Passed on a Lion

[orionsbrother]

Ya pretty much what I heard from my local guys. Couple of things to consider on my end. I was helping on a cow elk hunt that happened to be my son and dads first ever elk tag. My dad is 70 years old, both dad and son told me to take him but I didn't want to lose a day or two taking care of that cat. In AZ it's mandatory check in on lions so I would have wrecked prime time in that spot and had to leave to handle the game and fish. No brainier for me on just those notes.
I will say I am new to hunting by most measurements but I do know what I want out of a hunt, tripping over an animal I wasn't hunting and calling it a hunt is just not for me. In the end I had 10 minutes to decide and it only took 1.
For the record I have 10 minutes of HD video of this and an hour later a 300 plus bull walked in for a bonus. The picture I snapped was with my phone through a scope so quality was poor but cool pic with cross hairs.
Funny thing was after that bull came in dad and son never even mentioned that lion. Haha they talked about that bull all night.

Makes complete sense. I'm sure your dad and son appreciate it. I understand better now.

 

[kscowboy01]

Boom. Where I hunt in NM, when a cat moves in, the elk vanish for 3-4 days.

My father got one years ago guiding my sister on elk. It walked right to water in the late afternoon. They found a fresh deer kill on the way to where they were sitting that evening. Oh, and they didn't see any elk on the property due to a cat being in the vicinity.

 

[Riles1050]

I for sure would harvested that cat. Predator control in the exact area you hunt would have a huge positive impact on the elk and deer population for years to come. Much rather ruin one day of cow elk hunting for several to many better years moving forward.

 

[npm352]

Before I got into hounds, I would have taken that shot over any other shot on any tag in the lower 48. Lions are awesome and they are the reason I started hound hunting 8 years ago. I would not have shot it now, as I have gotten a good one, but it is a rare opportunity. And specifically targeting them with hounds is an awesome way to hunt. And I certainly would support any hunter who kills one incidentally who had the foresight to by a tag in advance.

Lions are not varmints like coyotes. It takes them a long time to reproduce and raise young and the deck is stacked against them in nature. They need to be managed, like other big game, but I think that it is dangerous to have an attitude of killing them off for the sake of the deer. They eat what they kill, unlike wolves. In any given two or three year period, they could be nearly eradicated by houndsmen in areas where it snows. There really arent that many around even in areas where there are alot. Sure, there are places where they are destroying desert sheep populations because they are tough to catch in the cliffs and dirt, but by and large they arent really that "thick" many places. Just my two cents.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J120A using Tapatalk

 

[jspradley]

I would have shot it provided I had a tag and could be sure it wasn't a female.

But only because I want to kill *one* lion and eat it...

But nothing wrong at all with passing on it!

 

[MallardSX2]

I would have killed it and saved 60 deer that year.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

Predators are on an upswing and the ungulates on a downswing in my area, so I'd probably take the shot if I cam across one in my area and I had a tag.

 

[swampokie]

I’m the wrong person to ask. Lion is high on my bucket list! I would rather kill an 80 lb lion than a 350” bull any day

 

[Desert Dan]

Not that my (or anyone's) opinion means anything but personally I appreciate you putting your family's hunt ahead of your own. Your reason is the only one that matters.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

You made the right call. The priority was filling a elk tag and you only get so much time to do that. Cat meat will not fill your freezer like a elk.
They sure are cool animals though, its really exciting when you get to see them for more than a split second!

 

[Kulshan]

Good size cat and you made the right call for you.

 

[boom]

you just held the rifle on, and the camera behind the scope? (i read that part) but i guess i am asking how did you hold everything and keep it lined up?

very cool pic..very cool.

 

[Shrek]

I’d have gut shot it and kept on elk hunting. The best a big cat can be is dead and a good cat is one that was never born. They will wipe out the deer and elk. I personally experienced the impact of one male cat on the deer population on a lease I had. I’d never let a cat pass if I had a choice.

 

[Trial153]

I’d have gut shot it and kept on elk hunting. The best a big cat can be is dead and a good cat is one that was never born. They will wipe out the deer and elk. I personally experienced the impact of one male cat on the deer population on a lease I had. I’d never let a cat pass if I had a choice.

Well this is about as an asshole as thing i have ever read on rokside.
Luckily posts like this are few and far between.

 

[541hunter]

Well this is about as an asshole as thing i have ever read on rokside.
Luckily posts like this are few and far between.

Agreed!


I think you made the right call given your situation. I would have had a hard time not pulling the trigger. I really enjoy eating cougar. Here in Oregon we can not hound hunt so happenstance is about the only way to take one besides predator calling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KHNC]

Yeah, that was a ridiculous post, obviously by someone who isnt concerned with violation of game laws. I killed a lion, on dry ground , in southern AZ with hounds. Far and away the hardest hunt i have ever been a part of. Miles and miles covered chasing the dogs, hiking in more miles to get to the cat, only to have it jump and run more miles across the canyon. Most of this was on foot. Finally got a shot looking over a 100 foot drop cliff, shooting straight down. Packed the cape, skull and boned out meat close to 4 miles back to the atv. Thru a creek in the bottom of a canyon and had over 20 miles to ride in the dark back to the truck, after leaving at 0430 to start the hunt. This was on day 3 of doing the same on a few other cats that didnt stay treed. Biologist said only one other cat checked in last 3 months in that unit. But, they are hell on the sheep in the Tucson area he said. Very tough to kill with hounds, without snow. I probably wont do a hunt like that again long as i live.

 

[boom]

what does a cougar taste like?

any food parallels.?

 

[541hunter]

I think it is very comparable to pork.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KHNC]

I think it is very comparable to pork.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree. This is exactly what i thought when i grilled the meat. All white meat.

 

[Shrek]

Well this is about as an asshole as thing i have ever read on rokside.
Luckily posts like this are few and far between.

There’s no doubt that I can be an asshole and I’m honest. Cats are devastating to deer and I have no love whatsoever for them.