Trail Camera Photos: Big Lion with Radio Collar and an Elk

[Healy Arms]

We caught this trail camera sequence 2 seasons ago in AZ Unit 9

 

Look at the times on both photos - I do believe that lion was making dinner plans.

 

 

[bonecollector]

That cat looks real healthy.

[CouesWhitetail]

That cat looks real healthy.

 

 

+1

 

 

[MangeyJoe]

I bought my mountain lion tag, I am planning to head up north in the fall for a beautiful cat like that.

[Healy Arms]

That's a trophy for sure. The amount of lean muscle packed on that cougar's frame is awesome. Every time I look at that picture I want to toss my caller in the truck and head north.

 

We scouted around to see if he had a travel line off of the park that we could effectively call and concluded this particular cat probably spends most of it's time on the GC National Park that borders this unit. Unless his travel area stretched well into Unit 9, the dog guys might have a tough time getting him treed before he made an escape back into the park safe zone. Calling him ain't easy either for the same reasons--a caller would have to find him laid-up & hanging out on that park/unit border area or he'll never hear the call. With the large territories these cats have the chances of him being in the right spot at the right time to hear and come to a call are slim.

 

Unless your stars are in perfect alignment that big cat's a tough one. Fortunately there's more than one up there.

[roninflag]

why does he have a collar on?? he is part of a govmt study??

[raisedin32]

G&F like to track the movement of lions see how far they range and see what kind of litters they have. Most lions that are taken out of populated areas get collared.

[Healy Arms]

I asked an AZ G & F guy and he told me it could be an AZ collar (they have several collared cats around the state) or it might be a collar from the USFWS (close to a federal park).

[Jimmer Negamanee]

I think the best strategy to hunt that awesome cat can be boiled down to one word: Beep.

 

As in: beep.........beep......beep.....beep....beep.....beep...beep.beep.beep.beep.

 

Do they sell receivers for radio collars at Radio Shack?

[Healy Arms]

I think the best strategy to hunt that awesome cat can be boiled down to one word: Beep.

 

As in: beep.........beep......beep.....beep....beep.....beep...beep.beep.beep.beep.

 

Do they sell receivers for radio collars at Radio Shack?

 

Now that's freakin' funny.

[dogman68]

Here is what he looked like in the spring of 2009. He had just "dropped" his collar, which the biologist called it after he intentionally retrieved the collar to retrieve the data since part of the collar was malfunctioning. It is a park service study that has been ongoing for several years now. And yes he did spend most of his time inside the park as the study is showing, most of them do for one reason or another.

[joeybari]

big cat wow

 

[Healy Arms]

Dogman,

 

What a great shot and congrats on getting him treed. That's a great photo--it shows what a big lion it is.

 

Were you treeing him as part of the study? Or did you have a hunter with you who took the cat? If he's still around I'd love to get a crack at him with my call.

 

Thanks for verifying it's a federal collar on the lion and that he actually stays on the GC park most of the time. We scout and try to figure them out, but often it's just an educated guess. They're not attached to rails--they can do pretty much whatever they please. Good info.

 

Mark Healy

[CouesWhitetail]

Very cool Dogman!! How much do you think he weighed? that is an amazing looking cat!

[dogman68]

I don't know what he weighed. I'm guessing 125 lbs. A man from Tucson harvested this lion with a bow. If I remember right, he was like 7 or 8 years old. Wildlife callers is right, your stars gotta be just right as generally they are on the park or close to it. Why I do not know. During the dry season they hit all the watercatchments since there is little or no water on the park or reservations, either side of 9 but generally during the later fall and winter they move back off the public land. Maybe due to pressure and human activity during hunting seasons, I really don't know.

Here is another "park" lion, only this one was actually bigger. Same year. I can't remember, but one of them had a number 5 tag in one ear and the other one, well I just can't remember now.