[goforbroke]

Can someone educate me on cougar hunting? One day I'd love to harvest a cougar, but not really interested to use hounds. I think hunting with hounds is awesome, I have just found I prefer to do my hunts DIY. I see they have changed the cougar qoutas and tags, but I haven't really looked into. Is spot and stalk a possibility? What unit is best? Do you eat cougar, or more just the pelt? I normally just put in for a point every year, but thought I might as well try and find some direction. Thanks in advance.

 

[MooseMeat]

Spot and stalk is always possible, just not probable. I buy a S&S tag just to have in my pocket. Not intending to hunt on it, but if the opportunity presents itself, I want to be able to capitalize on it. Spend enough time outside, you’ll maybe run into one eventually. But to kill one on purpose is going to take some work.

I wouldn’t eat one. And unless it’s killed November or later in the season, I’m probably not keeping the hide.

 

[Critter]

Cat meat is delirious, but as moose said your odds of running into one while hunting or trying to find one without dogs is very slim to non existence.

In my 50+ years of hunting I have only seen 5 cougars out in the wilds, but I have been fortunate enough to see a dozen or more while I have been working. My job took me into prime cat country quite often. I have found deer and elk that cats have killed along with seeing there tracks quite often but unless you get lucky your odds of seeing one is quite slim.

 

[2full]

Cougar backstrap is very good. Dip in a buttermilk dressing and flour. Pan fry. Salt and pepper to taste.

The guy that used to let me tag along and hunt with him always said....."best p#$$y you will ever eat."
But he was always a little crass.

I have 2 full mount cats in the house, they get the most comments and attention of my stuff.

I have only ever seen 3 cats in the wild when we weren't chasing them. Only 1 I could have gotten a shot at. (The son in law didn't reload the gun after I let him use it to shoot potguts.)

 

[ns450f]

I think your best bet for a succesful spot and stalk would be going out to an area with an active winter deer herd during or immediatley after a snow storm and attempting to find a fresh set of tracks.

If you could find fresh tracks, than start following them and spend a lot of time glassing in the direction the tracks are moving. Glass places a cat would post up like the tops of trees and rock ledges.

Maybe you could get lucky and spot one laying in the sun.

 

[MooseMeat]

"best p#$$y you will ever eat."

Sorry to hear he had such bad taste in women

 

[taxidermist]

I have a Cougar at the house. I call her Wife.

 

[Isuckathunting]

This thread has taken a hard 180° turn from where I thought it was headed.

 

[2full]

Sorry, I'll be nice from here on out

 

[PBH]

What are the season dates / rules on the S&S cougar tags?

I wish the DWR would change the S&S bear tags to allow harvest of a bear if the tag holder is hunting deer / elk in the unit for the tag -- make it like the cow elk tags. We see bears about every year while archery elk hunting -- it would be enticing to me to get a S&S bear tag if I was allowed to harvest it while archery elk hunting.

if they really want predators killed, then give the hunters with tags every opportunity available to kill them.

 

[MrShane]

Better yet, throw bears and cats in with the $50 Coyote bounty program.

 

[Critter]

Better yet, throw bears and cats in with the $50 Coyote bounty program.

Like that would ever happen

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk

 

[goforbroke]

Thanks for all the comments. Sounds like I'll keep putting in for a point, until I want a cat and then hiring a houndsman seems the best option. I have never seen a cat while hunting for other animals, so I figured it would be difficult.

 

[bthewilde]

I have heard it's exclusively a dog hunt, and dogs don't come cheap. I see outfitters in Nevada (where it is an OTC tag) charging about $2,000 - $5,000 depending on the service selected. I have always wanted to go! It's on my bucket list, but I can't get anyone to split it with me and the people (person...) I do know with Cat Dogs isn't exactly charitable because he knows what he has. Someday! Once my child support is over.