Surprise while getting ready for deer sea.

[TexasR.N.]

Howdy all,
My buddy and I went to our deer lease today just getting things ready and what not and got a big surprise. Mixed in with the deer tracks was what we believe to be a mountain lions tracks. I say mountain lion vs. bobcat because the paw print was about the size of the palm of my hand from thumb to pinky finger (I am 6'2" 220).
Looking on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. page they show mountain lion activity in Cass county were we hunt, not just that, but mountain lions (cougars, pumas, whatever you prefer to call them) are making a come back in Texas wildlife. Of course I didn't have a camera with me but we are planning to go back out next Sat or Sun and I will take a camera then and get a few shots of the prints, and hopefully put up a game camera as well.
What bothers me the most is that I enjoy going hunting by myself and I like to sit a the base of a tree and cover up and hunt that way. But now knowing there is a good sized cat roaming around out there, I won't go back out by myself and I will have to get a deer stand. No more sitting on the ground.
The good news is that along with the mountain lion tracks were the plentiful deer tracks
Let me know what y'all think,
Craig

[Big AL]

Glad to hear that you have plenty of deer. But man, you really need to stay alert around there!

[rankroddin250]

I hunt in cougar country all the time and have caught them stocking me! and have stumbled appon fresh deer kills where you had an eiry feeling knowing it was sitting there watching you from some where! but with that being said I have never had a real problem with them other than getting a really bad case of the ebie geebies!

now! down to bussiness I would get ahold of some hound hunters and have them find the kitty and dispatch it ASAP!!!!! as soon as a cat moves into the areah within the next 2 years you will be lucky to find a deer track on your property!

esp. in areahs with heavy deer populations cougars have been known to start killing deer out of sport and just not for feeding habbits killing up to several a day on top of the 5-7 deer a month one large cat will kill to eat!

[Strõkër~X]

i would be carrying a pistol for sure........

[CattleHauler]

Originally Posted by rankroddin250

now! down to bussiness I would get ahold of some hound hunters and have them find the kitty and dispatch it ASAP!!!!!!

I've hunted cougar before and that was the worst "hunt" i've ever been on...my buddy took his dogs out...put a vest type thing on the dogs with a trackin antenna on it and let em go...we didn't even have to listen for the dogs when they got too far away...we just looked at the GPS and rode our horses until they ran a cougar up a tree...then we shot it out the tree...it sure wasn't the most exciting hunt i've ever been on...haha

[StarDriver]

Be careful, I heard about a horrible accident where two hunters were arguing about what the tracks were that they were looking at, they had been doing this for 20 minutes when the train hit them...............

[rankroddin250]

Originally Posted by CattleHauler

I've hunted cougar before and that was the worst "hunt" i've ever been on...my buddy took his dogs out...put a vest type thing on the dogs with a trackin antenna on it and let em go...we didn't even have to listen for the dogs when they got too far away...we just looked at the GPS and rode our horses until they ran a cougar up a tree...then we shot it out the tree...it sure wasn't the most exciting hunt i've ever been on...haha

some guys love hound hunting! Im personaly with you on my interst in the matter thats why i suggested finding some one who already does it to take care of the kitty problem! cats are so elusive tho that is usualy the only way to hunt them unless you are lucky enough to get the chance of a life time to see one in the daylight and have it give you the opportunity to shoot it.

[CattleHauler]

Originally Posted by rankroddin250

some guys love hound hunting! Im personaly with you on my interst in the matter thats why i suggested finding some one who already does it to take care of the kitty problem! cats are so elusive tho that is usualy the only way to hunt them unless you are lucky enough to get the chance of a life time to see one in the daylight and have it give you the opportunity to shoot it.

hound huntin is good if you just want to go out and kill something with the least possible work put into it ...I wouldn't really consider it "hunting" though ...lol

[slammedSI]

We have 3 different ones on our place. But ever time i see them i cant shoot. There eather WAY to far or im so close to them i just stare at them. they really are a beautiful animal.

[TexasR.N.]

Thanks for the input fellas.
Big Al we dang near walked back to back while we were out there. We didn't spend a lot of time today because we had our boys with us (his is 4, mine is 3.5 y/o)
Stroker both of us had pistols. My buddy was carrying a Bernetta .40 and I had my Taurus Judge loaded with shot and ..45 Long Colt

RankinRod, I am with ya' man on ebie geebies thing. Kept wondering if they thing was out there watching us.

Stardiver, ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! First time I have heard that one.

As far as getting rid of the cougar would baiting it do any good? Like entice it in with a goat tied to a tree and shoot it when it made its move? I think a couple of y'all mentioned gettin' rid of it and we are planning on it. I hate to kill for the sake of killing but I like where I am on the top of the food chain.
See ya',
Craig