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Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 7:02 pm
by svanhandel
I am headed to the Rifle- Meeker area in CO on 12/20 and staying for 2weeks. This is my 1st trip lion hunting and going into this blind. I will be with a partner and we will be bringing 6 hounds and 1 snowmobile. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. We have taken the identification test. Just looking for help or advise to have and enjoyable time and tree a few cats!! Not looking to shoot any females or record Tom's, just looking for an enjoyable chase with the dogs. Thanks in advance for any help or advice

Re: Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:25 am
by david
Good luck out there. I hope it is fun and you stay safe. I have been an out of state hunter in unfamiliar areas a few times. There are helpful people and there are people who really want nothing to do with you because they have had negative experiences with people coming in to their areas. It can be very competitive in certain areas. There are people out there who make a lot of money off of lions. I don’t know your area at all. And I don’t know the conditions you will face. I don’t know how the land is broken up, or the attitudes of the ranchers in that area. I have met ranchers who expect you to pay for lion hunting on their ranch if your dogs get on there. And they would welcome your money to let you hunt there.

My best advice might be go and enjoy yourself on your two week scouting run. You will know exactly what you need and exactly what to do when you go again the second time. If you get lucky and get good conditions you might even get to tree a lion or more. That’s a bonus to your scouting run. If you meet a lot of obstacles and you don’t have snow, you might not even find a track.

There are areas and times when local hunters could easily spend two weeks waiting for favorable conditions. Many will not waste their time without favorable conditions.

So just relax, learn all you can from the state resources and university studies and topographical maps, and go have some fun lion mining.

Here is a chapter about prospecting for bobcat. Some of the principles will apply to prospecting for lion:
https://youtu.be/XA8imO_I8yE

It kind of needs the last three minutes of this previous reading. It could make a difference if you haven’t done it already.
https://youtu.be/6uIz_hUjphc

Re: Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 2:23 am
by Nolte
Personally I'd bring 3 or 4 hounds (none of which run yotes) and 2 sleds, make sure you've got a landowner chip and then find the game. Lions will be where the game is or at least someplace with game and probably not way up top. Then just hope for snow and don't be afraid to drive to find it in the 2 weeks. You dont have all winter to wait for great conditions. And just be prepared that if you drop a dog in the mountains you are committed, they're aint no driving around the block to pick them up. Oh and if at all possible get above the hunt and come down.

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Re: Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 11:55 am
by 99nighttrain
My advice is to pick an area that appeals to you and then call the biologist in that area and go from there. That's what we did. Have friends that have a place to stay so that's where I started. The biologist and wardens out there were great help and I believe honest. They said it wasn't the best area but gave me spots to try in that area and also told me where there were better populations in other parts of the state. Good luck and just go for it. We spent 3 years trying to find a good spot but finally just went and did it. And we were successful in a lower population area, with no competition. We just got back and snow is getting deep. You'll need sleds or track machine to get into good ground since they don't plow most county roads.

Re: Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:18 pm
by svanhandel
Thanks for the advice gentlemen. We have a cabin booked for 2weeks. Have the truck and snowmobile ready. Have done some map searching on onyx. We just have to head out and give it a shot. Sure do appreciate the advice

Re: Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:20 am
by bearsinva
Hope you have a good trip and hunting adventure! Give us a post when you get back. Will be interesting to hear what you did that worked and what you would do different. Be safe, keep the dogs safe, and have fun.

Re: Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 3:08 pm
by svanhandel
Well the trip was not a success as far as harvest goes. Only had 1 inch of snow in 13 days of hunting along with numerous units closing the day of our arrival. We learned a lot of areas and where to hunt. Found out it can be difficult to access some of the public land due to having to go through private land 1st. Met a couple of great local houndsmen that were very helpful and would like to say a huge Thank You to them. Already preparing for next year but will definitely go earlier next time.

Re: Looking for Lion hunting advice

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 3:30 pm
by david
It took a lot of study and a lot of guts to go out there blind. Next year will require less of each and the blindfold is removed. Glad you all are safe.
Next year, lions beware.
Let us know how it goes.