Cougar Too Close For Comfort

[Mulligan]

Hell, I got the willies just looking at the picture! The most dangerous thing I might come across when hunting might be a copperhead, not something that wants to eat me. Glad it didn't come out of that tree on her.

I would rather deal with the kitty than the copperhead, never been a snake guy!
CW

 

[Mulligan]

Nasty pose. Looks like it means "business".

As for eating cat - first I ever heard of anyone doing that. I mean any kind of cat from house to lion.

In Colorado, if you hunt them, you are required by law to prepare them for human consumption.
Just saying.
CW

 

[jds holler]

I have eaten cougar meat, and was also surprised at how good it was. Kind of like pork loin. jd

 

[ben lurkin]

Wait til you get one caught in a foothold trap and have to release it - alive. You have to get a choke pole around it's neck and once you do; the fun starts! They go absolutely ape s*** ballistic for 30 seconds or so until they pass out. It's absolutely incredible how violent they are. They tear up any and everything within reach so you gotta be out of teeth and claw length. I'm sure you would be killed or wish you were if you weren't (of course, they think they are being killed so I suppose I don't blame them). After they pass out, you have between 60-90 seconds to get the pole off and free them from the trap until they come to. And when they wake up, they are mad kitties. I have a video of it somewhere from when a buddy and I used to trap coyotes. I'll have to see if I can dig it up and post it.

 

[timeout]

Wait til you get one caught in a foothold trap and have to release it - alive. You have to get a choke pole around it's neck and once you do; the fun starts! They go absolutely ape s*** ballistic for 30 seconds or so until they pass out. It's absolutely incredible how violent they are. They tear up any and everything within reach so you gotta be out of teeth and claw length. I'm sure you would be killed or wish you were if you weren't (of course, they think they are being killed so I suppose I don't blame them). After they pass out, you have between 60-90 seconds to get the pole off and free them from the trap until they come to. And when they wake up, they are mad kitties. I have a video of it somewhere from when a buddy and I used to trap coyotes. I'll have to see if I can dig it up and post it.

I've never released a cougar, but with a bobcat you need to get them out quickly. They can't stand much catch pole action. Must be a cat thing. Interesting to know that cougars pass out quickly also in a catch pole situation. Coyotes, no problem.

 

[timeout]

I would rather deal with the kitty than the copperhead, never been a snake guy!
CW

I'm with you. I'll take my chances with the cougar. Anytime I might see a cougar, I would likely be carrying.

 

[johnfred1965]

I'm with you. I'll take my chances with the cougar. Anytime I might see a cougar, I would likely be carrying.

When I was a kid, we would look for snakes in the creek by our house, just hold them down with a stick. It would have to be a reallly long stick with that cougar, and I"d have to have my 44 in the other hand

 

[timeout]

When I was a kid, we would look for snakes in the creek by our house, just hold them down with a stick. It would have to be a reallly long stick with that cougar, and I"d have to have my 44 in the other hand

When I was a kid we chopped up snakes with a hatchet, but then again poisonus snakes are a rarity here. Still kill everyone that I see. Problem with poisonous snakes is that you don't always see them.

 

[Barlow]

A buddy just got back from the Big Horns, and saw two Lions. A few years back another friend killed one that was stalking him in Idaho. He shot over it to scare it, but it came closer. He did not shoot over it the second time. Barlow

 

[jds holler]

Wait til you get one caught in a foothold trap and have to release it - alive. You have to get a choke pole around it's neck and once you do; the fun starts!

My God!! I can't imagine what kind of trap set you must have used that would hold the critter for that kind of action. My stakes or drags are good enough for a 35 or even 50 lb coyote, but a 100 + pound cougar -- not so much. I've gotta give you credit for a "live release". AND would love to see that vid. jd

 

[bluealtered]

I was hoping to bring up the headline so you could download the story, but i guess didn't copy the headline. This is from the La Grande Observer and i don't remember the the date but the date on the caption shows it as march and it would be within the last couple of years if i remember right. It was taken while out on a shed hunt with a ar15 5.56 about 50 miles from here. Cats this size are starting to become a no big deal anymore. For reference that log the cat is draped over is about 24-36" or larger.

 

[Steve morgan]

When I was a kid, we would look for snakes in the creek by our house, just hold them down with a stick. It would have to be a reallly long stick with that cougar, and I"d have to have my 44 in the other hand

7mm catch stick

 

[Brians356]

7mm catch stick

A pole ... a smoke pole.
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[Larryh128]

A pole ... a smoke pole.
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I've eaten mountain lion. It has a pork flavor but the piece that I had was tough, tough.

 

[DocDoc]

I've eaten mountain lion. It has a pork flavor but the piece that I had was tough, tough.

I have read that some of the early mountain men liked cougar best.

 

[ND shooter]

I have eaten cougar meat, and was also surprised at how good it was. Kind of like pork loin. jd

Have had it and agree. Much better than you would expect. Its more the idea. Once you get past the thought its very good! The meat I ate wasnt tough, maybe done different or better or younger cat...

 

[Brians356]

The November 2017 issue of Outdoor Life recalls that Jack O'Connor wrote therein in 1957 that mountain lion meat was an offbeat delicacy reminiscent of veal. He rated mountain sheep, elk, and moose (in that order) the best table fare, but all when taken before the rut. Of pronghorn he said he "never shot one that wasn't good eating." The best game bird he opined was Blue Grouse (I wholeheartedly agree!).
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[nmkid]

Wow, this brings back long, stored, memories about my encounters with mountain lions. During this time, (1968) I lived n Bishop, CA.. My father-in-law had just had 3 lambs killed by a cat. Of course we called the CA DFG and they came out. Well, they couldn't confirm that it was a mountain lion. Never mind the cat tracks all around the place!! At that time I was recently returned from Vietnam and had no use for firearms. However, I borrowed my brothers Ruger 44 magnum pistol and went looking for the cat. Hey, at that time I was bullet proof! Amazingly I saw him about 300 hundred yards from the latest lamb kill. I shot, but missed. Probably good thing as they were already protected. About 5 years later while coyote hunting in almost the same area I had another encounter. After calling for several minutes I got the 'feeling' that something was looking at me. I turned around and there was a cat on a big rock looking at me about 50 yards away. I fired a shot at the boulder he was on. He ran off. I have no love for them. They kill a lot of deer.

 

[USMCDOC]

As a southern boy, who has seen "extinct" cougar sign in the Appalachians, my first reaction to that picture was "Choot 'em"!

Seen any of the "black" ones?

 

[rebel]

Seen any of the "black" ones?

You know , I hear that one all the time. I know there is no such thing as a black moutain lion. Only jaguars and leopards have solid black occurrences in coloration. Yet many folks think, without a doubt that they have seen the fabled, mythical black panther. I usually ask if Elvis was riding him