Lion on my cam

[Griggs]

I've been trying to get this lion for two years now. I don't use hounds, but this lion has been really local, not going very far. Lots of deer and elk sign in the area, had it jump out of a tree about 20 yards in front of me nd run off one time. Another time it jumped out of a tree about 30 yards away and took off. Both times I never knew it was there until it was moving, and both times I was tracking elk.

So I was checking my trail cam a while back, and got a pretty clear shot, and then I spliced the image for a size reference. Yes I understand the range to camera differences, approximately 6 feet. Looks to be a decent size...

 

[fishing4sanity]

Good luck with your cougar, I'm hoping we see a grip-n-grin photo soon. I've never hunted cougar before, but maybe predator calling would get you a shot?

 

[Griggs]

I have only come across sign and sightings when I was hunting elk or deer, never predator called, but I will be starting soon. Perhaps next month.

 

[PA deer hunter]

Hope you find him, definitely on my bucket list,

 

[LCH]

Nice cam catch!

 

[noharleyyet]

Cool pic...that'n'd be tough to choke out.

 

[NYSKIER]

Awesome pic I hope the next one we see is the grip and grin mentioned above

 

[Rzrbck918]

Beautiful Cat! Good luck.

 

[bobbydean]

I would not have a clue how to hunt cougar. Buy a tag if they are in your area, and hope!

I have never seen one hunting.

 

[JLS]

That's a big cat. Look at the size of the hip in relation to the rest of the body.

 

[JLS]

For reference, this is a yearling. See the barring on the legs? Also look at the size of the head in relation to size of the hip.

 

[----]

That's really cool, hope you catch up to it.

I haven't been able to get to my cameras for a couple months now, but when I was able to check one in January I had quite a few lion shots. All on separate days, I'm not sure how many different lions.These are screenshots of video, which is why the quality is so low. Still trying to figure out the new photo upload tool. Last shot is a wolf.

 

[Griggs]

For reference, this is a yearling. See the barring on the legs? Also look at the size of the head in relation to size of the hip.

I had no idea how to gauge the lion aside from size comparison, very interesting. I have a ton to learn about hunting lions, I found its very fresh kill many years ago, a deer partially buried under a tree, but I didn't realize what it was at the time, or that it would come back. Hindsight is 20/20.

I took a picture of its paw print after it jumped out of the tree near me the first time. That was crazy, never knew it was there, didn't even hear it move, only happened to see it. I told my brother who was 5 feet behind me, and he didn't believe me until I got the picture on the camera.

 

[IEATELK]

Try to call it in.. get out the fox pro!

 

[Griggs]

Try to call it in.. get out the fox pro!

Had to google what that was, ha. I'm very new to lion hunting, so I'm trying to cram it all in my brain and then split my time between OTC elk and lion this year. But don't lions have a fairly large area they roam? Although I have seen it twice, and found a fresh kill, all within 1 mile over the course of a few years...

Guess it doesn't hurt to set out the fox pro and sit there and wait.

 

[hansontyrel]

Awesome photos everyone! I'd like to shoot a big cat one day!

 

[kansasdad]

Guess it doesn't hurt to set out the fox pro and sit there and wait.

Watch your "six" as you do that! Sneaky is a lion's middle name.

 

[Cogreeny]

Late winter is a good time to use a female in heat call if you think it’s a Tom looks to me it’s a nice size female looking at the head but doesn’t hurt to try. I’ve had them come in behind me while calling bobcat depressingly close and never knew they were there until I stood up to leave and saw tracks in the snow. We harvest a few toms a year with our dogs we let the females down. Good luck it can be done.

 

[mtmander]

at least you know you have cats in the area , much easier to hunt a animal that is in the area you are hunting

 

[IEATELK]

Had to google what that was, ha. I'm very new to lion hunting, so I'm trying to cram it all in my brain and then split my time between OTC elk and lion this year. But don't lions have a fairly large area they roam? Although I have seen it twice, and found a fresh kill, all within 1 mile over the course of a few years...

Guess it doesn't hurt to set out the fox pro and sit there and wait.

We call cats in ND.. they can be pretty damn sneaky. My buddy shot one at 80 yards and it snuck in that close while he was on a high vantage point, able to see everything. They have rather large home areas but usually will make a loop and come back through the same place or close to it, every few days. Very territorial.. been apart of alot of hunts. Killed my first cat this year in Nevada in january. It was fun and a bucket-lister for sure.