Cougar Hunting?

Question

I live in West Central Illinois and we sort of have a mountain lion problem. I wanted to kill one if possible. I know they dont come into any coyote calls, but will dead animlas work. I know they do it with dogs, but im not wanting to spend money to kill one. I do coyote hunt alot, so i kinda know the ways of predators. Does anyone know of anything that they are attracted to?

Answer 1

Mountain Lions will come to predator call.
But they will come in slow and use the wind in their favor.
They can be hunted over their own kill but seldom scavenge.
Just because a mountain lion was in you area one day does not mean he will be there today or even next week.
The female lions home territory is in an average of from 25 square miles up to 35 square miles where as the males home territory incorporates 4 to 5 female territories.
This does depend on the population of lions in your area, fewer lions means larger home territory.
But by any standard, that a lot of land to try and cover.
That why Dogs is the best way to hunt big cats.
Before you hunt this big cat you need to check out the law in your area.

First and foremost Mountain Lion are listed as a “Endangered Species” in most states.
In a few states where it was removed from the Endangered list it was placed on the “Protected Species” list where as only a few permits are available to hunters, this is done to insure a healthy population.
But to qualify for the Nuisance Wildlife Permit that is available, you must be able to show physical depredation that is out of the excepted normal and your state sets the guidelines as to what is normal and excitable and you wont like its level I assure you.

Most States require the Department of Wildlife to investigate using one of their own officers or delegates to secure or dismiss any alleged depredation.
I was called out 3 times last year on Mountain lion depredation in my area, none qualified as out of normal.
1- was the lion was seen on his ranch, but had killed nothing.
2- was a calf taken down and killed and a part was eaten, all signs pointed to feral dogs no cat tracks were in the sweep area 300 yards of the kill, but dog tracks were every where.
3- this was a female lion and her young. The ladys pet Rottweiler went in to a ravine about 200 yards from her house and started barking and harassing one of the young lions until the mother show up, she fed the Rottweiler to young family.
The lady heard the barking that evening then she heard her dog give out a blood curdling yelp then she describe as a vicious half scream half growl then silence.
I was call to the area with in 24 hours, I recover the body of her dog for she had requested it if I found it only after taking the photos and documenting the area of the kill.
I explained what had happened to the lady and that this would be classified as well with in the normal range of depredation and no action against the cat could be taken.
I did not have the heart to even bill the lady, for I am a subcontractor paid by the plaintiff not the state, my job is to investigate and resolve the problem if a problem does exists.
It takes a lot of physical evidence to get action, hear say gets nothing.

Legally you could shoot a Man if you felt your life or a loved one life was in danger.
No so on animals wild or domestic.
If you shoot any animal and claim self defense, the first thing you have to show proof.
If you don’t have physical evidence as in bite marks and Hospital/Doctor report.
Eye witness accounts only prove you and the animal were both present at that point and time.
Your eye witness could claim that the animal charged you, but they are in now way able to prove the intent of the animal was life threatening.
I have a friend who just got sent to prison for shooting a Pit bull dog that was charging him in his yard, he had 4 witnesses that saw and heard the Pit bull growling as it charged him.
He had no bite marks on his person nor any medical evidence to support self defense.
With no witnesses against him he was found guilty of “Felony Animal Cruelty” and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Good luck and hope I was of some help.

D58

Answer 2

I have heard that they use wounded rabbit calls to lure cougar, but they largely use dogs (hounds) to track and tree them. I don't particularly like the idea of hunting anything with dogs but when it was outlawed in Oregon the cougar population skyrocketed and people are attacked by cougar pretty often now. Dogs and domestic animals are also being killed and mauled in their fenced yards.
I guess it is a question of where do we draw the line between our safety and survival verses the cougar's. I can't decide. So I don't hunt any longer.

Answer 3

I caution you on your desire to kill a cougar. Unless you are going to get a "nuisance animal permit" to kill the cougar, you are breaking the law. And there was a recent arrest made of a Yahoo Answers contributor who bragged on line about killing 2 deer on the first day of season.

Specify that you are going to take steps in legally ridding your property of a nuisance animal and you would like advice in that prospective.

Miketyson26

Answer 4

A 12 gauge might want to artwork properly yet i might want to fairly merely go away them on my own until eventually they have grow to be pesky. human beings have effectively hunted those with the former .22 Magnum rimfire. in my opinion i does no longer use something this small and if I were searching a rogue cougar i might want to apply something extra alongside the lines of a .270 rifle. I own Remington 673 path rifles in .350 Rem. mag. and six.5 Rem. mag. and thanks to their shorter barrel layout those might want to be perfect. H

Answer 5

If it is legal to hunt mountain lions in your state,you should tie a live animal to a tree so it will squeal, and wait for a lion to come, you should use a large caliber gun.

Answer 6

Unless it is legal in your state, then I would suggest you call you local animal control or game warden. Baiting an animal that is illegal to hunt could get you in some serious trouble.

Answer 7

gargage, wouned animals, dead animals, umm we used to kill a sick sheep to use for bait out in oregon untill they passed a no baiting and no dogging law