Lion!?!

wow thats pretty neat, the cat buried it? In SD?

Cats always cover their kills. We don't usually get to see that. Pretty cool.

I wouldn't hang around that area.

Wildlife biologist told me one time that if you find a scene like this, the cat is less than 200 yards away...watching his stash. I don't know how accurate that is...but lets all be careful out there 8)

Well, i have been hunting a long beard, and a lion since Christmas. Turkey season ended, and i only had one chance, but didn't have my rifle with. Two weeks ago i saw fresh lion track, but the mountain was too rugged for this old man to hike. This morning i did some pistol shooting, and then took a hike West from the truck. The truck was parked about 17 mile from our home in Rapid City. Within 100 yard walking up the trail i cut fresh lion track. It looked to be a smaller lion, but was definitely adult. The way them track headed didn't look promising to me, so i walked on by. One needs to understand one's limitations.











Continuing up the trail, and through a locked gate i found a promising path that might take me to the top, so i left the trail and headed North. Saw 3 deer on the climb. When i was near the top, i cut 3 set of lion track. Two cubs, and ma. These tracks i marked on the gps. By rule we cannot trail/hunt multiple lion track, so i continued on my way. Saw 4 deer, and played some with them, and dropped over the other side heading back to the truck.











As i kinda reached the elevation of the truck walking Southeasterly, i walked across a track in the snow that looked like somebody was sledding. This was puzzling, and i wondered if someone killed a deer and was taking it down on a toboggan. It took me longer than it should have, but finally i realized there were no man track pulling the toboggan. It seemed it might be a lion was dragging a deer, but it didn't really look to be so. I followed the trail down hill, and it abruptly ended at the waypoint marked kill. Quite a bit of disturbance was evident here. Then i followed the drag trail up hill until it ended. Wow, i looked up in the trees, and on the ground everywhere for a possible place the lion may have hidden the deer, but couldn't see anything.

I really really wanted to find the stashed deer, but after a long search, and failing to find it, i figured i was imagining the idea there was a deer. After searching for what seemed to be 1/2 hour, i decided the lion had to have drug the deer up through some low bush where there was no snow, and searched the area again when i stumbled onto the buried deer and marked the waypoint meat. The deer was cold, but the neck was quite wet, which i figured was lion saliva. It is interesting to me that i could have taken the deer, and butchered it just as i normally would butcher any deer. The lion ate the innards from the chest and the belly, but didn't touch the meat palatable to me. After taking pictures of the deer, i went down to try and photograph the clean track at the kill site; that was hard to do with my camera. Then i walked to the truck.

As i am typing this post, i am imagining the lion with cubs eating on the deer right now. Wonder what the lion thought of me messing with it's meat? Wonder what she will do with the meat, after they eat on it? Seems i have to go back and find out what is happening there tonight. I cannot hunt the lion, because it is with cubs. When i go back it will not be with the intention of killing the lion, so i guess i won't bring the X7. However, i sure am curious to see if the deer is still there, and if it is eaten up more, or if she abandoned it.

This is only the second time in over 45 year of hunting i found, and uncovered a lion kill.

I'll be checking back later tonight here aswell!

About 9:30 AM












Wife and i went to the meat site this morning. The lion for sure had returned, and reburied the deer. We did not disturb the site this morning, because we are hoping it returns tonight with the cubs, and eats on the deer. We couldn't see how much deer was eaten last night.

Do you have a trail cam?

That would be nice to shoot a lion.

There is a lion with cubs at one of my hunting spots here in VA. landowners have seen them after her goats were killed and they also found deer fawn carcuses up in tree branches. DGIF says they are not here in the state, but you can't kill them either.

When I was stationed in Rapid City,SD in the early '70's we had a place in the NF where we would take .22 pistols out for target practice. I was there by myself late one evening when I heard a lion roar real closeby...didn't take me long to get to my car!! :lol: Never went there an stayed late again!!

Wisconsin finally had to admit that lions are in the State after livestock predation. But they just claim it is one or maybe two cats. I swear that I once saw one cross the road where I live. And a neighbor reported seeing one when grouse hunting.

Those pictures are very interesting. Yes its a shame you don't have a trail camera. Beautiful looking country out there.

This is really cool Ron, thanks for posting. Man if you could set up a game cam on that deer...you'd get some awesome pics for sure.

I agree, a trail cam would be awesome.

Very cool. I had no idea that they would try and hide their prey.

9:00 AM






Linda and i walked to the buried deer this morning. As one can see from the photo there is nothing left but one leg bone, and the stomach contents.

Sunday last we viewed the buried deer, and left a trail cam.













These pictures from the trail cam reveal momma lion, and at least one cub. It appear Ma has been captured by the fish and game biologists, and has a radio collar.

That is cool. How many pics did you get?

This post is so cool!!!!!!

I agree this is really cool. I hate to admit it but, Ron which pic can you see the cub in? All I see is da Mama.

WV Hunter said:

................How many pics did you get?

Click to expand...

Just the three. The camera sensitivity was set on 'normal'. In hindsight, i should have set sensitivity on 'high'.

The eyes of the cub are visible in the middle picture behind 'Ma'. We saw them, by comparing pictures, and noticing a lack of 'eyes' in the first and third picture. Actually i saw 2 sets of cub tracks last Saturday about 3/4 mile away from this deer, and feel strongly there are 2 cubs, but cannot see any visible 'proof' in these pictures.