Catch and Release Mt Lion Calling?

That had to be pretty cool AP. Sounds like he acted like a cat. lol! Congrats! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

I don't think anyone should use lion vocals either, and definitely never ever howl to coyotes.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Rick, tell ol' Whirlwind I said hi!

Good hunting
 
All I can say, again, is WAY TO GO, AP!!!

What a great stand! Eventually we'll get enough interaction with them to put forward some predictable theories. In the meanwhile, we'll continue to accurately predict their unpredictability!

Can't believe lions live unseen in that open country!

So far I've had 2 that I could see better than they could see me, I was covered up, they were approaching, and they caught the SLIGHTEST movement... instantly! In MUCH thicker cover that that. I'm surprised, even with the hill and the trees, that he didn't catch "the slink." Very surprised.


Absolutely Outstanding Stand! I nominate for HOM without a shot being fired!!!
 
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if it had only been 36 days in the future, I would of gladly had "it don't get no better than that" tattooed you know where.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif


AP



Now everyone has heard it.............We will see if you stand to it,lol.
 
I have called two lions in. The first nearly jumped over me from behind and then bounded off to about 30 ft and stood there looking at me squeal like a girl before I filled my lion tag. The second came to about 90yds or so and laid down like your lion did. My calling partner couldnt see it from where he was so he got up and came and sat next to me. We watched it for about 10 min before we decided to see what it would do when we walked to it. It got up and disappeared in to the sparse vegetation. First lion was called in using a Dan Thompson call in cottontail after 15 min and the second using FX5 on jackrabbit at about 17 min. Interestingly I found fresh kills in both areas, deer in the first and jackrabbit in the second.
 
Wackmaster,

Interesting regarding the fresh kills.

There were numerious deer in the area. Including a group of does that watched us drive in and out, prior to, and after, calling the lion. The deer were no more then 400 yards away from us as the show unfolded.

One thing I did note, is I did not see one single fawn in 3 days..

AP
 
Ap, I'm very anxious to call one in by hand, but so far I've hunted alone 99.9% of the time. That's remote e-call country as far as I'm concerned.

I've SEEN 2, killed one of them. I've called 6 or 7, depending on some sound identification. (I've ruled out other maybe's that I'm pretty sure were escaping deer, or Bobbies.)
 
Sounds like a great adventure, AP! Of the four I've seen respond, all four came in to small animal distress sounds. Two to ecallers(Foxpro) and two to mouthblown calls(Circe).
 
AP, I usually mix prey distress with lion vocals. I can't say for certain that lion vocals will help or hinder you. No doubt they were an asset for me. There have been a few that came to distress alone and a few that came to vocals alone. But the 3 most aggressive responses I've had were when I used a mixture of both and I only got 2 of those 3. All 3 came in at a run to within 30 yards or so of the caller. Others lions were reluctant to expose themselves for any length of time. My limited experience doesn't qualify me to suggest I have any advice of much value. There were other things I changed in addition to trying different sounds that I feel helped me finally connect. Mainly regarding how I set up. There are certain things that I believe are a constant but I sure couldn't back up my theories with any hard proof. I haven't hunted cougars outside my immediate region either so what worked for me here might not if I tried it elsewhere. I believe a caller will see different responses from different lions wherever he hunts. Time of year, social conditions, climate, weather, prey density and other factors will play a big part in what kind of response a guy gets in my opinion. There was one fella last year that tried what I told him and went out the following weekend and got his lion. Bad news is there have been others that didn't get anything following my advice so I might have only proved beyond a doubt I'm full of crap. lol! If anyone asks I always tell them to experiment with different things.

A healthy dose of luck doesn't hurt anything either. One of the bigger cats taken around here in the last couple years was by a local guy and his friend They went out cougar calling for the first time with bows. Never called lions before. After about 10 minutes, here comes a nice male and he got it. He was using a handcall. I suspect that many of us that call in cat country are calling in many more lions than we know. They are just that sneaky. Half the battle is setting up your stand close to them. The closer the better if possible. They are not going to cover the kind of distance a coyote will to come to a call normally.

That was a great experience you had. That had to be cool to be able to watch and observe that lion for so long. The coolest thing is that you had your son along to experience it too. That's great. Congrats!
 
AP, I've had young lions whistling around me and have used lion whistles to no good effect for the past 7 years or so. My take is that sibling lions use them as a form of aural camoflage in order stay in contact with one another. However, they do not seem to respond to the sound of a strange lion. As far as calling aggressive male lions with the sound of a juvie, in expectation that he wishes to kill it to drive the mother back into estrus in order to mate with her--while it might happen in the wild sometimes, it seems a poor predator calling strategy when you can eliminate the middleman by just playing a ML-in-heat call instead.

I am a big believer in fawn sounds. Called two lions to the camera in six days last Sept. First, two lions came rapidly to the neat little dual open reed fawn call Krusty made for me. Six days later I called back the big ole tom that'd peeled off to stalk in backdoor with the FoxPro Blacktail Fawn track.

LionHo
 
Ditto, my thoughts on the juvenile lion vocals as well, probably poor calling strategy. Although, some like Curt have had success with the "In-Heat” type vocals.

I'm more of the evolving philosophy, success in hunting lions is in direct relationship to 5 key components. If you are short in one of these key areas, your success is all but guaranteed to be zero. EDIT ADDED - That said, a heavy dose of #5 can overcome shortfalls in 1 thru 4.

1. Lion density
2. Prey density
3. Remote terrain
4. Caller technique, persistence, and field craft
5. Dose of luck

I have a 2 1/2 day hunt planned for the Kiabab on September 12, 13, and 14th just after the archery deer hunt ends... Should have the woods to myself. I’m going to shoot for an average of 15 stands per day (45 - 50 stands total).

I’m going to do the deer, goat, jackrabbit routine and skip the lion vocals. Even if it’s 50 “dead stands” over 3 days, it will be great to get back out in the woods again.

As I have began to more and more target and hunt areas, terrains, and elevations where the potential for coyotes is significantly reduced and lions is increased, I’ve noticed my excitement factor on the stands is increased. Targeting a lion for me has really turned into an obsession, kind of strange hearing that out of a dyed in the wool Arizona coyote hunter, especially when it’s just the opposite of calling coyotes in terms of success. Not allot of people stay interested in something that may require hundreds or even thousands of stands over a period of years before success comes, if it comes at all. Guess, there comes a point when some look for another challenge in this predator calling sport we love so dear. I dare say, a lion presents good one.


AP

edit - cleaned up a couple typos
 
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Ditto, my thoughts on the juvenile lion vocals as well, probably poor calling strategy. Although, some like Curt have had success with the "In-Heat” type vocals.

I'm more of the evolving philosophy, success in hunting lions is in direct relationship to 5 key components. If you are short in one of these key areas, your success is all but guaranteed to be zero. EDIT ADDED - That said, a heavy dose of #5 can overcome shortfalls in 1 thru 4.

1. Lion density
2. Prey density
3. Remote terrain
4. Caller technique, persistence, and field craft
5. Dose of luck

I have a 2 1/2 day hunt planned for the Kiabab on September 12, 13, and 14th just after the archery deer hunt ends... Should have the woods to myself. I’m going to shoot for an average of 15 stands per day (45 - 50 stands total).



I would have to agree with you on those 5 key factors AP. Good assessment.

Good luck on your hunt. Hope to see some pics when you return.

Good hunting
 
Cool Story with a good deal of information there. I went to the Kiabab last year for four days calling alone. It was in November and I thought the deer would have moved down into the pinons, and this is where I told my family I would be. Had a great time, but I only called in a bobtail. I didn't harvest him because he spotted me before I spotted him. He was also a little guy that I doubt I would have harvested anyway. Great area.
 
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