colorado state record mountain lion

There are many unknown facts about Mountain Lions and I have to admit there were several that I was unaware of prior to beginning my hunt for this majestic animal. From the tracks, this cat is a real monster. When this happened, the lion went back to the top, which gave Bill a chance to snap a couple of photographs. Because of all his guiding experience, hes got a lot of confidence in himself, and some of it rubs off on his hunters. I thought it would be easy because dogs were used for trailing and treeing the Lion. During that period, the males are stalking the countryside, visiting as many females as possible. On day 5 we finally located where a Lion had made a Deer kill and there were two sets of tracks. Luckily the temperatures werent excessively cold since the strong wind was blowing out of the south. Upon my arrival at home, I promptly went to the doctor and found that I not only had the flu, but I had bronchitis too. Since the lion characteristically eats only what it itself has killed, the animal cannot be baited like the black bear. The chance of taking a larger one would be remote, I thought to myself. As we pulled up to the hotel I opened the truck door and the wind almost took it off the hinges. As luck would have it one of the snowmobile skis broke and made steering next to impossible.

That had turned out to be one of the most exciting adventures of my life, climaxing with the shooting of a cougar that made the Boone and Crockett record book as well as the archery records of the Pope and Young Club. The only saving grace was that three weeks later and just before Christmas, I arrived in Grand Junction, Colorado for my 5th Mountain Lion hunt.

Following that experience, I did not plan to ever hunt another cougar, mainly because I already had an excellent trophy. Day five was a repeat of the day before, but at least we had some action. The Lion jumped straight up then came running down the tree and twenty yards past us before coming to a stop. A 30-minute 4-wheel-drive ride over a creek bottom brought us to the head of a wide, rocky canyon with very steep walls and slightly rolling country in between. On day two we decided to hunt the same area. He had been bitten and slashed across the face. To make matters worse, we broke a track while driving back to the truck and trailer. After meeting in the hotel lobby we chose to give this mountain one more chance to produce a Lion. While sitting at lunch with my assistant guide, Adam laughed and said, now thats what I call a World Record Mountain Lion.. Hindsight is always 20/20. At close range, he looked three times bigger than he had in the tree. Within a second, the dog was knocked to the ground, having had a sample of lion teeth and claws. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. After unloading both track vehicles we took off in separate directions. It was still dark, and we hadnt even unloaded before finding a fresh track in the snow. Even so, we could see the skull was over 15 inches. We chased this cat for 11 miles until the dogs lost the scent trail in a burn area. About a mile before we turned into the long ranch drive, five deer ran across the road ahead of us. Adam would not be joining us the next morning, which meant Cody and I would be doubling up on the small four-wheeler. Wallace went right down there to ask if we could hunt him instead.. I was pumped. This was when we realized there were several Lion tracks crossing the road within 100 yards of us. This definitely wasnt how I had things planned for this hunt. I have certainly done my part in helping to ensure this wonderful species will continue to survive for future generations to enjoy. Temporarily closed

These animals kill one deer per week on the average. It was every man for himself as the big cat landed on the ground in front of us, very much alive. The other dogs were now trying to get loose and join Ranger. I wasnt after a female but at least we found a track and knew Lions were in the area. Welcome to a new six-part series on my quest for a world record Mountain Lion. This day began at 4 am since we had a long drive ahead of us and needed to be in the mountains by daylight. July 19-22, Position Statement on Big Game Records and Hunting, North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The footing was extremely unstable, and once three of us were down at the same time. I asked, what?

Just as I flopped into the snow to rest, Bill yelled, Hes treed! My answer was always the same to each of them ---. I was trying to run faster as I heard the hounds go wild up ahead. As the hounds tried to reach him, he spat and waved a claw-extended paw in defiance. SCORE:16 4/16LOCATION:Tatlayoko Lake, British ColumbiaHUNTER:Douglas E. SchukOWNER:Charles M. TraversDATE:1979. Now keep in mind that Bowdy and I werent the only ones looking for tracks. The next morning we met in the hotel lobby, loaded my hunting gear in the truck and drove to the mountains where my sixth Mountain Lion hunt would begin. His head was very large, with flashing teeth and a scarred face. By now the story of my hard luck with Cougar hunting was starting to precede me. Its teeth were broken and worn; its ears were full of holes from fighting, and there were several big scars on his face. The hounds were so excited that we had to exert all the strength we could muster just to hold them back. Two hours later, after following the hounds through the steep snowy mountains, we knew the Lion was caught. In my wildest dreams, I never thought harvesting a Mountain Lion could or would be such a challenge. Douglas E. Schuk shot theWorld's Record cougar in British Columbia, Canada, in 1979. Jim had gone ahead and now yelled back to us, The lion is heading for the other side of the canyon.. The first three days we hunted the same area each day but didnt turn up any tracks. At the time, the minimum score recognized as a trophy cougar by the Pope and Young archery records was 12 inches. That is one of the biggest lion tracks Ive ever seen in all my years of guiding, Bill exclaimed. They, too, found it to score better than the record Utah catand confirmed it as the new worlds record cougar. Today we planned to meet a friend of Codys who would join us for the hunt at a different hunting area called The Bighorns. Upon arrival, we unload the dogs and ATVs right at daylight. Before me, high in a twisted juniper tree, was one of the largest mountain lions any hunter will ever see. We only knew that he was somewhere in the huge canyon complex. The first stop was to get my license and tag at the local Wal-Mart then find a fast food joint so I could choke down some food after checking into my room. As we shook hands, he said, I was out to check on the sheep kill. Bob whispered to me, They dont get any larger than this one.. He was beginning to tire. Everyone was running as the barking became higher pitched. As our drive progressed we encountered a little more snow so things were looking up. Ranger was having trouble untangling the maze of tracks around the sheep, so Bill took the dogs collar and led him in a wide circle away from the kill. My outfitter Cody and I were in a side by side with tracks and the assistant guide Adam was riding a snowmobile. Since the dogs were chained off, I was the nearest to the cat. We had no plans of taking off through the mountains and catclaw cactus on foot after this Lion but several hours later thats exactly where we ended up. The previous spring, Ken Barnes, president of the Howatt Archery Company of Yakima, Washington, had given me a prototype of a new hunting bow, which had a draw weight of 57 pounds and a length of 60 inches. ", Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. After many discussions, we still didnt have a diagnosis. He disappeared over a small ridge ahead, tail wagging with excitement. Since the cougar had been forced to bay three times, the dogs were tired but still very excited. As usual, the wind was much worse in the mountains than in town. Now I had to do my part by making a perfect shot placement. However, it had first clipped a small twig and then ricocheted, striking the cat too far back to be a good shot.

Soon I would have my Lion and be taking pictures to remember this day and to share with my friends. As soon as the chain was released, the dog bolted forward with his nose working furiously. Get out of there, fast.. He was howling like crazy. After determining it was a Tom and large enough to harvest, I moved around the tree for a good angle. The USDA has instituted a ban on imported raw waterfowl from a number of avian influenza hotspots in Canada, If you want to put a true giant on your wall, you need to understand how big whitetails behave and then tweak your tactics accordingly. edgar different pdf types jenda overtoun enochs algebra I think he can pick up the scent now.. Grabbing my pack and bow I took off up the mountain almost at a trot. Just after the first of the year in the high country, the temperatures are dry and cool with snow likely. My heart was pumping madly as I managed to draw the second arrow, fireand miss. Where Hunting Happens, Conservation Happens. The dogs got turned around and off they went howling and barking. The animal was taken on a wintryFebruary day, in British Columbia, Canada,back in 1979. Our thinking led us to believe they must be a male and female so we turned the dogs out and hoped for the best. Finally the long anticipated day of the lion hunt arrived, and with it came one of the worst snowstorms of the winter. I started out by car, but was forced by road conditions to turn back, borrow a friends 4-wheel-drive vehicle, repack my hunting gear, and start all over. Branch was pointing when the rest of us caught up to him. Money from hunting licenses and tags helps to build new habitat, water holes, and food sources to keep this cycle going in a healthy direction. This is not a hunt to be taken lightly. Now to get my clothes laid out for the morning, take a shower and get some sleep. The drive back to Denver and flight home without a Lion were almost unbearable. His reply was a surprise of the most pleasant type. The next morning we got up an hour earlier and went to a new area to hunt. Normally the cat will lay up and visit its kill for several days before leaving altogether. On the first day of my hunt, we didnt find any tracks so I thought day two would be the day I would get my Lion. He took about three quick bounds and slumped into the snow. By leaping desperately, he landed in the lower limbs of the tree. Though cougars are generally tremulous in such circumstances, cats mayweigh more than200pounds and cankill houndswith arake fromtheir powerful paws. To me the pad mark looked so large it appeared to have melted out and increased in size. Finally, on day nine we found an old female track in the dirt. Then he swapped ends, looking directly at me, hissing, and swatting the air. The cougar looked as hefty as a full-grown man. Bob Ward, assistant guide to Bill Wallace, met me inside a local cafe where we had a cup of coffee to warm up while we talked over plans for the hunt. As we headed out for the first day of hunting my guide Bowdy told me, dont worry, we will get you a Lion. After loading up, we started up a steep hill and into the mountains to find a Lion. Finally, I found several tracks in a dry creek bed. As I tried to get another arrow nocked, I was all thumbs. We all agreed with him. george play nicolaou anna kindle According to professional hunting guides, late January or February is an excellent time to try for a large male lion. Now the challenge would be to get Cody and I, our backpacks and my bow on the small 4-wheeler while loading a few hounds in the small kennel on the other four wheeler. Sixty days later, after the skull had been boiled and dried, I had it officially measured by a Boone and Crockett measurer and was amazed when the final score totaled 15 7/16 inches. I gripped the string of my bow tightly. A few weeks later I arrived back in Arizona with my friend and business partner Joshua Treadway chasing cats again. Unfortunately, the snow came down extremely hard causing blizzard conditions so we called it a day and headed back to Buds house. How hard can this be? Finally, finding the lions exit, the dog charged back into the canyon, bellowing and growling as he went. My cougar research made memories of my first lion adventure even more vivid, and I decided to arrange for one additional, and final, hunt with Bill Wallace. Schuks worlds record cougar was nearly matched in 1988 by a cattaken in Idahos Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness by Gene R. Alford of Kamiah, Idaho. In a second I was up and running downhill, dodging bushes and rocks. Another 10-minute walk and there was my Mountain Lion in a tall pine tree overhanging a deep gorge. By late morning no other Lion tracks had been seen so we returned to the track we found earlier and tried to run it. By the time this hunt came, I had 20 days of Lion hunting on the books and still needed to punch my tag. We decided to get some sleep, wake up at 10 pm, eat dinner, then head back to the mountains and drive all night looking for Lion tracks. As luck would have it, the temperatures were warm and there wasnt any snow so I put my trip off for another year. He was sporting his favorite dark brown Stetson hat and green insulated coat. The cougar suddenly moved to a lower limb. Roosevelt's ElkTuleElk, Mule Deer - TypicalMule Deer - Non-typicalColumbiaBlacktailDeer - TypicalColumbiaBlacktailDeer - Non-typicalSitkaBlacktailDeer - TypicalSitkaBlacktailDeer - Non-typical, Whitetail Deer - TypicalWhitetail Deer - Non-TypicalCoues' Whitetail Deer - TypicalCoues' Whitetail Deer - Non-typical, Canada MooseAlaska-Yukon MooseShiras' Moose, Mountain CaribouWoodland CaribouBarren Ground CaribouCentral Canada Barren Ground CaribouQuebec-Labrador Caribou, PronghornBisonRocky Mountain GoatMusk Ox - Tie, New! Unfortunately, his two kids and wife were sick with the flu. The temperature in Arizona that night got down to -1 degrees Fahrenheit which is something I thought I would never experience. Our vehicles were rapidly being retired from service. The night went on hour by hour as we plowed our way through the fresh powdered snow. That skull scored15-12/16 points. You will see behind the scenes my preparation, hard work, setbacks, disappointments, and my ultimate conclusion. Since the kill was fresh, we all felt that our chances had just improved considerably. Now it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out how many miles I put in traveling the roads in search of a Mountain Lion. Wallace moved out ahead as the chase warmed up, announcing, Im going to turn o Ranger loose. If not they will soon fall prey to their own demise. Like all other species on earth, Mountain Lions must be closely monitored, regulated and their numbers managed. We better move in slow and chain the dogs off firstif we can.. I surmised that the lion had been lying on a ledge nearby, resting after gorging himself on the latest kill. Two days later I was sick as a dog but nothing would stop me from chasing my Lion! With no sign, we returned to the side by side, turned it around and headed down the road. Branch asked if he could come along with us. The hounds had trouble from the very beginning as it didnt take long to realize we should have started this Cat in the early morning. In the meantime, I found myself in Arizona hunting Desert Mule Deer.

Just my luck! I didnt need to be told. These animals are the most elusive and stealthy of any creature in the mountains. After trying for a few hours the dogs were called off the trail and we called it a day.

Hes in that juniper near the edge of the cliff., Hes climbing right to the top, Bob exclaimed. My lungs were burning. The first day produced no Lion tracks and no shortage of wind. A wounded lion could kill the whole pack, setting Bill back as much as $500 per hound. Without further delay, we loaded up Wallaces truck with all my gear and headed north for an hours ride to the ranch where the lion had been reported. As a potential record, the Schuk/Travers skullhad to come before the Final Awards Judges Panel. Without it, they would literally starve to death.

This hunt started off like all the others. We wasted no time in unloading and heading for the closest canyon rim. It was also crusty and hard packed from rain and refreezing, which meant a Lion could walk on top without leaving a track. Just as predicted it began to snow early in the morning. After taking a nice Whitetail I headed west with my friend Ken and spent the night at his house near Denver, Colorado.

Charles Travers later acquired the skulland when it was officially measured, the new ownercouldn't believe the score16-4/16. Another lion-kill was lying in a shallow depression partly covered with brush and dirt.

For example, 10 Lions can kill a minimum of 520 deer per year and they dont discriminate. A winter bowhunting adventure for a Pope and Young mountain lion comes down to the wire, By Evidently, this Tom had a big jump on us. Within another three quarters of a mile, we found our first lion-killed sheep, but the tracks were not fresh. An hour later after coming to a forest service locked gate my guide Cody and I walked down the road to stretch our legs and check for Lions. Bud informed me there had been a large Tom in the area for a few weeks now so our chances should be very good. Here's how, In this adventure from the archives, three hunters enter elk country after a blizzardand risk their lives in the process. The dogs were in such bad shape they had to be lifted into the kennel after returning to the truck. Similar to the Lynx, Mountain Lions can walk on top of the snow with their large paws when most other animal species breakthrough making it very difficult to travel, much less hunt their next meal. After checking in and eating I emptied my backpack which I always use as my carry on bag and repacked it with my hunting gear. Without warning, Ranger broke loose from Bob. "Lion of a Lifetime" was published in August 1971. I was determined to get my Tom so my hunts were booked for Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. My Outfitter invited me to stay with him and his family while hunting. About the same time both the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young Clubs declared that only lions coming from states that no longer paid the bounty fee were eligible to be entered in their biannual competitions and permanent records. My first lion scored 14 12/16 inches. After arriving at the airport my bags, bow case and guide all made it safely. 406.542.1888 It didnt take long before they came running back towards us. His job is not an easy one, but he certainly enjoys it. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Quickly I drew the bow, and I aimed the arrow. Each year hunters and other organizations raise and donate money for the preservation and continued growth in numbers of all animal species. My outfitter proceeded to tell me about a friend of his named Bud that outfitted for Lions. As we topped a rocky cedar-covered bench, we saw the hound going around in circles with his head in the air. We had only traveled a quarter mile before striking a fresh track in the snow. Then days six, seven and eight went by. For an accurate total score, one must measure the top part of the skull only, adding the width and length together. After stopping to assess the situation we found the oil dipstick was half out of the tube allowing oil to splash on the engine. Many cedars dotted the area.

We downed the coffee and headed out with haste. Well, much to our surprise the Lion in the tree was a female. The aluminum arrow was ready. Mule deer are the favorite food, though rabbits are eaten as well. Hes coming down. This would be the beginning of my third Mountain Lion hunt. Hunters often recognize when a cat has been brought to bay as the excited tone of their dogs is answered by ashrill hissfromthe cornered prey. At the 1969 Pope and Young Club awards banquet in Denver, I was awarded a plaque for my new world record. The third times a charm, or is it? After three days and nights, the pounding wind finally subsided to a calm 10 mph. Since we had to pick up some gear in Moab, Utah, we headed south through Moab and Monticello, and east into Colorado. It is the custom of the cougar to scratch branches, leaves, and earth over the kill between visits. The dogs were now moving in on him.

This particular target has a 3-inch bulls-eye and is shot from 20 yards.