Rich, In August 2001, I was riding my Honda on a logging road about 4 miles from our house. When I went around a bend in the road, I saw what I thought to be a bobcat eating something in the road fifty yards ahead. But when the cat ran up off the road, I saw it had a 12 to 14 inch tail. Then I knew it was a cougar kitten and I figured there was a den nearby, probably uphill where the cat had ran. I went back the next evening with my camcorder, hoping to see the cat again and get it on video. I did not see the cat, but in the road was the intestines and part of an ear from a snowshoe rabbit. I could also see the female's and kittens tracks in the road. While I was videoing this, I heard one whistle call. I started imitating that call, and the kittens started answering me.
I went back the next day with my son. That day, there were grouse feathers all over the road, and I was able to get the kittens to talk to me again. Now that I have seen the video, I know what was going on back then. The female was bringing food and calling the kittens down to the road.
If I had know what sound the female used to call her kittens back then, I probably could have hidden and called them down for a video. we never went up and looked for that den, and a couple of days later, they were gone, probably moved to another den.
Last year, I was following a cougar track in the snow on another logging road. I found where the female had called two cubs down to the road and they left following her. She was probably taking them to a fresh kill. The cub's tracks were almost as big as the female's tracks.
This new call will be funafter we learn how to use it.
Bob