Post by: rainshadow1 on December 24, 2008, 12:00:31 PM
My best opportunity to cut tracks so far in the 08-09 season. So, I decided I'd pass all the .....
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi234.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee99%2Frainshadow1%2FDSC04627.jpg&hash=1b05ddea29c6a06e74f515f262674f2ebcdafbf9)
...fresh Bobcat tracks... that I came upon.
Ruling out all the tracks that had ANY snow in them, and all the tracks that could have possibly been the same cat 1/4 mile later, I cut no less that 6, <12 hours fresh Bobbies is probably 40 miles of some really technical Mountain snow driving!
I fought with my front chains for about an hour, then finally just put on the rears. A few spots I wished I had all 4's chained, but I managed to smash my way through! I'll be tweaking my equipment and have things straight for next round!
Not one single Cougar track!!! I was discouraged. Not only about the lack of Lion tracks, but not having stopped on any Bobcat tracks in a doggedly focused search for Cougar.
I stopped the the bitter end of the road... well, 1/2 mile short of it, actually. It was getting really hard to drive. I walked the rest of the way up and...
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi234.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee99%2Frainshadow1%2FDSC04629.jpg&hash=e062d5227cbbb73e65c2f6647a003af07c5ac11f)
...set up here and did a 2 hour cold Cougar stand. Nothing showed. Then I drove the rest of the way up, turned around, and went back down.
Good day out in the mountains, but wish I'd have cut a Lion track. In retrospect, I saw a TON of deer tracks, so it's likely the Cougars are still above the roads. This is the first significant snow of the year here.
Wish I had more pics, but I had a steelie eyed focus, and a white knuckle grip on the wheel!
Post by: addicted on December 24, 2008, 12:29:22 PM
Post by: bayedup on December 24, 2008, 08:02:25 PM
Post by: tlbradford on December 24, 2008, 08:25:36 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on December 24, 2008, 08:49:55 PM
Post by: rainshadow1 on December 24, 2008, 08:51:27 PM
This reprod is probably 40 years old. Plenty of lions in the reprod when the snow is deep up high. Heck, there's several down in town!
This is the bitter end of the road, I've passed through many miles of old growth patches and even a little subalpine to get here.
Didn't you read the other thread, TL? I've got a "SPOT" so I can call for the Cavalry from the surface of the Moon!