photohunter
New member
Hi all,
I'm not a hunter... I'll just throw that out there. Ha. Definitely an outdoorsman and definitely in the right place for advice though, so here goes... I'm in Northern Cali where it's illegal to hunt Cougars. I live on a few acres at the edge of the thick woods (eastern Sierra, high desert to the east). I have a creek in thick woods on my property. I have a few trail cams around, and get cougars and bobcats 100 feet from my house pretty regularly. I have never seen a cougar with the naked eye, and it tortures me. Mountain lion sightings are pretty common in my immediate area. I see tracks in the woods all the time when there's mud or snow, and I've startled a few bobcats while out on my mountain bike... So as far as locations, that's not really my question... Here's the dumb part:
I'm a wildlife photographer, and I want to call predators just for the photo opportunity. I've finally decided that a chance meeting is never going to yield the results I want, and it's time to up my game. So I've been devouring info on calling for a few months, foxpro purchase is imminent. Hand calling is probably not in my future. (?). I don't want to be that close, or the source of the call. But I obviously want to be safe also. I think I have a good shot at calling cougars because they are seemingly thick around here (neighbor up the road saw one this week, I had one on a trail cam the week before), and they don't get called here, so they may be a bit more likely to come in, at least at first.
I'm looking for any and all advice around the idea of letting one walk away... Seems like often that's just what they'll do anyway, but let's assume no warning shot, nothing to scare them off except maybe my movements when they've busted me... I've read plenty and studied their behavior, but obviously no first hand experience there.
I'm also wondering about what caliber handgun I might want to carry, in case that warning shot or a self defense shot becomes necessary, and general comments on how dumb this all sounds. Ha!
I'm in for the long haul... Totally aware this could be a 10 year project, but I gotta get those pics. Bucket list stuff. I consume cougar encounter stories, and I have what some of you probably understand... Maybe an irrational...maybe not... need to have that experience of a few moments with one of these critters. I know they've seen me... I need to turn the tables. So there you go. Hunting Cougars in Cali the only legal way.... Am I nuts?
I'm not a hunter... I'll just throw that out there. Ha. Definitely an outdoorsman and definitely in the right place for advice though, so here goes... I'm in Northern Cali where it's illegal to hunt Cougars. I live on a few acres at the edge of the thick woods (eastern Sierra, high desert to the east). I have a creek in thick woods on my property. I have a few trail cams around, and get cougars and bobcats 100 feet from my house pretty regularly. I have never seen a cougar with the naked eye, and it tortures me. Mountain lion sightings are pretty common in my immediate area. I see tracks in the woods all the time when there's mud or snow, and I've startled a few bobcats while out on my mountain bike... So as far as locations, that's not really my question... Here's the dumb part:
I'm a wildlife photographer, and I want to call predators just for the photo opportunity. I've finally decided that a chance meeting is never going to yield the results I want, and it's time to up my game. So I've been devouring info on calling for a few months, foxpro purchase is imminent. Hand calling is probably not in my future. (?). I don't want to be that close, or the source of the call. But I obviously want to be safe also. I think I have a good shot at calling cougars because they are seemingly thick around here (neighbor up the road saw one this week, I had one on a trail cam the week before), and they don't get called here, so they may be a bit more likely to come in, at least at first.
I'm looking for any and all advice around the idea of letting one walk away... Seems like often that's just what they'll do anyway, but let's assume no warning shot, nothing to scare them off except maybe my movements when they've busted me... I've read plenty and studied their behavior, but obviously no first hand experience there.
I'm also wondering about what caliber handgun I might want to carry, in case that warning shot or a self defense shot becomes necessary, and general comments on how dumb this all sounds. Ha!
I'm in for the long haul... Totally aware this could be a 10 year project, but I gotta get those pics. Bucket list stuff. I consume cougar encounter stories, and I have what some of you probably understand... Maybe an irrational...maybe not... need to have that experience of a few moments with one of these critters. I know they've seen me... I need to turn the tables. So there you go. Hunting Cougars in Cali the only legal way.... Am I nuts?