Steve Tormala and His Dec 5 Cougar

 

Steve has his own line of downloadable sounds he’s developed for mountain lion calling and a hand call that mimics a young cougar whistle.  Steve used his sounds to call this cougar!

 

 

Wildlife Callers’ Store will be offering Rainshadow sound packages and calls on our site starting next week. 

Now, here’s Steve’s story!

Quick Response Results in a Quick Response! – By Steve Tormala

I just got back from a DISMAL coyote calling trip to the dry side of Washington 3 days earlier. 1 shot fired, no fur, 20+ miles of walking the desert, 850+ miles of driving, 26 formal stands, 10 – 15 quick stands… Nothin’!

I was down on hunting, calling, and anything else to do with predators!

I hadn’t planned on hunting at all this week, possibly not even next week. I’m finishing up a few custom knives and starting a couple others for Christmas orders. Plenty to do, time to stay at home and sulk!

I guess it was about noon:30, I get a call from a friend of my wife,

“Are you still looking for a Cougar?”
“Yeah!”
“Well, one was just sighted on our road, right next to a guy walking.  He said it was big!  Scared him pretty good!”
“Where?”
“Just before my house, over the hill in the DNR clearcut next to such-and-so road…”

“How long ago?”

“10 minutes, he saw it ten minutes ago!”

  As negative as I was about sitting on another calling stand, you just don’t pass up a located Cougar!  That’s like turning up your nose at GOLD!

It took me about 30 minutes to suit up and head out. I was almost out of gas, so I had to stop, but I had all my gear in the 4runner from this week’s trip, so I didn’t have to pack anything. Just grab the 243WSSM and go!

I got to the spot, drove around 2 sides, and tried to knock on a neighbor’s door, they had a llama and dogs, I wanted to see if they had noticed anything.

Nobody home.

The DNR plot was about 150 acres. 1/3 of it logged.

 This is in the very low foothills, first hump of 3 before you get to the main mountains. The area is still quite timbered, but roads and houses everywhere. I was 400 yards from a major road, 400 yards from a subordinate road, both paved. I was probably 300 yards from the house I tried door knocking.

 I walked in to where the clearcut was tapering into the standing second growth. The timber was so thick, I decided to go against my own advice and set up out in the clearcut.

 I found a big root ball and set up on the shady side.

I decided that if the cat was there, and if I hadn’t already been busted, it’d come from the second growth. So I faced it, set up, and put the call out about 35 yards. I had been about 10 minutes since I stopped walking, and I sneak around pretty carefully when I’m at my stand location, so it was time to start in.

I set up the video camera and panned it around, then back to me and described how this stand was a local Cougar sighting, and it was really tight with the roads on two sides and houses on a third, etc. Then I panned back around across the cut towards the timber.

I called for 5 minutes with JS rodent, then 5 with MO Baby Cottontail, then 5 with my new sound, RS Cougar Up, then switched it to my new sound RS Cougar CFPC. Contentedly feeding, purring, and calling. (Check my website, you can hear sample files of these sounds.)

While CFPC was running I saw flashes of movement past the caller slightly to the right. It was walking up so carelessly that I thought it was a Coyote or something. It was walking right in! Head up high, ears perked, kinda stiff legged, no sneak. Walking like it was out for a stroll! I looked harder, “That’s the freakin’ Cougar! Just walking right up to the call!!!” I thought very loudly, but I don’t think I said out loud!

Under the stress of the moment, it took me a second to remember I had a video camera sitting on the tripod, but I eventually got it switched on and panned a little right just in time for the lion to come to a stop and look for the caller 10 yards away. I didn’t zoom in, I was too nervous, and didn’t want to make that much extra motion.

 This is a close crop of the cat when it arrived, before the shot. It’s not zoomed, this is what’s on the screen. (I’m hoping it can be digitally zoomed, but that’s over my head by quite a ways right now!) The cat is centered. It’s in the frame, head held high when the camera comes on, then it drops down to take a few steps closer, then comes back up head held high, and you see this.

It stopped at about 50 yards, just looking at the call, and looking around…

I leaned forward and picked up the AR out of the sticks. The sticks were a full 8 inches too low for this angle, so I just lifted it up and set my forearm on the end of the right fork. I released the safety and found the cat in the scope. Then the unthinkable almost happened!

My arm slipped off the sticks and I almost tumbled forward onto my face! I was so nervous my muscles wouldn’t work properly! I managed to just barely catch my balance before making much motion at all… and just inches before the gun clacked onto the branch in front of me! (You can see the camera bump, because the sticks and the tripod were touching!)

I got my arm back up and placed it into the crook of the sticks. I found the cat in the scope again and it was still looking down at the caller, wondering where that CFPC Cougar was eating on that kill! I started to squeeze…

Kaboom! center chest. I saw it’s tail flailing around in the saplings. NO TRACKING THIS TIME!!!

 Here’s a screen capture of me walking up to the cat, Survivorman style! (The camera is in the tripod and I’m carrying the whole thing at my side like he does.) You get to walk up to the cat with me!

 Another Screen capture, checking to see if it’s really dead, or if I’m just having a really good dream! (Again, Survivorman style.) This is where I recognize that it’s indeed a very big, mature, adult cat.

 
Another, I actually grab it by the scruff here and try to drag it… no possible way! I’m really realizing how big it is now.

 
And finally… Ok, no question about it now, it’s a big cat! And heavy! I’m 5’09” and the Cougar’s tail is still well on the ground.

I never turned the camera off! I kept it on the whole time, for the whole emotional outburst! For the whole approach to the cat, and while looking at the cat, then doing the traditional bear hug hero shot. THEN I shut the camera off, for the first time since 20 seconds before the shot was fired!

 This photo is looking back at my stand location next to the root ball. I got a good follow up video clip and description of this too. I was in the shade of the root ball. The trees standing in the distant background are along the main road. You can hear the cars in the video! The sun was perfectly in my favor. The wind wasn’t, but the cat didn’t notice, which is typical. They can smell, better than we can, but they tend to not bother.

Guys, I was jittery for a day or so! If you haven’t experienced this yourself, you need to! The rush is unbelievable. Every second is a lifelong memory!

I couldn’t believe how TEXTBOOK this stand went, but even more than that, I couldn’t believe how calmly and unwarily this cat just STROLLED right into these new e-call vocals. No sneak, at all!! The thing just walked on up and looked at the MAD Big Country. Unbelievable.

It’s a big female, really similar to the one I shot 07/08. Just over 6 foot. Just over 100 lbs. If I had been in the high country, I’d have MAYBE taken another minute to decide if I wanted to take it… it was a big mature female, and I’d sure love a big dominant Tom!

However, this was a neighborhood lion,  a livestock killer (come to find out later from the Warden.)  It was literally under 400 yards from two dogs, a Llama, a flock of tame geese, and who knows what all else around a house. With several other homes and plenty of other livestock within 500 yards, It had to go down!  I’m happy to have been the one to do it!  It’s a gorgeous, big lion, with a flawless hide!

I’ll be back out with friends, family and clients this season, trying for more call-ins and more footage, so you never know… but I sure couldn’t have asked for a better result than this!

 I’m excited!      Can you tell?!?!?

Yes Steve – we can tell.  You ought to be!  Congrats on this outstanding hunt and thank you for sharing your memories and cougar calling tactics with us.

Comments and Questions are always appreciated – just enter them in the comments section below. 

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Thank you for reading,

Marc Reindell

marc@wildlifecallers.com

We appreciate veteran predator caller, Ned Burris sharing another success story with us.  There are several informational calling tactics & take-aways in this post. 

Have you ever been driving on the freeways/highways around your hometown and thought wow, that would be a great place to make a stand?  The brush looks right, there are no homes nearby, there’s a good water source, you’ve seen a few coyotes and small critters killed on the road nearby, but you’ve never taken the time to call it or had your gear with you when the urge strikes and time permits.  I’ve been there too, and here’s how a serious predator caller makes the most of his opportunities. 

Ned Burris - AZ Predator Caller

Ned Burris was headed home from work last week in west Phoenix and like every other work day, he jumped on the freeway and headed east.  Traffic on the AZ freeway system is never good at 4pm, but this particular day it was exceptionally bad.  Ned knew he was going to be stuck for more than an hour trying to get home.  Most people would have cranked up the radio, or called their aunt they haven’t talked to in a year and crawled along the freeway.  Ned, on the other hand, hit an exit ramp and got back on the freeway in the opposite direction.  In just a few minutes he was past the residential sprawl on the west side of Phoenix and looking for places to call. 

Ned, who knows how to maximize opportunities like this, keeps a few hand calls in his truck, a reliable 20 gauge shotgun, and a camo jacket.  He exited the freeway in some agricultural areas that were surrounded by thick stands of salt cedars and mesquite trees.  He’s called around areas like this in the past, and knows that bobcats love to lay-up in the thickets around the fields.  Today was no exception. 

Using his Pee-Wee Crit’R call, Ned let out several long sequences of high pitched distress cries.  On his first stand he called for 20 minutes and blanked.  On the second stand he saw a good sized bobcat sneaking in from about 200 yards away.  He wasn’t sure if the ‘cat would come all the way in and for a moment he wished he had his rifle.  Persistence paid off though, and after 10 more minutes of continuous calling with the Pee-Wee Crit’R call the bobcat popped out of the brush just 30 yards away.  Ned raised his 20ga and put a load of 000 buckshot down range.  Hit hard, the bobcat dropped to the ground.  But, being the bionic creatures they are, it jumped back up and started running.  A second shot rolled the bobcat and it was down for good. 

Traffic Jam Bobcat - Called by Ned Burris

Ned was not surprised to find that the stocky bobcat was a tom.  Ned wasn’t packing a scale and estimates the weight at right around 25lbs. 

Ned is an outstanding bobcat caller and was willing to share these calling tactics with our readers:

• He looks for places with lots of tight cover and access to food sources – the agricultural areas attract small critters.
• He doesn’t overlook places close to town – he does make sure he’s out of the city and away from homes.  If he only has to drive a few minutes to get in a calling spot, it stands to reason he’ll call more stands every year. 
• He likes open reed calls and the flexibility they give him to make a variety of high pitched distress sounds.  The Pee Wee Criter call is just one of a few open reed calls Ned uses. 
• Tenacity!  Ned normally calls a bobcat stand for 30 minutes.  However, he’s persistent and if he thinks the area is really hot he’ll stay longer. He once spotted a bobcat at the 20 minute mark and lost sight of it in the brush.  He called for another hour and 25 minutes until the bobcat eventually popped out the brush and he shot it.  Now that’s persistence!  Persistence pays!
• He scouts and uses sign (tracks and scat) to locate good bobcat calling areas.  He told me that tracks are good, but scat is the real indicator of bobcat activity.  He looks for scat everywhere he calls so he’s making the most of every stand. 
• Be Prepared.  You can’t make a few quick stands after work if your gear is on the other side of town.  Have some basic equipment stored in your truck.  In case of a break-in, don’t make it your best high-dollar gear. 

To read more of Ned’s field tips, go to his last bobcat calling post by clicking here.

 
We’d like to thank Ned again for sharing his years of experience with the readers of Wildlife Callers’ Blog.  If you’re looking to call more bobcats this year, or simply looking to call your first bobcat we hope these posts help and wish you the best of luck.  Check back for more calling tips from our Wildlfie Callers’ bloggers and guests posters! 

You can subscribe to get free blog updates by putting your email in the Subscribe Box on the upper right of this page. 

Comments and questions are always appreciated. 

Good calling to everyone and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com

Ned emailed us a short synopsis of this day in the field.  We liked the story and the calling tactics were top-notch.  We wrote it up and hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  

Ned and his brother Mike Burris teamed up for a predator hunt on Sunday November 8th.  Ned, you might recall, was pictured in this post: http://tinyurl.com/yzugd5p about the 2009 SW Fur Takers Rendezvous.  He’s a long-time Arizona predator caller, and all-around wildlife calling professional.  His brother Mike is a club officer for the Arizona Predator Callers in Mesa, Arizona and an experienced caller as well. 

Ned Burris - AZ Predator Caller

Ned (pictured on right) and Mike were calling some areas that had produced some nice bobcats in the past.  Ned was only shooting cats and was armed with his Browning 10-gauge.  Mike was also armed with a shotgun and was only going to shoot…well…anything that came in! 

The Burris brothers have been predator hunting all over Arizona for many years.  They know exactly where to go to target specific predator species.  They also have the experience and tactics to make the most of every calling day.

The first two stands of the morning were blanks, and the pair pressed on.  On the third stand, Ned was using his FoxPro electronic predator call as well as his Tally-Ho open reed mouth call.  At about 15 minutes this well-spotted 22 pound bobcat came into view in some heavy brush at 35 yards. 

Ned Burris and his Excellent November Bobcat

Although Ned could have killed the bobcat with his bare hands (from the looks of the first photo), Ned used his 10-ga Browning shotgun and 3.5 inch Dead Coyote Heavy BB Shot to shoot the cat.  To Ned and Mike’s amazement, the bobcat jumped up and ran into the thick/nasty cover and disappeared.  Ned wisely had his dog Rocky with him, and turned him loose after the bobcat.  It took Rocky just about a minute to locate the close-to-dead bobcat about 40-yards from where it had been hit. 

Mike took this photo using a camera phone, and they continued on.

Two stands later Ned had a coyote trot into the set very quickly and stand fast at 20-yards.  Mike raised his 12-ga shotgun and took that coyote with lead number 2′s.  Ned and Mike kept calling the stand for about another 20-minutes and thinking that nothing else had arrived, they shut the FoxPro off and stood up.  As Ned was walking for the caller, another bobcat jumped out of a bush and ran off.  They weren’t able to get a gun on it in time and the cat escaped. 

By the end of the day they had called in five more coyotes for a total of six coyotes and two bobcats!  A memorable day by any measure. 

The tactic of using an electronic call and a hand call at the same time is something that I hear guys talking about, but rarely see a guy do in the field.  Ned and Mike certainly showed just how effective and deadly this tactic can be. 

We’d like to thank the Burris brothers for sharing this story and, above all, revealing the tactics.  We all want more success every day we spend afield, and we hope this helps all of our readers. 

Comments are always appreciated!

To subscribe to the blog, just put your email in the “Subscribe” box on the top right of this page. 

Top of the season to everyone,

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com

Millage Called this Wolf with Coyote Distress Sounds - Hand Call

The Idaho Statesman reports that two wolves were legally harvested on the much anticipated opening day of Wolf hunting in the state of Idaho.  One wolf was shot while harassing a camper’s horses and this one pictured above, was called in at first light on opening day.  The hunter, Robert Millage, imitated the cries of a distressed/dying coyote and got an immediate reaction from this female wolf. 

Full story from the Idaho Statesman is here:  http://tinyurl.com/kr8yc3

Remember:  It’s free to to subscribe to Wildlife Callers Blog and receive updates on articles and current events. 

Keep ‘em coming to the call,

Mark Healy

Mark@wildlifecallers.com

A handheld predator call makes the difference getting these coyote images.

Just one of the many challenges in getting great wildlife images is getting close enough to a wary animal to get the impact and detail. Long fast lenses help, if you have the money. Most of us can’t afford extremely long lenses and/or lenses with fast apertures. So, how do you get close enough to wildlife to capture great images with photo equipment most of us can afford?

Well, I say make a little noise. This might sound counterintuitive, but many animals are curious about sounds. Oftentimes, if they can’t see what’s creating the noise they may just come to check it out.

About a year ago, I was tagging along with some buddies who were archery Elk hunting. One afternoon I set out to check out a waterhole for some sign that elk were using it. As usual I took my camera with me—just in case. Just a few yards from the waterhole, I set up in a ground blind made of downed timber and settled in for an afternoon thunderstorm. Later, as the skies cleared wildlife began to move. Besides the usual small critters (mostly squirrels and birds) I was visited by pair of Coyotes. The problem was, they were crossing away from me about 200 yards out and getting a quality photo was going to be tough.

I had a small mouse squeak coyote coaxer in my pocket. I squeezed it and put out a couple of high pitched chirps. One of the coyotes immediately stopped and stared in my direction. Because all I had to do was squeeze the coaxer, I was able to call without any movement. I kept squeaking and eventually the coyote got interested and broke off from the other coyote and headed my way. I waited for just the right moment and released the shutter when he got to about 18 yards from me. The shutter noise stopped him in his tracks and he looked at me right thru my lens. After another shutter release he figured out I wasn’t something he was interested in and walked off.

On this particular afternoon I got a couple of great images because of my wildlife calling knowledge and being prepared with my camera and hand call. I made a little noise and cut distance between me and the coyote 200 yards to just 18 yards. If you are out and about taking wildlife images and want to get closer, think about adding calls to your plan. The best part is, you don’t need to spend a ton of money. A quality electronic game call can cost around $600. I got these coyote photos ops with a predator call that weighs next to nothing; fits in any pocket, and cost around 4 bucks!

I’ll see you in the field,

Michael J. Burm

Please see my portfolio at: http://mjbphoto.smugmug.com/