After a frustrating few weeks with very little snow we finally got a tiny bit on Tuesday night. I gave big Dave Oligee(my cat huntin mentor and owner of Simmons Sharks) a call and we made plans to ditch work and try to find some tracks in the mornin.
We were out several hours before light drivin the mountain roads in search of tracks. By daylight we had covered two different drainages and had seen only bobcat and coyote tracks. There was under an inch of fresh snow but on the untraveled roads tracks showed up easily.
At just after light a track was found headin into some private ground we had permission on! My heatbeat picked up a bit realizing I would at least have a chance to chase a cat today.
As the dogs were turned loose on the track I followed the tracks and Dave and Randy(the dog handler) headed around the drainage to listen to the dogs progress. About a half mile in the dogs got a bit turned around and Big Dave picked up the tracks and continued on. I caught up and we followed the tracks into some cliffs waitin for the dogs to catch up. As I entered a near vertical cliff the cat circled right and i followed. The cat made a hundred yard circle and pretty soon I was back at my own tracks with smokin fresh kitty tracks doubling back right on my tracks! About this time the dogs showed up and we got em turned on the right set of tracks. It was only minutes later we heard Red and Sally barkin treed!
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hillbilly-kim/P1020096.jpg)
I pretty much ran to the tree to see a pretty tom starin back with those cold eyes.
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hillbilly-kim/P1020115-1.jpg)
After 5 weeks of waitin my chance was here. We took a bunch of pics and found a shootin hole. The shootin wasnt easy aS the cat was 30 feet up the tree and quartering away.
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hillbilly-kim/P1020103.jpg)
The last thing I remember hearing was Dave saying hit him up front- a cats vitals are far forward. With this cue I proceeded to draw back my Centaur longbow and drive a Big Simmons Tree Shark into the cats hip! Crap! At the hit the cat started descendin the tree and I kept shootin as fast as only an instinctive archer can go. My next shot went through his belly and up into orbit and he kept comin down. As he rounded the tree jumpin from limb to limb he must have finally got into my range cause I hammered him right in the neck with a frontal shot as he paused momentarily. He bailed off the tree and was dead in seconds as the Treeshark left a gaping wound through his jugular.
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hillbilly-kim/P1020135.jpg)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hillbilly-kim/P1020139.jpg)
Amazing hunt to have with an amazing friend. By coincidence we ended up only a quarter mile above Daves shop when we killed the cat. We were also right above the field where my horse had been attacked by a cat this summer. Redemption
wow!
Awesome. Did a lot of cat hunting when I lived in Wilsall Montana and worked for Big Sky Guide and Outfitting.Sure miss that country. Congrats on the kitty.
That is so cool! I cant wait to do a mountain lion hunt.
How did you get it out, drag it or skin it right there and put it in packs?
Awesome cat sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I bet it got a little hairy after that first shot. I would have been a nervous wreck and probably wouldnt have hit him at all. Congrats and a beautiful trophy.
Sweet!
Actually had Dave throw him across my back and I carried him out whole since we were only in a quarter mile or so.
I think I actually shoot better when I turn off my brain and just fling. I dont even remember nockin or shootin that 3rd arrow.
High on my wish list , Congrats.............
,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,,,
Awesome story and cat! Congrats!
Very cool. Congrats
Thanks for sharing the story! Great job holding it together on a cat coming down a tree. Maxx
Very well done I have had trouble just getting out with my dogs this year. Congrats.
Great story and photo's.
Wow that was exciting I bet.Nice cat.
Very nice...way to keep cool and keep shooting!
Congratulations on a nice lion.
That a mighty fine trophy! :archer:
Great job following through to finish the deal!
Hip, gut, jugular? Thats about as bad as it gets.
Cool animal, congrats. Bad hits happen in the heat of the hunt.
Congrats! :thumbsup:
Nice cat! That is quite a trophy - I've never seen one in the wild, but they are certainly one of the most beautiful animals out there. I'd love to do that someday!
Dude, that is awesome. Congrats and thanks for sharing. Would love to hunt one, one day. Are you going to have it mounted?
A few weeks of nothing to a few seconds of everything! Ain't this hunting thing grand?
Way to hang in there and maybe the cat that was into your horse, redemption indeed.
Congrats,this remind me of my Lion hunt some years ago in Montana as well.
Congrats on a taking a nice lion and for sharing the story. A Lion hunt is on my bucket list.
Tony
Awesome!
Congrats!
For now I will just get the hide tanned and get the skull beetle cleaned until I can save money for a rug.
A mountain lion hunt had always been on my list too. It just moved a lot higher up the list when my horse got attacked and my wife had one keep her in her treestand in September. Seems like a ton of people I know have seen them this year. Dave bounced a pinecone off ones head from his stand this year.
Wow, that was exciting! Thanks for posting, would love to do that some day.
Nice Cat..!
Way to stay cool under pressuer and follow up.
That's a really tough follow up shot with a cat moving in a tree.
How stinking cool is this?... Way!!! I'm saying...
Congratulations!!
God bless,Mudd
NICE!!
QuoteOriginally posted by TURKEYFOOTGIRL:
It just moved a lot higher up the list when my horse got attacked and my wife had one keep her in her treestand in September. Seems like a ton of people I know have seen them this year. Dave bounced a pinecone off ones head from his stand this year.
I know a lady that got cornered by a big cat last fall up by Libby. Lots of wolves up there and when they hear cat dogs baying they've been known to get there before the dog handlers and kill and maim the dogs.
Thats to cool!
Great story and congrats on a fine animal. That is something on my bucket list but unfortunately these old bones and weak lungs couldn't run up and down those mountains. I'll just settle for stories like yours.
Again, congrats.
Congrats, great pics and story!!
Awesome and love that over the shoulder picture!!!!! :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
Congrats!! :thumbsup:
Thats awesome, mountain lion is the one animal on my bucket list.
amazing, and hats off on getting actual "real time" hunt pics!
Redemption indeed!
:clapper: :clapper:
I wish I lived in cat country. Or at least close enough to have hounds to hunt them.
Some day......
I bet the adrenaline was running pretty high by the time he hit the ground :scared: :scared:
Thanks for sharing and congrats
Ttt
Congrats on the cat Chris! I appreciate u allowing me to be a part of this memory.
Let me tell yall a little about this guy......He is hard core! It's like trying to keep up with a MT. Goat. Chris is very good woodsman and a good huntin buddy although he only takes me to old dried up spots! Lol!
He earned this one folks! Put in his time looking for.his own tracks. Wasn't an outfitter involved. Completely do it yourself.What an honor it was being involved. Thanks for sharing Chris!
Hey Big'n,
Your link doesn't work. (edit----does now...Thanks!)
Nice cat!
Cool!
Nice cat a huge adventure!
Congratulations on an excellent trophy!
Congrats! Nice Lion...
Congrats!
Bisch
:thumbsup: Those animals are on 95% of Tradshooters list. Congrats
A very memorable hunt.
Congrats!!
Mountain Lions are bad-ass. Like four-legged ninjas. (http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii31/mikebiz/character0021.gif)
Congratulations!
Congrats on an awesome hunt!
Really enjoy these lion threads. Great pics as well.
Real cool stuff. :thumbsup:
Very exciting indeed. Thanks everybody for the congrats. Thanks Dave now that you hauled out my elk, spent a full day helpin me get my buck, and numerous days lookin for a cat I might take ya to one of my better spot nexts year. Just remind me to tie the horses up good when we get there....
Very cool hunt, congrats!
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Tell the rest of the story! About the other blood drawn.
Congratulations on the kitty, bet it will take you a while to come down from that hunt.
Congrats!
Which blood u referring to Kent? The horses, daves, or some other?
thats cool, congrats!!!!
lil blaster,
You're my hero!! Good job and congrats!! Makes your WI kin jealous, this one at least!! Love the pics. Was wonderin' when I was gonna see them. How many elk and deer (and possibly horses) you figure that'll save this winter?
Hope to see you in spring!!
blaster
How'd Dave get his noggin dinged!
That is just AWSOME !!
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hillbilly-kim/P1020058.jpg)Yeah thats what happened when Dave smarted off to me on one of our last hunts. lol NOT
Actually a 15 year old friend had just arrowed a cat and we were headin back to the truck. The dogs were all jacked up and Dave was leading a pair of them down a frozen icy crick. The dogs got him tripped up and he lost his feet and hit a rock frozen in the crick. By the time he got to us the dogs were acting like perfect gentelmen and I think Dave had just a little talk with them!
Actually a very serious situation. If Dave wasnt such a tough SOB we might have been packin someone off the mountain. A good reminder to make sure you at least have a minimal first aid kit with you. We were lucky and I think it was cold enough to just freeze the blood flow up.
Sorry Dave had to post the pic since story was requested.
freakin' OUCH!
Blaster,
Lookin forward to the bear hunt in the spring. Sure hope ya can make it. Hopefully the only bloodshed will be from the bears.
Kim says a complete audio/slide show cd of the cat hunt has been shipped from rockin ck headquarters to u!
Well I am so glad you got the Kitty and Dave is safe and sound. THAT could have been a BIG disaster with FAR FAR worse ending.
we will all much a bad shot eventually. good job finishing it off. I would be crapping my pants if the thing was heading down the tree haha.
Awesome trophy, Congrats! :thumbsup:
WOW
:campfire:
Just saved about 50 deer for the year! Good job!
Congratulations. Been around lions just a small bit. Make your memories while you can. That kind of hunt is out for an old, fat guy like me now
That is what separates the men from the boys right there... getting a bad shot on a cat and having the nerve to lock and load while it's coming down the tree wounded is down right impressive.
Two hits on a moving cat coming down a tree is down right bad to the bone! congrats! :thumbsup:
That's one of those moments you don't start shaking till the dust settles.... What a rush!
Great story and awesome lion. Congrats!!!
wwwwoooo hhhhoooooo!
What a rush ehh!
:eek: :eek: :eek:
Thanks everybody. With a a lot more work and luck hopefully you can all see the hunt on a "wild traditions 2" video someday
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
congrats!! great story and photos. on my bucket list, i love hunting anything with dogs and have to make this happen!!
Congrats! Glad you were able to follow through.
I would have been a mess.
Shooting at a mountain lion in a tree isn't as easy as it sounds.most scenes are proceeded by long uphill marches in steep country.Your chest is heaving,heart pounding and the sound of the dogs around you is deafening.Sometimes you don't have much time if a cat is antsy and ready to jump and shots are often way steeper than we normally shoot.And if you have a partner screaming"SHOOT!,SHOOT!",it just adds to the fun.
Some high pressure stuff for sure.Nice job.
That is awesome, one of the few critters i didnt get living in MT my whole life, still on my to do list :) .
Stevi sure is pretty, but lived on the other side of Missoula.
way to go :thumbsup:
What a rush thats what we all do it for if theres no rush you might as well just watch TV
I got a head ach just looking at the pic Thanks Shane
Contrats Chris! Nice cat!
Kenny :bigsmyl: