Cougar Sitings and calling

[gkowen]

I hope this is the proper place to ask this. I am not a hunter. I like photography.  I recently have built some homebrew trail cams.  I have an area where a cougar has been sited (I have my doubts). Anyway, I'd like to put my trailcams up and see what I can get. I'd like to increase the odds a bit.  Is it possible and LEGAL to use an electronic device to call. I have the electronics ability to make a call work at random times. How often should I call? And what type of call - wounded rabbit, fawn in distress?  I know I could probably use a dead animal too but is that LEGAL?  Basically, I want to increase my chances of successfully photographing the kitty and do it legally. If I posted this in the wrong place I apologize.

[bowhuntin]

I am not sure about the electronic device, but I am pretty sure it is legal to use a dead animal. There is another guy on here that uses dead animals or puts his cameras near them to get good pics from his trail camera.

[Machias]

Electronic calls are perfectly legal to use.

[BobR]

Greg,  You don't need a dead animal, some of the trapping lures work also. But I start getting bear pictures in late March, and by then it will not work as well. I use two different electronic callers with my cameras, but I am not very pleased with the results because of the poor volume. I think rabbit or fawn distress works best. I am interested in what you can come up with here.
Bob

[BobR]

Greg,  I made some sets today using a very potent trapper lure. Two of my dogs were with me, and the lure grabbed their attention when I opened it. I think this is going to work great, I will keep you posted when I check these cams.
Bob

[Pathfinder101]

If you do decide to use a dead animal, use something fresh.  Cougar aren't scavengers.  They actually prefer to kill their dinner, but if they're hungry enough they will eat what they find.

[GoPlayOutside]

Try killing a cougar...and then use that for bait

[Machias]

If you do decide to use a dead animal, use something fresh.  Cougar aren't scavengers.  They actually prefer to kill their dinner, but if they're hungry enough they will eat what they find.

Actually BobR has been finding just the opposite. I believe this has been a tale handed down over the generations that is NOT proving to be true.

[gkowen]

Just so long as the cougar doesn't eat me!!!   These trail camera pics have me checking my back trail alot and the trees.  So say I work up a call with a fawn distress. How long should I call for initially and then how long should I wait for the second round?  I can make the timings what I want. I just need to know what will work. Anyone called in a cougar?

[Machias]

I have called in a couple when trying to call in bears and I would imagine I've called in a couple that I never knew I called in.    I call NON-STOP for up to an hour, but my target is more bear then cats.  Fawn in distress works.  I like to use a javelina call in the past, but I have a new call from bearmanric that I am excited to use.  I personally like a corase sounding call.

[gkowen]

Because I plan to do this calling without being there, how often should I call? Do an hours calling and then wait ?? hours before trying again. My plan is to automate the call and let the homebrew trail camera tell me if I was successful.

[Pathfinder101]

If you do decide to use a dead animal, use something fresh.  Cougar aren't scavengers.  They actually prefer to kill their dinner, but if they're hungry enough they will eat what they find.

Actually BobR has been finding just the opposite. I believe this has been a tale handed down over the generations that is NOT proving to be true.

Interesting.  I suppose it depends on how hungry they are too.  I imagine, just like any predator they will eat anything they deem edible in the winter time, particularly if they haven't had luck hunting for a while.  I do know that back in the days when you could bait bears, we used to use a lot of meats, but I don't remember seeing any cougar tracks.  Leave a fresh carcass in cougar country though and (if the bears don't get it first) you will get some activity.  Maybe it is a wives tale...  come to think of it, maybe the reason cougars don't get into rotten stuff is because the bears always get to it first, and in the winter when bear are hibernating things stay fresh-frozen...

[Machias]

I think, and I hope BobR will chime in becuase he really has ALOT of experience with this, but we all know cats are more visual then scent oriented, not saying they don't use their noses.  But BobR relies heavily on visual and audio attraction, ie magpies and ravens.  He's had plenty of lions on weeks old bait just chowing down, once they discovered the bait.  His baits are in more open areas to attract birds first which bring in the Roberts and lions.  I wonder if you can call in bobcats and lions with just magpie and raven calls.  Might be something fun to try, get some raven and magpie decoys and start calling ans see what shows up to the comotion??