Lion spot/stalk tips

[HighUintas]

Since Utah has an open season on mountain lions, I've been thinking I'm going to try to track one down.

What are some mountain lion locating tips for late winter/ early spring?

 

[Hoghead]

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[Macegl]

Following this thread as I’m curious if anyone has any repeatable methods or tips.

2017 I saw 4 cats while scouting/hunting deer and elk. All were random, and only one of them I think I could have gotten an opportunity at a shot. I also spent more time hunting and scouting that year than I have before or since.

So far that’s the only correlation I have, more time in deer and elk country.

 

[Live_weighT34]

I know two guys that between the two of them have killed 12 spot and stalk lions in a 12 year period. They lived behind their glass and would glass around the edge of wintering deer and elk herds.

That being said talking to my buddies that run hounds, the population on the wasatch, Manti, Fillmore, west desert & central ranges all the way down past Richfield have been hammered to hell.

 

[Live_weighT34]

Following this thread as I’m curious if anyone has any repeatable methods or tips.

2017 I saw 4 cats while scouting/hunting deer and elk. All were random, and only one of them I think I could have gotten an opportunity at a shot. I also spent more time hunting and scouting that year than I have before or since.

So far that’s the only correlation I have, more time in deer and elk country.

Same here, 2017 was a good one lol I saw 3 cats on the archery hunt that year and during the rifle hunt on wasatch west I saw a huge Tom across the canyon from me at 600ish. The new lion control program in Utah is a joke, we should’ve had a system like Idaho where we could use our deer tag on a predator.

 

[Macegl]

That being said talking to my buddies that run hounds, the population on the wasatch, Manti, Fillmore, west desert & central ranges all the way down past Richfield have been hammered to hell.

It would be interesting to know the current state of the population. I asked a habitat biologist this winter and he told me that he heard that harvest had actually slightly decreased. But that was second hand.

The 2024 harvest data should come out in March so it will be interesting to see.

I do know that even prior to the change, the two friends I have who run hounds and guide lion hunters complained about the population being down. But they had a lot of success, and a vested interest in having a very high population so I take their assessment with a grain of salt.

 

[HighUintas]

T

I know two guys that between the two of them have killed 12 spot and stalk lions in a 12 year period. They lived behind their glass and would glass around the edge of wintering deer and elk herds.

That being said talking to my buddies that run hounds, the population on the wasatch, Manti, Fillmore, west desert & central ranges all the way down past Richfield have been hammered to hell.

Thanks. I'd thought of trying this, so that's good to hear it works.

 

[HighUintas]

It would be interesting to know the current state of the population. I asked a habitat biologist this winter and he told me that he heard that harvest had actually slightly decreased. But that was second hand.

The 2024 harvest data should come out in March so it will be interesting to see.

I do know that even prior to the change, the two friends I have who run hounds and guide lion hunters complained about the population being down. But they had a lot of success, and a vested interest in having a very high population so I take their assessment with a grain of salt.

Yes, if I remember correctly I think in the state's lion report it showed 2023 harvest being down