MuleyMadness Hunting Forums

I would like to run into a tom that just wants to take a nap.....and not run the crap out of my dogs....at least where I hunt the race for a tom sometimes is a long one....

Nice cat. I know that we have to have predator to a point because they keep things in balance. But at the same time a dead Mt. Lion is a good Lion. Lets see a picture of the hounds that you run.

This is quite an interesting post. I actually have to agree with the hound hunter aspect for the most part. The part about toms being gravy is crap. Females are much easier to run and tree, and usually go half the distance. I have chased a tom for miles and miles literally all day and never treed him. That being said I am from Idaho, and I am pretty sure Utah has much more cats, so be happy. Also I get props to the outfitter, he is trying to make money and did what every outfitter would do. If it isn't against the regs then so be it. Have i ever shot a female no. But also I wish people would not shoot little bucks and let them grow big but every year people shoot small bucks. And I know everyone wants to bash on the DWR, but they are doing their job. I dont see you stepping up and getting their job, they are faced with many different aspects to making decisions and make the best decision that they can.

hightopoutfitter wrote:And "yes" where I hunt I will smoke a giant Tom long before some I can catch some of the educated female lions in my area.

then the question is why if you can SMOKE a giant tom, would you put the fire out of a mature female. I personally have done my share of guiding and have no issue with you treeing a female and having a client harvest her its your ball game. but to say that a big tom is basically a easy tree is BS.

Or do you think that females learn that the sooner they jump in the tree the faster the whole ordeal will be over. You can educate both ways.

hightopoutfitter wrote:

treedagain wrote:

hightopoutfitter wrote:And "yes" where I hunt I will smoke a giant Tom long before some I can catch some of the educated female lions in my area.

I personally have done my share of guiding and have no issue with you treeing a female and having a client harvest her its your ball game. but to say that a big tom is basically a easy tree is BS.

treedagain:
So when a hunter catches a tom and kills it, yet catches and releases a female you don't believe the female becomes educated in how to escape the hounds. Interesting. Cats learn and get harder to catch, especially when they get away once or twice. Obviously you know that since you have done your share of guiding. Most Toms are toast when they hit they tree. They don't get educated. They get lead poisoning.

hightop, the glaring truth is that most females in utah get lead poisoning the 1st go around.....

Killing female lions has put a MAJOR decline on cat populations in most of Utah....

I was very glad to see the new 10 year cougar managment plan greatly discouraging the
harvest of females. Now in any given unit if over 20% harvested are females, Tags/quotas
wil be reduced in those areas........

I totally agree- killerbee. Maybe if more of the tree-hugging yuppies get get picked off on thier urban jogging trails in Portland and Eugene, by the increasing population of cougars, maybe things will change. Obviously a hard winter didn't thin out the liberals. Anyway nice cat, no matter the sex.

NICE CAT DEAN. CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK IN THE FUTURE.