With the Montana general hunting season now over,the woods are finally quiet again. I have had a few great weeks of coyote calling and cruising back roads looking for wolf sign. With a special draw winter season Mt. Lion tag in my pocket I have also tried walking in and calling on 2 decent sets of lion tracks (both unsuccesful). This morning I had some free time so I went out with one of my houndsman friends. Six years ago our sons joined the service together and we both like hunting wolves and lions so we have a good time no matter what we find.

We turned out on a cat track at about 8am and the dogs headed straight up the mountain in hot pursuit. Two hours later as we walked in to the tree where they were now bayed, my heart sank as I watched the lion bail out over the dogs and the race was on again! I had only had a brief glance but the cat looked big to me. He ran over a ridge and then straight down into a ravine full of blow down.

The lion treed again after about half a mile. This time we were able to slip in quietly and catch the dogs. The big tom was about 60 feet up an old yellow pine when I took my shot. I love bowhunting and have taken several cats with a longbow but today I was packing my little custom Ruger .308 "wolf rifle" shooting 150gr federal soft points. The shot took him low on the left shoulder angling up through the lungs and he was dead long before hitting the ground. The cat slid down the snow covered hill as we cut the dogs (and 2 pups we walked in with us) loose to give them the reward of getting in a bite or two on the lion. Those little redbone and walker hounds are as game as any predator on the planet and are always great fun to hunt with.

As we slid downhill to remove the dogs before they could do any real damage to the toms hide we began to realize just how big this cat really was. He was not as long as some I have seen but he had a massive chest and shoulders that actually seemed to make his head look small. This tom was built like a pitbull! I literally could not lift him up off the ground.

I validated my tag and we took a few photos. The problem now was that we were an honest 2 miles above the nearest road and our truck was about the same distance above us. Since I wanted both the meat and the hide, skinning him out for packing was not an option. I pulled out my well worn drag strap and down the mountain we went, with dogs in tow. Pulling that big lion over, under and through thick scrub and blown down logs was miserable and we traded postions a few times. After about two hours we finally made it to the county road and the first truck that passed, stopped to offer help. I don't know if it was out of kindness or just curiosity about the guys dragging a dead lion and yelling at a bunch of grouchy hound dogs. Either way we got a ride back up the mountain to our truck.

I took the big tom into my local taxidermy shop where I was able to put it on a certified digital shipping scale. When the numbers finally stopped at 156.2 pounds I was shocked. This cat was a full 50lbs heavier than my biggest wolf, simply amazing. The tom was aged at approximately 7 years and was obviously a deer killing machine. Possibly the perfect predator.

Those of you that follow my rambling posts know that I have had just about the perfect season and way more success than I deserve. Hopefully 2016 will bring more of the same. Good hunting to all of you, JCS







For perspective, I am 6'3" 210 and we are standing on a steep hill, I could not come close to lifting him off the ground to stretch him out to full size.

Nice cat! Lion hunting with hounds is one of my favorite hunts. Congratulations

quote:

Since I wanted both the meat and the hide, skinning him out for packing was not an option. I

Nice cat nice hunt. I love following the hounds

I have found meat also fit's in a pack. Or did you need to weigh him whole?

Dragged a few bears out of tight areas lots of work for sure

Wow dragged him out with the guts in him.

That leaves extra weigh to drag out.

Congrats on your cat, looks like he was full.

That is an awesome cat!

Great job and congrats!

Awesome Job!!!!! Took me 11 hunting days to get my cat.

Great job! I have yet to go lion hunting and that may never happen, as I ain't getting any younger.
Congratulations. Lot's of great meat there.

Great cat JC! My Christmas cat came early for me also (Nov 30th), but I to go to Colorado for him.

pago, none of us are getting any younger. I'll be 70 in February, and after 40 years of half heartedly trying to get a cat on my own, I decided to go for it with an outfitter, and booked a lion hunt with JT Robbins of Fruita, Colorado. Do it before you are too old and regret that you didn't do it earlier.

Congrats!
Awsome cat.

Great cat!

Looks like he had a whole deer in him! Big cat indeed. Congratulations!!

Wow Jay, you've had quite the year!!!

What a year you´ve had sir, that is an absolutely impressive cat, simply amazing, congratulations and thanks for sharing!

Way to go JC!

Thank you for sharing and big congratulations. I am sure the deer and elk in that tom's domain are more at ease and thankful.

Great cat! Thanks for sharing.

Merry Christmas,

Ski+3