Lion Experiences

[TREESTANDMAN]

I just wanted to hear of some of the Mountain Lion experiences some of you have had. I have been an avid hunter for about 14 yrs and I have only seen 5 Lions, 3 of which were together.

 

When I was a boy scout ( about 10 yrs ago), I was at Canyon Lake and watched an adult lion cross my path from about 20 yds away. It stopped and looked at me for a moment and then casually walked into some thick brush. I'm just glad it was not hungry.

 

The next time I saw a lion I was in unit 32 on a January bowhunt. I was watching some whitetail does in a canyon and detected some movement to my left. I looked over and there was a HUGE mountain lion about 120 yds. I tried putting on a stock but it vanished.

 

The last time I was spot lighting in the White mountains and we spot lighted 3 lions together. That was pretty cool.

 

What experiences have you guys had?

[Guest Lark Hubbard]

if you've seen 5 lions, that's about 5 times as many as most folks. and i mean folks that've spent a lifetime in lion country. i've spent my life in lion country. caught a bunch of em with hounds and traps. i've seen 3 that weren't otherwise subdued. i have a friend in new mexico who's caught somewhere between 400 and 500 lions. he's seen one. and it was on an elk kill, so full it couldn't run away. i imagine most folks have been within yards of one at one time or another and didn't know it. most folks that call coyotes a lot have probably called one in fairly close and never saw it. they're a master of stealth. everyone in Az. should buy a lion tag every year when they get their hunting license and if they see one, get theirself a rug. there are a lot of lions. but dang they are sneaky. never heard of too many people in Az. getting attacked by one. but i can guarantee you that the mess at sabino canyon is a tragedy that just ain't happened yet. hope the g&f sticks to their guns and does what needs to be done. most folks who know, feel there are more lions now than at about anytime in history.

[COUESAZ]

I have seen a few of them In the wild most of them stalking a herd of coues deer. We have taken two of them. One I shot before its kill on the herd. the next one we saw the kill and then took the lion as it was going up the hill with the coues deer in it's mouth. The first one I killed was about 8 feet long from tip of tail to nose he was a dandy. The next one was a younger female and only weighd about 70 pounds. I have seen my share of them treed by the dogs. When you see them running without any dogs behind them it is an awsome thing to see. Last year alone I saw 4 lions while just out working the hills. We have so many lions in this state that we will soon have some lion problems all over. The game and fish account for 2500 lions in arizona. Those are just the ones they have record of. I am sure there are alot more than that. we have had a few attacks in Arizona I know of one in payson one at canyon lake and one at lake pleasant all small children. Go to the game and fish web page right now they have a site that shows all the attacks in the usa. They also have some good info on what to do if aproched by a lion. That is when you don't have a gun. I could go on and on about lions so I better stop now. What we need to do is have a big get together to have a forum cook out and set around and share our stories and lies with each other, But then again that could take a week to tell that many stories.

Edited January 1, 1970 by ARIZONA GUIDE

[firstcoueswas80]

in 2002, my hunting partners son who is also a hunting partner had a realy kool/bizarre thing happen to him when he was hunting. he had 3 coues bucks 300 yards away, 2 100+ and a forkie. all of a sudden the two big ones run off. there like what the heck so westin shoots the forkie, he hits him a lil far back but he doesnt run he kinda jumps and then walks towards this tree, all of a sudden this lion jumps on the deer and grabs him around the neck, they say that from 300 yards they could hear this deer dying, this is like the only year they didnt have a lion tag on them., they were shootin about 20 yards away from the lino trying to get it off and he didn move. when they walked up to the lion, he sat there about 10 yards away while they gutted it. westin kept his gun ready while his dad gtted the deer. i think that would be a really cool experience.

casey

[TAM]

I've only seen one lion in the wild and that was up on the Young road just after dark it ran across the road in front of me. I do however get pictures of lions with my trail cameras on a pretty regular basis. All of the pictures have been at night except one that I just got back a couple weeks ago, the lion came in at about 5:30 in the evening. I also have a picture with 3 lions in it. I'm pretty sure it's a female with year old kittens. Last summer I had a trail camera set out on a water hole and I would get lions coming in about every 3-4 days. Sure wish I could see more for myself instead of just pictures!

[elkmaniac]

As far as I'm concerned the only good lion is a dead lion. After reading Josh's "wonderful experience" with a mountain lion in which the person with him actually had a tag and a gun and a lion within 15 yards while they ate lunch, that story made me sick to my stomach. They were basically given a gift of an opportunity to hose a cat and instead they took pictures. The pictures were cool but would have been a lot better if they were followed by a "hero shot" of the hunter holding the dead cat. A true coues deer hunter would have blasted that cat without even thinking about it. I'm glad Josh gets his jolly's by finding sheds and skulls because if he keeps letting cats walk like that, then that's all he's gonna be finding. I know that took place about 8 years ago and hopefully Josh's mentallity has changed a little bit. If not, Josh, I would go back to the same spot you were at and you would have a good chance at finding a few skulls that you can add to your collection. Anybody else reading this, I hope to God that if you have the same opportunity, you hammer those coues killing machines. Chris Jacob

[TREESTANDMAN]

WOW, FIRST COUES WAS 80, THAT IS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE.

[COUESAZ]

It is true that a lion will destroy a herd. They take a deer a week atleast. That is called nature. I will not hammer any one person for there own choices. I buy a tag every year .I have killed two lions and seen many. To me a lion Is a great game animal. I know if I had a tag I could not have one that close to me and not shoot it. That does not mean other people have to fill the same way.If you read the story josh did not have the tag. So why attack him.

 

To me a great part of knowing and learning the deer in your area Is when you scout finding a horn or two can tell you alot about deer on that hill.

 

Now elkmaniac I am not saying your wrong eather so don't take this wrong. But the people that drive me nutts the most are animal rights dorks, And they are the kind of people that slam others for there choices. Us as hunters just hunt because that is all we know to do and love doing it. So lets not bash each other when we all stand for the same thing.

Edited January 1, 1970 by ARIZONA GUIDE

[TREESTANDMAN]

Amen.

[Guest Ernesto C]

I know where a lion live in unit 17A,for two years in a row I found several deer and javelinas skull and bones,some of them really fresh.

 

Two years ago my brother came face to face with the lion,he was climbing a big rock to set there for a evening hunt,the lion was walking in his direction from the oposite side of the rock,they both look at each other,the lion turn and walk a way.Mi brother was so scare that he made one shot to the air at the sound of his rifle I look on his direction (I was on the opposite side of the canyon) saw my brother and believe me when I tell you that I have not seen anybody hike a mountain that quick. He climb that mountain in about 10 minutes when usually it takes one hour he went back to the truck.

 

Two hours later when I saw him I told that he should not be using the viagra on his hair(his hair was straight up) He told me the encounter he had with the lion he still was scare.

 

I haven't had a chance to go back to 17A but yes,I will like to try to hunt for that big cat.

 

Ernesto C.

[TREESTANDMAN]

I have never seen a lion kill. Where do you usually find them? Are they usuall in Canyons, think brush, caves?

[COUESAZ]

They are in all places. most of the ones I have seen are in thick areas like canyons. They will cover it with leaves and other stuff to hide it and come back to feed on it . Lions have about a three day circle or trail. So they keep food for themselfs along the way.

 

That is how you learn there pattern If you see tracks in a wash wipe them clean and cheek the spot every day to see when they are back. do this a few times and you will learn what days they come through.then all you have to do is decide what time of day next.

 

look for them traveling on the edge of washes. They travel close to the banks of washes so they can easely hide in the brush if they see a deer or pig. and it is a fast getaway if they see a truck or people.

 

Just a bit of food for thought. And a few things I think you can use to try to learn some things about the other hunter of coues deer.

[Dodger]

I have hunted in Arizona all my life. I'll be 30 this year and my Dad started taking me out with him when I was about 7 or 8 and I have never seen a lion. I have hunted in units 6A/B, 7, 8, 10, 29, 30A, 30B, 32, 33, 34A/B, and 36A/B. I know I have been in lion country and I have probably been within view of a lion, but I have never seen one. Maybe I'm too noisy or I'm just not paying enough attention. Two years ago, while pig hunting in 33, I was working my way up a hill that looked pretty "piggy" and it seemed too quite. There weren't any birds, rabbits, nothing moving at all. It was kind of spooky. My brother was across the canyon and below me and comes across the radio and says "You'll never believe me, but I just saw a mountain lion." I asked him where and he told me "underneath the ocotillo near the top". I was only about 100 yards from that ocotillo and I never saw the cat. I didn't feel really comfortable on that hill any more, especially since I had my bow with me (I'm not that great of a shot, especially if I was being stalked by a hungry lion).

 

Heck, I've only seen one bear in my life. That was in 29 when it ran across the road in front of us. We even have a cabin in the Chiricahuas with two bear prints in our screen door on our back porch. Maybe, I'm just blind.

[COUESAZ]

I will tell you that lions destroyed unit 30B I grew up living in 30B that is were I killed my big cat about 10 years ago. That is what started my lion passion. Some of the biggest track I have seen are in the dragoons . They are working on destroying 32 and the 34b areas. I am doing my best to help stop that from hapening In both of those units.

Edited January 1, 1970 by ARIZONA GUIDE

[vml]

Hello All

 

I wouldn't mind bagging a few lions in my lifetime, what would be the most efficient, inexpensive, safe etc.. way of accomplishing this feat??