2023 Cougar on Cameras and their respective GMU

[GOcougsHunter]

Jrebel's thread got me to thinking, let's start a thread to post pics of Cougar on cameras with the GMU the pic was taken in.  Might be nice to get an accounting of the different GMU's and any Feline activity. 
This one is GMU 133.

[LDennis24]

I'm not giving up my cougar honey hole!

[MADMAX]

I’ll certainly give up mine
624
No cam pics
But shot one there I called in
Have at it boys
 

[time2hunt]

Back yard 328


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[time2hunt]

Not just cougars this bear just went through an hour ago. This is 300 yards below are house.


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[GOcougsHunter]

https://www.khq.com/news/caught-on-camera-cougar-takes-a-stroll-through-south-hill-neighborhood/article_c2da1958-82b0-11ee-9757-e3cf33fc4b95.html

GMU 124.

[hunter399]

https://www.khq.com/news/caught-on-camera-cougar-takes-a-stroll-through-south-hill-neighborhood/article_c2da1958-82b0-11ee-9757-e3cf33fc4b95.html

GMU 124.

Seen that on the news tonight.
Not even possible that we have more cats than estimated.🤮
Look like a big in too. That isn't no baby.

[Scruffy]

On Facebook there is a page called "Washington State Cougar Sightings" people can post sightings but have to include the GMU.  Supposedly they collect the data and turn it into the state to help with getting an idea of the population.  But I never seen anything of that side of it, just people posting pics with GMU's

[NOCK NOCK]

Evidently the areas I put cams (10 out this year for 6months) and not 1 cougar photo.
Contrary to what most believe, I have noticed as my cams have captured fewer and fewer deer every year that the cougar pics are following the same trend. 

[hunter399]

Evidently the areas I put cams (10 out this year for 6months) and not 1 cougar photo.
Contrary to what most believe, I have noticed as my cams have captured fewer and fewer deer every year that the cougar pics are following the same trend. 

I know it requires you to check them more.
I get more cougar pics on three photo burst mode.
Sometimes on 1 photo burst you'll get blank photos or like a tip of a tail and not get the photo.
If you on 3 burst and no photo ,then no cougar went in front of your cam, doesn't mean there not there.
I have had areas that I put in a second cam in quarter mile apart, usually in a thicker spot . And I'll catch a cougar pic that way.
Think crk crossings,saddle, natural spots that funnel animals,two cut lines that come together with a thick spot in-between.
Stuff like that. Use the terrain to your advantage.Think like camera trap ,instead of just ungulates. Like a game trail going uphill to a flat spot . Put the cam at the top of trail ,that way when they pop up just over the hill to the flat spot it takes a pic. That way they don't see the cam till it's taking a pic. They are very aware,they hear that cam make a click noise and try to jump out the way like they just got shot at with a gun. But ya had a cam this year,no coug,put in another cam at a creek crossing,with a bank you have to climb.
Put that cam so after they cross and climb the bank,boom takes a pic. Cougar pics showed up in short order.

[Skyvalhunter]

Yea always 3 photos burst with 1 min delay for me. cougars cycle thru on a regular basis. It doesnt take rocket science to figure out that when you have 1, 2, or even 3 cougars on a cam at a time the number of deer showing are going to decrease significantly. But then we dont have a cougar issue do we? If your going to have lots of deer on cam weather it be does or bucks(usually nocturnally) the cougars will be there eventually. I doubt the statement that cougars have a 50+ square mile territory, I believe its a lot less unless there's a lot of over lapping territory going on between each animal.

[hunter399]

I agree with everyone here.
Way to many cats.
There are spots NE Washington ,where you can put a cam anywhere and get a cougar pic.
My delay on cam is low as she goes. 5second.
3 photo burst.
I do have cams I put on 1 or 2 photo burst.
Usually ones that I hike in closed areas,set for summer,come back 4 months later and retrieve cam.

[LDennis24]

A cougar was just spotted on the South Hill in Spokane. Near 41st and Havana. It was on someone's RING doorbell cam.

[maxbearit]

Just read about two mountain lion encounters on Hebrook ridge evening of 11/14/23.  Located east of the look out tower, accessed via road 6022.  Apparently one attacked a hiker with minor injuries.  I can't go after them this weekend as I am looking for elk for late archery.

[mcrawfordaf]

124


bonus bob cat from 133

[bigmacc]

A cougar was just spotted on the South Hill in Spokane. Near 41st and Havana. It was on someone's RING doorbell cam.

It really is getting ridiculous, a couple years ago an old friend of mine went out to his car to go to work one morning, in the carport was a cougar and 3 kittens! In the town of Snohomish! Not rural but right by Blackmans Lake! If I remember right he made the news. WDFW came out and within a few days rounded them up, tagged and released them somewhere. Like I say, the estimate of 3000 statewide I think is not close, I’d bet it’s close to double that.

When I was younger I spent almost all my free time pre season scouting in all parts of the Methow along with other family members. 40, 50, 60 years and more ago it was an absolute rarity to run into a cougar or a bear, if you did it was cool, it was a highlight and a memory that some I still remember today. Nowadays, not so much, especially when you stumble into fawn graveyards or areas that a bunch of cached kills are located. Those are becoming an all to frequent event nowadays. I remember finding a few here and there every once in awhile decades ago but nowadays it’s every year, either while hunting or scouting, one of us comes upon the graveyards of either fawns or adult deer caches. We sent a guy into one of those areas about 8 or 9 years ago(before we started getting into predator hunting) and the next day he drove by our camp and showed us a 128lb collared cougar they killed that morning! They were very appreciative of us pointing them to the spot. That’s where we had found a half dozen or so half buried deer in about a 2 mile radius, most were fairly fresh kills. The guy later sent me a picture of the mount and a $50 Cabellas gift card.👍

[MADMAX]

Agree with Mac
This pic was earlier this year across from Bangor subbase
It was in a neighborhood and finally killed as I understand it for eating a Llama and a donkey
How’d you like that big sucker in your yard
Bad juju

[bigmacc]

Agree with Mac
This pic was earlier this year across from Bangor subbase
It was in a neighborhood and finally killed as I understand it for eating a Llama and a donkey
How’d you like that big sucker in your yard
Bad juju

Wow! How would you like that thing jumping on your back while out hunting. At least they killed it and didn’t relocate it. There’s a bunch of deer(and Llamas) that were saved.

[hunter399]

A cougar was just spotted on the South Hill in Spokane. Near 41st and Havana. It was on someone's RING doorbell cam.

News just said tonight that WDFW said it was most likely there cause of current hunting season moving animals around.
Pretty much blamed us for it.

[MADMAX]

Deer in yards
Deer eaters in yards

https://www.kxly.com/news/cougar-sightings-reported-in-south-hill-area-of-spokane/article_1f4520ba-83ed-11ee-a64e-f7d4cbed5519.html

[Ridgeratt]

The talking head for the wdfw suggested that you make your self look larger and you should carry bear spray.
That seems like a canned response.

[hunter399]

Here is the one I watched.

https://www.kxly.com/news/cougar-sightings-reported-in-south-hill-area-of-spokane/article_1f4520ba-83ed-11ee-a64e-f7d4cbed5519.html

It's hunting season, which brings more human activity into the forested areas, and may draw out wildlife seeking safety. Younger cougars who are separating from their mothers also tend to be curious and adventurous about exploring new habitats. It could also be harder to find prey and water this time of year.


It's hunting season....🤣🤣🤣🤣 lol.
It's just seeking safety guys,and a snack.🤣🤣🤣🤣

[bigmacc]

Here is the one I watched.

https://www.kxly.com/news/cougar-sightings-reported-in-south-hill-area-of-spokane/article_1f4520ba-83ed-11ee-a64e-f7d4cbed5519.html

It's hunting season, which brings more human activity into the forested areas, and may draw out wildlife seeking safety. Younger cougars who are separating from their mothers also tend to be curious and adventurous about exploring new habitats. It could also be harder to find prey and water this time of year.


It's hunting season....🤣🤣🤣🤣 lol.
It's just seeking safety guys,and a snack.🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yep, blame it on “hunting”, I wish I could say this was unbelievable but it’s not. This is what happens when you no longer have a Game Department and you have a WDFW AND that agency has been politicized. Eventually hunting AND hunters will be blamed for all kinds of “problems”. It’s certainly not the issue of rapidly growing populations of predators including cougars and the fact that may be happening is that a  useful way of controlling their numbers (hounds) was taken off the table years ago.