Author Topic: Found a fresh cougar kill today (updated with cougar pics) (Read 12768 times)

shanevg · « **on:** February 05, 2012, 10:06:13 PM »

Alecvg and I went in to check my elk trail camera and were lucky enough to find a fresh cougar kill today. We had 20 videos of elk on my camera and we were following some of their tracks around in the snow when we happened to stumble upon a site that at first looked like an elk bed but then we found a calf buried under the dirt. After some further searching we were able to find 2 cougar tracks but the snow had a nice ice layer on top so it wasn't punching through very much to make a track. Not a big cougar by the looks of it but it still managed to take down an elk.

What is your guys experience on a cougar returning to its kill site. Did we completely spook it out of there with our human sent or will her return? We moved my trailer camera to directly over the kill site in hopes of getting some pictures of him if he returns. We will also be back in there in the next week to see if we can stumble upon him - cougar season is still open!

Pretty cool all around other than a cougar taking out one of my elk! Hopefully he doesn't hang out in that area and just pick them all off. I've honestly been quite surprised I haven't seen more sign of cougars in there considering all the elk that winter in there though.

This is probably the calf that died. (This video is from 1/24/12.) Too bad no cougar on the videos.

Video of the find:

carpsniperg2 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2012, 10:23:48 PM »

This time of year the kill will still be good for several days. Its hard to say if the cat will come back around and feed much after you guys really walked around the kill area. I am sure it will come back just a matter if it will feel o.k to stay there after it gets a wiff of your scent. I know several guys that have watched for cougar kills and when they find one. They set up a ground blind and wait for the cat to return. They have killed more the a few that way. The tracks do look to be small to mid sized hard to tell for sure as they have melted out a little and that will always make tracks look bigger. I hope you guys can get some pic's of the cat/s. It would also be great if you could whack it

sebek556 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2012, 10:38:57 PM »

it would definitely be worth a shoot I think..

danderson · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2012, 10:55:29 PM »

They will be back, probably more than one, and feed every night until its gone

ANDERWAGON · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:16:05 AM »

I can't wait to see the future pics from the kill site.

3nails · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:36:02 AM »

Hope you guys can get a pic!

boneaddict · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:03:49 AM »

Pretty small track....probably mom and kittens

bugs n bones · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:27:36 AM »

I would devote the nect couple days to that kill, it will come back and finish it off... You wont get a better chance to kill a cat than right now.. go set up on it and be patient

bearhunter99 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:29:34 AM »

Quote from: boneaddict on February 06, 2012, 07:03:49 AM

Pretty small track....probably mom and kittens

shanevg · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:57:34 AM »

Quote from: boneaddict on February 06, 2012, 07:03:49 AM

Pretty small track....probably mom and kittens

That had crossed my mind myself. Tracks seemed really small to me especially considering they were partially melted out.

lokidog · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2012, 09:34:30 AM »

Is a cougar legal if its kittens no longer have spots? That looks like a great place to sit for a bit. Nice find.

alecvg · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2012, 10:03:08 AM »

I might head back up there after school today for a couple of hours and see if it visited during the night.

alecvg · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2012, 02:20:45 PM »

Just got back from checking the cam, 39 pictures, and the elk is now about half eaten. We will have to wait to see the pictures until Shane gets back from his Banff trip, since I don't know how to download the pictures off the card.

boonerboy · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2012, 02:25:11 PM »

JohnVH · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2012, 02:55:24 PM »

no wonder your never at work, haha!

Good find, look forward to pics.

alecvg · « **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:19:04 PM »

How big is he?

alecvg · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:19:52 PM »

alecvg · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:20:24 PM »

alecvg · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:20:58 PM »

luvtohnt · « **Reply #19 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:40:27 PM »

That appears to be a nice cat. One of the more muscular specimens I have seen in pictures. He must be very well fed. I would say definitely a trophy.

Just a side note I always get pics of myself in several locations on the trail camera (after final placement) so I can compare size of photographed animals to myself when I return or by simply measuring.

Brandon

benhuntin · « **Reply #20 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:40:58 PM »

Looks big to me

BOWHUNTER45 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:46:36 PM »

130 - 140 RANGE ...Nice one .... where is he ?

I would get a pop up blind and sit on it !!

alecvg · « **Reply #22 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:59:57 PM »

The problem is, he has only come in late at night, or early morning, and with my work and school scheduale, I just can't get up there after him. He looks like a nice one to me, but I don't know much about cats.

sleepingin · « **Reply #23 on:** February 12, 2012, 04:07:39 PM »

Nice pics. Yep it looks to be a good hunter. Hope you find the time to connect on him.

KenPCPilot · « **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2012, 05:24:32 AM »

Coo pics. My next goal harvest a cougar. Have to set up an electronic caller. Try to find some sounds that mimic a dead calf. that probably would bring him right in.

remington300mag · « **Reply #25 on:** February 13, 2012, 05:30:02 AM »

Quote from: KenPCPilot on February 13, 2012, 05:24:32 AM

Coo pics. My next goal harvest a cougar. Have to set up an electronic caller. Try to find some sounds that mimic a dead calf. that probably would bring him right in.

Should be pretty easy....a "Dead Calf" makes no sounds at all!!! LOL

JohnVH · « **Reply #26 on:** February 13, 2012, 05:45:38 AM »

Squeal it in when you do have time

jackmaster · « **Reply #27 on:** February 13, 2012, 07:05:28 AM »

i am sure this question has been asked, but is it legal to hunt cougars at night, it would be sweet if it is, i know it use to be, and i believe you can still hunt bobcat, coon, and coyote at night but not sure about big cats, any help would be sweet, thanks

blindpig · « **Reply #28 on:** February 13, 2012, 08:33:10 AM »

Good looking cat. I thought the track looked smaller than what the cat actually was. Thanks.

saylean · « **Reply #29 on:** February 13, 2012, 04:53:00 PM »

Boy thats a pretty cat!

HairTrigger · « **Reply #30 on:** February 14, 2012, 12:28:30 AM »

Looks pretty big nice one an big nuff to take an elk down

Hope ya get him an save some deer an elk

carpsniperg2 · « **Reply #31 on:** February 14, 2012, 01:01:38 AM »

That is a very solid well fed cat! I would put him around the 150 mark and By the head I really think you have a mature tom there.

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Author Topic: Found a fresh cougar kill today (updated with cougar pics) (Read 12768 times)

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