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Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: acolobowhunter on November 26, 2008, 03:46:00 PM

Title: Colorado Cat
Post by: acolobowhunter on November 26, 2008, 03:46:00 PM
First try at posting a photo.  Hope it works.  A Tom I got here in Colorado with 65# Stumbo rec (http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq268/acolobowhunter/DSCI0882.jpg)urve, cedar shafts and Zwi (http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq268/acolobowhunter/DSCI0881.jpg)kee Eskimo head.

I hunted these cats for 3 yrs. before I got one I wanted to shoot.  Got onto several small cats, but let them go.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Shakes.602 on November 26, 2008, 03:58:00 PM
Very Nice Cougar/Mt. Lion!! Congrats!! They are Elegant Animals to begin with, You have a VERY NICE CAT!!!!
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: oneshot-onekill on November 26, 2008, 03:59:00 PM
That's a nice cat....congrats
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: peak98 on November 26, 2008, 04:04:00 PM
pretty kitty, Congrats.   :clapper:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: JoeM on November 26, 2008, 04:07:00 PM
Thats a beautiful Trophy!!!  What did he weigh?  Thanks for sharing. Joe
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: swp on November 26, 2008, 04:07:00 PM
Very nice, did you hunt with an outfitter or do you know someone with dogs?
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Benny Nganabbarru on November 26, 2008, 04:08:00 PM
:thumbsup:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Kingwouldbe on November 26, 2008, 04:09:00 PM
Colo, Nice pussy cat, that's one worth waiting for.

Lets hear more about the hunt/chase
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: acolobowhunter on November 26, 2008, 04:49:00 PM
As I said, I hunted lions for 3 years.  I always thought it would be easy using dogs.  Wrong.  The snow is deep and the mountains steep.  Found two pair of tracks about 3 am. but could not let the dogs on the track until sunrise.  We run them a couple hours and they split up.  We stayed on the Tom's track.  About 2:00pm we finally started getting closer.  Topped out on a high ridge and heard the dogs in the bottom of the canyon.  I told my pard that I hoped he stayed in the bottom and didn't climb the next mountain as it was really steep.  Well to the very top of the next peak he went.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Tater 2 on November 26, 2008, 04:55:00 PM
Congradulations Gene nice lookin' Cat
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: acolobowhunter on November 26, 2008, 05:12:00 PM
Thanks Pat.  You still around Loveland - maybe I am mixed up ???

We went down in the canyon then started climbing the next ridge.  The snow was about knee deep and so steep, I had to grab on to the trees and pull myself up then find another one.  Heard the dogs at the top barking " Treed"  It took me probably an hour to get to the top.  The cat was about 30 ft.+ up.  Tied up all the dogs and then found one dog dead.  Two others were really tore up.  If must have been a real fight before we got up there.
Looked for a long time to find a place to get an arrow through the limbs.  
I had been having bad dreams for a year or two thinking that I would really be imbarrased if I missed.  Heard about one guy that emptied his quiver.  Had to look for his arrows so he could shoot again.
Anyway finally found a small opening.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Big_Al on November 26, 2008, 05:54:00 PM
That's awesome!
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: tradtusker on November 26, 2008, 06:08:00 PM
awesome cat congrats! something id love to have a go at now im over here is Colorado

well done
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: acolobowhunter on November 26, 2008, 06:29:00 PM
I had to pick a spot on the animal that the arrow would pass through the vidals.  The guy with the dogs was yelling to shoot.  Think he was pretty upset about loosing a dog and having others tore up.  
Finally let it fly.  I heard a dull thud then a sharp crack.  The arrow passed thru and stuck in the tree.  The cat let out a scream then lost his balance and started falling.  Seemed like a long time for him to hit the ground.  He lay still and I started walking up to him.  I quickly grabbed another arrow.  I learned from my grizzley to have another arrow ready.  It was a good thing because he got up.  I put another arrow in the boiler room and he went down for good.

We tied a rope on him and slid him across the snow for a few miles to the nearest road.  We had to haul a couple dogs to the vet afterwards.  
The cat weighed 150 lbs with an empty stomach.  I had the skull measured and it missed the book by 1/8".  Didn't matter to me though.  He is a good cat.  Ate the meat and it was really good.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: bowhunterfrompast on November 26, 2008, 08:33:00 PM
Congrats  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Matty on November 26, 2008, 10:20:00 PM
Hey Gene!!  Good Job..
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Bear Heart on November 26, 2008, 10:43:00 PM
Nice cat.  I would have been pretty down about the dogs.  Treat mine like my kids. sorry for your friends loss.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Roughcountry on November 26, 2008, 11:03:00 PM
Congrats on a very nice Tom, don't get much better than a nice Tom after a good race.

Sorry to hear of the lost hound, I've had a few trips to the vet but so far have not lost one.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: DELTA on November 27, 2008, 12:53:00 AM
Congrats on your tom.I had herd that MT lions are very good to eat.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: DBerrard on November 27, 2008, 05:10:00 AM
Congrats on a nice animal...envious of that mustache too...mine is cheap lol  :D
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: CheapShot on November 27, 2008, 07:40:00 AM
I've always had the utmost respect for you guys that follow the hounds through the mountains. Gotta be one of the toughest hunts there is. Congratulations on a fine animal.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: hunt it on November 27, 2008, 08:03:00 AM
Congrats thats a purdy cat!
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Homebru on November 27, 2008, 08:33:00 AM
Nice work, Gene.  I've got cat on my list of "fun things to do".  I learned late this summer that my wife's cousin has trained his dogs to follow cat tracks on dry ground.  It seems that has brought him quite a bit of success.  Hope to see you in the woods one day.  
homebru aka nathan in parker co
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: bearbowfan on November 27, 2008, 08:39:00 AM
Very nice  :clapper:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: swp on November 27, 2008, 09:39:00 AM
I have never tasted any wild game that tastes better than Mt. Lion. Good stuff!
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Ragin Bull on November 27, 2008, 09:48:00 AM
Congrats Gene, really nice cat. Enjoyed the story just as if I were there with you  :thumbsup:   Now you've got me wanting to go  :banghead:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Son of Texas on November 27, 2008, 10:06:00 AM
Congrats!!!   :clapper:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Bjorn on November 27, 2008, 05:38:00 PM
Wow! Awesome. Good pics and story too.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: allan f on November 27, 2008, 07:35:00 PM
Good job!

Sucks about the dog, that is a really tough thing that I can only imagine.  Having said that, I bet if you asked the dog if he would rather go out fighting with a lion or old age he would have chose the lion.  Those dogs live for the chase, tough break but I guess its one of the risks.  JMO
Allan
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Aeronut on November 27, 2008, 10:37:00 PM
Sounds like a great adventure.  Thanks for the post and congratulations.

Dennis
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Walt Francis on November 27, 2008, 11:35:00 PM
Gene,
Congratulations on the nice kitty, you done well!
The kitty season starts on Monday here and your post managed to raise my anticipation a little higher.
Thanks for including us in your adventure.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: acolobowhunter on November 28, 2008, 11:31:00 AM
I have to admit that I was against people that hunted lions for a long time.  I mean, what sport is there to shooting a cat out of a tree.  That all changed after I started hunting them.  They can always bail out and run again.  In fact we lost several cat that did this.  Some we ran for many miles and either lost them, or they got into private property and we had to quit.  This was by far the most exhausting hunting I have ever done.  I was about to give up the morning I got this one.  I told my wife this was my last hunt.  So many times we ran 8, 10, 12 miles and got nothing.  I told her on this morning I was going to change everything I did, including different camo, different arrows, different boots, etc.  I am not superstitous, but it sure couldn't hurt.  Well I guess it worked.  
I had a fellow in the SE portion of the state do my mount.  It was the fasest turn around of all my mounts.  I have included a photo.  We put a dead grouse under his paw and feathers on his whiskers, live moss on the fake rock.  My wife designed the mount and he did the work.


 (http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq268/acolobowhunter/MVC-002S.jpg)
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Bill Turner on November 28, 2008, 11:52:00 AM
Beautiful. What a great achievement. Congratulations.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: talkingcabbage on November 28, 2008, 11:53:00 AM
That's a nice cat.  I didn't know you could eat those.  I've always wanted to take one of those.  Sounds like a great hunt.  Congrats!

Joe
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: huckbuck on November 28, 2008, 12:02:00 PM
Congratulations on a beautiful cat and a great hunt.  I can remember stories my dad told of hunting with coon hounds.  I can't imagine the excitement of LION hunting.  One of these days.

Tony
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: paleFace on November 28, 2008, 12:31:00 PM
I bet "Tweety Bird" is a happy camper. Congrats on a fine animal. That is a really cool mount as well.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: TNstickn on November 28, 2008, 12:55:00 PM
Awesome hunt! Sorry bout the dog. Sounds like the adventure of a lifetime!! Thanks for sharin.  :clapper:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: FerretWYO on November 29, 2008, 03:16:00 PM
Congrats on the cat Gene that is a good story as well.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Budog56 on November 29, 2008, 03:29:00 PM
Just plain AWESOME!! Cats are at the top of my list with moose and sheep. I used to kinda feel the same way but after looking into it more and hearing the stories on here it aint near as easy as it sounds...def wanna try it to see how it tastes as well!!
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Tater on November 29, 2008, 05:59:00 PM
Gene,
         Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I am still in Loveland I manage to make at least one of the RBA shoots every year. Might make it over in January if it's above freezing!
         Take care, Pat
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Larry Surtees on November 29, 2008, 06:28:00 PM
Nice!    :clapper:
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: acolobowhunter on December 01, 2008, 07:27:00 PM
Pat:  A Trad shoot in Cheyenne this coming Sat.  maybe I will catch up with you there.

Gene
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: tradtusker on December 01, 2008, 07:32:00 PM
great mount Gene
dont wanna go off topic here but where do i find out about trad shoots in Colorado? im new to CO

Thanks Andy
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: dnovo on December 01, 2008, 08:49:00 PM
Great story and nice cat. I took one in CO in Jan of '05. It was one of the best and hardest hunts I've ever been on. Took 2 trips out and 7 days hunting combined to get a shot. Some of the best eating there is.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: wollybear on December 01, 2008, 08:54:00 PM
Congrats on beautiful cat!!  :thumbsup:    :archer:  
Well done picking your target and the patience it took to do so.
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Bonebuster on December 01, 2008, 09:07:00 PM
To qoute Budog56 "Just plain AWESOME".
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: Diamondback59 on December 01, 2008, 11:36:00 PM
gene  man thats a nice cat haha i got one here on the ranch killin my calves   if d known you wanted one id a turned ya loose haha  i aint got a crack at him  yet  where s the shoot in cheynnen  ill see if i can make it  and been years sience i seen pat too   brock
Title: Re: Colorado Cat
Post by: La. bowhunter on December 02, 2008, 09:24:00 PM
Congrats on a nice cat.