This was not what the first time cat hunter had expected. In his mind he saw a treed, docile, quiet, stationary cat that he could take a bead on and deliver a one shot kill. Conversely, he had a hard time keeping his eyes on an agitated, hissing, tawny moving form that kept climbing leaning trees full of snow and disappearing. His body was fatigued from the chase, he had a headache from the barking dogs, and he hoped things would get better!..
Read more Our region is one of the best mountain lion areas in the state. Guided hunts are highly recommended if a person is serious about getting the best chance for success on harvesting a cougar. Kootenai Country Montana Guides, Outfitters, Houndsmen and women, pale to none. These folks are top notch in experience, skill, and dog training. And as they say, when it comes to hunting cats, it’s all about the dogs. Mountain lions are rather secretive, very elusive, and it can be a tough assignment to find and tree puma’s without them. As far as hounds go there are several varieties that seem built for the job and are physically strong enough, intelligent, and extremely trainable. These include black and tans, bluetick, English, the Plott hound, and the treeing walker.
It’s a passion, science, and a rewarding experience with the houndsmen clans. These folks gather for competitions where dogs chase scent soaked hides that are dragged for miles. There are contests where the winners are dogs that bark 144-times in one minute! Many of these serious dog trainers are not necessarily in it to kill a cat, but simply for the pleasure of training the dogs and watching, listening, and smiling as they chase and tree a cat.
But certainly, there are those houndsmen and hunters that are dead set to take a cat. Their day starts early on a mission to cut tracks and scent. Covering ground is the name of the game and 4WD pickups, snowmobiles, and snowshoes are employed to aid in that task. Finding and identifying lion tracks, and letting the dogs check for scent is primary. Snow sure helps, as tracking is obviously much more difficult without it. Generally, it can take from an hour to more than several hours to locate a cat. The hunters must move quickly through tough terrain, thick timber, and brush and often brutal weather. Guys and Gals should be in good enough shape to get to the treed cat before it escapes.
When the sincere cat hunter finally catches up with the treed cat, and can overcome the exhaustion to pull off a clean kill shot at the mountain lion, it can be a satisfying feeling. In Kootenai Country Montana, well, it just doesn’t get much better than that!
(Author’s Note: Reference-Montana Outdoors, A Close Look at Mountain Lions, Curtiss and Dixon-2008.) (See fwp.mt.gov for seasons, weapons, and general regulations.)
