Steens couger (pic)

mcknerkneykak · 11-30-2003, 10:47 AM

Went chukar hunting last weekend-turned out to be quite a hunt. About 20 minutes after we left the rig my hunting partner and I split up and started down the hill. We figured with all the snow the birds would be near the bottom. The slope is about 3/4 mile from top to bottom--very broken terrain-steep. About halfway down my shorthair disappeared for about 20 minutes. I continued downhill till I ran into fresh bird sign then waited around for my dog. About the time I spotted him coming toward me I heard a couple shots above me and to the west probably 600 to 700 yds. I was surprised that John would find birds that high on the hill and then gave it no more thought. When the dog showed up we continued west around the hill to the next good sized draw. As I started into it my dog went on point. As I worked my way down to the bottom to cross and climb the other side to the birds I heard John holler at me.He is about 400 yds above me. He then told me to "come on up". I yelled back that I had a dog on point. He hollered again "come on up". Now anybody with a pointer knows that you don't ignore the dog when he has birds nailed down. I figured John had broken his leg or had some other dire emergency to deal with. So I left my dog and climbed up to within 150 yds of John and asked "What's the matter". He said "Do you want to see a dead couger". I figure ok- he found a dead cat and that isn't a big enough emergency to walk away from a dog holding birds--- so I told him I had to take care of my dog and then I would be back.By the time I got to the dog and killed a bird for him He had been on point for about 20 min. I headed back to John and when I spotted him he was heading up the hill packing this cat on his back. Well- bury me in an ant hill and smear my ears with jam. That was the first clue I had that he had actually killed it himself. After catching up to him he told me the story. When my dog disappeared he went over below John and went on point. (We run beeper collars on our dogs.) After he had been on point quite a while, John knew that I wouldn't be able to hear the beeper so he worked his way to my dog to shoot the chukars he would be holding. The beeper stopped and the dog came back by him on his way to find me. John went just a few steps further and saw drag marks in the snow-obviously a cat. As he went over the ridge following tracks it jumped up at close range and it made a few bounds and jumped up into a juniper tree. Earlier in November he had talked to another elk hunter who told him that if you ever approach a cat in a tree take the uphill side because its a farther jump to the downhill side. The cat is more likely to stay put. So he did it and the cat pretty much ignored his approach. He was watching John's wirehair which was hunting downhill and across the draw. When John got about "ten steps" from the couger all he had was a head shot so he moved a couple more steps to get the lung shot. As the cat scrambled out of the tree after his first shot John put a second shot in the same place. It ran about 40 yds--tumbled down the hill another 15 yds and didn't twitch. The second shot was unecessary.

This cat is a big female. We weighed it when we got home that nite at 99.4# field dressed. The odfw checker said it is very large for a female. She was fat-good teeth-very sharp claws. She had evidently just killed that deer she was dragging-her stomach was empty. The meat is light in color-tender-slightly sweet-yum. By the way-the one in the wranglers is John. Oh yeah--He figured that my gsp had been pointing that cat for quite a while and might have missed the drag marks had he not gone over to "poach birds off my dog". I think he should give the rug he is having made to ME!

Fish Hawg · 11-30-2003, 10:59 AM

nice cat :shocked:

, that made a for an unusual hunting trip :grin:

Get Bit · 11-30-2003, 02:11 PM

Nice Cat! Great Story. We need to kill as many of those things as we can! Way to Go!

Get Bit

sliverpicker · 11-30-2003, 02:14 PM

Excellent!

And the mule deer herd thanks you.

mcknerkneykak · 11-30-2003, 02:58 PM

There are no words to describe how cool this hunt was---and I didn't even pull the trigger.

Of course I taught John everything he knows. You guys probably already figured that out though.

Bill Monroe · 11-30-2003, 07:15 PM

Congratulations, indeed...what, by the way, did he use to shoot the cat? I don't think it's legal with a shotgun, but I could be wrong (again!). Do you carry sidearms?

tailchaser · 11-30-2003, 08:55 PM

As of a shotgun being illegal to shoot a cougar is false. I went through the regulations completely and the only regulations are that a person has to use a .22 caliber or less during an open elk season to justify you aren't illegally hunting elk at that time. I'm also sure that the ODFW guy that checked the animal would have raised the issue. I ask that people please do research on this sort of thing. This sort of thing is the very reason I don't post many success pictures on this site anymore. Too many people looking deeper into a situation that needs to be, rather than a pat on the back.

On another note, great story and kitty kill.

tc

[ 12-01-2003, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Rauly ]

2LEYS · 11-30-2003, 08:59 PM

Quote:

I went through the regulations completely and the only regulations are that a person has to use a .22 caliber or less during an open elk season to justify you aren't illegally hunting elk at that time.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">This is seriously in the regs?

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. If you are going to illegally take an elk, why would you care if you were using a legal rifle or not? Some of the regs just blow my mind.

Fish Hawg · 11-30-2003, 11:01 PM

I forgot to welcome you to Ifish I see that was your first post. welcome aboard

11-30-2003, 11:22 PM

tag-a-long · 12-01-2003, 06:16 AM

Nice cat. Welcome to Ifish. Looking forward to more stories like that...

tailchaser · 12-01-2003, 06:26 AM

For what I could get out of it, you could use any .22 caliber (.22 swift, .22-250, etc...) but it's illegal to use any .22 caliber for hunting elk, thus you can claim you're on varmit watch and still be legal during an open elk season. Why that is I have no idea.

tc

sturgn · 12-01-2003, 06:56 AM

Nice kitty! cant wait till we go after them!

Mello-Yello · 12-01-2003, 08:58 AM

What a cool and exciting hunt! One just never knows what opportunities lie around the corner when heading afield.

Per the regs issue...

If I'm not mistaken,

1. Cougar can be hunted with shotgun, provided you are a)using #1 buckshot or larger, or b)slugs.
2. With the new ruling on rights to carry firearms, I don't believe there is currently any law preventing one from carrying any caliber firearm during any elk season, deer season, any season, regardless of whether they possess a tag for the unit they are in.

M-Y

The Overfishin Condition · 12-01-2003, 10:08 AM

I hope Bill had his flame proof suit on. These days seems like the man doesn't get a chance to take it off. Seems to me like he first congratulated the guy, secondly, asked a question which is completely legitimate and I was curious about myself, thirdly posed more of a question about the legality of using a shotgun, AND stated that he wasn't sure, likely because he hadn't read the regs. Then finally asked about them carrying side arms, a topic that has been discussed in this forum in the past.
Edit: The Oregon regs do show stipulations on what firearms can be used when with regards to huntin cougar in open centerfire buck and bull units. M-Y this is the first time that I've ever seen you be wrong about regs. :grin:

[ 12-01-2003, 01:02 PM: Message edited by: Rauly ]

Bill Monroe · 12-01-2003, 01:15 PM

Haven't been able to talk with a cop yet, but a desert biologist told me shotgun is fine under the regs as long as it's using either buckshot or slugs...not chukar loads...thus the question. All cougars have to be checked into ODFW...

And yup, you can carry a firearm any time, you simply have to obey the firearm restrictions for whatever hunting you're doing.

I would be thrilled to shoot a cougar, but only legally. And again, perhaps a sidearm was used, which I believe is acceptable.

(The nice thing about being a Beaver is that the world is always flame orange...you get used to it.)

And yes, it was still a great first time story.

[ 12-01-2003, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: Bill Monroe ]

Mello-Yello · 12-01-2003, 02:14 PM

Mcknerkneykak,
Don't let yourself get frustrated with how your post gets side-stepped and off-subject. This is pretty standard here.

Most of us know a little bit about everything, but none of us know a lot about anything.

Ya gotta love it!

Bait O' Eggs · 12-01-2003, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Most of us know a little bit about everything, but none of us know a lot about anything.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">And some know a little about nothing, but still want to give their opinion.

Dont let the sidetracked comments get you down. Even if the cat wasnt killed with a legal weapon, it can be legal with a few key stokes on the keyboard

A dead cat is a good cat :grin:

Welcome to ifish, and a good hunting story is always welcome, and pics even make it better. You have just been put in charge of our first annual ifish cat hunt, experience and such dictate you and your buddy are hunt directors, us grasshoppers will listen and learn

:tongue:

Save a story or two for the off season, it gets to be a long winter, spring, summer .... waiting for the tags to be valid again.

skahorse · 12-01-2003, 02:56 PM

Just curious... But if he felt threatened, for his life or the dogs, couldn't he use any means necessary to kill the cat? Regardless of shot restrictions, or seasons for that matter...?

--Skahorse

Mello-Yello · 12-01-2003, 03:00 PM

Yep, you can always defend you and yours...just don't put your tag on it. :shocked:

ScottD · 12-01-2003, 03:12 PM

Thanks for killing that cat. I have been applying for a Steens deer permit for quite a few years and according to the statistics, I have a good chance of drawing one next year.

How was the chukar hunting?

The Overfishin Condition · 12-01-2003, 03:26 PM

M-Y

So you're right again. My original post credited you with being a worthy rep of the regs, that you generally have the correct definitions and regulations. However, after checking the online version of the oregon regs, I found contradicting information! And edited so as not to get flamed- lol. Thanks for that update. By and by, I hunt in Washington and feel like I have a pretty darn good handle on their regs, Oregon's stretch it a bit since I've never hunted there. TOC

PS Thanks for cleaning that up Rauly, my apologies for violating AUP, I'm just a trouble maker I guess.

Mello-Yello · 12-01-2003, 04:09 PM

Not a problem at all TOC. In fact, I think it's a very healthy environment when people 'know' that if they don't get their facts straight, they're apt to get called on it.

Trying to sift through the regs and make sense of them is not rocket science, but it isn't 8th grade science either. It seems that what the regs lack, this discussion board makes up for, and that's real-life scenarios. The what-if's...

I'm glad Mcknerkneykak (I can spell it, but am not sure I'm pronouncing it right) posted the story just like he did. I learned some stuff today because of it. Maybe others did too...

I want a kitty...BAD!

M-Y

Just think, in a few months, they'll be sending out a whole new set of regulations, and we get to start all over again!!! Woooohooooo!!!

mcknerkneykak · 12-01-2003, 06:08 PM

My,My. Quite a splash. Of course we carry buckshot when we chukar hunt. Who wouldn't with a couger tag in their pocket?

nitrobass · 12-01-2003, 06:11 PM

Yep, buckshot is like your american express card...

sliverpicker · 12-01-2003, 08:30 PM

Sounds good to me!

willametteriveroutlaw · 12-01-2003, 10:31 PM

Great story, I like the dead cat part too. To many of those buggers out there..

Mello-Yello · 12-01-2003, 11:23 PM

tsk, tsk...

reg changes

Snapset · 12-01-2003, 11:38 PM

Tell your buddy great job on the Kitty. I alweays have a tag in my pocket. That means 50 more mule deer in that cats range next fall.

pdxkevin · 12-02-2003, 05:56 AM

Great story. thanks for posting it and the photos!

StickFish · 12-02-2003, 06:33 AM

Great kitty. I hunt the Steens alot and the cats have taken a toll on the big ones. I hope you were in a part of the unit I hunt. PM me with where if you don't mind.

I'm not touching the weapon thing a dead cat is a dead cat, is a dead cat. All the ranchers I know down there would have invited you in for a beer and helped you bury the thing if you had too.

Bill Monroe · 12-02-2003, 07:46 AM

"My,My. Quite a splash. Of course we carry buckshot when we chukar hunt. Who wouldn't with a couger tag in their pocket?"

And therein lies the best use of the forum...
A hint to all hunters to carry a stray shell or two on all hunts because you just never know...We had a cat cross a ridge above us on a Hells Canyon hunt and I jumped one once hunting chukar in three-fingers gorge on the Owyhee...

And again, Mc..whatever...nice shot, hunt, story and thanks for coming into the fold...

wade · 12-02-2003, 08:24 AM

Not sure why some of you think a cougar out in the Steens is a threat or a bad thing, but I'm sure I'll get educated :shocked: Not here to make a judgement about killing a kitty, especially since it made for a great day which is really what hunting is all about, but I doubt I could do it especially if its treed. The fact is I can't envision myself shooting one under any circumstances unless its a safety threat. The rug would be nice though, looks like I'm conflicted?

Kevin