Cougar Calling this year

johral said:
I think this is the last year for me to buy a cougar tag in Washington. When areas close before they have opened, you should be eligible for a refund. Seems like it’s more of a money laundering scheme.

117 and 124 are also closed
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Yeah, I don't blame you. Their old system wasn't great, but the current one is just nonsense. I thought about doing a PRR about the mortality numbers, just to make them open their books. I think, at the very least, if there were hunter advocacy groups, they could sue WDFW over WAC 220-415-100. The crappy part is that venue would probably have to be in Thurston County Superior Court, where hunters will get no love.
 
Got out for a few hours on Saturday. Location: lower Lochsa. I found only one set of old, washed-out wolf tracks. Given the complete dearth of accumulated snow, I think the critters are still up high. I hunted off the river. I'm not too bummed out because the mission was to get away from the in-laws; mission accomplished. Anyone else getting out in the woods?

Also, I bought one of Rainshadow's hand calls. Is there some trick to it or should I sound like my dog's squeaky toy? I realize this isn't lion breeding season, but I figured that I'd do some practicing. Any suggestions?
 
WMFerguson said:
Got out for a few hours on Saturday. Location: lower Lochsa. I found only one set of old, washed-out wolf tracks. Given the complete dearth of accumulated snow, I think the critters are still up high. I hunted off the river. I'm not too bummed out because the mission was to get away from the in-laws; mission accomplished. Anyone else getting out in the woods?

Also, I bought one of Rainshadow's hand calls. Is there some trick to it or should I sound like my dog's squeaky toy? I realize this isn't lion breeding season, but I figured that I'd do some practicing. Any suggestions?
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Technique...practice...technique...practice...repeat.
 
It's a sharp little puff, probably less than you're thinking. (Typical issue.) I walk through it in the 2009 tutorial. It sounds very similar to the northern flicker, but if you do it right it has an airier bigger background to it.
 
Oh, and they TEND to breed in Spring, but they breed year round. (Toms will kill cubs to bring the females back around... a lot like bears.) And the whistle isn't a breeding sound. It's a communicative sound. (It's all in the tutorials!) The whistle is the best sound overall though, because any cat will come it to it, and many will call back. All for different reasons.
 
rainshadow1 said:
I'm going to make a point to get out more this year... I'm still over-busy, homeschooling 6 kids, still have to do late deer, late archery elk, and I'm still not completely moved over here to central Washington, but I'm getting lion withdrawls!

How about you guys?

Seems I'm seeing a lot more surprise sightings and livestock damage stories. I predicted that, seems like it's happening.

Not sure how the cougar numbers (or habit patterns, lowland influx, livestock damage, etc.) are going to react to the influx of wolves, but the fact that more big predators are out cutting into the herds has the same effect.... and "they" are still regulating the humans out of the equation. Closing the most impacted areas at the end of the year here in Washington.


What do you think about lion hunting this year? What are you guys seeing?
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Wolves seem to be problematic now. In Sierra Valley California the Cattle Ranchers are getting hammered by wolves. There killing a lot if cattle. Ranchers are hamstrung by the Liberal Democrats. One year minimum in prison for protecting you livestock. Sierra county Sheriff recently said that he will not arrest any rancher for protecting his livestock and the county DA said the same
 
Not sure how to ask this, but unless someone runs their mouth, how do they know when a wolf is killed? Are all wolves GPS tagged or something?

Without saying too much, any issues we run into down here we just deal with and keep it between me and me, lol. Landowners tell me their issues, I make issues go away. The only time law might get involved is with 2 legged predators.
 
Yes, what im hearing is that their GPS tagged and California keeps a close watch over them. California Game departmentis all over that area. One rancher lost 21 calves. The locals are saying that the wolves have no fear of people. Last I heard was the Ranchers were going to give the Game Department one more chance to solve the problem then they were going to handle it their way. California is a prime example of liberalism out of control
 

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Thanks for the explanation. Still sounds doable with a little research and a plan. But thankfully I don’t live there and have to deal with anything like that.
 
Spurchaser said:
Thanks for the explanation. Still sounds doable with a little research and a plan. But thankfully I don’t live there and have to deal with anything like that.
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Fish and Game had drones flying at night with bright lights hopeing that it would drive the wolves away from the cattle
 
Spurchaser said:
Thanks for the explanation. Still sounds doable with a little research and a plan. But thankfully I don’t live there and have to deal with anything like that.
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Mt lions are protected in California so are Bobcats. Their trying to protect Coyotes to. Cattle are the main food source for wolves in California. Ranchers are saying that they also kill for fun and cattle that are injured often have to be put down.
 
Just Published Story NC9, on Page 2 of my Cougar Stories.

NC means not calling, and Walter did call at one point, but for the most part, it was a set-up ambush on a fresh kill.

Great story, and big, beautiful, battle-worn cat! Wish I could post the pics, but there is just SO much on those pages now that the website can't handle it.

Here's a link to the page, scroll to the bottom for NC9.

rain-shadow.com

RainShadow Game Calls & Custom Knives

rain-shadow.com rain-shadow.com

Thanks Walter!
 
Spurchaser said:
Thanks for the explanation. Still sounds doable with a little research and a plan. But thankfully I don’t live there and have to deal with anything like that.
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The wolves are usually tagged with a dual function collar. The first function is GPS. The second function is mortality. Each collar is equipped with a sensor that is much more sensitive to movement than a GPS unit. Think of breathing and heartrate versus walking. When the wolf doesn't move for a specified period of time, the collar sends out a "mortality" signal.

When I was a kid, the Feds introduced wolves to my part of Idaho. We thought there was some kind of magic. Turns out, the collars back then were such that you could kill, grab, and transport the collared wolf and get away with it...hypothetically. Now, your biggest enemy is that mobile-surveillance-device-that-just-happens-to-also-make-phone-calls, A.K.A. your cell phone. Hypothetically.
 
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