Mountain lion hunting?

[Lennyjoe]

I just found out today that we can buy over the counter tags for mountain lion using rifles, pistols or bows if your insane enough.

My question is, what the heck do you do with the cat after you shoot him? Other than getting a full body mount I wouldnt know what to do with the hide or the meat. Can you even eat it?

Almost like eating the family cat so to speak

 

[birddog]

I'm waiting for H & H hunter to pop here and verify this, but I remember hearing of a couple of guys who saved and ate the cat-meat as well as getting the requisite full-body mount. I know that cat-eating is done in Africa, as well, though I don't know how common it is.

I'd try it.

 

[dakotasin]

many people eat mountain lions. supposedly it tastes a lot like domestic pork. i'll never know, though.

if you don't want the hide, sell it... plenty of places to sell fur.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I think the hide would be the only thing I would keep.

 

[Art Eatman]

The hid looks really neat, draped along the back of a couch, or as a wall hanging (if you have the wall space).

In my experience, the meat is some of the best you'll ever taste. Barbecue a ham. Serious yummy!

Art

 

[Kingcreek]

also save the skull and jaw.

 

[M.E.Eldridge]

I ate bobcat meat once. Wasn't that bad, a little chewy, but it tasted quite a bit like chicken.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

While in Tucson I had some buddies who would go hunt cats up in the mountains. I just never got into it.

I don't want to eat one and crawling up into those isolated areas hunting a critter that's that hard to find just never did it for me.

Maybe when/if I get more time on my hands. However, it would still be real low on my hunting scale.

 

[JohnKSa]

using rifles, pistols or bows if your insane enough.

You can legally hunt mountain lions in TX with airguns...

 

[bigbearhunter]

when I killed mine 3 years ago I had a list on guys wanting the meat. I personally won't eat it (just something about it) they say it is really good

 

[H&Hhunter]

Mountain lion meat tastes just like pork. It is a light meat and needs to be fully cooked as does any meat eater as they can carry trichanisos. Just like pork.

As far as the trophy A full head in rug mount is the most common choice and the skull makes a handsome trophy as well.

Just a small word of warning if you are buying an expensive out of state tag you may well want save your money. Unless you are hunting with hounds and an experienced houndsmen your chances of connecting on a cat or even seeing one are dismal at best.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Just talked to a buddy that was deer hunting near Wilcox and he had a cat come out about 100 yds from him. Guess the cat was stalking a doe that he spooked up when they went thru a fence gate. Only thing they had were bows.

 

[countertop]

FWIW - There is a great article (two actually, one of which is by Uncle Ted Nugent) on catamount hunting in the January issue of the NRA's American Hunter.

Worth picking up. Also have articles on coyote and bobcat hunting too!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Here in WA state it's the same. You can buy OTC tags for $5 with your big game license(s). Bear tags are the same. However, the do-good-nicks in this state voted to outlaw baiting and dog hunting so getting a cat is very difficult, needless to say. I don't even buy either as I have never even seen a cat or a bear in this state. Plus, I like venison and elk meat a lot more than bear so that's another reason not to. I don't think I would eat a cat either.

 

[Lennyjoe]

So Washington state outlawed baiting bears huh? Back in 93 when I was there we baited black bears down SW of Olympia.

Bummer on the rule change.

 

[JOKEN]

Remember that you might be the one being stalked. I have friends that have had cats following them. Now I doubt one would try to take a man,but it sure gives a fella something to think about. Ken in Oregon

 

[rero360]

here in upstate/western NY we have a bunch of mountain lions, although the DEC refuses to say boo on the matter, even though there are photos of them, one real good one of a cat stalking a deer in a guys back yard, photo was taken by one of those trail cameras. I've yet to see one, have seen tracks, but a womans beagle down the road was mauled by one and our neighbors have seen one at their pond, which is directly across the road from my house, max distance of 1000 feet.

as a side note theres a black panther roaming around the waterloo seneca lake area, my grandfather saw it, and my cousins who one is a town cop and the other is a sheriff deputy have both heard reports of sightings.

 

[dakotasin]

Now I doubt one would try to take a man...

i sure wouldn't take that bet.

 

[Polishrifleman]

Remember to read all the hunting regs for your state. Washington has rules in which you need to take the whole cat in to the nearest depot for measurement etc..

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Lenny, yes, the PETA-philes got an initiative on the ballot in 1996 or so (pre-NRA4LIFE transplantation) to outlaw all hound hunting and baiting for all cats and bear. Almost all trapping had the same fate in 2001 (or so). A couple days before that vote, the HSUS illegally placed television adds that (of course) showed animals caught in leg hold traps chewing at themselves, etc. But the damage was already done. Prior to that, WA had some of the strictest and most humane trapping laws of anywhere I have ever seen. I was bummed because there are otter in the creek that runs through my place and would have loved to try to catch one.

The cat population has since exploded to the point where the WDFW voted to allow a limited cat hunt in Northeastern WA this year with hounds only. It was very restricted though. You had to prove that you had hounds before you could even apply.

P Rifle Man, you don't have to take in the entire cat, just the pelt and skull. The state puts a seal on the pelt and takes a tooth I think.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Now I doubt one would try to take a man,but it sure gives a fella something to think about

We've had a couple of cat attacks on hikers up in Sabino Canyon in the last year.

 

[DigMe]

here in upstate/western NY we have a bunch of mountain lions, although the DEC refuses to say boo on the matter, even though there are photos of them, one real good one of a cat stalking a deer in a guys back yard, photo was taken by one of those trail cameras.

That sounds exactly like a photo I've seen many times on the interenet that's had several different stories attached to it.

brad cook

 

[DigMe]

Here in WA state it's the same. You can buy OTC tags for $5 with your big game license(s). Bear tags are the same. However, the do-good-nicks in this state voted to outlaw baiting and dog hunting so getting a cat is very difficult, needless to say.

Well, they wuv their wittle putty-tats...like this one which was taken an hour outside of Seattle:

brad cook