Mountain Lion Suggestions

[blue devil]

I'm going mountain lion hunting for the first time in the Black Hills of SD and not very knowledgable on cat hunting. We don't use dogs.

I have a buddy who is pretty knowledgable of the land in the area, around the Mt. Rushmore area/Keystone & Custer areas. Any experience/knowledge would be extremely helpful. I'm hoping for a better chance at a cat than just dumb luck. Is anything found to work a little better to attract/call them in? Season is from the end of Dec. to March. Does weather or time of year dictate movement? or just hunger and breeding? Thanks everyone!

 

[jryoung]

Laser pointer and cat nip!

 

[----]

Laser pointer and cat nip!

 

[MT_elk]

LOL - Love it Randy!

 

[warmer]

I have a friend that hunts cats everyday in the Hills. If you want, I can talk to him and put you in touch.

 

[blue devil]

anything would help, thanks warmer! Thanks for the advise Randy11, I will keep the instructional in my back pocket when I hunt cats, LOL

 

[Gerald Martin]

If you can locate tracks in freshly fallen snow and track them while calling periodically you might stand a good chance. Drive roads or snowmobile before daylight to find tracks if its legal. It's a lot easier to see tracks in fsreshly fallen snow in the dark. Cat's are mostly nocturnal and usually bed up for the day @ 9-10 a.m. If you can find a kill, stake it out. Cat's WILL come back to the kill and are usually within several hundred yards. In the winter they may eat on a deer for a week since it won't spoil. I've even seen where cat's checked out kill site again long after the deer was consumed.
Concentrate on areas where deer are wintering. The cats will be close to food.

 

[wyoutdoors]

I attended a lion seminar which was hosted by the SD GFP and when asked by a attendee on where to hunt lions in the Hills his response was, "Find a draw". Friends in the BH's see cats quite a bit and have even been seen in downtown Deadwood.

The Bear Lodge in NE Wyoming is also experiencing an influx of cats which are migrating across the State line due to over populating.

 

[Sandhiller]

I have been trying for several years to get a cat in the hills also. What I am finding out is calling works good and if you get on fresh tracks go after them hard. If you want you can pm me and I will help you the best I can, haven't killed yet hopefully this year will be the year.