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first lion of 2018!

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first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 03 07, 2018 •  [Post 1]

if there is interest, I will post the whole story, called him in with lion vocals
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby wawhitey » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 2]

Awesome!! Looks like a big one! Contact whistles, or caterwauling?
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 3]

first lion of 2018... persitence pays off

started in my normal area, a good place to cut a track, and figure out an idea where to hunt.

I did find a track, and it was the tom track, but not smoking fresh, it had been rained in. I was there 4 days ago, so I knew it wasn't any older than that.

it was hard to tell what it was doing, track going both directions, washed out in some areas (did see a VERY fresh bear track) so it was hard to tell where it went, and obviously I was a few days behind it.... which is an issue.

I did one set over there, nothing happened, so I got back on the track, and finally figured out what it did. I got in my pickup and drove to the next likely area, and had another plan in mind if that didn't work out.

I walked in through a thick trail I cut, and a ways in I cut his track again, but fresh! it was going the wrong way, but I stuck to my plan, envisioning him looping back around into where I was going, it seemed as likely as anything.

I got set up, and started with blacktail distress. about 2 minutes in I catch movement through the reprod trees, heart rate goes up, and out trots a doe... then another... whew! that was exciting anyways.

at about 5 minutes I switch to lion whistles, pausing once in awhile to break up the rhythm of the call, I plan on staying a full 90 minutes with the fresh sign, started that set at 3:00 pm (ish)

right at 20 minutes I hear something to my left, and look just in time to see this lion come into full view. he stepped out really confident, not nervous, not anything, it was pretty crazy.

I had my gun on the shooting sticks already, and slowly swung the gun to him, he stopped and looked around, and right at me but didn't see me, then looked back towards the call. with a calm cat in front of me, unaware of my presence, I couldn't help just checking him out through the scope a few seconds, and enjoying the encounter, and just blown away by his big presence.

big head, huge legs, and giant tail, hard to not appreciate how cool of an animal it is.... then focused back on the task. he was quartered steep to me, about 60 yds, I put my crosshair right between his chin and shoulder and shot, he spun around, now broadside, tail up and seemed dazed, I quickly put my crosshair tight to the front shoulder and shot again, this knocked him down and he started rolling around.... after last year, I was taking no chance, and shot again, and missed that shot as he was flailing around, then he got up and started trotting off! I get back on him, and only see the back half, I didn't care and shot again, he fell again, then back up and out of sight into the dog hair reprod.... I was trying to avoid that...

I heard a little commotion a few seconds then silence, didn't see him come out anywhere, and heard nothing, but he was in some nasty stuff, so I got out of there for a bit.

my brother in law showed up and we went back in, 45 minutes after the shot. I went and found good blood, grabbed my glock 20, and started into that nasty reprod, didn't take long until I lift a branch and see him about 2 ft from my face.... glad he's dead!!! that was a bit unnerving, i'm not going to lie.

I poked him several times with my glock, still not satisfied he was dead for good, but finally decided he was, he only made it about 10 yds from the last shot.

cats are tough! my first 2 shots turned his lungs into nothing, I can't believe he left his tracks, didn't even find a piece big enough to look like a lung, and his heart was shot up. pretty crazy!

one down, one to go!
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 4]

he is a nice tom, he has been the dominant tom in this area the past 3 yrs. I did not expect to ever call him in, but it worked out!

lion hunting is so strange, in the sense when you finally see one, it doesn't seem real. I hunt them a bunch, and always expect to see one, but when it happens, it's like a dream, really catches me off guard.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby wawhitey » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Thats awesome that it all came together like that. Predator hunting is not for the easily discouraged.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Swede » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 6]

You have a beautiful big cat. Your story reminds me of a big cat I shot about 10 years ago. I put an arrow through him, knocked him down, but not for good. He got up and left for parts unknown. As you say, they are tough critters. Anyway congrats.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Lefty » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 7]

Roosiebull wrote:,,, it's like a dream, really catches me off guard.

First congratulations!!
So I need to cats sounds,.. I

I thin every lion that Iv seen in the woods seemed "like a dream"
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Trumkin the Dwarf » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 8]

That is way cool! Love hearing about guys calling them in. It's something I've long considered trying some day.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby wawhitey » 03 08, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Im heading back out to try again saturday. Just got a new call in the mail today, want to try it out.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 03 09, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Good luck Saturday!
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 03 09, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Trumkin the Dwarf wrote:That is way cool! Love hearing about guys calling them in. It's something I've long considered trying some day.

You should!

Great excuse to get out in the woods during the off season, and when it works out, there's nothing that compares, it's seriously crazy to see a lion coming into calls.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby olympushunt » 03 09, 2018 •  [Post 12]

That is just awesome! Congrats Mike. Very very cool. I need to get out more. I went a few times a couple of months ago but haven't since. There is a cat working an area only about 15 mins from where I live so I just need to keep after it. I know it can happen in the first hour or not after the 100th hour but ball park figure, complete WAG, what would you say you had in for hours of calling for that particular tom???
I have a fox pro with several cougar whistles and mating calls. Do you have a favorite?
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby ishy » 03 09, 2018 •  [Post 13]

That's awesome. I have tried calling a few times, but only one I tagged was while elk hunting. Very surreal having something that powerful 20 yards away.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 03 09, 2018 •  [Post 14]

olympushunt wrote:That is just awesome! Congrats Mike. Very very cool. I need to get out more. I went a few times a couple of months ago but haven't since. There is a cat working an area only about 15 mins from where I live so I just need to keep after it. I know it can happen in the first hour or not after the 100th hour but ball park figure, complete WAG, what would you say you had in for hours of calling for that particular tom???
I have a fox pro with several cougar whistles and mating calls. Do you have a favorite?

Thanks man!

I would say I have over 50, and maybe 100 sets invested in that lion (since the last one I called in and shot last April)

It's a big time commitment, but I honestly think you just need to get within ear shot, then your odds are very good. I am learning as I go, I bet I have another one called in before June.

There is a HUGE amount of knowledge and confidence in every lion encounter, and I expect it to get easier.

I am starting to feel like I'm better off doing more walking looking for fresh sign than doing cold sets, if you are on a very fresh track, odds are very good... cold calling not so much.

I always start with distress, 2 to 15 minutes (the longer distress would be on a cold set, hoping to call in a dog) then I switch to lion vocals. I strongly recommend getting the rainshadow sounds if you don't have them, they are the best.

I have had best luck with whistles, with other communicative calls mixed in. We of course tend to use what we are confident in, and I feel like any lion will come to whistles.

My sets are 60-90 minutes depending on sign and situation. This cat came in right at 20 minutes, the last 25 minutes.

The biggest thing is set realistic standards, and don't get discouraged.

When setting up, they want to come from above, so take that into consideration. My favorite set ups are draws, set the call on opposite side of a draw, hide the call, and force the cat to come all the way in to see it. Setting up on draws gives the cat the advantage of coming in from above, but you also have the advantage, and it keeps a draw between you and a potential approaching lion, which is a nice piece of mind.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby wawhitey » 03 09, 2018 •  [Post 15]

I feel really good about this weekend. My first set will be here, but calling from high knob left of pic. Hope i can add another lion to the meatpole, even if its a 100lb female. Being as how i use handcalls, a serious hunting partner would increase my chances by a huge margin, but ill be going solo. Nobody else seems to be very dedicated to hunting the apex predators that they like to complain about so much.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby wawhitey » 03 09, 2018 •  [Post 16]

Seriously im texting everybody i know locally, getting nothing but excuses. Guess im on my own again. Buncha pansies...
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 03 10, 2018 •  [Post 17]

Mouth calls certainly bring a new difficulty to the situation, good luck!
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby olympushunt » 03 10, 2018 •  [Post 18]

Mike, I am strongly considering buying the Rainshadow package. Seems like a very good value for a ton of different cat calls. That guy, like you, really have a ton of valuable info. Thanks for the tips. I am going to be bugging you more about sets in the future. Right now I need to figure out if my father in-laws foxpro takes MP3 files. I read where you were recommending to another guy to make sure if takes MP3 as the cheaper FP callers do not. Ya...I have a cheaper FP. LOL I have 3-4 cougar calls on it from the FP website that I bought as it only accepts the FP audio files. Bummer!
But if my father in-laws accepts MP3 I will get the rainshadow package and put it on his. :D
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby rainshadow1 » 11 11, 2019 •  [Post 19]

Ok, I'm new here to Wapititalk, just saw this, and I know I don't have that picture on my site.... do I have that story, Roosiebull?!?!

I want it if I don't, I know this is almost two years old, I'm going to have to go look.....
Predator Call Maker, Specializing in the Mountain Lion.
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby ghosthunter1 » 04 03, 2020 •  [Post 20]

Awesome Cat!!! Im curious when your setting up to call or when you called this cat in or cats in the past, does the wind ever matter? will they wind you and leave? or do you not worry about that?
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 10 13, 2020 •  [Post 21]

rainshadow1 wrote:Ok, I'm new here to Wapititalk, just saw this, and I know I don't have that picture on my site.... do I have that story, Roosiebull?!?!

I want it if I don't, I know this is almost two years old, I'm going to have to go look.....

Of course! I plan on getting more for you too... anything I have posted here is free for you to use. I’ll find my other call in on this site so you can find it too
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Re: first lion of 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 10 13, 2020 •  [Post 22]

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8667

Here is another call in story
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