Got my Cougar

[GilaMonster]

Originally posted by Moosie:
To me, Cold jsut makes it Smaller

OK, too much information Oscar!
I will say, when I was hunting Caribou in Quebec, I took a bath on one of those glacier formed lakes. Man, it was COLD!
She-it, I would bet money I had an innie instead of an outie after getting in that lake! LMAO

 

[supersider34]

Gila that is a great cat and the hunt sounds awesome to. I dont remember if you said what kinda of mount you where doing? When you go into the taxidermist can you ask him if he gets alot of cats in with there tails short? As I have talked to a few here and I have seen several with very short tails in my friends shop. I was told that some of the HH shoot them off. I dont know if its true or not but was just wondering if it happens down your way or not.
I sent your pics of your cat to my friend Shane who took one this week and then he got one also. He said it was a rush and a lifelong dream to get one. Way to go for both of you. Still waiting to go for one here. Haven't heard nothing with mine.
Congrats again.

 

[Ithaca 37]

Great cat! Do you wish you had shot him with something besides the .270?

 

[The Hedgehog]

Congrats on a super LION! That thing is a real whopper! That's a hell of a limb that thing is sitting on. Good thing you didn't have to climb up there and push him off it.

A good friend stopped by a few hours ago with the one he killed today. My guess is a 140# and a real nice mature tom. He killed his with a longbow. They called me this morning with 7 fresh tracks and 2 mature tom tracks, he killed one of the toms. I'm probably going out tomorrow with them. I took my 3yr old skiing today instead, which was a also blast.

Also, nothing wrong with blasting one with a .270. The hardest part about cat hunting is finding the cat, the right weather, and the time is usually takes to have all the things come together to catch a good one. In my opinion, when you are using dogs, it's about the hunt and the chase, not the shot or the weapon. When they are in a tree at 10 yards, what's the difference of using a 300 mag or a blowgun? Most lion hunters i know take a breakdown bow, and a handgun in case things get ugly.

I have the video these guys took this morning on my PC and I have never seen better cat-hunting footage anywhere. The cat jumped from the first tree, into a second, then out onto the ground and the dogs were biting at it's tail as it ran away. It treed again a few hundred yards away with another cat (female).

My friend made 3 perfect shots on it, which were all captured on tape, hunter bow, arrow in flight, and nailing the cat.

That's one thing I think can get into a guys blood.

Congrats again. I hope to get one someday in my lifetime like that.

 

[Delw]

Greeny since you have it on your pc how about uploading to the site, or send it to me I would love to see it.


Delw

 

[GilaMonster]

Originally posted by Ithaca 37:
Great cat! Do you wish you had shot him with something besides the .270?

No, why would I?
I was using 150g Nosler Partitions in it. The jackets are heavy enough as to not expand on a puddy-tat. I had a 27 cal. hole in one side and a .27 cal. hole out the other. If I had wanted to use something different, I would have. If I ever hunt for another one, I'll likely use a bow or muzzleloader, but I seldom take the chance on missing if it's the first animal I take of a given species. I took the .270 Win. and those particular loads on purpose. Worked exactly as I figured they would.

 

[Ithaca 37]

I was curious for two reasons. 1. Damage to the hide. I guess the partition took care of that. 2. Blowing the cat out of the tree. I know lion hunters who believe in using small calibers so the cat won't get blown out of the tree and come down fighting. The theory being that a large caliber and a misplaced shot can knock the cat out of the tree with a lot of life left in it and some dogs could get hurt if there's a fight or they have to chase the cat again.

I used to hunt with a guy who would only take a .22 revolver with him. He'd climb up into the tree real close to the cat and shoot it in the lungs. The cat would die still in the tree and then he'd push it out. He said that way no dogs ever got hurt.

 

[GilaMonster]

Well, first of all, using a 22 in New Mexico on a cougar would land you in the slammer. It's quite illegal for use on them. Secondly, I don't hunt small game at all, so I don't own a 22 and have no plans on ever owning one. I wouldn't have used it in any rate if I had one. The dogs were tied up away from the tree prior to the shot. Yea, the cat went ballistic at the shot. Clawing in the air as he lost his ballance and fell to the next limb. he then continued to go ballistic and fell to the ground, where he tried to gain his ballance and died immediately. There was nothing but mush where his lungs and heart used to be. He was as dead as dead could get. I could have shot him again, but no reason. The first shot was where it was supposed to be.
Another reason for using that little short barreled 27o is that I use it as a saddlegun. It is short and light. Easy to carry through any terrain. It is also the only rifle I own that I haven't spent a mint on, so taking it out in thesnow doesn't bother me as much as taking one of my custom rifles. Any of my other rifles are chambered for cartridges that would have destroyed the cape in any rate. Wayne offered me his little .223, but I declined. I am like nearly everyone else, I prefer to use my own weapons on hunts. Would I use the same cartridge and rifle on the same hunt again? Absolutley!

 

[mtnboy]

Right on! That's a great lookin' cat. I went out with a friend for the first time this year - it was quite an amazing experience. I have a new-found respect for cat hunters. What did it cost you?

 

[GilaMonster]

Wayne gets $2,500 for a hunt like this. He is one of the nicest young fellers I have ever met and gets results. It's so unique to watch the bond between him and his dogs. I;ve been around hundsmen who treated their dogs (well let's say less than kind). He isn't that way at all. The guy knows his stuff and has more energy than just about anyone I ever met (except Moosie of course).
Here's a link to his website. I added a link from my original post, but the link is black and looks like regular text, so here it is again.

http://www.wbguideservice.com/

Here's a direct link to the lion page. Hey, my picture is there. I'm a star!

http://www.wbguideservice.com/lion.html

 

[ELKCHSR]

That's a great looking cat...I had some couger backstrap a few months ago and it was really good...Did you get a chance to save any of the meat...Great "Harvest"LMAO!!!