On Wednesday morning I found 1 of our 4 goats dead; 99% sure it was a cougar kill.
I called WA State dispatch and they put me in touch with the on call officer for our County and he gave me permission to kill this cougar on my property before I ever took the first shot. If unsuccessful he planned to get a tracker on it.
Set up my blind 20yds away from the kill and set up my game camera. Planned to sit the kill from 7pm until I couldn't keep my eyes open. I prepositioned all of my gear including my 12ga loaded with 00 Buck and my 12" 375JDJ Contender loaded with 220gr FN.
At 6:58 I looked out the bedroom window and sitting over the kill was the cat about 70 yds from my back door. I scrambled to the safe loaded my .270, got a little buck fever and missed.
I sat in the blind until 11pm and couldn't keep my eyes open any longer so came in. At 12:10 I woke up and thought I saw a flash from the game camera, not sure, I waited until I got a couple more flashes so I knew he was back on the kill.
I reloaded my 270, walked my fence line trying to get within range of a spotlight shot. I could see eyes when using my red lens headlamp but when I tried to use my spotlight for the shot he disappeared. Because I was close to my blind I slipped in and about 20 minutes later I heard him dragging our goat, now 40+ yds away from the blind. When I spotlighted the area I settled the croshairs behind the front shoulder and dropped the Tom in his tracks.
The Tom was probably a juvenile , hardly a scratch on him and teeth were not dulled. He was 6'4" long and I'm guessing 120-140lbs.
Game Officer came that morning, we chatted, he took some pictures and left with the cat. Hopefully the cat was working alone.
Not a call-in or hound hunt but thought I'd share.
I called WA State dispatch and they put me in touch with the on call officer for our County and he gave me permission to kill this cougar on my property before I ever took the first shot. If unsuccessful he planned to get a tracker on it.
Set up my blind 20yds away from the kill and set up my game camera. Planned to sit the kill from 7pm until I couldn't keep my eyes open. I prepositioned all of my gear including my 12ga loaded with 00 Buck and my 12" 375JDJ Contender loaded with 220gr FN.
At 6:58 I looked out the bedroom window and sitting over the kill was the cat about 70 yds from my back door. I scrambled to the safe loaded my .270, got a little buck fever and missed.
I sat in the blind until 11pm and couldn't keep my eyes open any longer so came in. At 12:10 I woke up and thought I saw a flash from the game camera, not sure, I waited until I got a couple more flashes so I knew he was back on the kill.
I reloaded my 270, walked my fence line trying to get within range of a spotlight shot. I could see eyes when using my red lens headlamp but when I tried to use my spotlight for the shot he disappeared. Because I was close to my blind I slipped in and about 20 minutes later I heard him dragging our goat, now 40+ yds away from the blind. When I spotlighted the area I settled the croshairs behind the front shoulder and dropped the Tom in his tracks.
The Tom was probably a juvenile , hardly a scratch on him and teeth were not dulled. He was 6'4" long and I'm guessing 120-140lbs.
Game Officer came that morning, we chatted, he took some pictures and left with the cat. Hopefully the cat was working alone.
Not a call-in or hound hunt but thought I'd share.
