Bearpaw Season - Fall 2015

[RadSav]

.22 centerfire is minimum in Washington. Not sure where Dale is or what the law says there.

I believe, but not 100% certain, that you can use a 22 Magnum rimfire in Idaho.  Finding clear rules and regulations regarding legal firearms makes WA synopsis seem well written.

[bearpaw]

Before WA had a caliber restriction on cougar many were killed with .22 rimfires, lr and magnum. Idaho rules do not prevent any specific rifle caliber or shotgun gauge from being used for mountain lion. With all that said, I tell my hunters to bring a centerfire rifle, I tell them something like a .223 or 30/30 is perfect.

Weapon Restrictions
Rifle and Shotgun
In any hunt, including any-weapon seasons, it is unlawful to
pursue or kill big game animals:

• By any means other than approved firearms,
muzzleloaders and archery methods.

• With any electronic device attached to, or incorporated
on, the firearm or scope; except scopes containing
battery powered or tritium lighted reticles are allowed.

• With any firearm that, in combination with a scope,
sling and/or any attachments, weighs more than 16
pounds.

• With any fully automatic firearm.

• With any shotgun using shot smaller than #00 buck.

• With any rimfire rifle, rimfire handgun, or muzzleloading
handgun, except for mountain lions or legally trapped
gray wolves.

[bearpaw]

Our next lion hunter Corby was also from Wisconsin and he brought his best friend with him to enjoy the hunt. Corby told us his lifelong dream was to shoot a cougar and that he had just retired and this was his retirement present to himself so I really hoped we could find Corby a nice cat. We passed several smaller tracks over the next few days but wasn't finding a good track. Finally we found a tom up high that we put the dogs on. The snow was about waste deep but the dogs did excellent. We snowmobiled as close as we could get to where we thought the cat was treed and then hiked a little over a 1/2 mile with snowshoes to try and stay on top of the waist deep snow. We were short on snowshoes so I tried to follow behind without snowshoes. The rest of them got to the cat first, he was nervous as soon as they got to the tree so Brian leashed the dogs and Corby shot the cat. I knew what happened as soon as I heard the shot so I headed back to the snowmobiles and stated getting them turned around in the restricted space where we had to stop. It wasn't long after I had them all turned around and the guys were out with the cat and dogs, we loaded up and headed for home. Congrats to Corby, nice shooting! 

There were no deer tracks back in there, but the cat's belly was full, he was also full of quills, it was obvious he had been living on porcupines and probably some rabbits too. There were fresh quills and old quills, apparently due to evolution the quills don't fester in lions, they seem to be immune to them. Almost every cat we've ever taken had at least a few quills in their forearms.

Disclaimer: No dogs were harmed in the making of this hunt, not even Ruby!   

[CementFinisher]

Thanks for sharing! Does ruby tree? Or run a track more like a trigg and lounge at the tree?

[bearpaw]

Does ruby tree? Or run a track more like a trigg and lounge at the tree?

She trees real good now, she used to just look up the tree, after that one cat had her in it's mouth she really trees good. She also really keeps her eye on the cat, watching it's every move in the tree. The hunters get a kick out of her, she's a real ham with everyone.

[GrainfedMuley]

Does ruby tree? Or run a track more like a trigg and lounge at the tree?

She trees real good now, she used to just look up the tree, after that one cat had her in it's mouth she really trees good. She also really keeps her eye on the cat, watching it's every move in the tree. The hunters get a kick out of her, she's a real ham with everyone.

In the pic, which one is she?

[bearpaw]

Does ruby tree? Or run a track more like a trigg and lounge at the tree?

She trees real good now, she used to just look up the tree, after that one cat had her in it's mouth she really trees good. She also really keeps her eye on the cat, watching it's every move in the tree. The hunters get a kick out of her, she's a real ham with everyone.

In Idaho we can use a blood trailing dog on a leash to find wounded deer/elk. She is especially good at doing that too! We've found several animals with her blood trailing abilities. 


She's the little terrier, probably weighs 12 or 15 pounds!

[bearpaw]

This buck was recovered this year with Ruby's help!

[bearpaw]

Corby really liked Ruby...

(you can see how deep the snow was too) 

[bearpaw]

When I was young I knew an old german guide named Volker Sherm who lived in Revelstoke BC, he had a couple jadgterriers that he used to catch his cougars and even bay up grizzlies for his hunters. When my kids were little we decided to get a jag puppy, she turned out to be a fireball, just a little too aggressive playing with the kids and killing the ducks we had for the kids. She would get excited and sometimes (not purposefully) bite the kids too hard. The ducks were scared to death of her, she killed half of them when we weren't watching by the time she was about 1 year old. The jag just got a little too carried away with the kids at times so we sold her to another hound hunter who wanted her.

Ruby is half Jag and half Irish with a much milder manner. Some of her litter mates I'm told are more aggressive acting.