Cougar hunting

[Vargasm]

Looking for cougar hunting advice. I live in Oregon and would like to kill a cougar this year. It is a year round season here, however dogs and bait are not allowed. Anybody call in a cougar or somehow do a spot and stalk. What kind of calls? Time of day? Time of year? Habitat types? Any input is welcome.

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

Eagerly watching this thread.

If only Jim corbett was still alive.

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[norsepeak]

RainShadow Game Calls & Custom Knives, Sequim WA

Everything you need to know.

 

[H.A.F.]

They sure are getting thick here in Oregon, came across two road kill cougars on my last coyote hunting trip. I would call thick draws, rim rock ledges and places that generally look catty. Calling at night will help you be able to pick them up. I've read that cougar vocal sounds do good, but I mainly just run prey distress.

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

I'm curious are these tags otc for non residents?

I've really considered one year flying over with a couple of weeks set aside trying to hunt one without hounds.

People throw around the term challenging hunt a lot but I feel this would be the most challenging in North America.

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[bowhiker365]

Cutsforth park area of the Heppner Unit still has plenty. Saw two different pairs 2015 Archery season.


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[slvrslngr]

I'm curious are these tags otc for non residents?

I've really considered one year flying over with a couple of weeks set aside trying to hunt one without hounds.

People throw around the term challenging hunt a lot but I feel this would be the most challenging in North America.

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Yes, tags are available OTC. You will need to buy a non-resident hunting licence and then the tag. And yes, it's a very tough hunt. I've never seen one in the wild, though plenty of others do. If you want to walk one down, hunting after a fresh dumping of snow is likely the best time to do it. Cut a fresh track, start following it. Difficult, but possible. Calling is a matter of just getting in a likely area, doing plenty of set ups and being patient. You'll want to be alert as you're more likely to call in a bear, unless it's late winter when/if they're hibernating. You'll also call in coyotes and possibly bobcat.

 

[jmez]

I've done quite a bit of calling but not much luck. Trying to learn as I go. Talked at length with a dog guy from MT that kills a lot of cats with dogs and he was a wealth of information to me.

They aren't hard to call if they are close enough to hear the call. You also have to be using the right call. Cougars pretty much do two things. They hunt and they breed. If they aren't hunting to eat they are hunting for a mate. The best success calling one is knowing if it is in an area and knowing what it is currently doing. Just blind calling is pretty tough, needle in a haystack.

Get out after a fresh snow and put on miles on the roads until you cut a track. Start following the track and the cat will tell you what it is doing. If they are just searching for a mate the tracks will be in a straight line and they can travel for miles. If you follow the tracks a ways and they appear to just be walking straight then circle around on the next road or trail they would cross and see if the cat crossed them. Keep doing this, if possible, until you get ahead of them. The cat is going to be between you and the last tracks you saw. Go into the area and use mating calls/cat sounds on the caller.

If you follow the tracks and they are wandering ramdomly around then the cat is hunting to eat. Once again try to leap frog in front of the tracks until you get ahead of the cat. Now go into that area and use predator calling sounds/tactics. Deer in distress, elk calf etc.

When they are looking for a mate they aren't much interested in prey sounds. When they are hungry and hunting they aren't much interested in the cat sounds. Either way if you can't or don't try to get ahead of them you set up to call they may be 5-6 miles ahead of you. They won't hear it. You will wast a lot of time and effort just roaming around calling hoping that a cat hears you.

Fresh snow is your friend. If you can cut a fresh set of tracks start following, you will bump into the cat that made them. I've actually done this and they kill a lot of lions in the Black Hills here this way. We are on a quota system and every time there is a fresh snow 4-5 cats get killed over the next 24 hours. If they are really fresh be ready you will see the cat. He sees you first and he'll start following you. You will notice them circling back, usually uphill from you and find marks in the snow where they have sat and watched you. When this starts keep following the tracks but spend most of your time looking and glassing behind and uphill from where you are. That is generally where you will see them.

If you know where the deer and elk are wintering this is the place to start looking. They hang around these areas as this is where the food is for them. They don't stray very far from their food sources so they are going to be located in different areas than they are in the fall when the game is spread out.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Well, this thread was a let down based on the title. Lol

 

[charvey9]

First, learn about martinis. Then pick a night, mid week is usually best when hubbys are off on business, and glass the hotel bars in downtown Portland for the cougar that catches your eye. Don't go too late, 800 to 1100 is your prime time. Pose as a construction worker, airline pilot, firemen, etc. just in town for the night....just about anything more manly than the hipsters they are used to and I think you are golden.

Seriously though...they are getting thick I Oregon. I've seen 4 in the last year all in close range, after not seeing any my first 11 years living in the state. I have never went specifically for cougar, but know a few guys that do. They say that cougar in heat calls work really well. Good luck.

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

I was considering calling one in Idaho and arrowing it next year...yea I feel it would be challenging. Now Oregon sounds a little better.

 

[nwbow87]

I've heard good things about Eastern WA and Eastern OR, regarding cougar. Still trying to set aside time for it.

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[Cgeb]

Ok Ok I'll do it.

Setup game camera's near bar exits, do trust anything you see, at night especially at closing time. Trust me wait for daylight for better results.

 

[jmez]

Following tracks in the snow can also lead you to a kill site. If you find one, gold mine, sit down and wait. The cat will show up. If you sit it and don't see the cat, go back the next day and mess with the kill, uncover it, move it a little. Sit and wait. They should be along shortly.