AllPredatorCalls
Active member
I was up in the Kiabab (Northern Arizona) this weekend for 3 day break from APC and do some camping / ATVing / scouting some calling area's for this fall with the wife and kids.
On Saturday afternoon, my 12 year old son and I went out to do a stand or 2 to see what if anything would show. The area we were camping / calling is 8,200 ft timbered high country packed with mule deer.
On stand number one we called in some mule deer does using whitetail fawn (#D03) and kid goat distress (M01). It was fun and got some nice pictures.
On stand number 2 I started out with whitetail doe distress (#D00) them went to fawn deer (#D03), then kid goat distress (MO1 / M03). My technique was to run the deer distress for approx 1 1/2 minutes then scroll thru the fawn deer and kid goats spending 30 seconds on them and back to the adult whitetail distress.
At just over 6 minutes, a big, big adult lion come trotting in. I spotted him at about 100 yards an muted the unit at approx 60 yards. He came to a dead stop the second I muted the unit. Stopped at 60 yards, he stared in the area of the e-caller for approx a minute than sat back on his haunches.. .. I pulled up my savage predator model chamber in .223 (topped of with a Ziess 3x9) and put the cross hairs about 6 inches under his chin dead center between the shoulders... my son is whispering... shoot...shoot.. Dad? shoot!
I lowered the rifle without shooting, And yes I have a current Arizona Mt Lion permit and a lifetime AZ hunting License.... at that exact moment the lion changes its position from sitting up on his haunches to laying on all 4’s similar to a sphinx, with his front legs completely stretched out in front of him.. My son again, questions me have I lost my mind... shoot! He is a veteran of many days in the field targeting lions, we normally hunt unit 13B where you can hunt them year round, and is completely aware of my near fanatic obsession of calling and killing a lion
I had to explain to him that unfortunately for us, Arizona recently (couple years ago) modified the Mt Lion season from year-round in all units to year round in only a few units, with the majority of the state having a season which runs September 1st thru May 31st.
At about the 10 minute mark of lion laying there relaxing, I had a “brilliant idea”.. How about testing his reactions to various sounds.. I figured I had already made it a teachable moment with my son in regards to the game laws. Maybe I can learn something in regards to the sounds that appear to peak his interest. I was particularly interested in what reaction I would get with Mt lion vocalizations
I have a significant library of lion calls from several sources and all the FP lions vocals programmed on the Scorpion. The lion was laying 30 yards from the caller, the volume was at 40 (max) when I called him in.
What do you think his reaction was to the following calls (the lion laid just 60 yards from me for 29 minutes while a did my little experiment)
Mt Lion Whistle
Mt Lion in Heat
Mt Lion Cub Purring
Mt Lion Cub begging
Mt lion Courting
Mt Lion Aggressive
more to come.....
On Saturday afternoon, my 12 year old son and I went out to do a stand or 2 to see what if anything would show. The area we were camping / calling is 8,200 ft timbered high country packed with mule deer.
On stand number one we called in some mule deer does using whitetail fawn (#D03) and kid goat distress (M01). It was fun and got some nice pictures.
On stand number 2 I started out with whitetail doe distress (#D00) them went to fawn deer (#D03), then kid goat distress (MO1 / M03). My technique was to run the deer distress for approx 1 1/2 minutes then scroll thru the fawn deer and kid goats spending 30 seconds on them and back to the adult whitetail distress.
At just over 6 minutes, a big, big adult lion come trotting in. I spotted him at about 100 yards an muted the unit at approx 60 yards. He came to a dead stop the second I muted the unit. Stopped at 60 yards, he stared in the area of the e-caller for approx a minute than sat back on his haunches.. .. I pulled up my savage predator model chamber in .223 (topped of with a Ziess 3x9) and put the cross hairs about 6 inches under his chin dead center between the shoulders... my son is whispering... shoot...shoot.. Dad? shoot!
I lowered the rifle without shooting, And yes I have a current Arizona Mt Lion permit and a lifetime AZ hunting License.... at that exact moment the lion changes its position from sitting up on his haunches to laying on all 4’s similar to a sphinx, with his front legs completely stretched out in front of him.. My son again, questions me have I lost my mind... shoot! He is a veteran of many days in the field targeting lions, we normally hunt unit 13B where you can hunt them year round, and is completely aware of my near fanatic obsession of calling and killing a lion
I had to explain to him that unfortunately for us, Arizona recently (couple years ago) modified the Mt Lion season from year-round in all units to year round in only a few units, with the majority of the state having a season which runs September 1st thru May 31st.
At about the 10 minute mark of lion laying there relaxing, I had a “brilliant idea”.. How about testing his reactions to various sounds.. I figured I had already made it a teachable moment with my son in regards to the game laws. Maybe I can learn something in regards to the sounds that appear to peak his interest. I was particularly interested in what reaction I would get with Mt lion vocalizations
I have a significant library of lion calls from several sources and all the FP lions vocals programmed on the Scorpion. The lion was laying 30 yards from the caller, the volume was at 40 (max) when I called him in.
What do you think his reaction was to the following calls (the lion laid just 60 yards from me for 29 minutes while a did my little experiment)
Mt Lion Whistle
Mt Lion in Heat
Mt Lion Cub Purring
Mt Lion Cub begging
Mt lion Courting
Mt Lion Aggressive
more to come.....
