have enclosed one of the tracks that I took a pic of with my iphone. the cartridge in the pic is a .223 rem that measures 2.15". for all you experts what size do you think this cougar was?????? i tried to take a pic of the cougar with my phone upto my scope but that didnt work....

started thinking what the heck,i'll just hunt out of season? though you did call with moderation

ishootbambi · #30 03-29-2011, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nait Hadya

started thinking what the heck,i'll just hunt out of season? though you did call with moderation

are you trying to deflect your incorrect call on the track nait? pretty well all of us have been wrong at least once before dude. no shame in admitting it.