SE Lion

[shootnrun]

I have fallen in love with chasing blacktail on the west side, but as a WSU grad I still have a soft spot for mule deer and big open break country. I had the unfortunate privilege of watching the mule deer population decrease drastically over the years, seeing 30-60 deer a day was nothing when I was a freshman in college, the last time I went over I saw 3 does in 4 days of hunting the public. Mid decline, when seeing enough bucks to fill a couple tags was still possible, I watched 6 wolves eat a deer on a large flat. With all this in mind, I decided I wanted to take a few days and go see what the latest report was on a 4 night, 5 day backpack style hunt. I talked a buddy into going, despite my scheming of getting into some rugged public with logistical issues to overcome, including a complete lack of water. We started in to the spot late in the afternoon after the long drive from the west side, camped, and got up in the AM and continued in. Around 0900 we got to our camping spot, dumped camp, and started to a glassing knob. Looking at the vast and rugged country we had decided it'd be a one deer trip, and it probably ought to be a dandy 4pt. Sitting next to each other glassing, I casually said to Scott "I think I'm gonna hold out for a cat." I'd never seen one there, but why not? He just laughed and we glassed on, not turning up a whole lot. The day ended uneventful, picking out a few does and 2 small bucks.

The next morning was cold and windy. We started off to another glassing point and about a half mile into the walk I hear Scott whistle quietly. As I turn to look at him I notice a deer below looking up at us. Whip up the binos and its a nice 4pt. I dump pack and get set up, waiting and hoping Scott will get a shot. As I get the cross hairs up the buck turns and bounds off. Waiting for the 300 yard look back, a move that has been the end of many bucks I filled tags on, he makes the corner and around the ridge. Apparently the few deer left have evolved without the "look back" gene. We slipped up the hill hoping to catch him in a saddle at the top but no luck. We eventually moved on, as the wind was cold and if we crossed the ridge we'd be shielded.

Crossing the ridge was like a light switch. Wind was turned off. I started glassing some rock faces and brush bottoms and noted an out of place rounded looking brown spot with white on one end below a cliff face. My heart skipped. I turned to Scott and asked him to look at something for me. I walked him in and he turned and looked at me, "is that a cat?" I set up the spotter and laying up against a cliff is a lion, looking right at us 500 yards off. I spotted a roll in the hill that'd put me about 400 yards away. (Sidebar, I've shot 5.5" groups consistently out to 800 with this rifle). Scott stays on the spotter and I "sneak" as much as a 6'4 dude wearing blaze orange in grass that's 10" tall can. I set my pack down and get the rifle situated. Pull up my binos and the cat is gone... I turn to Scott and he's giving me some hand signals I thoroughly do not understand. It appears to be "away and up." At this point I'm getting a bit frantic. Glassing sporadically, I spot a cat in the rocks about 750 yards out. I can't find the cat in my scope to save my life. To make matters worse, I realize the dope in my phone isn't for the gun I brought.. Full panic has now set in. I find the cat again in my binos, no luck in the scope. Scott's un-interpetable hand signals continue, so I decide to yell, "where is it!?!" He says, "theres two, they've only gone about 50 yards," and then begins yelling landmarks. I yell back "just come down here!" He arrives and quickly walks me into the pair, they are certainly aware of the commotion and are walking steadily across a ledge between 2 cliff faces, then stop and sit, looking down over the edge. I range a rock ahead of them, 600 yards. Perfect, I have a screenshot of this rifles dope out to 600 and can get dialed in. Get re-situated, find the rock, look below at the ledge and am fairly stable. Just then, the cat walks into the crosshairs and I let her rip. My rifle is suppressed and Scott sees the cat jump and hears a scream. I hear the desired "thwap" of the bullet hitting the cat. It's launched off the cliff directly away and out of sight.

We decided on a straight in and overwatch approach, in the event the cat squeaks out or the other, slightly smaller mate
that was with it decides to stick around and see what I taste like. I got to the cliff above the last spot I saw the cat and note red in the grass heading into the draw below. Scanning with my binos I am able to make out what appears to be a cat and see the tail flick. Closer observation I am able to find it's head, which is down, but still occasional tail flicks. I elected to put one more in the neck to ensure I didn't get unnecessary scratches.

I was elated. The 3 I saw in the canyon makes 7 total in my life, but this is the first I have seen during season while actually hunting. The rest have been during bear or crossing paved roads. I estimate this male to be ~110-120#s. The one with it was either brother/sister or maybe a mate? And the 3rd, no idea, lost track of it in my frenzy. Scott didn't have a cat tag to make another play. We got a few pictures, broke it down, and headed back to camp. Was an awesome adventure. We called it quits late the next morning and made the trek back to the truck to get the cat info called in and the hide and meat on ice.

[storyteller]

Great writeup, I really like these stories.  Congratulations and thanks

[MADMAX]

 

sweet

[goosehunter12]

Awesome, Thanks for the writeup!  Those deer need all the help they can get!

[bigdub257]

Excellent! 

[bearhunter99]

Well done! A cat is huge on my bucket list!  Great write up!

[Taco280AI]

Awesome 

[Sandberm]

Great job describing your hunt and a cool pic of you with the cat.

[pashok23]

Nice shot, congrats on a cat

[Boss .300 winmag]

Nicely done.👍

[scotsman]

Thanks for the write up and congrats. The cat’s rock / drygrass coloration must have made it virtually invisible at 600 yards!

[rainshadow1]

Great spot and stalk story! Could I put it on my website?

[Machias]

Congrats!!

[shootnrun]

Thanks for the write up and congrats. The cat’s rock / drygrass coloration must have made it virtually invisible at 600 yards!

They were insanely difficult to pick out. The fact that I wasn't certain it was a cat at 500 yards with quality 10x binos was surprising to me. And the one in the rocks/grass that slipped away was virtually impossible to see if it wasn't on the walk. If I didn't have Scott with me spotting and walking me in I don't know that it would have come together.

Also, idk why the Pic that was taken upright is sideways, amd the sideways photo uploaded upright.. I'm not old, but idk how to edit the photo angle via HWs options

[hunter399]

Heck ya congrats.👍👍👍