baiting cougars

[cody29]

I'm new to hunting and I have been hear that you can bait cougar  but I looked in the book and didn't see anything about bait. I saw something about dog, that you cant hunt with dogs. but nothing with baiting. the reason why I'm asking is because when I was bear and deer hunting I was mass cat sings and want to kill one. So it is good to go to bait cat?

    THANKS

[stevemiller]

Yes you can bait anything on 4 legs with bait except bear.In Wa. 

[deaner]

if it doesnt say you cant then you can.  only illegal to bait bear and game birds in wa.

[dreamunelk]

Baiting cats is not that effective.  They are not the gluttons bear are.  Better to wait for fresh snow and get on fresh tracks.  Or just spend lots of time int he woods and you may just see one of the cats that see you.

[stevemiller]

Baiting cats is not that effective.  They are not the gluttons bear are.  Better to wait for fresh snow and get on fresh tracks.  Or just spend lots of time int he woods and you may just see one of the cats that see you.

x2 Yes cats are very finiky,they usually will only eat fresh,and most of the time theyre own kill. 

[cody29]

Ive been seeing fresh cat *censored* every where i go for bear and deer.  And i see the trials that they take. If anything works would bring them in.     would calling work.  . 

Thanks guys

[stevemiller]

Yes calling works very well.

[stringer]

Baiting does work, that's how I took mine.  Works better later when the temperatures stay down, keeps the meat from turning too quick.  Dairy farmers pay about 15.00 to have stillborn calves hauled away, usually glad to have them taken.  Should be some in your neighborhood.  I don't take too much stock in the belief that they only eat their own kill.  Worked for me, and I know a few others successful the same way.

[cody29]

Thanks guy.  . Im going this up coming weekend

[snowpack]

Baiting does work, that's how I took mine.  Works better later when the temperatures stay down, keeps the meat from turning too quick.  Dairy farmers pay about 15.00 to have stillborn calves hauled away, usually glad to have them taken.  Should be some in your neighborhood.  I don't take too much stock in the belief that they only eat their own kill.  Worked for me, and I know a few others successful the same way.

Yeah, they steal enough animals that people kill.  So I know they don't only eat their own kills. 

[buglebuster]

Just tie a live goat to a tree..   

[BA5IL]

Baiting does work, that's how I took mine.  Works better later when the temperatures stay down, keeps the meat from turning too quick.  Dairy farmers pay about 15.00 to have stillborn calves hauled away, usually glad to have them taken.  Should be some in your neighborhood.  I don't take too much stock in the belief that they only eat their own kill.  Worked for me, and I know a few others successful the same way.

Stringer - I think you may just have good animal luck. I've attempted to bait cougar 2 years in a row with a fresh calf and have yet to have anything except crows dig in for a feast. I'm not convinced it works...I do hope it works for others.

[stringer]

Basil, the operative word is "fresh".  I only use stillborn.  A "fresh" calf running around up there bawling probably scared away everything within a  half mile! 

[longstevo]

Yes calling works very well.

What kind of calls work best for cats?

[rainshadow1]

Baiting is really low percentage. It does work, but it's really hit and miss. You can end up waiting a LOOOOONG time for a Cougar to hit it, and they may not tend it after that. It's entirely possible to get one on it right away, you may also wait 3 months, or it may never come.

Locating the cat and calling is a lot higher percentage. Still a lot lower than hounds, but beggars can't be choosers, right?!?!

[rainshadow1]

Vocals are the best calls to use, by the way! 

[longstevo]

Vocals are the best calls to use, by the way! 

Fawn in distress?  Wounded rabbit?

[snowpack]

Vocals are the best calls to use, by the way! 

Fawn in distress?  Wounded rabbit?

I think cougar noises

[longstevo]

What's a cougar sound like?

 

[deaner]

What's a cougar sound like?

 

like a bird chirping from the ones ive heard

[stevemiller]

Just like a large tom cat.you prob. have heard them trying to get a mate,a lot of noise.These sounds work well for calling cougars any time of year,they are territorial and they breed mostly in early spring but will anytime a female is calling for it.And that can be at any time.

[KenPCPilot]

elk calf distress call.  17 yards staring you down.  Going to try that one again but hopefully with better results. 

[rainshadow1]

Toms are not too vocal. They respond, but they don't do a lot of squallin'. The females are the ones that turn it loose when they're in heat. Like you probably wouldn't even imagine! Young ones are vocal too, but when the males get up towards 2 yo they go pretty quiet. They still respond to other cat's calls, and they make small noises in response. (I finally got a good Tom call in my Library this year.)

[mountainman]

Bait has to be in an area the cats are. Have had MANY bait sites for coyotes visited by big cats. But there has to be cats in the area first. Quite a few that we would start the dogs on them for clients back in the day