Don’t know why ?

[1874sharpsshooter]

Don’t know why I keep going back year after year . Six years now I have been heading out for Dec 26 th opening day of Mt Lion season . Every year I say I ain’t going this year and every year I go .
I have found tracks , fresh kills , had cats answer calls , even had a cat circle around and we found his tracks on top of our tracks .
I have stumbled and fallen in the snow and it took a month to heal up . I have been tired , cold and everything thing else . All to no avail. I have yet to get a shot at a cat . Yet I am going to try one more time .
Hills are steeper , ground is harder each year but for some dumb reason I keep going back .
On top of it everyone says I am stupid for using a muzzleloader. But I will grab a trusty inline , maybe a Bestill Remington or something like that come Christmas Day and
Dec 26 th Lord willing I will wake up in a tent with good snow for tracks and it will all start again . The frustration, discouragement, aching muscles and labored breathing, and bitter cold.
But if I live long enough I will ..... someday ..... I will get that elusive cat . And I will do it with a muzzleloader
The difference this year is not one of the Kids wants to go . It will be the first year I will be all alone
No one to share the misery with .

 

[Jackalope]

Do you or can you use dogs, or do you just track them?

 

[shguns]

To bad I don't live closer. Sounds like a good time!
While I have never seen a wild Mtn Lion in all my hunts out here in the west, I'm absolutely sure I have been seen by more than one! LOL :wink:

 

[rangerod]

Imagine how great you'll feel if successful. And if not you can know you gave it your all.

 

[1874sharpsshooter]

Do you or can you use dogs, or do you just track them?

No dogs in the Black Hills . Custer has 4 hunts with dogs but you have to draw an access permit for Custer . I got 3 dogs 2 years ago for mt lion hunting and have not drawn a dog permit yet so it’s just tracking and electronic caller . I sold my Blue stick this year as matter of fact , only have a Red Tick as far as a hunting dog now .

 

[Squeeze]

Haha, Sometimes Its a love hate thing with our passions. Good Luck! I'm betting this year you score, just because your going solo, and you'll have to do all the afterwork alone. Loving every little creak and groan on the way. :yeah: artyman:

 

[Jackalope]

Do you or can you use dogs, or do you just track them?

No dogs in the Black Hills . Custer has 4 hunts with dogs but you have to draw an access permit for Custer . I got 3 dogs 2 years ago for mt lion hunting and have not drawn a dog permit yet so it’s just tracking and electronic caller . I sold my Blue stick this year as matter of fact , only have a Red Tick as far as a hunting dog now .

Sounds like a fun hunt.

I've never seen a Mt lion in the wild, but have had them follow my tracks before.

I had one walk between my tent and the guy-out strings on my A frame tent once when I was a young man in Boy Scouts. Never heard it, just found the tracks in the fresh snow in the morning.

 

[ronlaughlin]

Hope you get one Chet! The deer population needs your help. ☺

 

[1874sharpsshooter]

If you don’t hear from me by February whoever finds me can have my muzzy

 

[nocomike]

I wish you the best of luck. The only lion I have ever seen in over 35 years of hunting in Colorado had 3 redbone hounds singing to him at the base of the tree he was in. That was a true "bucket list" moment for me, especially since my all-time-favorite book as a kid was "Where the Red Fern Grows". I can not imagine tracking one without dogs, though I have heard it can be done. We pushed my tom for over 6 miles before the shot and had him treed 3 times. I would consider it no small success to even see one while tracking without dogs. In any event, be safe, have fun, and we will hope for a successful follow up...

 

[Mikeul50]

Alls fun til the tracks are bigger than yours....had my chances at cats...no dogs..just shear luck of crossing pathes...
Solo...get an electronic call.....that would be the safe way to get one to come towards you..not to you....