Tracking in the Snow

BobR

New member
In 1996, right after dogs were banned here in Washington, there was an article in the Washington Hunting and Fishing News about tracking Cougars in the snow. The article said basically to find a fresh track and follow it. The cats are not smart enough to know that their tracks are leading you to them. This does not put the pressure on the cat that a pack of barking dogs will. The cat will continue to move along ahead of you until it tires of the game. It will then tree or hide in a brush pile, but the tracks give this away.
About three years ago on the Bowsites Cougar Conference, two different hunters posted success stories about taking cats in this way. In one of the stories, there were three hunters pursuing the cat. Two were smoke jumpers and the other was one of their wives. These guys were probably young and in good physical condition. The two guys were in the lead with the wife lagging behind. They suddenly lost the track, it had just vanished. They went on a ways trying to find it again. Then they heard a shot behind them. They went back to find the wife with a nice cat laying dead in the snow. The cat had jumped straight up into a tree, and they had passed right under it. The wife did not make that mistake.

Two years ago, a local guy I know got a 100 pound female after following its tracks for less than a mile.

I have been discussing this strategy via e-mail with a couple of members of this board.
I was surprised to learn last night that one of them took a nice tom three years ago using this method. I hope he will share his story.

I would like to learn more on hunting this way. I hope that guys like Bob Mc and anyone else that has experience chasing cats in the snow will share some information. I jumped a cat right at dark in February 1996 after following its tarcks for a half mile on a logging road. That snow was 12" deep and realtively flat ground. I have never been on a long jaunt through deep snow. How deep of snow can one travel up and down steep country in? Do you need snowshoes?

We had a good snow storm over the week-end, and my son and I saw a nice cat Monday a half hour before dark. But we were unable to get close enough before dark. We are in the middle od another big storm right now. After this passes, it should be good hunting.
I appreciate any help.
Bob
 
BobR,

I suppose it could be done in the right kind of country by a young, tough, and in shape kinda guy. That does not include the kind of country where I live, hunt, and play; or old dogs like myself. Cross country travel of much distance is pretty much out of the question around here.

I do not mean to say that tracks are not very important in cougar hunting. My best suggestion, providing you are not familiar enough with the hunting ground to know where and how the cats move through it, is to cruise the roads and look for a track. Once you have a fresh track to work with, start looking for a calling location.

I took this photo just yesterday, and I was a day behind the cat. I followed the track as far as the cat had walked on an old road, then continued on in the general direction that the cat had been heading. I did stop and call in 2 places. There was always the possibility that the cat had bedded down someplace and was within hearing of my call.

No luck this time, but sometimes it works! For a size reference, my pocket knife is 4 inches long.

View
 
Bob, Thanks for the reply. I could read your replies for days. This country is not easy to cross either. I think I fit into that old dog category myself. If I took off after a cat very far, it would probably jump off the side of the mountain. Then I would need a hang glider to keep up. But them I would need a helicopter to get back up.

The local guy I spoke of found a track at daylight, and walked up on the cat, bedded down two hours later.

I think the best story I have heard of a hunt in this manner, was the one I read in an e-mail last night. I would like to see that one retold here. Psssst...Lonny...hint, hint.
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Steve craig suggested to me last year, that following a fresh track and pausing to call every quarter to half mile was a good strategy. That pausing to rest every quarter mile might be more my speed.
Thanks BobMc
Bob
 
Interesting subject. I have tried this before, without success. The problem was that the snow wasn't deep, and it was patchy, by mid-day. At first, just shale and rocks were bare, but that cat was purposful in avoiding snow, where he could. After a while, he didn't step in snow at all, and following him on the rocky ground was very difficult. I am certain that he did it intentionally, guess he didn't want cold feet?

Good hunting. LB
 
Bob,

When the snow gets much deeper then 10" snowshoes are a big help. The snowshoes made nowadays are lighter and really pretty easy to get used to. A guy can about kill himself trying to go uphill in deep snow without snowshoes. When the snow crusts over you can really go good then.

The story Bob was talking about took place in Jan of 98. I took a walk down a canyon to do some coyote calling. I had been in this same canyon a week before and had found a set of snowed in lion tracks where they had crossed an old logging road. I again found the tracks crossing within 100 yards of where I had seen tracks the week before.

I thought about hiking out and getting ahold of a friend of mine who has hounds but the tracks didn't look real great and by the time he would get there it would probably be too late in the day. I figured I would just follow them and hopefully they might freshen up and maybe I could set up and call a few places.

After a few miles the track didn't look any better and I started to think I should call it a day. I decided to go on a ways further. Walking up a brushy draw I found where the lion had killed and partially eaten a coyote. This raised my hopes considerably. I figured the cat could be fairly close by then. The problem was it was a terrible place to set up and call. I decided to go a bit further to see if I could find a better setup.

I only went a 100 yards and found where I had jumped the lion. He was laying in some brush just above the kill. I went on the running lion track as fast as I could which wasn't very fast in this steep country. I ended up in a creek bottom and the tracks led into some cliffs where there was no way I could get up through them without risking breaking my neck. I would have to go way around these cliffs to get above them. I knew by then I would be way to far behind the cat with the amount of daylight that was left.

I decided to go down the creek a ways and maybe the cat would circle down again and I could pick up the track again. I walked down to where I could see up a draw below the cliffs. I thought I may as well watch up this draw for awhile because it looked like the game was pretty much over. After only a few minutes I heard rocks rolling above. I figured it must be a deer. It turned out to be the lion coming back down the hill towards me about 120 yards away. I shot it at about 80 yards when it stopped to cross the creek.At the shot it jumped what looked like 6 feet into the air and ran 50 yards into the brush where I found it dead. It was a 145 lb male whose skull measured 14 3/8". It was aged at 6-7 years old when I had it checked by the game dept. This lion now hangs on my wall.

I realize luck was very much on my side this day because I'm no means any Dan'l Boone or cross country runner. I did have very good knowledge of how the country laid and the snow was only a few inches deep making walking good. This country has timbered north slopes with open south slopes making visibility good. It would be very tough in heavy timbered country and deep snow to do this I would think.

I have always enjoyed following lion tracks in the snow. Its very interesting to see how they hunt and to find their kills. I have followed them before but this is the first and only time it led to something. Its never a waste of time though to follow their tracks because it seems like a guy always finds something interesting or learns something new. Thanks for listening to my long winded story

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Lonny, Great story. I enjoyed reading it again, and I am still envious.
Thanks, Bob

Curt, This might give you something to think about when you are hiding in the brush making coyote sounds.
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I know this is far fetched for most hunters, including myself, but has anyone considered using x-country skis? I suppose it would work well if you knew how to ski.

I am dying to get a cougar, I start looking for them in August here when the season reopens and hunt through the spring. I've only ever seen one here in Oregon.

Anyone have any ideas as to where to look in the Central Oregon area?

Lonny, Thanks for the great story! That has my appetite really going for getting one now.
 
SS, Find where the deer and elk are wintering. The snow is bringing them down early here. There are about 100 elk on my neighbors winter wheat field this evening.
we saw a big cat on that same field Monday evening. I will poost a photo of the elk later. I have to make it from a video.
Bob
 
BobR,

The deer wintering area is pretty much where I do my coyote calling, so I guess I'm on the right trail. Thanks for the pointer.

To make matters worse for my cougar hunting appetite, I was just at Bi-Mart and picked up the 2002 Oregon hunting regulations and there is a beautiful cat full size on the cover.
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SpinnerShark,

I think cross country skis might be too cumbersome to get up the steep hills,heavy timber,brush and through the rough rocky areas. A pair of snowshoes would work much better to get you around in most lion country. If you hit bare ground or real tough going you can strap most snowshoes to your pack and keep on going.

Spinnershark look for the birds that will congregate around a lion kill. They can help give away a kill even if your a long distance from it. Carry some binos to watch for the ravens,magpies,etc. If you locate a fresh kill you stand a good chance the cat might be nearby. Good luck on finding a lion.

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Rob,

Read Lonny's story for the answer to your question. They can't just walk and hunt non-stop. They have to rest sometime. If they make a kill on a sizable animal such as a deer, they will probably be bedded somewhere nearby. As long as the weather is cold, and the meat doesn't spoil, they will return for another meal or two from it.
 
SpinnerShark, We live in the foothills, and in winter we have elk and deer winter in the fields around our house. These fields are surrounded by fences that are grown up in brush. There is also tall grass in the CRP around these fields. The cats work the perimeter of these fields and know all the fence crossings.

The cat we saw Monday was right on the fenceline watching some mule deer. The deer will graze in the fields and then go back into the brush and CRP to bed down. The cats are very patient and will wait out the deer.
I also think that cat was waiting on the cover of night.

The elk bed dwon right out on the open fields, making it impossible to ambush them.
Too many eyes and ears. But elk like to move from field to field, and this is when they are vulnerable. The elk we have around here in winter are large herds of cows and calves, with a few small bulls.

The snow did not last long here at the lower elevations, and that is one reason the deer and elk like it. Soon, it will be cold enough for the snow to hang around longer, and it is at these lower elevations where it would be easier to follow a track

We usually do not get elk around here until Christmas. So, I was surprised to see the elk up on the field across th road from the house late yesterday evening, The video did not turn out very good because it was almost dark and I had to use too much Zoom.
I could only see aprt of the field and the elk from our backyard, but my son went up and said he thought there was at least 100.
Bob
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Wow, thanks for the pic and story BobR. I have never seen a herd of elk that big here. The biggest was probably 20, and they are hard to find. Good sized groups of mulies are really easy to find though. As a matter of fact on my way to pick up my kids from a friends house tonight I saw a dozen or so walking down the street outside my house. One was a huge 4 point. Ah I love living here! I will keep my eyes open for the cat that is bound to be waiting for me to find it!

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Matt/Spinner
 
BobR: Can you hunt cougars in that area? there's another elk wintering area is around yelm, near rainier park. Thanks for the pic...man that's cool:) Do the bulls still have antlers? Only the biggest bull moose up here have lost thiers yet. We had a young bull in our front yard about two nights ago tearing up our lilac bush and eating our rasberries. Well, that's what they do. Last night one was hit o nthe highway about 1/3 mile from my house. It was a young one too, may have been the one that was in our yard.
 
Bad Medicine, We can hunt in these areas. It is very open country, and it is hard to find a place to set up.
Bob
 
Bob,
Another trick that will work when following those tracks is after you cut a fresh track, bail out of the truck and follow and bark like a dog. This approach will not work with a big Tom, but will work just about every time witha female and a female with cubs. She will take the first good tree she comes to. But you have to be close and the track must be fresh. My son and I have done this many times in Montana.

You can also do something similar with bears as well. Many times I will call a youg bear in that is just not shootable and all you have to do is jump up and run at the bear barking like a dog, and he will take the first tree he comes to almost every time. Old boars will not tree, but the younger bear will. I have done this over a dozen times in the last couple of years.I have many great pics of bears and lions that I have treed myself. This lion trick was taught to me by a well known guide in Montana.

How is the calling going up there?
Your Good Friend,
Steve

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www.azpredatorhunts.com
 
Hi guys
Well here's my story,,, been calling predators for a couple of years with
> good success on coyote's, had a bobcat come in last year and couldn't get
> a
> good shot off, he was locked on me and soon as I moved gone. Anyway,,,,,,,
> Went out last Friday to where my bud's had seen a cougar during bow
> season,,,,, It was my 4th trip over there to the same spot with zero
> results,,, saw some poop and some tracks but nothing else,,,, used some
> info
> from the web and some info from old Fishing and Hunting News articles on
> calling cougars so I figured I'd work around ridges and where I'd spotted
> deer before, I wanted to go out on Friday the 16th for blackmouth but the
> snow screwed that up.
> So Saturday the 17th I got up,,, hooked up my boat trailer and was heading
> out for a day of fishing,,, but the snow and meltoff had refrozen so I
> thought better of towing a $40,000 jetboat that morning.
> I backed the boat into my garage and figured I'd go over to Tarboo lake
> near
> Quilcene and call coyotes, went there a lot over the years,, parked in my
> same old spot and went in to the same old stump that I've killed a few
> coyote's from and also missed the shot on the bobcat, it's a sweet set up,
> I
> hunt in the bigger timber and call where the timber corner meets the
> clear-cut and the doghair.
> I figure how the wind works and use it to my advantage, it blows down
> tree's
> in this particular spot and when you call it makes the critters that come
> in
> stay on established game paths ,,,, usually at least the coyote's do.
> The bobcat came in so quiet he was locked on me at less than 5 yards
> away,,,
> I missed but I went and bought a 22mag 20 gauge over and under and used it
> this year except for the last couple trips for my predator hunting, That
> is,
> until my one buds Ken said,,, " you over there messing with that cat" I
> said yep,,, he said better use a bigger gun ,,, he's big,,,,,,,,,,, that
> got
> me thinking so I switched to my favorite varmint gun the Ruger mini 14 in
> .223. 12 shots.
> It makes me feel better than having 2 shots.
> So I get down to my stump and start checking things out for the setup,,,,
> the setup is everything. I moved twice before I ever called that morning
> and
> also saw some tracks that I thought were bobcat ,, due to their size,, I
> thought to myself cool that bobcats still here,,,I got all comfy and put
> my
> headnet on and started my calls, I call for 1 hour at a spot and about 5
> minutes apart and try and stay real still except for moving my head, so I
> give a few squeals and notice a woodpecker fly over in front of me working
> on a blowdown tree,,, I think cool this is good it's making the squeaking
> noises woodpeckers make, and I'm thinking this is good it will draw
> anything
> that comes in towards it,, so I wait a few minutes and call again ,,,,
> stop
> sweep my head back and forth and back again,,,, all of sudden I see it ,,,
> I
> recognize it as a cat looking at me from behind a horizontal blowdown
> tree,,,, just the head peeking over it,, then it hits me,,,, it's a
> cougar,,, I think,, I don't want it getting no closer ,,, it was at about
> 50
> yards,,, so I pick up the mini 14 and put the peep on it ,,,,, bang,,,,
> got
> it,,, head shot,,, I run over stop and check it out ,,, I'm tight and
> ready
> at the same time ,,,, all business,,, so just to make sure I pop it again
> in
> the chest,,, dead kitty.
> I now check it out it's a female ,,, so I make darn sure no 1st year cubs
> are with it and make a bunch noise as to scare anything if there is.
> I get to the truck and get a tag on it.
> The cougar turned out to be 110 lbs. and seven and half feet long female.
> Beats a 7 pound blackmouth any day.
 
Steve
Way to go, that must have been a real rush. Some day I hope to be that lucky but would settle for a nice bobcat
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I have hunted close to that area (Crocker Lake) and had a cat coming in but he dropped down into a reveen and then circled us and caught wind and took off running. By the time we saw him it was to late.
frown.gif

Mike

[This message has been edited by varmintboy54 (edited 01-03-2002).]
 
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