Airedale56
Active member
Go to 9:50 to see the caller in the tree, the decoy moving above the caller and the cat shows up…..
Go to 9:50 to see the caller in the tree, the decoy moving above the caller and the cat shows up…..
Koda
Hammer Time Executive member
Im liking the replies and inspiration so heres a followup...
Location: I know where to go... the cougar population in my state is overwhelming deer and elk, Ive seen the tracks and the sign and have trailcams out. My focus is on the spots I hunt deer and elk for obvious reasons, and I know they are in there.
So the other weekend I took a hunting buddy out to call the cat at that scratch. I don't know much of what I'm doing but just diving in. It had snowed a trace during the week so this was on my radar, but typical it all melted off by the weekend. I put my cheap ecall in a small flat in the dark timber near that scratching post. Went uphill about 40 yards and found a stump to hide behind. Note: this is off trail coastal dark timber stand. I used the fawn distress mode... I don't trust this cheap call is accurate sound but its better than what I can do with a mouth call. I think I paid about 60 bucks for it, Western Rivers Mantis 75R. Its not very loud.
We called for an hour straight and nothing came in.
We hiked out a different way to check on the area and learned they will be logging adjacent to this timber stand in the near future. Not certain I will be able to park or get in there but I am creative but will need more scouting to go in the "back way". If they leave this stand of timber alone while they take over the main/obvious parking access nobody's gonna hunt it and I know how to get in there. Last I hunted it there was at least 3 bucks in the timber stand including a 4pt. Anyways...
We drove over to another area I spotted cougar tracks last winter in the snow. We set up there on a bermed road that had a lot of fresh predator scat (lots of grouse on this road) but I'm not certain whats coyote vs cougar scat but whatever...
Setting up we spotted a large rabbit 60yds out I took it with my Grendel for dinner... and bait. Not certain if the shot would scare off predators though but it was a dinner worthy rabbit. Called for 30 minutes straight with a wounded rabbit call and a gutted dead rabbit on the ground as bait but nothing came in. It was late and now minutes from last light, we packed it all up.
New to Hammers this is my first Hammer kill... lol, a rabbit. The 97gnAbsolute appears to have expanded just a little with just the couple inches of pass thru, my shot didn't waste any meat but I was a little lucky as the offhand shot was about 1" higher than I wanted splitting the spine.
Anyways... after my Christmas money is recovered I want to buy a nice ecall like a Foxpro by spring, or something I can afford... but I probably wont get back out there for another month cause we want to go back for some dedicated grouse hunting before season ends in January.
Lessons: I think we/I can do better camouflaging or hiding, we used a large stump but kept peeking out to glass and watch our back. Doing that for an hour I got lazy and just glassed, 40 yards isnt that far away. A better ecall with more remote range will be nice to set off around 100yds.
Location: I know where to go... the cougar population in my state is overwhelming deer and elk, Ive seen the tracks and the sign and have trailcams out. My focus is on the spots I hunt deer and elk for obvious reasons, and I know they are in there.
So the other weekend I took a hunting buddy out to call the cat at that scratch. I don't know much of what I'm doing but just diving in. It had snowed a trace during the week so this was on my radar, but typical it all melted off by the weekend. I put my cheap ecall in a small flat in the dark timber near that scratching post. Went uphill about 40 yards and found a stump to hide behind. Note: this is off trail coastal dark timber stand. I used the fawn distress mode... I don't trust this cheap call is accurate sound but its better than what I can do with a mouth call. I think I paid about 60 bucks for it, Western Rivers Mantis 75R. Its not very loud.
We called for an hour straight and nothing came in.
We hiked out a different way to check on the area and learned they will be logging adjacent to this timber stand in the near future. Not certain I will be able to park or get in there but I am creative but will need more scouting to go in the "back way". If they leave this stand of timber alone while they take over the main/obvious parking access nobody's gonna hunt it and I know how to get in there. Last I hunted it there was at least 3 bucks in the timber stand including a 4pt. Anyways...
We drove over to another area I spotted cougar tracks last winter in the snow. We set up there on a bermed road that had a lot of fresh predator scat (lots of grouse on this road) but I'm not certain whats coyote vs cougar scat but whatever...
Setting up we spotted a large rabbit 60yds out I took it with my Grendel for dinner... and bait. Not certain if the shot would scare off predators though but it was a dinner worthy rabbit. Called for 30 minutes straight with a wounded rabbit call and a gutted dead rabbit on the ground as bait but nothing came in. It was late and now minutes from last light, we packed it all up.
New to Hammers this is my first Hammer kill... lol, a rabbit. The 97gnAbsolute appears to have expanded just a little with just the couple inches of pass thru, my shot didn't waste any meat but I was a little lucky as the offhand shot was about 1" higher than I wanted splitting the spine.
Anyways... after my Christmas money is recovered I want to buy a nice ecall like a Foxpro by spring, or something I can afford... but I probably wont get back out there for another month cause we want to go back for some dedicated grouse hunting before season ends in January.
Lessons: I think we/I can do better camouflaging or hiding, we used a large stump but kept peeking out to glass and watch our back. Doing that for an hour I got lazy and just glassed, 40 yards isnt that far away. A better ecall with more remote range will be nice to set off around 100yds.
Koda
Hammer Time Executive member
Id like to get a call with a decoy like that...
Airedale56
Active member
“…but I'm not certain whats coyote vs cougar scat but whatever...”
lol.
Search online for cougar scat images.
That particular “Whirling Woodpecker” decoy has been out of production for years. I wish someone would make it again.
Search “moving cat toys” or some such. It doesn’t have to be realistic, it just has to move. Your house cat will prove that to you…grin
lol.
Search online for cougar scat images.
That particular “Whirling Woodpecker” decoy has been out of production for years. I wish someone would make it again.
Search “moving cat toys” or some such. It doesn’t have to be realistic, it just has to move. Your house cat will prove that to you…grin
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Airedale56
Active member
Battery powered flying bat.
Attach to a tree limb, let it hang and fly.
Attach to a tree limb, let it hang and fly.
tree hanging by a tread. Just take a tiny bit of wind to move.
Airedale56
Active member
Yeah, but how’s a mountain lion gonna get into the living room to check out the tinsel there?, 
sheesh, you guys!
…..Just closed the flue in the fireplace……
For Mountain Lion safety…reasons.
sheesh, you guys!…..Just closed the flue in the fireplace……
For Mountain Lion safety…reasons.
Pistol Pete
Member
I may have not pasted this article in right by it's by a ODFW bio. https://myodfw.com/articles/10-ways-be-better-cougar-hunter
Pistol Pete
Member
You might also research hunting/calling during the cats mating season.
Koda
Hammer Time Executive member
@Pistol Pete Thats a good bookmark, i have read that and will be trying some of those tips. Im hoping to get out in the next few weekends.
@BFD i picked up one of those decoys after reading your comment. Cant wait to try it out.
@BFD i picked up one of those decoys after reading your comment. Cant wait to try it out.
Rausch
Hammer Time Executive member
Mountain lions do not have a mating season per se. Just like domestic cats they can have a heat cycle at any point during the year.