Cougar hunting by Mulehunter

[tlbradford]

Very cool offer Warhorse.

[mulehunter]

scott i have one in omak take it off my sled i will not be using it. use it till you get your new one. wed is along time and there should be fresh snow everyday between now and then.  pm me.

The coolest thing I ever read.  I end up packed and head home. I wish I knew it that I could come up but I must be home for work.     This country need snowmobile cuz it s almost three feet snow up top.. I treed a nice very young one half tom way way way high country. The reason i decide to pass. I was about 15 feet between me and cat he only weight 120 maybe 130 but for sure 120.  I know what 170 look like when i caught him in unit 1 idaho.    i will post pics tonight about yesterday hunting.i  I am stuck at xmas party.

Cheers!!!!!!

Idabonner thank u soo much for all ur help and look forward to hear more and it helps me alot everytime.



Mulehunter.   

[denali]

Wow mulehunter you gave it the "college try" and then some ?   wish you would have gotten the tom you wanted , loved the story and pics 

[boneaddict]

 

[mulehunter]

scott, lemme know what parts you need, I may have it sitting here. I have a good bit of cat spare stuff.

Thank u very much. Wish it would got it fixed and I would have spend in wood all day with fresh snow.  I know one big tom hanging out. Cuz I passed a very old cut. Just need more time searching. I hope quota stay same before feb that way I hope to kill one before wdfw to draw more permits to other houndmen to reduce faster.

I am working on it.


Mulehunter.   

[high country]

scott, lemme know what parts you need, I may have it sitting here. I have a good bit of cat spare stuff.

Thank u very much. Wish it would got it fixed and I would have spend in wood all day with fresh snow.  I know one big tom hanging out. Cuz I passed a very old cut. Just need more time searching. I hope quota stay same before feb that way I hope to kill one before wdfw to draw more permits to other houndmen to reduce faster.

I am working on it.


Mulehunter.   

no problem....best of luck!

[mulehunter]

   Finally I got back..  alright I decide to take my wife with me. We went out scouting Early Morning and find no luck then soon Light come out. I went up myself and Cut Most fresh Female appox 90 to 100ish at appox mile upper from park. I decide to skip, Went up 4 miles Cut Male Trax. I almost turn back down pack hounds and trailer. but I want to be sure there is no other Cut upper Road. So I went upper more appox 600 yds Cut again. So Cat stay on top of Snowmobile tracks and I followed him 2 miles and  Cat got off the road So I kept going around ridge appox 3 miles and He came back Cut again. Same Male. Stay on road for almost 5 miles SAME TRAX! then finally found End of Trax at two top of the Ridge so I decide to go back to Truck and load my hounds and my wife. Haul all way TOP of mountain. Trust me its WAY WAY TOP!  I am talking about  5,700 ft Elevation.    WAY WAY HIGH! Unbelieveable. It been HARD on my Snowmobile, It got really deep snow DEEP snow and finally got top and Turn loose! half to 45 min and signal Treed.   

WORST TREE I have ever that I ever Treed.      I had hard time trying to go circle the tree to get better pictures and I almost decide to make a KILL but I climb little and look at him with in 15 ft between to make sure I feel good about it. But I know what Bigger look like. My wife and I talking about how we feel about kill it or pass it. She said He is soo BEAUITFUL and I look again and spend 30 min figure out how he look. I said to myself He have a NICE Head for sure. Body look a lot less than 125 to me and He is one year and half Male. I look again and again make sure I know what I want. I remember my father in law is bigger than him and he only weight 131lbs  Not exactly what I want. So I spend time with my dogs and wife and cheers ourself.

So its only 9 clcok so I have lots time to search for other one. So We released him for other houndmen or whatever in future will be HAPPY to have him.  

So we abort and Pull my hounds out and load and head out cross Interection on TOP of mountain Cut a BIG TOM appox 150ish.   It has all SNOW inside Must be two days OLD! So Went over little longer and end up BROKE my Snowmobile.  Rear Bogie Wheeler has four to hold the Track Belt. It bend Rod make bad balance so It end up really bad. So I have no Signal for Cell. So I said to myself NO WAY I will not WALK down hill with in two feet snow for 15 miles  . So I been very Careful driving down hill. Which is GOOD thing its down hill not up hill.

So We arrival to truck safe and my wife been calling all over place Omak, Okanagon, Wentachee. No luck So We decide to drive down and drive low land thur valley.  End up got stop by Gamewarden, He really a VERY COOL Guy. I Explain to him about how it end up bad morning and stuck with no Snowmobile. He try to think of way to help and tell me where to check trax by use my truck. So I appercate his very helpful and very thoughful. So I went thur backcountry all over place and no luck. So Wife and I agreed to pack and head home. Dang I heard it dump NEW Blanket of Snow next morning.  

Here some pics of Cat I caught with my wife on Saturday morning.

Enjoy...


CHEERS!!!

Mulehunter  

[carpsniperg2]

More great pics! Other then the broken snow machine

[high country]

scott, pull one of the inside wheels and put it on the outside. just run the 3. I only run 2.

[Idabooner]

Great pictures and story as always.  To bad the machine broke but you made a lot of good memories this trip. Lucky you were able to get it out. Congrats for letting the little cat walk, you will be glad you did.  Get your machine fixed and get back over, it's snowing a little everyday.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences and pictures with us.

[Hornseeker]

Purty cat man! Hey, be careful about holding out for a 170....they are FEW and far between.....

A lot of nice cats weight 120-140#!!!!

[mulehunter]

Purty cat man! Hey, be careful about holding out for a 170....they are FEW and far between.....

A lot of nice cats weight 120-140#!!!!

Ur right very few of big ones.  Its not that easy.  I know there two or so weight 140 to 150. I might will kill it before Feb 15 before wdfw decide to give out more permit.

Still waittig for parts.

Mulehunter. 

[Machias]

Awesome photo and great write up Scott.  Nice looking cat, I might have pulled the trigger on that one the way WA has the permit system set up, good on you for holding out for what you want!  Did you get a chance to run that male pup?  If so, how did he do?  Is he ready to be a lead dog yet? 

[luvtohnt]

Because of my new son I have been absent for a few days so I know I am probably  

But as a aspiring biologist maybe for the state or not we will see. In a situation like this I think I would have asked Scott to run the cat and allow us to follow. Female could have been collared, and released. If it was male and Scott harvested I could have taken my samples and said thanks for the help. Seems like a simple solution, but then again maybe I am just wet behind the ears. Now as far as the bio's running the cats in winter, the hound hunters do it this time of year because it is efficient, so why would you not want the department running them in an efficient manner to save money? I understand there may be a conflict like this but as a bio's you have more time to track so if you haven't turned out let the permit holder turn out, makes sense to me. As far as collaring cats that could be killed in a week, any data that is usable is good so if you got your collar back in a week or two then it still helps.  

Good luck Scott and I hope you bag a big one!

Brandon

[tlbradford]

Because of my new son I have been absent for a few days so I know I am probably  

But as a aspiring biologist maybe for the state or not we will see. In a situation like this I think I would have asked Scott to run the cat and allow us to follow. Female could have been collared, and released. If it was male and Scott harvested I could have taken my samples and said thanks for the help. Seems like a simple solution, but then again maybe I am just wet behind the ears. Now as far as the bio's running the cats in winter, the hound hunters do it this time of year because it is efficient, so why would you not want the department running them in an efficient manner to save money? I understand there may be a conflict like this but as a bio's you have more time to track so if you haven't turned out let the permit holder turn out, makes sense to me. As far as collaring cats that could be killed in a week, any data that is usable is good so if you got your collar back in a week or two then it still helps.  

Good luck Scott and I hope you bag a big one!

Brandon

Using that common sense and logic will only help you in your field and with relationships to hunters.  Keep that mind set.  I agree it is the best time of year to run cats, but I would like for them to wait until the quota was met.  It has been filled in many areas already.