Big Game Hunting > Other Big Game
Snoqualmie Tree Farm Cougar ideas?
logola512c:
I have a big fat cougar on a game camera 3 out of the last 4 nights (all 3 times between 2 and 4 am) in the snoqualmie tree farm. Along with a few does that I know are in the area and periodically on the same camera. Any ideas how to whack that dude, beyond just a doe bleat call? I know he's in the area. Just need to get him to come out during the day and not bust me first. Are cats attracted to piles of fresh meat (and can you legally bait for cats??)? Figure I only have one real chance before he realizes the thunder stick is on to him. Thanks
Also, if someone is a proven cat whacker (and has a snoqualmie key) and agrees to not hunt this spot any other time, I'd consider sharing the location to get this cat off of a pretty good deer spot.
birdshooter1189:
I wish i could help. I don't have a snoqualmie key. Do you have an e-caller?
Fawn distress, elk distress, rabbit distress, bird distress, rodent sounds, or Rainshadow's cougar calls are all proven cougar-killers.
I'm not sure about bait being effective, I don't think it's prohibited by the rules.
I watched a video recently on youtube where a guy shot a cougar in oregon. processed it and hung meat in a tree and hiked further into canyon for a couple days trying to get a second cougar. When he returned a second cougar had come and ripped his first cougar out of the tree and ate a bunch of the meat. This makes me think baiting could help.
Baits I'd think to try: a can of tuna meat, a cooked rotisserie chicken, raw meat, open can of cat soft food.
logola512c:
--- Quote from: birdshooter1189 on November 05, 2024, 01:32:37 PM ---I wish i could help. I don't have a snoqualmie key. Do you have an e-caller?
Fawn distress, elk distress, rabbit distress, bird distress, rodent sounds, or Rainshadow's cougar calls are all proven cougar-killers.
I'm not sure about bait being effective, I don't think it's prohibited by the rules.
I watched a video recently on youtube where a guy shot a cougar in oregon. processed it and hung meat in a tree and hiked further into canyon for a couple days trying to get a second cougar. When he returned a second cougar had come and ripped his first cougar out of the tree and ate a bunch of the meat. This makes me think baiting could help.
Baits I'd think to try: a can of tuna meat, a cooked rotisserie chicken, raw meat, open can of cat soft food.
--- End quote ---
I do have an e-caller, although the layout of the area where I've seen him on camera makes it really challenging to use it effectively without getting busted or the animal hanging up out of shooting sight. That's why I was hoping to bait it and overwatch from a good distance away so that it might just watch the food for a few minutes and then decide it is safe enough to approach it where I can get a shot. But I'd heard somewhere that cats are surprisingly finicky about bait and that bait might not really work. Thanks for your input. Really appreciate it.
birdshooter1189:
You're welcome.
I've heard that cats are not shy about loud volume on the e-caller. So don't be afraid to blast it loud.
You could try variations of: e-caller or bait away from you, and -ecaller or bait or mouth call right at your location. If a cat hung up out of sight you could, for example, cut the volume to the e-caller and start blowing on a mouth caller to try to draw it closer.
While playing with my house cats with a laser pointer I've joked that I should try taking a laser pointer out cougar hunting to see if they would chase it in to me. Haha.
IFunk:
I thought this was great information from Ray Livingston, but it sounds like the area may not be conducive to this setup.
Is there anywhere nearby where you get up a bit higher to get a better vantage point?
I just keep thinking about the member on here that called one in and the cat was in his blind spot for potentially most of the entire 20+ minutes he was calling. Someone get me my brown pants...