Bear Creek Adventures
New member
Our snow here is getting pretty patchy so hunting conditions are marginal. My friend and his hunter had been hunting for three days and had run another cat, but could not catch it. I went out to give him a hand yesterday.
First thing in the morning, he found a fresh lion track that had come into the road, but he was unsure where the cat had left the road. After looking for about an hour he found where the lion had left the road and headed up the mountain. I came over into the canyon he was in and just as I drove up, he was releasing his hounds on the cat's trail. I waited about ten minutes and then threw my dogs onto the trail also.
The dogs went straight up the steepest slope they could find and soon were out of hearing. We got our backpacks on and headed up the mountain on foot. It took about an hour before we could again hear the dogs baying, and they were treed. It was an arduous climb, but hearing the dogs treeing up the slope from us kept us going. After about another hour we finally reached the tree to find a nice tom standing quietly on a branch glaring down at us. We took some pictures and were just tying back the dogs so the hunter could shoot, when the lion got nervous, began climibing down the tree and jumped from about 15 feet up. You should have heard the music the 8 hounds made as they ran that big tom down the hill! After running about 150 yards the tom again took refuge in a fir tree. We tied the dogs back and the hunter readied for the shot. This second tree made the shot a little more difficult, but the hunter made an excellent shot.
As the shot rang out, the lion jumped and grabbed the tree, then began climbing out. The lion jumped to the ground and ran about 100 yards before expiring.
As it was much too far to drag the lion out, we skinned him on the spot and carried the hide and head out in a backpack.
It was an exciting hunt and the dogs got some excellent work. Much of the trail was on dry ground and the dogs did a great dog in trailing.
One of the special things about this hunt was that my yougest son (10 years old) accompanied us. Although it was the second time he had seen a lion in a tree, it was the first time that he had been in on the entire hunt. He had a blast and I am sure he will be with me on many hunts in the future.
The lion is a nice mature tom weighing in the neigborhood of 160 pounds. He had a scar on his upper lip probably from fighting.
It was a special day!
Can you see the lion in the tree? How do you like the landscape? Our trucks are at the bottom of the canyon, just below the oak hillside.
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"The worst advice you can give a person with a sour attitude is to be himself"
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by Bear Creek Adventures (edited 01-22-2001).]
First thing in the morning, he found a fresh lion track that had come into the road, but he was unsure where the cat had left the road. After looking for about an hour he found where the lion had left the road and headed up the mountain. I came over into the canyon he was in and just as I drove up, he was releasing his hounds on the cat's trail. I waited about ten minutes and then threw my dogs onto the trail also.
The dogs went straight up the steepest slope they could find and soon were out of hearing. We got our backpacks on and headed up the mountain on foot. It took about an hour before we could again hear the dogs baying, and they were treed. It was an arduous climb, but hearing the dogs treeing up the slope from us kept us going. After about another hour we finally reached the tree to find a nice tom standing quietly on a branch glaring down at us. We took some pictures and were just tying back the dogs so the hunter could shoot, when the lion got nervous, began climibing down the tree and jumped from about 15 feet up. You should have heard the music the 8 hounds made as they ran that big tom down the hill! After running about 150 yards the tom again took refuge in a fir tree. We tied the dogs back and the hunter readied for the shot. This second tree made the shot a little more difficult, but the hunter made an excellent shot.
As the shot rang out, the lion jumped and grabbed the tree, then began climbing out. The lion jumped to the ground and ran about 100 yards before expiring.
As it was much too far to drag the lion out, we skinned him on the spot and carried the hide and head out in a backpack.
It was an exciting hunt and the dogs got some excellent work. Much of the trail was on dry ground and the dogs did a great dog in trailing.
One of the special things about this hunt was that my yougest son (10 years old) accompanied us. Although it was the second time he had seen a lion in a tree, it was the first time that he had been in on the entire hunt. He had a blast and I am sure he will be with me on many hunts in the future.
The lion is a nice mature tom weighing in the neigborhood of 160 pounds. He had a scar on his upper lip probably from fighting.
It was a special day!
Can you see the lion in the tree? How do you like the landscape? Our trucks are at the bottom of the canyon, just below the oak hillside.
------------------
"The worst advice you can give a person with a sour attitude is to be himself"
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by Bear Creek Adventures (edited 01-22-2001).]
