Official 2021 Predator Thread

[Bubbacanuck]

Doesn’t really matter. If a sheep season is open, so be it. Cat season is open and they took the cat. Good on them. No one needs to justify this to you. I can’t wait until I get my opportunity to shoot a cougar. I hope it is just as healthy as the one photographed here. My wife may not eat it but I sure will!!

[Harvest the Land]

HaHa so cats have caused elk to stop bugling, have the cows quit being vocal as well. Does them not being vocal affect there breeding or any of there other habits, or is the only thing being affected with them being quite is hunters.

I said they stopped bugling in part because of the abundance of cats, but also because of the increasing wolf populations. The reality is that there aren't very many deer and elk hunters on the north island anymore because dogs and cats have decimated ungulate numbers there. So no I definitely don't think the elk have stopped bugling because of hunters.

In fact there's so little amount of deer now that some cats are becoming emaciated and aggressive towards humans: https://www.outdoorchannel.com/show/...os/1531/330429

You never answered my question about why do you think there's no blacktails on the north island anymore?

And, are you Chris Darimont?

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Wow. Some people and their theories.

Good job to ALL those getting out and doing their best!

SSS

[LBM]

I said they stopped bugling in part because of the abundance of cats, but also because of the increasing wolf populations. The reality is that there aren't very many deer and elk hunters on the north island anymore because dogs and cats have decimated ungulate numbers there. So no I definitely don't think the elk have stopped bugling because of hunters.

In fact there's so little amount of deer now that some cats are becoming emaciated and aggressive towards humans: https://www.outdoorchannel.com/show/...os/1531/330429

You never answered my question about why do you think there's no blacktails on the north island anymore?

And, are you Chris Darimont?

Its funny people alwayswant questions answered but dont really answer any then whenthere asked.
No i am not chris darimont
and dont no why there is no blacktails on the north island but would guess it would be from various reasons.
As for the cougar Jim shot yes it was emaciated but also believe it had a injuried leg so that could be the reason for its condition.
I have seen a fair share of emaciated cougars and its not nice to see and sadly the majority of them were human caused from
hunters and trappers killing the female (mother) and the young left to defend for them selves. Some of the older ones were
un able to hunt properly from injurys because of snares still attached to there neck that had been broke off and one had a bunch
of shot gun pellets in its chest and legs. On a couple all that was found was a injury to foot area but one could only speculate on
the cause of that but effected there ability to hunt, and one may have have been just from old age, but not nice to see them in
that condition. In another post there is some thing also pointing to the possible cause of the cats starving.

[todbartell]

First stand in a long while was a producer!

Mid morning I hiked 1/4 mile into a spot I found the day before when looking for deer sign. Good amount of coyote tracks in the snow. I placed the Foxpro upwind of me 50 yards on top of a haybale and tucked myself in the shade along the edge of the brush. I started with 3 female howls spaced a minute or so apart. I then played snowshoe hare distress for about 5 minutes. I had good results last winter with a coyote wrestling sound, so I tried that. No action, surely there is coyotes within ear shot. It’s about the 30 min mark now on the stand, I try jackrabbit distress for a few minutes...still nothing. Towards the end of a stand I always play some pup distress. I let it roll around 5 mins and then was going to sit for 10 more minutes before leaving. I switched it to rodent distress, just loud enough I could hear it, then I back the volume down 1 more notch. About 5 minutes pass and I spot a coyote to my 11 o’clock , entering the corner of the field . It stops and is surveying. It occasionally looks behind it. These coyotes still get me revved up, heart was pounding a bit haha...Whenever it was looking away I sloooowly position shooting sticks over. It finally commits and begins to trot in, stopping quartering to at 120 yards. One shot with the 260 Remington 140gr Sierra TGK and the fur was flying. 44 minute stand. Another good lesson in patience, I wonder how many coyotes I've walked away from on the 20 minute sits