Cougar hunting by Mulehunter

[JackOfAllTrades]

I read a post recently..  

Do you have to be a jerk to be a duck hunter? Or a duck hunter to be a jerk?
 
I am truly sorry I ever applied for a hound hunt Cougar tag. I would never fit in with the self centered ...

Oh hell, for get it.

You don't know me. You don't know how hard I hunt. How hard I try to stay the course and be as ethical as I was raised with self imposed rules you'll never friggin understand.

I only applied for a hound hunt because a forum member/guide offered something very generous.  If I saw that opportunity to do so again...  I would pass.

It is people like you that make it so difficult for those of us that don't have hounds to understand what its all about.

I wanted that experience, was willing to put out a ton of effort, some money and really wanted to build a new relationship with a form of hunting I've never experienced.

Now I want nothing to do with it.   I voted *censored*it! I voted in your hound huntin favor! I voted for baiting even though I don't really endorse that but I saw the big picture.

Have a nice friggin day!

-Steve

[bearpaw]

Steve
Not all hound hunters share the attitude you are referring to. I would blow off the remarks that were made and apply again. Hound hunting is something that everyine needs to experience at least once.  Besides. if you don't apply, then he has accomplished what it appears he set out to do.

[Hyde]

I for one can't wait to draw my hound tag.  When I do, I'll gladly pay someone who has hounds to take me out.  We'll agree up front what the game plan is.  I don't have a problem taking as much time off as I need, and I won't have a problem setting the trophy threshold very high for the first ___ encounters (based on our agreement).  I want to experience the thrill of the chase, and watch the dogs work, but I also want a nice tom mounted lifesize to keep watch over my trophy room.  With a solid plan up front, we should all be able to meet our expectations.  

[JackOfAllTrades]

Not all hound hunters share the attitude you are referring to.

Naw.. I've heard it from others too..

I'll be much more satisfied if I can ever call one in with Steve's sounds on an electronic caller or by my own breath with varmint calls.

This thread was one of the coolest Iv'e read. Now...

-Steve

[Machias]

I for one can't wait to draw my hound tag.  When I do, I'll gladly pay someone who has hounds to take me out.  We'll agree up front what the game plan is.  I don't have a problem taking as much time off as I need, and I won't have a problem setting the trophy threshold very high for the first ___ encounters (based on our agreement).  I want to experience the thrill of the chase, and watch the dogs work, but I also want a nice tom mounted lifesize to keep watch over my trophy room.  With a solid plan up front, we should all be able to meet our expectations.  

When you get drawn keep me in mind, I'll take you as often as you want to go.  I don't want a dime...won't take a dime.  Only stipulation is no females or underage toms.

[Machias]

I'll be much more satisfied if I can ever call one in with Steve's sounds on an electronic caller or by my own breath with varmint calls.

-Steve

VERY satisfying, only downfall, very seldom do you have much time to determine size and very hard to determine sex.  At least when you tree a few you can be much more selective.  But no doubt calling one in is the ultimate rush!

[bearpaw]

Machias you are correct, hound hunters do need time in the woods or the dogs will be no good at all. I also agree with you on the quota system they have, it creates a race. It would be much better if they want 15 cats killed to give out 15 permits.

But I can see hpw this all came to be. If i remember correctly, this is supposed to satisfy the need to address public safety and not to be a trophy or sport hunt. The system is based on getting a certain number of cats killed and they accomplished this by putting a higher number of hunters in the field.

So while I don't necessarily agree with the way it is set up, I can see how and why it is set up this way.

Can you remember the first couple years of the program you had to shoot the first cat treed. At least it has gotten better since those days.

[Machias]

Yes Sir I remember!! I even understand this year they kept the season open in S/PO area just for toms after the quota was for females was filled.  I hope the guys did a good job of IDing their cats before pulling the trigger.  If they did, then that will hopefully show the WDFW it is feasible to remove only toms and keep the harvest open.  THEN you would truly see some big boys being treed and taken.

[bobcat]

How do you tell a female from a male when they're up in a tree? Isn't it difficult enough when you have a dead one on the ground?

[jager]

You look at their head.... big square jaw vs. round head = female....
If youv'e got a house cat try it out....or look at the pics in this thread...once you get the hang of it ...you can tell   

[Machias]

Very easy to tell, because you have the time to look, no rush.  Only thing you have to do is wait for them to move into position.

Here you go:

http://fwpiis.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=40997

[Machias]

Black spot next to their vent hole = female,  three to four inches between vent and black spot = male.  Guys who tree lots of cats can tell by the heads on MOST cats, but can be fooled, black spot is pretty much 100%.

[bearpaw]

Here ya go Bobcat, learn in a few minutes:  http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/mountainLionID/default.html

You can also identify a cat's weight and sex by looking at the tracks. I am within 20 pounds and right on sex 90% or more of the time by just looking at the tracks. The size of feet, toes, how the feet line up when they walk, length of stride, and how much they drag their feet.

[jager]

 

Good info on the "spot"
.....and yea the head can fool ya!

[mulehunter]

In my experience, I have treed some mother of cougar. I have Never Never see a kitten on same tree. Most of my time i keep my dog on mother cougar up tree. And I spend lot of time following backward tracks and hounds where mother came from. Average two or three different tree between 200 to 600 yards wih in hundreds of trees that mother decide to jump off to take hounds on her tail to other tree to protect her kittens.  I promise u people that permitte who treed a female and looking for kitten on same tree. That's why we lost average 6 to 20 kittens per year.

If we save some kittens by use hounds in future. The futre will bring u all great trophy cats on wall for everybody and awsome time in wood.

Mulehunter.