BCP
FNG
Just before Christmas, I finished what was easily the hardest single day of hunting I have done out of many experiences. We found where a mountain lion had killed and eaten 1/2 of a record class mule deer and that was a real shame. We tracked it from that kill at around 10k feet elevation down into a nasty steep canyon (over 1000 feet of steep descent) and finally the dogs caught and treed the cat after 6 hours of trailing and 12 hours effort that day. Of course, the cat went to the nastiest hole it could find and then climbed the biggest tree within miles. The guide said in 26 years they had never seen a cat climb so high. It was well over 100 feet up and would not present a great angle. If you zoom in on the top of the tree, you will see the back right leg of the cat with its white patch of fur.
I found a little stick to steady the S&W 610 10mm revolver and leaned back against the hillside for the vertical shot. Shot distance was estimated around 75 yards. The first shot went through the back leg and came out the throat. As the cat fell through the branches, I hit it again somewhere in the middle. It hit the ground alive and the dogs were all over it. These are expensive dogs and I was concerned about them getting hurt as they live to fight these big cats. The guide was throwing dogs backwards off the cat and finally I had an opening and put 3 quick shots into it from about 4 feet away.
Then the hard work started and we took the hide and meat back up the nasty ascent. It took a few hours to get out, finishing in the dark with the temps dropping rapidly. It was a tough climb out in crampons with some pitches of 40 plus degrees with snow that would slide every time you stood on it. One of the guides threw up 2x going back up and I threw up back at the truck. I was completely out of gas afterwards but this was a great hunt that I will never forget and I was grateful for the experience and challenge. The only US hunt that is probably tougher on average is mountain goats. I'm drawing for that hunt on Kodiak but it won't be with a revolver!
Attached is a target photo of the revolver; 10 shots offhand at 20 yards with 180 XTPs. I thought about taking my bow on this trip but there's no way I could have killed the cat at 75 yards in the branches and wrapped around the trunk.
I found a little stick to steady the S&W 610 10mm revolver and leaned back against the hillside for the vertical shot. Shot distance was estimated around 75 yards. The first shot went through the back leg and came out the throat. As the cat fell through the branches, I hit it again somewhere in the middle. It hit the ground alive and the dogs were all over it. These are expensive dogs and I was concerned about them getting hurt as they live to fight these big cats. The guide was throwing dogs backwards off the cat and finally I had an opening and put 3 quick shots into it from about 4 feet away.
Then the hard work started and we took the hide and meat back up the nasty ascent. It took a few hours to get out, finishing in the dark with the temps dropping rapidly. It was a tough climb out in crampons with some pitches of 40 plus degrees with snow that would slide every time you stood on it. One of the guides threw up 2x going back up and I threw up back at the truck. I was completely out of gas afterwards but this was a great hunt that I will never forget and I was grateful for the experience and challenge. The only US hunt that is probably tougher on average is mountain goats. I'm drawing for that hunt on Kodiak but it won't be with a revolver!
Attached is a target photo of the revolver; 10 shots offhand at 20 yards with 180 XTPs. I thought about taking my bow on this trip but there's no way I could have killed the cat at 75 yards in the branches and wrapped around the trunk.
