So after 6 years of applying for my cougar tag in Utah I was finally successful in pulling the tag. There are over the counter quota tags available but the “limited entry” tags generally allow an earlier season and less hunting pressure depending on unit.
The tag was valid starting November 7th so I stayed glued to the 10 day forecast waiting for snow. Fortunately I had saved some vacation time and pre-negotiated my sudden disappearance with my wife in advance.
As luck would have it we caught a snow storm starting the week after Thanksgiving and I made the flight out. My brother in-laws both live and scout near the unit year around so we had a good idea where to start based on some trail cam pics from summer elk scouting.
The morning we started was -2 degrees and clear with fresh snow on the ground. Conditions were perfect. For those that haven’t cat hunted 95% of your time is spent driving around just looking for tracks, shooting the BS, and drinking coffee. Occasionally you get stuck in a snow drift and spend a few minutes winching out. As luck would have it the second target spot we cut a giant track and the other 5% of the lion hunt began. We dumped the dog box and waited about 20 minutes for the dogs to track him down. The time between dumping the dogs and hearing them tree a lion is important for a flat lander from sea level. I knew the longer they went the more hiking I had in store.
Fortunately the track was smoking hot and the dogs treed him about 600 yards up the side of the mountain. The unfortunate part was the side of the mountain was covered with deadfall trees, snow, and there wasn’t a clear unobstructed path forward. It was a snow covered uphill obstacle course but as we made our way forward and the barks became louder and louder I could feel the excitement building. We both slipped at least 3 or 4 times. Every tree branch I grabbed for support was covered in snow and dumped the snow on the back of my neck and down my shirt. I also noticed my riser and my bow sight beginning to get caked with snow.
As we made it to the top the excitement soon turned to disappointment. The dogs had calmed down and were making a figure 8 through the trees with an occasional bark. I sat down to catch my breath while my BIL hiked ahead to see if he could find more tracks. I sat there for about 4-5 minutes looking up trying to see if the cat had treed around us. We were in thick foliage covered in snow and it made it tough. As my BIL came back we were just about to call it off and happened to look up and there was the lion about 20 yards up and had been sitting there quietly the whole time. I think he treed so fast the dogs could smell him but didn’t see him go up the tree.
He started acting like he was going to jump so I rushed to get and arrow in him. The arrow hit him low in the front shoulder and exited his offside backstrap due to the angle. Arrow came out solid red, the cat jumped, and we thought he was done for. My only fear was that I had only hit one lung. To our dismay we heard the dogs barking about 200 yards down the hill. We slid and crab walked most of the distance as fast as we safely could to find ourselves eye to eye with the lion bayed up on the ground 7 yards in front of us. Second arrow was through both lungs and he was done for. We drug him the rest of the way off the mountain and we were absolutely spent. I could barely hold him up for pictures. For size reference I am 6’4 and 220lbs. The cat weighed in right at 180lbs and was 7’6” from tip to tail.
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