I know some of you guys have been successful calling in mountain lions. The question is, what techniques and call types will work consistently on the big kittys?

Yellowstone: One of my Hunting partners here in Montana had never shot a Bear and last spring I spotted a beautiful big Boar Bear near the end of a long narrow meadow. We tried to sneak up on him but the damned wind switched and he slipped into the woods as we hit the 300 yard mark!
We waited for 20 minutes but no Bear returned. I got out my Raspy Coaxer Varmint call and began wailing. The Bear came back out and stared in our direction for a long time and he sat down! But he was now 400 yards out and at the back of the meadow in the edge of the tree line. Every time he got up and began walking deeper into the trees I would call and he would stop and turn and stare and sit again. He eventually got a really good whiff of us or something caused him to bolt away.
He never came back into view while I called again for a long time.
Bears will come to Varmint calls any month they are not denned up so keep them in mind!
My friend Brad shot a beautiful big boar Black Bear that he called in to 25 yards with his Circe Varmint call last season. It made the Montana record book.
A couple of guys in my neck of the woods have called in Mt. Lion with their Varmint calls but they keep their methods and types of calls kind of under the hat (to themselves!).
I would guess that a fawn in distress call would bring in a Cougar?
My Raspy Coaxer calls have brought in some Bobcat but dang it never during the Bobcat Hunting season!
Good luck in your search for info on calling, and for, a Cougar but be aware that Bears will also respond to your calling!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Yellowstone the big thing about calling cats is patience (to be able to sit for an hour and of course the ability to stay warm enough).

Also the obvious need to have one within earshot.

The 2 ways I see to stack the odds in your favor are as such.

Hunt a known cat that is taking out game, be it calfs or deer.

The other way is to get out early in the day, find a fresh track and follow it. This is a pure gut feel deal only as to where to set up.

Now about calling bruins, that I can tell you a ton load about. I am a big time nut case for bruins. I look at between 45-60 different bruins a year. I do a fair bit of calling but not as much as I used to. I am too busy hunting a couple of different bruins to spend time in calling the smaller ones.

I pretty much only hunt for the ones that will go in the top 100 ever taken. I do enjoy watching the rest but have no interest other than entertainment with them.

I've called in over 60 bruins so far (all intentionally), it is a blast and something that all should experience.

52 days till the season opens, can't wait can't wait.

Mark D

Thanks guys,
I have called in bobcats with rabbit calls a couple of times. The sneaky buggers both sat behind me and just watched me withouh coming in. You know how you get that feeling that something is watching you? Well-------------- Of course, that's a lot different than 100 to 200 pound mountain lions.
I have indeed found that bears will come to a predator call and I've called in just a couple, but I don't practice it often enough to claim much knowledge about it. It is definitely fun.
The reason I asked about mountain lions is that I read and have been told that they respond to cat vocalizations MUCH BETTER than coming into a dying rabbit or fawn distress call. The reason for this apparently is defending their turf. I would assume that is kind of like bull elk defending turf and harems. Now, how the hell do you duplicate mountain lion screams and caterwalling? Maybe if I stepped on Muffy's tail in the garage with a tape recorder in my hand it would suffice.
Hunters call African lions and jaguars in the same method. Any ideas?

A couple years ago in NAHC mag was a story about a bobcat attacking the caller. Sure seems like it was Gordy Khran, but I wouldn't promise I have the name right on this case.
Regardless, it was a sudden, very quick attack and the guy was cut up pretty bad.

Big cats, or bears would very likely kill you, or make you wish they had.

My only advice is don't do it alone, and make sure you sit facing each other so you can watch each others back and be where you can shoot, and/or alert them something is coming.

George

I was out elk hunting in a area with no elk. Got bored and started using a fawn distress call from
one side of a snow covered meadow. I was hoping for a coyote and instead got a female cougar and two of her last year's cubs. Makes your blood go suddenly cold when you realize there are three cougars about fifty yards away and closing quickly. Didn't have a cougar tag so I put a couple rounds into a nearby rock which prompted the cats to change direction. I headed back for the truck and left the area. That is the only time I have had a cougar come to a call.

Actually some guys I know around here have had good luck with a turkey call....

They were not calling cougars, they were calling Turkeys....

But Cougars and Bears seem to show up, waiting for an easy meal it seems....

oh well, try it!

cheers
seafire

Hello;
We've had a couple of cases around here where Elk hunters, using cow calls, have found themselves stalked by Cougars. Seems to work for wolves too.
Grizz

If you want to attract a predator, sound like prey.

A lot of these are replies are not worth much.

The place to read and ask about calling lions is at:
http://www.predatormastersforums.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=19

A one time experience is a pure fluke. The big cats do not respond well to varmint calls. Also, if you find an area that looks good for coyote, etc. Then you are in the wrong spot. Also, unlike varmint calling, you do not call for 10 or 20 minutes then move. You call for a long time and then stay put and very still. A cat does not run into it's prey, but spends a long time stalking.

To my knowledge there was only 1 person around who guided for cougar and only used calls. He is nearly impossible to reach. He regularly was taking 6-8 cougars a year. He also says that to call cougar, you have to use a cougar sound. Very young cougar, by the way whistle. Almost sounds like a bird.

There are several guys who advertise that they call cats. Until you talk to them about booking a hunt. Then they immediately start talking about how much fun it is run the dogs. Which is a great way to hunt, but then don't claim you can call them in.

Check out Predator Masters. A lot of very experienced people over there. They can answer all you questions about equipment, location, etc.

I would agree with 375 AI as to the difficulty in understanding what does and does not work due to the fact that very few cougars are called in and, at least in my opinion, at least some of these are hard to distinguish from "flukes" or just plan luck.

Several years ago when I lived in the west, I tried to call mountain lions in Montana and Idaho with a variety of calls and calling techniques.

The major issue I believed I faced was simply the odds of any mountain lion hearing the call. I tried calling for prolonged periods of time (up to an hour or more at a single stand) and used a spectrum of calling styles. For example, I tried "standard" calling sequences for coyotes, "continuous" calling that I use for bear, and a combination of these and others. I tried cottontail and jackrabbit calls, as well as elk and deer calls. In areas where I had found reasonably fresh mountain lion tracks I "accidently" called in coyotes, deer, and elk, but never a lion.

I do have to say though, in spite of my lack of success, it was some of the most enjoyable hunting I have ever done, given that at any moment I might just have one of these incredible creatures appear.