Here in Washington, hounds & bait are prohibited in the hunt for cougar or bear. Anybody have any opinions on the subject of scents? How about any experience? Got to try something to even up the score. Slim

You need to check with the Div of Wildlife as a scent could be considered a bait.
You need to get their definition on that.

I don't know what scent would attract a cat other than a decaying large animal scent and I don't know anyone who makes one.

Greg

Slim,
The best way to get a cat is by calling. If you have a area that has alot of cat sign and holds a far amount of deer your on the right track.

The best time of year to do this I feel is late winter or early spring.

If you find a area (deer yard) you want to hunt, try to find a spot that has a couple of trees you can get in. Picking the spot is more important than the calling itself. Try to find a tree that gives you a good lookout and also good cover.

If you want to give yourself a better chance buy a electronic game caller with a deer fawn distress tape and a "feather-flex" fawn decoy.

Pick your tree, set your decoy out as far from your tree as the speaker cord to your call will go. You want the decoy out in the open so it will be seen. Hide the speaker with brush, then climb in your stand, wait about 20 minutes before you start calling. After everything around you is back to normal start calling. When calling cats keep up the call almost nonstop. Cats tend to get side tracked. You should give a cat 1 1/2 hours to come to a call. They will come in low and slow looking for that deer thats making all that noise. A cat will come in down wind so put some deer scent by the decoy.

There is a few videos out about calling. I think if you try it you will be hooked.

By the way, you should never call by youself unless you are calling from a tree. And when you call try not to move, wear full camo and cover your scent.

Good Luck and Good Hunting
Tony Kunch

Feather Flex Decoy? I have seen a fur rabbit type decoy out of Bass Pro Shops but I am not familiar with what you describe. I have a few calls that I have been trying but I haven't tried non-stop. Bet your lips get tired Trouble is finding the tracks without snow on the ground. Oh well I will keep at it. Got some new snowshoes a couple a weeks ago for getting around better. See how they work out too. Slim

Guys,
Don't worry about scents or decoys, they are largely gimmicks and do not really help. The real secret to calling is persistence, you need to do it a lot to achieve any real success.
For lions and bears you need to make a lot of stands of about 10-15 minutes each. It'll help a lot if you look at aerial photos online of the areas you hunt in. They give you a very good idea of what the cover is really like and you can pick out the ecotones and potential travel routes. Look for areas that have ridges with cover above and below, areas like that are where cats lay up. Rockpiles on hillsides too.
Heres a link to,
View USGS Maps and Aerial Photo Images Online

I would also suggest you read the studies and reports on lions from your state DFG and any University projects. You should be able to glean information about their habitat preferences. Radiotelemetry studies are a good source of information on their movements and the types of areas they prefer to lay up in during the day.
All that is important to finding areas they may be in and where to start calling. I spend a lot of time researching areas I plan to hunt in. Infrared aerial photos are neat because they show moisture and plant community types.

Decoys are used in every type of hunting there is from ducks, deer, dove, antelope, coyote and cats! The main reason to use a decoy when cat hunting is to give the cat something to focus on other that you moving you call to your mouth.

I have never seen or heard of a cat or bear coming in fast to a call like a coyote does.
If you want any success in calling cats or bear you must be willing to stay at one calling spot for 45mins to 1 hour min. If you don't have anything come in that time change your location.
Move as far away from your first spot that the sound of the call will travel. Wind,trees and the mountains will be the main factor here.

I could go on and on but like I said before they have some good videos out there. Wanye Carlton puts out one that is real good.

Good Luck
Tony Kunch

Just got an email back from the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. They said that there is no law saying that I can't use scents. Wonder if a "honey pot" will work for cougars? Slim

Slim,
I think you should have ok luck for bear with the use of some sort of scent, but I think I would give the call a try for cats.

The main reason is that the cats prefer a fresh meal or kill and bears will eat anything from a fawn to berry's to a hostess twinkie.

I've talked to a game biologist in eastern Wa about how many deer it takes to feed an adult cat and he said "1 every 5-10 days depending on the weather. They prefer that the meat does not spoil before they have time to finish it.

I hope you have good luck in whatever you try.
I was out last Sunday and seen two bears at about 3200feet. I didn't think they would be there yet.
It doesn't get good until mid Sept. I might go out Sat and set up a tree stand for deer season in the same spot. I sure would like to wait until Sept or Oct for the hides to be a little better.
Good Luck Tony

I do have a few calls. A couple of fawn bleats, and a doe in heat. I will be trying those this year. I won't get out this weekend but I will next weekend. Slim