Dan Tone and Arizona's First Nighttime Lion Since 2011 Rule Changes

Just 2.5 weeks after we reported the new Arizona nighttime hunting regulations for mountain lions on THIS POST, Dave Martens of Wildlife Callers and Dan Tone (who’s been featured on the WC Blog before) set out in one of the nighttime lion hunting areas and connected with a mature 7-9 year old female cougar – the actual age will be determined by the AZ Game & Fish.  The lion took about 30-32 minutes to arrive on the stand and came to a mixed bag of sounds.  Here are some of the details:

Arizona Mountain Lion and Deuce the Lion Calling Jack Russel

Locations:  When you think of nighttime lion hunting think of bighorn sheep.  Heavy lion predation has long been a issue for bighorn herd growth and sustainability around AZ.  Accordingly the locations in AZ for hunting lions at night have been chosen by the AZ Game & Fish biologists to provide the most relief to the Desert and Rocky Mountain Bighorn populations.  There isn’t a hunt unit listed in the Arizona Game and Fish lion hunting regulations that we haven’t scouted or hunted, and not found lion sign in.  Actually, we’ve called lions in many of the special units, so to answer the obvious question “where is the best place to go find lions” — all of the special bag units have lions — actually the whole state has lions.

Sounds:  Dave’s calling style is typically mix-it-up and throw out an active multi-critter sound scene for the predator to get interested in.  We’ve said it here before – you can’t confuse a lion by playing sounds that typically don’t go together – they’re not that smart.  Thus, when you create a completely unbelievable sound scene by playing ten minutes of mixed rabbit & small bird distress, followed by several minutes of deer fights and deer distress, followed by javelina sounds and distress, the lion never says ‘hey…I know that would NEVER happen in nature.”  It’s just sound stimulus – nothing more – there are no bad sounds. Mix it up.

Dan Tone, Deuce, and an AZ Mountain Lion

The Caller:  As is always the case, Dave was using his Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom 21.  If you haven’t heard one, do yourself a favor and give us a call — truly amazing.

The Hunt:  Dave & Dan chose the calling location based on past experience in the area.  Dave has called near the area before and seen plenty of sign along the long ridge lines and hardpan wash bottoms the area is known for.  They kept the caller less than 20 yards away from them when they set up along the side of a dry wash.  The moon was nearly full and visibility was pretty good.  The plan was to, if possible, leave their spotlights & high intensity flashlights off until a lion was spotted or something was heard nearby that needed lighted investigation.

Dave had been playing his varied & lengthy list of sounds for about 30 minutes when the form of a solitary lion was spotted walking toward the speaker.  The lion arrived on Dan’s side of the caller and was closing toward the speaker in a deliberate and unhurried fashion.  Dan raised his 12 gauge and waited patiently while the lion continued to close on the speaker.  The lone lion eventually cut the distance to the speaker down to just 6-yards and came to a stop.  Dan activated the high-intensity light mounted on his shotgun and looked at the lion for a few seconds.  He immediately confirmed what he already knew, the lion was a large, mature cougar.  Boom! Dan shot the lion with a load of #4 buckshot and at just 19-20 yards away it was killed immediately.

Good View of the Large Shoulders and Head on the Lion

Night Calling Logistics:  Dan said that hunting lions at night should continue to be more and more productive as they learn more about doing it and better ways to set up.  But, he cautioned, the logistics of calling after the sun goes down are more complex than in daylight.  He said that something as small as a poorly designed spotlight or a flashlight that’s not bright enough can ruin a stand.  Stand selection takes longer.  Walking to the stand takes longer.  Tripping hazards with guns, callers, and extra gear makes things interesting.  And oftentimes once you’ve set up and think you’re in a good spot, you turn on the light only to find you really have almost zero visibility and have to move.

Takeaways:  Scouting and field experience cannot be underestimated.  Dave has spent many hours in this area scouting for lion sign, using trail cameras to confirm hunches, and calling during the daytime when it wasn’t legal to call at night.  His expertise and knowledge really paid off.

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Mark Healy- Wildlife Callers

I have written other blog posts HERE , HERE, and HERE and posted scouting photos on our Wildlife Callers’ Facebook Page that talk about terrain considerations when scouting and calling for mountain lions.  This video captures nicely the “lay-up” concept that we talk about.  As you watch the video and the camera pans right you will see (at about 27 seconds) the lion has chosen a daytime hideout just below a saddle located on the ridge line above the rock/brush pile it pops out of. 

Without seeing the area in person and being able to walk the ridges around the brushed up rock pile the cat jumped out of, we can only make an educated guess that the lion is using the ridge/saddle as part of it’s travel route.  Based on past experience with travel paths and scouting for lay-up areas to call into, it stands to reason that ridge line is at least one of the travel routes in the area. 

It is also highly likely that this or another lion will use this lay-up again in the future.  Having a location like this jotted down in a calling journal will provide a spot to call into every single time you’re in the area.  Other than calling the area and getting a mountain lion to respond, there is no reliable way to know exactly when the cat will be back.  Based on the radio collar data that we’ve looked at and the trail camera evidence that we’ve collected, the day or night and actual time the lion will show back up can’t be accurately predicted.  However, paths that they use for travelling get used again and again. 

Catching the lion the next time it’s in this lay-up is a game of chance, but persistence pays.  If you have 20 locations like this identified with scat, tracks, other sign, and perhaps some trail camera photos and you consistently call into  them, eventually you’ll be in the right place at the right time and you’ll get your big cat to come in.  We’re certain it’s a whole lot more reliable than random calling into areas that simply “look like good cat country” but have no physical evidence to go with the good looks. 

Thanks again for reading.  Comments and questions are always welcome at the bottom of this page. 

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Good luck this season,

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com

480-882-1210

Some states do allow the public, via the voting booth, to determine how wildlife is managed.  California voters do not allow mountain lions to be hunted.  As a result, many more encounters between lions and humans have occurred and several people have been killed. Pulblic safety should be a priority.  Just last month a Mt. Lion had to be killed by police in Berkeley after the large cat wandered into the city.  Several Berkeley citizens, seeking the protection of the government, called police to the scene. After police acted appropriately & lawfully and killed the lion, a memorial was erected for the lion at the place it met its demise and a backlash against the police for “overreacting” began.  How would these same Californians have reacted had the cat attacked a small child and dragged it off? 

The right of states to manage wildlife is currently being challenged in Idaho and Montana in the wolf hunting controversy. The ability of these states to control wolf populations has been temporarily knocked down by the federal court, giving wolves (that have reached a sustainable population and then some) far more rights & protections than the elk, moose, and deer.  And let’s not forget cattle ranchers and sheep herders whose livelihood’s depend on the well-being of their livestock. These western states have all but been excluded from game management within their own borders. 

Allowing an emotional voting population to determine how states regulate and manage wildlife populations is a slippery slope. People not familiar the science behind biodiversity and the way game animal balances are established by trained wildlife biologists and state game managers can be easily swayed by emotion, fear, and anthropomorphic fallacies or ”the humanization of wild animals”  into cute, cuddly creatures that in no way resemble their true counterparts in the wild.  

It’s more than obvious that I believe in state’s rights and think hunting regulations, game animal population management, predator control, and other aspects of hunting are best left to state game agencies.  I’m voting YES on AZ Prop 109.  But, what do you think?

Should hunting and fishing become a constitutional right with management reserved to professional biologists & game managers or should it be maintained as is?  Would you like to see these protections in your state?  Is there a downside I’m missing?

We’d like to hear from you on this, so feel free to comment.  As always, it’s free to subscribe, just enter your info below.

Thanks for reading,

Marc Reindell

marc@wildlifecallers.com

 Dave Martens and I have placed trail cameras in dozens of locations that have rendered great photos & videos of mountain lions.  It wasn’t always as easy as it is today for Dave to locate a lion hot spot to place a camera.  Dave’s many hours in the field and the experience that’s come with it, allow him to quickly size up a long ridge or hardpan wash bottom and hang a camera that will produce lions nearly 100% of the time. 

Some guys will say, “hey, I’ve taken lots of pictures of lions on my deer cameras on such & such waterhole”.  That’s great and we love to get pictures of lions anywhere, but keep in mind we rarely put cameras on waterholes.  We’ve had much of our success calling lions well away from waterholes and we’re more interested in how lions travel in their territories and where they go to lay-up after they’ve been to water. 

There is, however, a feature that we always look for when scouting for lions.  When we find it, our success in finding lions travelling through the area has been 100%.  That feature is scent marking areas, or as well call them, scent stations.  There are times when we locate a small area that is literally covered in a wide variety predator poo — and poo from many other critters as well.  The spot that you’ll see in the video is one such place.  Since finding this location we have taken still photos and videos of several lions, fox, bears, and other predators.  This location, which unfortunately is well off the beaten path, if called frequently will eventually produce a lion. 

Have a look at the first video of a fox, bear, and coati, using the scent station:

Then, have a look at this female lion (we’ve taken many pictures of her) and the way she behaves on the scent station:

Just like humans, where there are ladies the guys seem to just show up.   We’ve taken a few photos of lions much larger than this female that we hope to someday call.  We have worked diligently in the area to find the best places to call from and be able to see lots of open areas and tight cover.  Now it’s a matter of getting the stars to align and be there calling when one or more of the mountain lions are home. 

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Thank you all for reading and good hunting,

Mark Healy

Mark@WildlifeCallers.com

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! 

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.

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Thank you for reading,

Marc Reindell

marc@wildlifecallers.com