Big cats

[BigSky56]

Hunting partners took a couple of cats in march. danny
female approx 125 lbs

tom 175 lbs plus

[gamekeeper]

Big Cats is right, I would not like to meet one like that without being armed!

[Idiot]

That's a pretty big cat. How's the meat? And is the hide heavy enough for a shirt? Is it the thickness of antelope hide, or thinner? Anyway, nice cat.

[GANJIRO]

When I lived in Idaho several years ago I had the privilege of having a mother Puma and her 2 yearlings pass within 10 yards of me, beautiful animals they were.

[J Miller]

Well, it looks like the tom bit the guys face off before expiring.

So what's the reason for killing them? Food? Survival? Revenge? Testosterone release?

Sorry if I sound negative, but I couldn't bring myself to kill one of them big kitties unless I was on his/her menu.

Joe

[2ndovc]

Well, it looks like the tom bit the guys face off before expiring.

So what's the reason for killing them? Food? Survival? Revenge? Testosterone release?

Sorry if I sound negative, but I couldn't bring myself to kill one of them big kitties unless I was on his/her menu.

Joe

I don't think I could either. Unless they were becoming/ causing a problem.

jb

[TedH]

That's a nice BIG tom!


Funny to hear folks hesitant to kill a big cat. Are they any more beautiful than a whitetail deer? What about a big bull elk? Doves? They are all beautiful animals in my opinion. That doesn't stop me from hunting any of them.

The reasons for killing them is the same as any other kind of hunting, the thrill of the hunt, the meat in the freezer, a beautiful hide to mount. Not to mention the number of deer and elk that won't become the cats dinner.

Then, just look at the fun they're having with them in Kalifornia since they stopped hunting them. They lost their fear of humans and just use those suckers for a meal now instead of something that can run fast.

As far as I'm concerned, meat from a mountain lion is at the top of the list of wild game meat. It's much like a lean pork chop.

[BigSky56]

They are excellent eating treat them like pork as they can have trichinosis, we make smokey's out of them. Its called hunting and killing they are a game animal and have to be managed as they are rear end deep around here and kill alot of other game and stock. The hide is thin. danny
P.S. I blanked out my buddies face so some anti hunting idiot doesnt post his face all over the web.

[J Miller]

They are excellent eating treat them like pork as they can have trichinosis, we make smokey's out of them. Its called hunting and killing they are a game animal and have to be managed as they are rear end deep around here and kill alot of other game and stock. The hide is thin. danny
P.S. I blanked out my buddies face so some anti hunting idiot doesnt post his face all over the web.

BigSky, TedH,
Thanks for the answers. I've heard a lot of stories about hunting big cats, but not one said anything about what they do with the animal after the killing. You know, pose with the carcass tell the hunt story and that's it.

And in no way in the world am I one of the anti hunting peckerheads. I just happen to like cats. Yes, even more than a piddly lil dear or an elk. The kitties gotta eat too.

Joe

[Idiot]

Thanks for the meat report - I'm going to have to try one. I always walk around the desert with a cat tag. Many of my fellow cholla dodgers have seen them, but I haven't yet, but when I do it will be meat, and gloves, and whatever else I can make from them.

[BigSky56]

Joe it wasnt a reflection towards you, I know that undesirables view gun and hunting forums and my buddy didnt want to be on a wanted dead or alive poster. I dont hunt some game animals myself, you guys have a good evening. danny

[JerryB]

Danny, thanks for the pictures and the good report. Always look forward to your pictures from up there in that beautiful country.

[kimwcook]

Cool pics, Danny. Thanks.

If anyones ever had to deal with cats you'd understand the reason for control. I'm against wiping them out as they have a job to do too, but they need controlled or we're going to start seeing more people getting attacked. Personal opinion obviously.

[Travis Morgan]

Well, it looks like the tom bit the guys face off before expiring.

So what's the reason for killing them? Food? Survival? Revenge? Testosterone release?

Sorry if I sound negative, but I couldn't bring myself to kill one of them big kitties unless I was on his/her menu.

Joe

They're good eating. Bobcat meat is flaky, like Salmon, when you make jerky from it. In most places where there is a population of them, there's an OVERpopulation of them. Just like anything else furry, you have to wait for one to kill the governor's poodle before you can shoot one.

[Hobie]

No problems here. Flowers growing in the wrong place are weeds. It is amazing how big they are!

[airedaleman]

That Tom is NOT a "kitty," and it appears that a good deal of hard work went into bringing him to book. Good hunting!

[dr walker]

nice cats, congrats to the hunters and the dogs.

[GANJIRO]

I personally wouldn't kill a fellow predator unless it started preying on me, my family, or my livestock. Killing a cat to eat just don't seem appetizing to me personally. There's nothing wrong with killing just for the pelt but something I personally wouldn't do either. Won't knock anyone that does though. I got enough of an adrenaline rush having 3 big cats walk past me unnoticed to last a lifetime. Here in Hawaii if I see a feral cat while hunting I will exterminate everyone I can because these non-native predators are causing havoc on the indigenous native fauna. My two pet cats were both wild kittens we found abandoned by their mothers, they are both strictly house cats now that have been spayed, lucky kitties.

[pharmseller]

Nice cougars! Good eating, too. Cougar pot roast in a crock pot!
My home state, Oregon, passed a law a decade ago, over the recommendations of Fish & Game Biologists, to eliminate the hunting of cougars with dogs.
Result: a LOT more cougars, a LOT fewer deer and elk.
People are hitting cougars with their cars as the cougars try to cross the largest freeway in the state (I-5, goes from Canada to Mexico through Washington, Oregon, and California). Don't believe me. Look it up.
Back before the hunting ban the hunting regs actually stated that if a hunter did not have access to well-trained hounds, the hunter did not stand a reasonable chance of shooting a cougar. Now you can buy two tags for most areas.
Friends I know who bowhunt elk are getting stalked by cougars as the bowhunters cow call.
I'm glad to use my cougar tag.


P

[Jaguarundi]

Nice panthers !

[El Chivo]

Wow.

I say, take em.

I didn't know they were good eating.

[2X22]

Here in WA state we have the same problem as Oregon. New law, lots of kitties running around. I've been stalked once I know about, see cats hiking more often than I'd like. Buy a tag every year. I actually watched a cat stalking a fellow worker once and he saved himself by throwing a 50lb potato sack at it after I yelled.

I've never been lucky enough to take a lion, but my son has taken 2.

22

[txpete]

A big problem if you own a ranch.bust them and skin them out.
pete

[Paul105]

They are excellent eating treat them like pork as they can have trichinosis, we make smokey's out of them. Its called hunting and killing they are a game animal and have to be managed as they are rear end deep around here and kill alot of other game and stock. The hide is thin. danny
P.S. I blanked out my buddies face so some anti hunting idiot doesnt post his face all over the web.

Danny,

It's a shame it's come to that -- having to blank out your buddy's face. Yeah, we seem to be buttox deep in the big cats (and even worse wolves) in big sky country. At least we can hunt the big cats. My son and his hunting buddy saw a Mtn Lion (maybe 40 yds) last fall while setting up to call elk during the archery season. His hunting buddy had seen one a couple of weeks earlier about 70 miles away. I was talking to an aquaintance at the local archery shop last fall (getting a new string on my bow) and he and his dad had also seen a cat while archery hunting the same area my son saw the cat. A couple of years ago, another friend had to kill a lion during archery season -- point blank between the eyes with an arrow -- FWP had him take them back to the spot and called it self defense.

I thoroughly enjoy your posts and hope you continue. First hand experience trumps all else.

FWIW,

Paul

[BigSky56]

Paul
This last hunting season I was ahorseback in a foot of snow pushing some elk I couldnt catch them and looped back a big cat had followed me for over a 1/2 mile I found where he had layed down and watched me when I had dismounted to check elk tracks and refreshed my copenhagen about 60-70 yds away that makes the hair stand up of your neck. 2 years ago a 13 yr old and his dad were hunting around Troy and a cat jumped the boy him and his dad put it down. It pays to be wary. danny

[Travis Morgan]

That country around Troy is THICK! IF you're down on the flats, there's a lot of brush, and up on the mountains, the trees are almost as bad. Good place to get ambushed, pretty much the same all the way to 4th of July pass, as I recall.

[madman4570]

BigSky56.

The second picture with the guy holding the cat.
How much did that bruser weigh? That looks like
close to a 200 pounder or more ????????????

[marlinman93]

Nice work! Get them as often as possible!

[BigSky56]

mm4570 at least 175 no scales back in the wilderness. I saw another one this winter that weighed in at 183 and this one was bigger, theres a big tom back of my place thats been run 2 different times and killed 3 dogs that will top 200 lbs Ive found his deer & elk kills. danny

[madman4570]

Danny,

Man it must be stunning where you live.Being in Pa I have
some Big black Bear on my property last one weighed (650lbs)
alot of deer/turkey and such but man I cant imagine having
200 pumas/bigger bears-- the brown kind/ and all the other stuff
out there.Must be unreal. Now thats living the good life!