calling cougars

[buglebuster]

So in a spot we duck hunt there Is always a ton of cougar tracks in the snow up on the banks. It's wide open steep country off the river. My question is how do you go about calling cats? How much different than coyote? What sounds work best?
Thanks!

[aer212]

Where are you at, I will come help you!

[wraithen]

Just give it 24 hours and I'm sure rick or some of the other big callers will give a few words here. I'm curious as well after the kitty turd I found in the road yesterday. I got a lead for next year but I gotta figure out how to call them. Rick made me a set of calls for them so I hope it works in my favor next year and not the wife's.

[fair-chase]

Rainshadow is the man you need to talk to. His calls and tutorials are top notch and will teach you almost everything you need to know about calling cougars. Using his calls and guidance I have been very successful at calling in cougars.....I said calling in not shooting. 

Short answer to your question is Rainshadows calls, call constantly, and absolutly no movement is really all you need to know to get started calling cougars...but since I’m up and bored I fell like rambling on a little bit about my experiences calling cougars. Take it for what it’s worth because I have yet to notch my tag on one...

This year I have managed to get 9 confirmed call ins. Worked out to 1 triple  and 6 singles using a combination of cow elk (JPhelps Call and FoxPro sounds), elk fawn distress (JPhelps Call), mountain lion whistle (Rainshadow hand call), and female mountain lion vocalization (Rainshadow digital on FoxPro firestorm).

My typical setup goes like this...I usually start my stands with elk herd talk both from hand calls and on the FoxPro simultaneously. Then transfer into calf elk, and finish it out with calf elk distress. Usually takes me about 30-40 minutes to go through this transition. After fading out the calf distress I take a break for 5 minutes (it's a lot of work to call for 30+ minutes straight) and then go into the cougar vocalizations. Most cougar responses come within seconds of starting these vocalizations.

Stand location seems to be my downfall right now. I have tried every conceivable setup I can think of and they ALWAYS sneak in behind me. Every single time. Doesn't matter if I am facing downhill, up hill, into the sun, away from the sun, wind to my back, wind to my face, in a thicket, in a clearing......Bastages are sneaky. I am actually starting to think there is a conspiracy in the mountain lion community to scare me into an early grave. Of the 6 solo encounters I've had this year all of them have snuck in behind me (30 yards or less) and started growling at me. When this happens it appears my fine motor skills go right down the crapper, because I have yet to be able to reposition fast enough or stealthy enough to get a shot off before their in the next county. Oh, and the triple I had come in I froze up like a popsicle. Seriously I was scared stiff. Once I realized I was surrounded by 3 of them within 50 yards all growling their a$$ off I couldn't move. I kept telling myself to move but my limbs and my brain were not in agreement with each other at the time. 

So get a partner to watch your back and have fun. Most addictive, adrenaline filled hunting there is.

[wraithen]

fair-chase, your triple is actually my biggest fear when I'm calling. The woods have a tendency to get silent for no reason long after the activity starts when I'm on a stand. Just for my warm and fuzzy, they have all growled at you? I don't think I'm very good at calling a darn thing yet but knowing myself if one snuck in close enough to be an immediate threat, I'm toast. Also, which rain shadow set did you get?

[JimmyHoffa]

30 yards, loss of motor control, moving cat...have you considered using a shotgun?  Sounds like a good set up for some 00 buckshot.
wraithen, the triples seem to be (for my area) a momma and the teenagers.  They can be really unpredictable.

[wraithen]

Figures. I'm gonna start climbing trees for my stands. They can be sneaky on the ground but a housecat makes a little noise climbing a tree.

On topic, how does being close to fresh (within 72 hours) sign up your success rate?

[fair-chase]

fair-chase, your triple is actually my biggest fear when I'm calling. The woods have a tendency to get silent for no reason long after the activity starts when I'm on a stand. Just for my warm and fuzzy, they have all growled at you? I don't think I'm very good at calling a darn thing yet but knowing myself if one snuck in close enough to be an immediate threat, I'm toast. Also, which rain shadow set did you get?

The triple happened up in GMU 101 where there is definatly no shortage of cougars, and yes all of them growled at me after using a cougar vocalization. Heck that's the only reason I know they came in. Who knows how many I have actually had come in because I never catch them coming in by sight. I only spot them after they vocalize and I can lock down their posistion.

When it gets strangly quiet, or the birds and squirells start going nuts for no apparent reason, or the hair on the back of your neck stands up, don't ignore it. Just let out one of Rainshadows calls and they will light up. Something about hearing another cougar sets them off.

Oh, and I think I have the entire collection of Rainshadows calls (both hand and electronic) as well as the toutorials. I lost one this year and thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. Luckily Rainshadow was nice enough to make me another on short notice. Really, really great products. Can't say enough good things about them.

On topic, how does being close to fresh (within 72 hours) sign up your success rate?

If you don't have an elk herd to follow around I think it's absolutly neccassary to find fresh sign before calling. I wouldn't waste my time (lesson learned) cold calling without an elk herd nearby. But that's just my 

[fair-chase]

30 yards, loss of motor control, moving cat...have you considered using a shotgun?  Sounds like a good set up for some 00 buckshot.

I switched to my 20ga with slugs for that very reason but ran out of time to hunt for the year...Next year.

wraithen, the triples seem to be (for my area) a momma and the teenagers.  They can be really unpredictable.

That is a spot on Jimmy.

[deerhunter_98520]

how close to the elk herd do you start calling?...or are you in just the general area the herd hangs out and start calling?...or do you find the heard then start your calling session? and you said you call for 30 min or so...how long after you stop calling do you wait before moving on?

[BOWHUNTER45]

I remember way back when ,when i used to trap I seen a cougar in heat tape in fur fish & game ...I wish I would of bought it because I never seen it again 

[JimmyHoffa]

Next year?  Like two weeks from now?  You could try the coastal units, season runs until March 31.  The estimate for the peninsula alone is something like 350 cats minimum, but expected higher. 

[wraithen]

I'm starting to really like the unit I was in last saturday. I know there's an elk herd in the area because of scat. I know there is cougar because of scat. I know there is coyote because of tracks. Just gotta find out where the bears like to play and I have the makings of a predator grand slam! (The coyote substitutes wolf until they show up and are legal ) Looks like between rainshadow and rick and a big game rifle my tax return is completely spent!

Anybody got any advice for the guy who turns possum when what he's hunting for finds him and he gets a case of the possum? (Adrenaline screaming through the blood but the inability to move a single muscle.)

[Machias]

Fair-chase, you need a portable pop-up blind!   

[bankwalker]

I'm starting to really like the unit I was in last saturday. I know there's an elk herd in the area because of scat. I know there is cougar because of scat. I know there is coyote because of tracks. Just gotta find out where the bears like to play and I have the makings of a predator grand slam! (The coyote substitutes wolf until they show up and are legal ) Looks like between rainshadow and rick and a big game rifle my tax return is completely spent!

Anybody got any advice for the guy who turns possum when what he's hunting for finds him and he gets a case of the possum? (Adrenaline screaming through the blood but the inability to move a single muscle.)

I always just piss my pants! Works every time 

[webbspinner]

 
I always just piss my pants! Works every time 

   

[Clancy]

I know a area that seems to have a few cats in it in western wa where I wanna give try coyote hunting...chances of a cat coming to coyote calls?

[Machias]

I know a area that seems to have a few cats in it in western wa where I wanna give try coyote hunting...chances of a cat coming to coyote calls?

Decent, BUT they come in extremely stealthy.  I think more come into calls than guys ever know.  They slip in watch things and then see the caller move and slip out without you ever knowing they were watching.  Rainshadow's calls have cats throwing caution into the wind since it is lion vocalization sounds.  Alot of times they walk in like the own the place.

[wraithen]

Clancy, out of curiousity what unit area? I'm heading out friday since I got the day off from work and the wife approved.

[JimmyHoffa]

I've heard/read that one of the best ways to use coyote calls for cougar is to find a cached cougar kill and then start the yote calling.  The cougar should be somewhere near and will think yotes are stealing the food, then it sneaks in and whoops up on the yotes.

[wraithen]

I would think a cougar vocal would be better off. I've heard that coyotes will push a cougar off of a fresh kill. Read a study done in CA that the yotes pushing cougars off kills increases the number of kills a lion needs by 3 fold.

[jnevs23]

Man this sounds like a blast. Also sounds like it might cost me too much to get started at the moment and probably don't have the free time in the near future.  Guess I'll have to put this in my back pocket for the future

[AKBowman]

Can someone post a picture of cougar scat I'm interested if what I think is yote might be cat. Kind of skinnier and greenish?

[Clancy]

Clancy, out of curiousity what unit area? I'm heading out friday since I got the day off from work and the wife approved.

Stella unit. think its GMU 504. up off ragland road. It's firearm restriction though.

[wraithen]

Little south for me and firearm restricted is a deal breaker. Good luck tho!

[gramps]

Calling cougars is certainly a challenge, but not impossible.  Lots of good advice in above posts.  As mentioned, cats are very visual..in my expereince, they come in slowly and are very alert to movement...much more so than smell.  I have called three...the last one was with some of Rainshadow1's sounds on a Foxpro fury.  Also used deer in distress sound at the same time.  I have been busted when after an hour + trying to sit still in cold weather, I had to move a little or I was shaking from the cold.  When I leave a set, I always walk around to look for tracks and I have found fresh track where a cat sat down in the snow on two occasions...i think they saw me move and left.  One advantage to the electronic callers is the fact that the scource of the sound can be placed away from your location.  I also use a little battery powder rabbit thing that helps.  I posted a story of one I called in Jan or Feb '10 on this site.
Good Luck...as mentioned above...it is very exciting to see one come in to a call.

[jnevs23]

How nerve racking is the walk back to the truck?

[Sledd]

As has been mentioned in a previous post the cats seem to come in unseen and behind you.  I called one in for a friend which he harvested.  We spaced apart about 30 yards facing each other.  He shot the cat about 5 yards away from me.  I never saw it coming.  The last thing he saw before squeezing the trigger was the cat bringing up his hind legs and planting them near his front legs.  You know what comes next.  I was lucky.

[DoubleJ]

Would placing the speakers of your call about 150-200 yards away and putting up a deer decoy over the top of the speakers sound advice?

[gramps]

DoubleJ
I had the caller about 40 yards in front of me along with the rabbit decoy.  Depending on the terrian, I would not put it too far out as it would be dificult to see them approach the caller.  I first saw the cougar about 100 yards out.. he circled to my left and was concentrating on the sound and the wiggling rabbit and never saw me.  It was very exciting to see him come in.

[DoubleJ]

I'm looking at placing it at the edge of a clear cut.  I'd sit in the clear cut, in a blind many yards away.  Would they come out into the edge of a clear cut for a kill?

[wraithen]

I would think that if you are going through all of that just set up in the blind on the edge and put the decoy/caller out in the clearing.

[DoubleJ]

I would think that if you are going through all of that just set up in the blind on the edge and put the decoy/caller out in the clearing.

Thought of that, just wasn't sure if they'd not go after it if it was out in the clear or if it was better to give it an ambush spot like the edge of the cut

[gramps]

Every situation is a little different of course.  In my experence, they will try to stay in cover and will stop and look....alot.
I try to set up where they have cover to approach the caller and where I have good visibility or the best I can get.
I have never hunted on the west side, but clear cuts usually have a lot of brush or cover...so i would put the caller out there and try to watch from the edge. 
Hope Rick from RR calls will respond...he has a lot of experience with this.

[wraithen]

Yeah but he knows some great clear cuts. The ones I find always have some sort of growth that usually gets up to 3 ft.

[Kain]

I know a area that seems to have a few cats in it in western wa where I wanna give try coyote hunting...chances of a cat coming to coyote calls?

It is possible but it might be a once in a life time event.   My guess is that a cat will just move on instead of messing with coyotes. 

Fast foward to 3 minutes

[AKBowman]

I would think that if you are going through all of that just set up in the blind on the edge and put the decoy/caller out in the clearing.

Thought of that, just wasn't sure if they'd not go after it if it was out in the clear or if it was better to give it an ambush spot like the edge of the cut

When I get pictures of them its usually on the bottom edges of cuts, like this...

[AKBowman]

The cut is probably 5 years old. In most spots it would be pretty difficult to see a cat coming in to the caller.

[Clancy]

righto. thanks kain. i wasn't exactly fond of the idea of them coming into one. 

[Kain]

righto. thanks kain. i wasn't exactly fond of the idea of them coming into one. 

It is possible though.  I have seen bobcats come into howling on a Randy Anderson video and saw a large bobcat chase a coyote off a kill on another video called "Catastrophic".   

My amateur opinion (and what I learned from listening to Rainshadow) is that you should try to make the cat feel comfortable about coming in.  If it is coming into distress sounds it is going to be very cautious as well as any growling or aggressive cougar sounds.   If you stick with the whistle, begging, purring sounds it may be much more likely to come on in.   

[wraithen]

Clancy, from everything I've been learning they may very well come investigate you. The second something moves (i.e. your mask when you blow on ur call or ur finger hitting your remote,) they high tail it outta there. This isn't cali

[bearmanric]

That cougar in the picture that is a sweet looking clearcut. The best area's for Clear cuts is minot peak Brooklyn area. This summer there putting in 8 gates there should make for. the Skokomish unit is very good for calling cougar. Havnt been there for a couple year's. grown up on top so i call ridges were i can see in the big Rock's and grades. They are very hard to see. Cougar Vocals will better my odds and yours i think. If we get snow you will see were the cougars and bocats are.  Rick

[DoubleJ]

Anyone ever have any luck with a cougar-in-heat sound?

[Machias]

Anyone ever have any luck with a cougar-in-heat sound?

I think just the companies who sell that sound.   

[bearmanric]

It sucks in the 90's i ruined alot of good stands. I told Foxpro to buy Rainshadow's they didnt listen. Wt and Rain shadows have best sounds. only ones i would use is whiste content. If you were a regular cougar you would come in to that sound to get beat up and killed. I have alway's made smaller Howlers younger  and female. Same thing get more responses. I dont know any one that has called one in with the mating. good questions. Rick

[DoubleJ]

I just though about chopping this:

onto my mp3 card and playing it out of the speakers.  Not a good idea I take it?

[Kain]

I have that audio on my caller and i throw it on at the end because you never know.    

[Machias]

I just though about chopping this:
onto my mp3 card and playing it out of the speakers.  Not a good idea I take it?

You never know.  That sound has been out there for alooong time.  I don't know of anyone who has had sucess with it, but that doesn't mean it hasn't or it can't be effective.

[bearmanric]

It doesnt hurt to try. I would do it after a hour that would be fine like Kain said. I will be trying the new elk distress and whistles also goat . Rick