Passed on a Lion

[Trial153]

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.

If honesty to you means gut shooting a mountain lion to run off-suffer and slowly die you really are a low life selfish asshole that doesn’t deserve a hunting license.

 

[boom]

i kinda agree. the big cat is just doing EXACTLY what it's suppose to do as a predator. makes no sense to harbor malice towards it..it's a cat!

i would never gut shoot anything so i could let it run away..i suppose the strategy is that you dont have to mess with it? like dig a hole? man, making it suffer on purpose is pretty low class..sorry.

 

[TheCougar]

I would have shot it. I've always wanted to get a cat, and although I understand dry-ground hound hunts are exceedingly difficult, I still can't bring myself to shoot one out of a tree. I'll maybe get a couple chances in my lifetime to get the drop on a cat, and I plan on capitalizing on the first opportunity. Either way, that was a very cool experience for you and your son!

 

[WJS23]

If I put my sights on something and don’t get that hart pumping feeling I wouldn’t take the just.

 

[Mercyme]

Lions hunt in groups, there must have been more of them around, great call.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Lions hunt in groups?No wonder it says" banned "under your moniker.Lions take a large amount of our deer/elk annually,although I believe you made the correct choice.Your commitment was to your family on your venture.Hope you had a great hunt.And now you know where you can plan a hunt for you.P.S. my cousins run lions in the Rim Country area out of Wikiup Az.

 

[Stickman]

Great pic! You did what you choose to do. Good for you. It's totally your decision. You'll find another cat. Have fun and go getem!

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

In Ca if I could Legally hold a tag I’d shoot every time, there numbers are up where I hunt and I hear they eat well.

 

[nidaho]

I agree I would have passed. Growing up I couldn’t shoot deer road hunting we had to be out and actually hunting. I love a hound race treed tons of cats and only shot one.

 

[nidaho]

I agree I would have passed. I ove a hound race treed tons of cats and only shot one.

 

[Mike 338]

Depends if I was after a cat that day or not. I wouldn't spook the area if I was hunting something else. I think Id'a done just what the OP did. That good memory, that day... it'll likely stay with you till you've gone completely senile. For me, a mount doesn't bring back that day in my head the way a simple good memory does. A mount is nice too but it's just different. Might have something to do with the lack of skinning, packing, paying and waiting! I tip my hat to the OP. Seeing a big cat like that is rare.

 

[Fishmaster196]

Your hunt, your decision.

 

[deerkiller]

Here in Oregon we have a severe over population of lions, bad enough that ODFW is very reluctant to even honestly state what they "think" the numbers are - 365 day season says a lot …. YES ! I would have shot it, in a heartbeat
This past summer Oregon had the first DOCUMENTED lion kill, investigative forensics declared the lion had stalked, attacked, killed and started to consume it's prey (a female hiker) on the Portland side of Mt. Hood foothills (Welches area) So many others have been killed, seen or sign found on the outside of school playgrounds it will chill your spine

 

[JohnnyB]

Mountain lions scare me to an irrational extent. Seems like every twig snap or leaf rustle has me turning around. Not sure what I read or heard but I have felt that way for years.

I hope CA allows lion hunting again someday, but it’s not likely.

 

[ilikeshootin]

Sounds to me like you made the right call. Enjoy the time with your family.

If I was alone, which you were not, I would have pulled the trigger.

They, along with all of the other predators are so incredibly thick in my area ...There is no hound hunting so the only way to control the population are the few that call or track and the incidental take.

I have successfully hunted them with hounds before the ban in this state. It's a must do.

 

[Idahomnts]

In the areas I hunt I would have taken the shot to save approximately 52 deer some elk and others also to eat, depending on the hunt tho I may have done what OP did to ssavor the moment with my son and not to jeopardize the main target unless I had multiple days to go to the next draw or drainage , but as a ungulate consumer that cat is competition and takes food from my families mouths , I know it has means to survive as all critters but with the hardship on meat populations I woulda taken the shot and taken great care of the meat and show my kid ethics behind making meat to enjoy on the table , coyotes and other half edible critters I assume to leave alive , unless it provides for the family one way or another

 

[jdhmhatch]

What an incredible thing to see.

 

[MikeG]

Good call. Priority to your family's elk hunt is key.
Cats sure are beautiful!

 

[nnnn16]

You did the right thing. Very few could have used that kind of restraint. Especially when it would have been perfectly understandable to shoot. Your decision shows character. Respect!!

 

[452b264]

Population control is the number one reason you should have harvested the lion. They kill ruffly one deer or elk per week. Call fish and game and talk to the wildlife biologist for lions, they have one I talked to him last time I checked in a lion.