I'm going to make a point to get out more this year... I'm still over-busy, homeschooling 6 kids, still have to do late deer, late archery elk, and I'm still not completely moved over here to central Washington, but I'm getting lion withdrawls!

How about you guys?

Seems I'm seeing a lot more surprise sightings and livestock damage stories. I predicted that, seems like it's happening.

Not sure how the cougar numbers (or habit patterns, lowland influx, livestock damage, etc.) are going to react to the influx of wolves, but the fact that more big predators are out cutting into the herds has the same effect.... and "they" are still regulating the humans out of the equation. Closing the most impacted areas at the end of the year here in Washington.


What do you think about lion hunting this year? What are you guys seeing?

As soon as im done with my deer tags, and we have fresh snow on the ground, ill be cougar hunting. Too many of them around not to.

As soon as elk season is over in November I will go out every weekend.

Buying your cougar kit this nov and hitting it hard. Here in Ferry county the cougar and wolf sightings/ encounters are insane. Everyone and their brother are having issues. Called 4 bears with that little bawler you sent so I'm hoping the cougar call is just as good when use appropriately! Talking to the old timers and the local ex state hunter, we used to take 4-5 times as many cougar as they allow now in this unit. And the wolves are eating everything and pushing all the other predators to have to try new things, like sheep and a horse now. The colvilles can now come hunt wolves up here but not enough of them will. Got my CDL with one of them that runs hounds and he does a number of the Cougars and bears with his dogs.

Met a guy here in Yak who claims to have met a couple guys in N E WA who've been tagging one each year for 3 years, calling. Have a friend in Colville who knows a state bio with 22 cameras in the corner, cats on all of them at the same time.
........... then they close it down end of Dec! SO aggravating!

I have a fishing camp property in Northeast now. Heading there for late deer, I have a second deer tag in the Spokane North unit.

WAY too many cats there (And in SE, and in Yak county) and the state is protecting them.

The jan 1st closure does suck. The one i called in on dec 30th last year ended up being number 12 for unit 121 last year, doubling the quota. We have a lot more lions around here than the biologists claim.

As for the bio with 22 cams out, i have about that many spread around the ne corner, every single one gets frequent lion activity. I have hundreds of lion pics. [beeep], its rare for a week to go by on my small property without lions on cam. I counted at least 8 different ones on cam at my house in a 6 month period, and thats just on 21 acres.

They need to take about 20 out of that corner every year. They might be trying to force the wolves to spread by over predating the prey species... without selling tags to do it, of course. Likely it's just over bureactatized management by apartment dwellers... like everything else. (We'll have to accept or reject their legislative mandates on a case by case basis soon, I can see that coming too.)

Im really getting excited for cougar hunting. If there is snow by nov 24th, which there almost certainly will be, im going to forego elk hunting for cougar hunting. I missed early archery elk, and late archery is kind of a crapshoot. Id rather call lions than freeze my butt off hoping to ambush an elk in freezing temps. This might be the first time in 7 years that i dont even buy an elk tag.

Looks like the snow is headed up there sooner than later! I'm going to have to go there to re-rent my tiny house and do late deer, gonna snow next week already! (Know anyone who wants to winter over in a tiny house outside Usk?!?!)

Went out to check a cam today that i set up this spring, in a new area id never been to
Couple nice lions on it, and found a fresh lion scrape. Also found a cow elk carcasd with a humongous pile of bear crap next to it. Dont know what to make of that. Its clearly been dead before elk season opened.

If your property by usk has some big whitetails, id be happy to go check in on your place from time to time for a while here. I do have the whitetail raffle tag

A monster dinger 5x5 got killed there last day of early season. 50yds from my place! He was actually living on my property and two neighbors' lots. I'm hoping for a couple bucks and have one more kid to tag out! We're going to do late turkey too and I have one place to try second deer, but would like to secure one or two others.

I haven't gotten out to call this year yet. They're still hunting on the ranch where I go. They should be finishing up here in the next few weeks and I am off the week of thanksgiving so I am hoping to get out there then. I'll be waiting to be near some success stories.

Good luck guys,

Hope you get onto one, Zag!

Just ordered up a Shockwave, Got my first Bobcat last year, and it's still at the Taxi being made into a rug. Really looking to try Cougar this year. I've spent most of my time Yote hunting throughout our valley, but have been getting some good info on Cougar spots too. Looking for advice on caller sequences for the Cougs, Are you just randomly throwing out rabbit distress calls or bid calls, seeking the knowledge of the wise.lol

Greetings Rainshadow1, are your cougar calls downloadable to the Shockwave? Would really be interested in bending your ear over a cup of coffee sometime, seeing how we're practically neighbors.

Are you using hand calls or electronics? I would love to try it, but don't have an e-call. My dad is up by Sacheen Lk, so I hunt around there a lot.

Hey Eburg! Hate Coffee, but let's hunt your spots sometime! Love to! (Got anything up there open after Dec 31?) My sequences are MP3 data files, the shockwave handles them just fine.

Hey johral, I have a place on Davis! Going to be taking my boat to Sacheen some this summer, tubing and looking for bass spots! E-calls are almost necessary. Not 100% but awful close. Lions all over Pend Orielle cnty.

Hey all you other guys,

Deer/Elk are winding down, I'm getting fired up to run a few Cougar stands!


I posted a couple new Call-in Stories on my page, they're O23 and O24.
http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Still looking for YOUR stories! Please send them to me!


Also, lost a few pictures... if you have a story on my page and your pics are gone, I'd love to get them from you again! Thanks!

Looks like my paypal buttons on the website were goofed up... and it LOOKS like they're fixed now... PLEASE Let me know if you're trying to get sounds or calls and something doesn't work!

I called in a cougar 2 weekends ago. I could hear vocals but could not see him. Everytime I used the whistle call, the cat would respond.

My first cat did that, echoed every whistle... walked right up behind me!

I also have had whistled returned. Also Wuffs. Not sure if the GROWLS that I have heard were meant for my caller/sounds or for ME (busted?).

Probably both! It was responding to the call, but you were intruding!

Hi Dad!

Hey Buddy! When are they going to make you a Youth Seller so you can sell that knife you made?!?!



Just posted two more good stories from Western Washington!

Stories O25 and A21 are bran-fresh as of today!

http://rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Getting up in the a.m. to hit unit 113. If the snows not too bad im planning on staying at least 3 days.

Is Unit 113 still open ?

Good luck! I'm ready to read another call in story!

Yes sir it is. Went over today to a spot ive never been to. Did 3 sets, no customers. But it was a good day. Never seen so many deer anywhere besides private agricultural land. Area i was in was flat out crawling with whitetail, it was unreal. And the odd thing is, only cut 2 sets of yote tracks and 1 set of lion tracks. With the absurd number of deer in there, i would think the area would be full of lions, wolves, yotes and bobs. But for whatever reason, i saw very little evidence of predators. This spot just made it onto my short list of to-do deer scouting areas. Was ready to spend 3 or 4 days lion hunting there, but work called and ruined my plans. Back home now.

Went back out today. 75 mile drive to same spot. Man, i was falling through snow up to mid thigh, but deer were still in there. Nowhere lower for them to go. Set up and called for an hour, then did some contact whistles, waited 10 minutes then called it. Before leaving i circled the area. Found a smoking hot set of bobcat tracks that snuck into the thickest cover in front of me. Im pretty certain i called it in, it busted me and snuck out. If ida had my preferred scenario of a hunting partner set up 100 or so yards from me i think it would have been a successful hunt. Nobody seems motivated enough to go with me in the deep of winter and fight the snow though.

Wish I could get over there... or anywhere that's still open.

Found an excellent spot to call, tomorrow im going back with a friend. Going to do the same routine we used successfully last year. He will sit on cliff above me with birds eye view, and ill hide real well down below. Ill use the same call i used last year, just for good juju.

Good luck. I have called in 2 in the last 3 months. No shot yet.

Thanks to Steve from Rainshadow. I purchased his call sounds and seminars, learned a lot. Called hard got smarter and kept learning. Finally this last Thursday (23rd aug) had two stroll/crawl in just before dark. It was a shock! Kinda like calling coyotes, you expect it and hope for it but you're still suprized when they show up. Except it's 100 times more gratifying. I probably passed on dozens of coyotes


Forgot to add a pic

Congratulations! The pay off for one heck of a lot of hard work!

I am sure Steve will amble by soon with his .02 worth before long.

Best regards

Three 44s

That’s awesome! Calling a cat is on my bucketlist. Which call of his were you using if you don’t mind me asking? The whistle or a distress?

I used alittle distress but mostly whistles I believe the whistles caused them to come right in. The entire ordeal was pretty bazar. I might post it on predator hunting in the next few days.

I dont mind sharing at all. It is so difficult calling lions VS coyotes. There is no comparison. I did 60-70 stands, hundreds of hours. There will be few people compared to coyote hunters who have success and therefore give up. I admit that this could have happened on the first stand but it didn't for me.

Very well done, looks like a nice cat.

I have called in two using a Weems Wild call, Duo Tone and a Lohman MVP-3 adjusted to sound very coarse at the long range setting on the hand call. Called in Deer and elk with the same call, several black bear. To animals, I think that the sound is like a new born calf or fawn.

Of course, I never had a tag for any of these large big game animals. Bear get quite confused when they come in hard charging and then realize that there is nothing there to eat or take away from another animal.

N. Arizona and in the 4 corners area of Az has more black bears than you could imagine, lions also.

gBo, that is an accomplishment of a life time! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!
Now, if you could call in a bear and get him, that would be the icing on the cake.

You will kill 10 bears before you kill another lion, more than likely. Browning BAR in 30/06 is a good black bear gun or a 270 loaded with 150-160g nosler partitions.

g_Bo, this needs its own post! Good job man, good job!

G_Bo is one of the guys who decided he wanted to, and then he put the work in to make it happen. Really REALLY pleased with your success! Way to go!

I agree.

Garry earned that mountain lion. Very happy it all came together like it did for him! Just wish I'd a been there .

- DAA

Feb 8th thru 18th 2019 is our yearly Oregon Cougar camp. In the Fort Rock area. I have been out a few times this month Tracking in fresh snow and calling. Tomorrow I will be out again.

Went out yesterday. Spent a few hours hiking up to where i wanted to call, but the wind was howling. Tried to wait it out but ended up leaving. Got down the mountain by cutting through a large chunk of private land i have permission to hunt. Found a few sets of lion tracks there. Checked in with land owner and was told i dont need to ask, the permission is permanent. Going to go in there tomorrow and do some calling.

Sweet! Git 'Em!

No luck yet, and now im out of town for work until probably the 19th. Hope the quota isnt met before i get to hunt some more. If it is, i guess its all coyote calling and trout fishing for me for the next few months until the snow is gone and its time to get to scouting and hanging cams.

If anyone is interested in going to this years Oregon cougar camp you can contact me before the 8th at oregoncougarcamp@aol.com

Needless to say, with a new baby, two AKC litters, and all the cacophony of life around this address... it's been a busy 2018! FINALLY added 4 more cougar call-in stories to my website... R14, R15, O26, & O27.
See them here...
http://rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Just added a fifth story... RS16

Sure wish i was out lion hunting right now, but im stuck out on the water for a couple more weeks. After taking 2 months off to hunt deer the office isnt too sympathetic about my desire to take time off to hunt cats

Hey, got another story posted on the call-in story page!

Welcome back Jeff, from RS14!!! Much happier result this time!!!

New Story, good pics! RS17 is just now fresh posted!

I’ve been out maybe 8 times since the first of December. Nothing yet, a lot of hiking long distance and gaining a lot of altitude. Going after lions on purpose is hard. Not complaining just stating a fact, at least for me. Wishing everyone luck.

Really glad you can get after them, g bo! Wish I had the time to do the same, hope to again someday! I'm lucky to get a few days per year lately!

Website is down for the day... GoDaddy is working on it...

Thought you guys would like this, cool video of a lion whistling behind my house. https://vimeo.com/326907793

Nice catch!

That is a great video. And man that is how they sound! There was another video that played after with two in it in the same spot. Was that the same night ?

Wasnt the same night, dates are on the timestamp on the bottom. Was a few days apart. I get pretty constant year round lion activity on that trail though. Its maybe a hundred yards behind my house.

You’re living the life buddy! That’s a fantastic video!

Brian

Just posted Stories "A22" and "A23" on the Call-in Story Page! Both are really good ones!

http://rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Hope to have another one for your page after deer season.

Hope you find your main frame 5 this year, Slag! I haven't been to Davis all year... too busy! Got 4 kids in Sports!

You just need to convince them that predator hunting is a better sport than football etc. Then between you and the 4 kids you could be over at your place in 113 stacking up 10 bears. A full dozen if you got an old lady that hunts.

What area are you hunting? I'll be trying my luck north of Spokane.

Mostly 121 and 101. After jan 1st, any open unit in the northeast, options are usually limited, as quotas are ridiculously low.

That's the truth...

I'll be hitting 117 pretty hard.

My camp spot is in 117. Haven't been there all year. Going to eventually set up a spot guys can use, kind of a hunting/fishing vrbo!

Nice

Just to throw it out there ill be hitting the hills for cougar as soon as im done deer hunting. Hopefully my buck im after is more cooperative this year and im not hunting all the way through dec 15th again. But when i do move on to calling cats, if anybody wants to team up in the ne corner, holler at me. I havd some great areas and i like to use hand calls, so having a second person sitting up above me about a hundred yards away really increases the odds of actually taking out a cat that comes in instead of my just getting busted.

This has kinda turned into my Call-in Story Page update thread here at PM, so I'm going to update the updating here...



I'm going to start collecting OTHER Cougar/Mt Lion Hunting stories and posting them on this page. Any hunting technique, aside from dogs.

It'll be a bonus section... the website is still all about calling them in, but I wanted to add this section.

Have you EVER legally killed (or tried to legally kill) a Cougar without the aid of hound dogs?

I want your story!

It's about hunting the American Lion, without Hounds.

So I wanted to add it.

If you've ever gone out to hunt a Mt Lion, and Spot/Stalked, or Tracked, or any other form of hunting... I want your encounter stories!!!

Even if you were hunting other animals, but had that tag in your pocket "just in case" I want to post your stories on my page!

I know there's plenty of stories out there, I want to start compiling them! Hit me up!

I just posted FOUR new stories! (All from the same guy... I'm a little jealous!)

Stories O28, O29, O30, and RS18

Great stories, great hunting technique, all have photos!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm


PLEASE! Send me your stories, calling or not!

New Stories today!

Added RS19, A24, and NC1

First non-calling story! (Hopefully of dozens and dozens! Please send me yours!)

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Hey guys! Cyber Monday post for a GIFT to my former customers, especially you long timers!

Look at your call sequences files... If you DON'T have "Live Whistles S", I'd like to give it to you for Christmas. I think you should have it.

It's Live Whistles, but it's slowed down to a calm communicative pace. Live Whistles was a real life sequence, in real time, but it was a whining, excited, begging teenager. A little overexcited about seeing his trainers. I think slowing it down makes more sense in the field.

So if you're a former customer, email me a pic of your file list or the cd or something to prove it, and I'll email you a link to download "Live Whistles S".

Merry Christmas!

Got one for your website steve!

Can't wait, man! Sweet action! In your face with the HAND CALL! (Brian will be happy!)

Oh yeah, ive already shown him. Figured hed like to see the call he made actually serve its purpose.

Yeah, I’m really happy to see that call bring in a lion! But I am pretty sure it had more to do with the guy using it... he is a heck of a hunter! The call looks even better next to that beautiful knife!

Brian

I think we need to hear the story about this hunt! Congrats on a beautiful cat.

I wish i would have had the sense to move my backpack out of the background of that last picture. My brain wasnt operating at full capacity by that point.

Ok, JUST POSTED! Story # O31

Yeah, he did it again, this time right into his lap! HAND CALLED COUGAR!

Way to go Slagiatt!

RoyalCoug1 by Steve Tormala, on Flickr

Royal cougar whistle I did for a customer.

YES -- I HAVE!

Have pics around here someplace.

Cas in Wyoming.

Somebody (who shall remain nameless, who just killed a Cougar with an ivory call) requested an Ivory Cougar Whistle!

SlagCall2 by Steve Tormala, on Flickr

SlagCall1 by Steve Tormala, on Flickr

Super looking call Steve! That mystery hunter will no doubt be very pleased.

Brian

Awesome cat!!!

Nice longtail. Cougar story: So other than my first big game kill in WA being a cougar (back in the hound hunting days) The only cougar I ever saw was while scouting for muzzle loading elk season with a buddy of mine. James Weaver. James knows his stuff about hunting. He is one of those guys who worries about moon phases and such. Also, James is really funny. So, I am driving my Toyota up what looks like an old two tract then turns into what looks like a skidder trail and a cougar ghosts across the trail up ahead of us. James leans over towards me and says "Paul, did you see that? that deer had the longest tail I ever saw!"

Close! If you had left the house with the intention to kill a lion, I might post it!

Ive been having a hard time getting motivated to hunt lately with no lion tag. But my idaho tsg becomes valid jan 1st. Less than a week left before i can hunt lions again.

I added a second Non-Calling Cougar hunting story today.

NC2, a calling trip that turned into a spot and stalk before the call made the first cry!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm



Please send me stories! Anything without hounds!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm


Just posted story # A25

Great experience getting stalked!

117 is still open, and with all this snow id bet not a lot of guys are going to be hitting the woods. Doubt the harvest guidelines will be met any time soon. Get on it!

Just went out Monday... Everything above the Yakima nation is still open (Goldendale, of all places, is the only area closed... makes you wonder....) Turns out, you need a snow machine to run the roads in this area! (So I'll get one!) On the peninsula I just ran chains on all 4 with my 4runner... makes a very comfortable side by side! Went in south of Rimrock and got to see some country, but no tracks.

I think WDFW is hearing us about the quotas, but that's not time to quiet down about it, Washington guys!


And....

Just posted another Non-Calling Story...

Archery kill! Encounter with a group of 3!

Story # NC3

http://rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Just posted another one from SD...

RS20, has some good details from a guy who's getting it dialed in!

Hope to post a photo as well, but not up yet...


http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Just a few more weeks until 2020 season starts and most of the state is still open somehow. Crazy. Ill be getting after it in ferry county april 1st.

So many guys have asked me about callers and what would be a good unit for a budget, so I thought I'd just mention that today (March 20, 2020 3:15pm) I got an email from gander outdoors saying they had a sale on the FP Banshee for something like $207. That's pretty good...

Posted a new story!

Really good Non-Calling story from a deer stand!

NC4 on my Call In Story Page...

http://rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Just posted a couple similar (to each other) stories from the same guy... A26 AND 27.

http://rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Just Posted A28... Big Beautiful Cat!

Ive been out calling a bit but no luck. Hoping my luck changes once the snow flies and a cat can be easier to spot. Havent called in a thing (thst i know of) since i got done bear hunting. Not even a coyote. Ill be calling lions in both washington and idaho this year.

If you need a partner and are up in NE Washington, let me know!

I hear that a lot but when it comes down to it nobody wants to actually get their [beeep] up early and be up in the snowy woods by daybreak for an extremely low odds hunt.

Certainly not something I can do every day, but once in a while I am good for it My buddy used to want to be out on the water salmon fishing before the sun was up. When we ran hounds it was a requirement too.

When i get after it in december ill let ya know, ill mainly be hunting 121 and 101.

I had some buddies that ran hounds... They didn't worry about getting up early, they just never slept! (Those guys were a rare breed!)

Lot of time here out at sea to think about hunting (ill be at it in just a few more days) and really im more excited to hunt cats than anything else. Im going to put in a few days of elk, then head to idaho for deer, cougar and wolf. I may just drop any halfway decent buck for the freezer so i can spend more time on my lion tags, and skip washington deer altogether this year. Just really looking forward to some serious lion calling in the snow more than anything else.

Just ordered Steve's hand call package and the license should arrive in a few days. Season opens November 23rd, but with family visiting 21st through 27th I won't be at it till December. Season runs to the end of March so I should be able to get some hunts in. I'm retired so timing will be easier to work with.

What's a good fawn distress call?

I’ve figured out how to tune a great fawn voice. Use it aggressively and it’s a super raspy nasty jackrabbit distress, but if you blow it gentle and smooth it’s a perfect fawn cry. I can do it in a simple molded call body, on up to Slag’s leftover antique ivory! (Price will vary!)

Ivory!! Way above my social security pay grade, but thanks for the thought.

Hunting deer over in idaho today, almost shot a forky muley (he was actually pretty ridiculously big for a fork horn, bigger frame than a lot of 4xs that get killed) just so i could get to lion hunting sooner, but i didnt do it. I know id regret killing a forkhorn after 3 hours hunting deer in idaho for my first time. On the way out, right as it was getting too dark to shoot, im pretty [beeep] certain i heard a lion whistle below me. One of those "did i really just hear that?" Stopped and listened, never heard it again. But i really dont think i was imagining it.

Still not a single lion track seen here in idaho after 9 days hunting. Stark contrast with washington where it seems like every track in the snow is a lion track. Still going at it though as my deer tag is yet unnotched and im still waiting for "mr right." Finally got on some monster wolf tracks today but they were a few days old, of no use to me. Kinda more hoping to find smoking hot lion tracks in the morning than to find a proper buck.

So rainshadow, school me on whistlin. If im on tracks, and stop to do a little whistling, should i expect a vocal response if a cat is coming in? Not sure what im doing there, just experimenting with it. Like today following a lukewarm track, the cat went through a big draw that is a lion highway. Tons of activity there. So i stopped and sat at a good spot down low in the draw and was doing a little whistling, like maybe 5 times in 20 minutes. The sound was echoing real well, reaching out. If im not getting any vocal response does that generally mean nothings going to happen, or will they commonly come in to check me out without vocalizing back at me?

Depends on the cat. Toms typically don't vocalize... much. When they do it's a low gutteral quiet kind-of rattle sound. REAL easy to miss. And often a big tom will respond to the whistle in a predatory way, sneaking in to observe or ambush. Other subadults and females often call back, but it depends on how pressured they are. If they're overcalled, or real used to living around houses and such, they'll be a lot more quiet. Getting a vocal response is definitely not a sure thing.

Guess next time im on a track and just doing vocals like that ill do it with as much time and focus as if im distress calling, expecting a sneaker to crawl up my [beeep]. Thanks. Dealing with non hunting stuff today, back on the lion hunt tomorrow. Id love to call one in just by whistling. The down side to calling that way is that no way will i get a bonus yote or bob.

I've run Bobs out with the whistle. 30 min into distress, switch to whistle and hear them boogeying out!

Well if i was a 25lb cat i wouldnt want to be anywhere near a 100lb cat, cant say i blame em for turning inside out.

Speaking of bobs, right before i cut my lion tracks yesterday i cut a hot set of monster bobcat tracks. Giant tom bob. Did the classic rabbit thing and failed. 50 yards later cut luke warm lion tracks and switched gears. Should have just stuck with the smokin hot giant bob tracks

Now dealing with 5 day old, outrageously crunchy snow. Sucks for tracking, sucks for sneaking. The rational thing for me to do would be to wait until we get fresh snow before continuing, so as not to burn myself out. But no fresh snow in the forecast until next saturday.

Posted another story on my call in story page... O32

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

This one is a little different, but it's something that I've heard of happening repeatedly, so it needs to be covered!

Check it out! - O32

Posted a new Call-in Story. Youtube Video of the entire thing after the shot! Look for "O33" on the call-in story page!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm


HS Football Coach goes 1 for 1 on targeted Cougar Stands!

HS Football coach visits friends, they go cat hunting, he runs the stand with his ICOtech and RainShadow sounds.... and he goes 2 for 2 on lion stands (even though he didn't do the shooting!)

No, that isn't 'typical' either!

I told him, someday he'd have the satisfaction of having 30 dry stands in a row... but he's just a beginner, so he can't expect to get to that level immediately!

I will post the story as soon as I get it from the shooter!

Just Posted R21. Great story by the young hunter, and great post-shot video by the Coach!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar_callin_stories.htm

Distress and 3 different RainShadow vocals, predominantly "RS S Live Whistles" brought in a young cat. Great story! Lots of fun interacting with these guys over the past couple weeks!

Enjoy!

I've been noticing that the call in story page is getting quite LONG!



One thing I've found that you can do to consume it is to have your computer or device read it to you. That way you can reload, or drive or whatever.



You have to kinda focus to get much out of the robot voice, but it does work.



For the computer, for instance, you go to the page, click where you want to start, and then right click, and then click "Read Aloud" or press Control and Shift and U at the same time.



Just a little life hack!

Here's a cool youtube video of a female cougar caterwaul calling for a mate. This sound is very close to the TT Caterwaul call on my ICOtec call that got a cougar to run down the hill and stand over my call at the 40 minute mark of my stand. I had used many Rainshadow vocals previous to the caterwaul which likely brought it in but the mating call seemed to set off the territorial instincts of the 100 pound female and she charged down the hill. It is interesting to now hear this same sound from a cat on trail cam that successfully calls in a mate. https://youtu.be/__Vs3qkgDZ0

Here's a 2nd video from the same camera. Both videos also show the male creating a couple of scrapes.
https://youtu.be/Vo-7dWLxsfk

Great captures! Wish I had a herd of cameras!

I almost died today tracking a cat. Didnt realize underneath the couple inches of snow i was walking on was a solid slick sheet of ice. Like a skating rink under a couple inches of fresh powder. Fell on my face and went sliding backward downhill toward a sheer cliff, somehow stopped like 2 ft before i would have launched over and died when i hit the rocks below. It was like some cliche hollywood cliffhanger scene. Terrifying. I was layed out spreadeagled on this ice sheet inchworming my way away from the cliff with nothing to grab. If ida started sliding backward again id have been done. Im home now, to [beeep] with that cat. And i go out in the back yard when i get home to check cams and of course i cut cat tracks right behind my house from this morning, checked cams, she was here in the daylight. No joke i could have killed a lion from my living room window and avoided a near death experience if i had just stayed home today. Fell on hidden ice sheets 3 other times today too. One of which sent me sliding on my [beeep] into a creek. Banged up my shoulder and knee pretty good. And rushed a shot on a coyote this morning and missed. Im not going outside again today.

See if this works. Cliff that almost killed me. https://pic8.co/sh/RWlQ1U.jpg

Yikes! Glad to hear you prevailed over gravity.

Wow! That had to put 10 years on you!

Glad you are OK, Slagiatt!!! Might be time to fill your tag from home...at least until the next good fresh snow calls you back to the mountains. (-;

No fresh snow coming. Been a crap year. 40 days without a vehicle, by the time i got a new truck it was all loud crunchy snow and inaccessible woods. Cant even pull off the pavement most places i want to hunt. But [beeep], cant win em all. Im about gassed out now, just want spring to come, hopefully draw a bear permit. Ive been slacking on getting back to your email. Ill holler at ya in a couple days here.

It's all good. Hang in there!!!

Glad you didn't go over, Man! (I'd say, "Hang in there, but....")

Wanted to let you guys know that I have my website back in business.

If you had a Cougar Call In Story that I haven't posted yet, please let me know. I have them, and I'm planning to update soon. But things are a mess, and a reminder is always handy!

I'll be working on adding the old pics back in and making it more readable and easy to see (don't forget the 'read it to me" right click function.) But meanwhile, It's alive!

If you haven't sent me your story, please think about doing that. I'd love to post your latest encounter with the big cats!


I keep telling it to have the same link, but it keeps refusing...
If I can't get it to change, here's the link it's creating...

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-call-in-stories.html

Switched it to the link it's creating now...

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-callin-stories.html

I'll figure it out eventually!


(Grrrr... hyphens, not underscores... I don't know if I can change that......)

Im likely going to skip deer and elk this year and go straight to lion calling when i get home. With the exception of august, which i took off to hunt bears, ive been out at sea basically non stop since mid april, and wont be home until around thanksgiving, late archery time. Being as how i havent been able to practice with my bow all year i dont feel i have any business bow hunting. So straight to lion hunting. Word is, our whitetail are experiencing a massive die off from blue tongue. Tells me the cats are going to be really hungry. Might be extra responsive to calling. Ill be out doing my lost fawn routine as soon as im home and have snow on the ground.

Anything that lowers prey density will increase the predator activity... for awhile. Until the die-off creates starvation conditions for the predators. Then THEY'LL die off. Then the prey will come back. Then the predators... Look at the microcosm of Vancouver Island after the insurgence of clearcutting. Deer went nuts... Cougars and Wolves went nuts. Deer went way down. Predators got REALLY aggressive.... It's a wild and uncontrolled cycle that COULD be managed if the bios were run by real people instead of the MORONS who are regulating Washington to manage as if humans don't exist. Fools.

Speaking of aggressive predators, I'm hearing lots of stories of Archery and Muzzleloader hunters taking Lions on the happenstance... If you guys are one of those, or hear of them, I'd sure like to get a paragraph and a pic!

I dont know how well id expect the whitetail to bouce back around here though. We have so many bears and coyotes which prey on fawns, but dont exactly depend on them as they take advantage of so many other food sources. Even with a major die off of whitetail, i dont see bear and yote numbers dropping a bit, so all those fawn eaters will still be on the landscape hindering a quick rebound. And the wolves are plenty capable of making a living off of elk and moose, as long as they last. Not to mention our crappy management of deer. Allowing an "any buck" hunt during the rut, with rifles, and baiting... its shooting fish in a barrel.
Im not optimistic about our long term prospects.

Unfortunately, I agree with you. WDFW saw the two East corners as unspoiled, so they rushed right in to get the job done (like they have in the rest of the State.)

Just posted A-29 . . . Great surprise call-in story!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-callin-stories.html

Just posted A-30 . . . Far more common accidental call-in than most elk hunters realize!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-callin-stories.html

Hopefully I'll be able to send you a story this winter.

Hope so! Seems to be a good year for the Lion!


Just posted A-31... Cougar responding to a nighttime Bobcat stand!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-callin-stories.html

Colorado season opened the 29th. Haven't been out yet. It's hard to fit it in with Christmas around the corner and guests on the way. Maybe tomorrow. There's fresh snow to check out.

Nice, Hope you can run the snow... go look for a tree!!!

Just posted "RS22"

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-callin-stories.html


Really great story, especially with all the tracking and backtracking this hunter did. Really gives you a good insight on behavior.

Just added NC5 and NC6 ... Same guy! He's dialed in on spot/stalk patterned Cats!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-callin-stories.html

Cool stories. We are getting fresh snow now.

Just finished reading the new stories that you added, Steve. Great stuff! Thanks for the updates.
Tomorrow is my last day of work before a 2 week vacation. Can't wait to get out and get some stands in. Gotta get my truck up and running though. Such bad timing...ugh! Hopefully I'll be able to share some stories soon.

I'm diving DEEP into my 4runner right now... would appreciate prayers!!! Hopefully just headgasket. (Love that old runner!)

Put snow tires on the powerstroke though, so I'm able to get out if I ever find time!

Just Posted RS23, and O34 (same guy!)

More to come!

http://www.rain-shadow.com/cougar-callin-stories.html