meadow mountain lion

[wytex]

Late last summer a mt lion showed up on trail cam for just a couple of pics in the hay meadows. Thought is was cool, but didn't think much of it, they move through on occasion.
Early fall the whitetails and elk disappeared from the trail cam , they usually move out of the meadows for fall anyway. After the deer season, not many deer at all in the meadows, none through early winter either.
After the bigger New Years snow tracks appeared, all around the horse pasture and hay meadows.
More tracks after each dusting, the cat was still around.
This week we jumped it , out of the creek and the spouse put it down. She was fat and a very healthy 2 yr old, not pregnant, 108 lbs. Had a full belly. We'll be looking for kills when the snow melts back some this spring.
Usually females get a pass but she made the meadows her territory and we sure didn't need a litter being raised there. The horses are old, out to pasture for the rest of their life so they wouldn't have been much of a challenge for her.
Skinned out and will be off to Moyle for tanning .
I believe it is cat #10 taken from this area, 12 is the quota.

 

[wyoboypt]

Nice work! Saved some deer and elk.

 

[Pagosa]

That’s awesome! Good shooting on your wife’s part

 

[el unit]

Nice work! That's a beauty.
A mountain lion killed a horse 2 years ago in our neighborhood.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

Great job!

 

[wytex]

That’s awesome! Good shooting on your wife’s part

He made a great shot , but the cat did stop and make it easy.

 

[kansasdad]

Was this an amazing case of serendipity and fast shooting, or were you intentionally seeking the mountain lion?

On a slightly different note, I’m hoping Wyoming law would allow for a rancher to use lethal force if a lion (bear, wolf, coyote) were attacking your livestock regardless of a unit quota?

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Great job, and very nice lion!

 

[Muleyfanatic]

Congrats! Good lookin cat.

 

[LCH]

That's really neat. I'm envious of where you live.

 

[MT_elk]

Congrats on a beautiful cat!

 

[sbhooper]

Beautiful cat!

 

[wyoboypt]

He made a great shot , but the cat did stop and make it easy.

Ok so who shot it?

 

[EYJONAS!]

Very cool! pretty cat awesome job

 

[madtom]

Ok so who shot it?

(Whispering) “wytex is a girl and her husband shot it”

 

[wytex]

Was this an amazing case of serendipity and fast shooting, or were you intentionally seeking the mountain lion?

On a slightly different note, I’m hoping Wyoming law would allow for a rancher to use lethal force if a lion (bear, wolf, coyote) were attacking your livestock regardless of a unit quota?

Very much right place - right time. We have done some calling with no luck for cats.
He bought the tag after we saw the first set of tracks, we check horses often so we always have a coyote gun with us. When the tracks started showing up regularly we made sure to have the right caliber and be observant, .223 did the trick, 60 gr partition and varget powder, mini 14 rifle.
The rifle is always at the ready so one of us can step out and shoot if needed, we were in a side by side.
She must have been drinking or travelling along the creek as she jumped from the creek bed to the opposite side meadow and stopped for a look back. It was pretty breezy so she did not hear us come up through the meadow til we were one her. I was trying to get the camera out when the shot went off, maybe 75 yds or less.

I do believe we could protect livestock if it was attacking regardless of quota, we wanted the hide so hence the license. Luckily the quota was not filled as I hadn't checked it in a couple of weeks.
I have a black bear on trail cam pics as well in the meadows so baiting will take place this spring, up the creek in the more rugged part of the property. We manage the access and hunting for the rancher and take care of his horses over winter, we have limited hunting rights but they are fine with us. The landowner does not live at the property.
Wolves have also been taken several miles away, but in the area so we always look out for those as well.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Great stuff mate! That's probably my number one north American animal I'd love to hunt.

 

[ashersdad]

Very cool! That’s a nice looking cat.

 

[SG25]

Beautiful cat!