I made it out a lot earlier today. What I found convinced me to use my upcoming three day weekend devoted entirely to getting this cat. I'll set up and do some calling then.
Right off the bat I picked up today's fresher tracks and followed them to the breaks of the timber.
And then they seemed to dead end by a tree. I quickly got out in the open where I could get a view of the entire tree but, nothing. Still needing to earn my junior tracker merit badge I went back and tried to figure it out. After 10 minutes I backtracked to a spot where the tracks were kind of a big jumble and found the exit tracks. Those tracks doubled back, crossed the road and when you find something like this the hair goes up on your neck a bit.
My boot tracks from yesterday...
I doubt I had been being stalked but, ya' never know. I definitely was watching my back a bit more today. I followed the tracks acorss the road and found the cat had walked almost verbatim the same route it had yesterday, crossed the fence in the same spot and went through a large deer bedding area. And that is where I set up the cam.
Armed with snowshoes today I was able to make some time through the drifts. As I followed todays tracks(last nights' probably) I was once again reminded that these things are CATS. They like to go in circles, keep in cover and have a good view above and below.
Now, I'm in reasonably good shape, a bit heavier than I should be but I can run 5-7 miles at a 9 minute pace without killing myself. It's two miles in, two miles out just to get to this spot and steep. Which brings me to the snowshoes....
After four hours of floundering around in deep snow, navigating blow down(yes, blow down can still mess you up in deep snow, trust me) going UP then DOWN and all over again I reacquainted myself with muscles I never knew I had. By 3PM I was pretty much exhausted and still had to make the 2 mile jaunt back to the truck.
Oh, the snowshoes are awesome, but they do have some limitations. Crossing fences is tricky but tipping over in 5 feet of powder is even more interesting. I did this today and I bet it took me well over 5 minutes to get upright.
By that time I was covered from head to toe in snow, even got a few mouthfuls of it. I invented a half dozen new cuss words and I bet my flailing would have earned grand prize on one of those funny home video shows. It was so bad I was laughing at myself in between expletives.
My sidearm had to be cleaned out, my rifle I managed to keep pretty clean, but situations like that are why I opted for synthetic/stainless.
I'm aware that serious snowshoers use poles, I may have to find a way to strap some on for wipeouts. I don't use poles because I'm packing the rifle and like to be able to get the pistol out quickly if need be.
I took one more pik of the tracks when I had to call it a day. I think the cat is snoozing somewhere very close to it's hunting spot. It's most likely hunting at night but it HAS to stop somewhere eventually. On Friday I will come into this area from an adjacent property to the West and explore some really thick stuff where I suspect the cat is holed up during the daylight hours.
What I DO know is there are a bunch of deer and elk staying in the vicinity these pictures were taken, and the cat is not going very far from there.
That's a .22-250 cartidge with a 55gr V max for reference. So, not a huge cat, maybe a small tom or good sized female?
Yesterday I could have sworn a 30.06 shell would have fit into the pad depression but I guess I got a little excited......
But, it's still a cat, and I want it on my wall!
Mad Mikey
Today's kitty hunt, getting closer
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