info on cougar

[stickslinger]

We have a cougar running around are place.  We have a trail camera pic and a couple of neighbors have spotted it but I don't know anything about hunting cougar, just wondering how I should go about trying to put my tag on this creature. Should I call like hunting coyotes or just cover some ground and try to spot him

[elkaholic]

<ake sure you are hunting it and its not hunting you. 

[Kain]

I would try calling but you might want to invite someone who has some experience at it.  You dont want to educate it.  Baiting might work also.     I would hate to see an opportunity to harvest it go to waist but you could call WDFW also.  They could set up a trap or they might give out a hound permit.     Good luck with it and take lots of pictures whatever choice you make. 

[MtnMuley]

The way this state has frigged up the cougar seasons, are you sure your unit is even open?  Just a thought.

[CastleRocker]

Contact "Rainshadow" on here.  I've used his call a lot, and I put his calls from his cd on my e-caller, they work!  The only calling advice I can give personally is;

#1 Sit perfectly still for at LEAST an hour.  We blew four successful stands last winter by getting up just a little bit too early, and got busted.  All we got was a glimpse of a cat, and tracks.

#2 Don't move!  The other three times we were successful in our
calling, we got busted by one of us moving.  Same result, bye bye cat.

#3 Use Rainshadow's calls and refer to #1 and #2.

Let us know how it goes.  My son got drawn for a cougar tag this year, but we don't know what unit yet.  We may be going for a hound hunt up by you. 

[bearpaw]

It appears the cougar is in a forested area with wild game which would be considered cougar habitat, so the WDFW will probably not remove the cougar or issue any special permits unless there is significant danger posed by the cougar's presence.  

I had 3 seperate incidents of turkey hunters stalked to within 15 yards this spring by a cougar on private property and the WDFW would not let us remove it with dogs.

First check that season is open in your area, maybe even call your regional office, the rules can be confusing. I would walk around the property, there's a good chance he has a kill on your place, watch for a kill under a tree in heavy cover. If you find the kill watch it mornings and evenings and leave your trail cam by it.

Since you are inexperienced with cougar, if you try calling, you probably should take a hunting partner, cats are the best stalkers in the woods and often come in undetected until they are close.

Bait will work on some cats, set up your trail cam to see if he comes to it, then sit and watch your bait. If a bear comes to bait you placed remember it's off limits.
Good luck.....

[rainshadow1]

Castlerocker, have you posted those call-in stories? Linky?

Good stuff above. Spot and stalk is border line impossible with Cougars. Tracking them down can be done, but it's real low percentage and can be super tough before the snow.

If it does some damage, you better get on the phone to wdfw and get dogs on it.

Other than that you're limited to calling. They can definately be called, you just have to go at it really deliberately. Send me a PM if you want to talk about your scenario/terrain/etc. I love talking Cougars!

[bearpaw]

If you get snow and have fresh tracks just get on the tracks and go, stay alert, eventually the cat may give you a shot, I know one guy who has killed three cougar that way.....

[stickslinger]

thanks for the info and yes I have gone thru the hunting regs and made sure that it was legal to kill this big cat. since I have a tree stand 10 yrds from where tie pic was taken I might try to bait, but what with?