What killed this Buck?

[TheObserver]

Found him today, he would have been a huge Buck in the coming years.

Whatever got him jumped on him while he was bedded, found the bed with hair and followed a struggle trail and the struggle only went 15 yards.... quick kill.

My instinct tells me Lion, as what looks like the paunch is sitting outside of the carcass uneaten. Mountain Lions always pull the guts out of Big game animals and do not eat them so I have heard. Also the carcass is neat and intact, legs still attatched no pieces of carcass here and there.

I spent a ton of time here when the season closed and we had big snow depths (for here) last winter to try and learn more about these Deer and their travelling. Never saw one cat track, but would be naive to think they weren't around. Seen lot's of Bear and Coyotes.

What are your thoughts? Lion or Coyote or.....

Here he is last month on T-cam

https://i.imgur.com/N3TeJjU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7678A57.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5YoRXwU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NitSMnc.jpg

[caddisguy]

I'd wager lion too. Dang dude you're on fire being all over these BT's in your area there. Good job, maybe grab a cougar tag if you don't have one.

[TheObserver]

I'd wager lion too. Dang dude you're on fire being all over these BT's in your area there. Good job, maybe grab a cougar tag if you don't have one.

That's what i'm thinking. I'm going to grab one tomorrow!!

Kind of sucks here I was thinking this place was Cat free (if it was a Cat), glad I came across it though.

[HarryToolips]

I'd bet on cat too...if there's food (deer) the preds will eventually follow unfortunately...I'm on an area right now (not blacktail) where the deer in the area changed up their habits at the same time I noticed fresh cat tracks in the area - coincidence?

[TheObserver]

Something I forgot to ask if anyone knows, are Mountain Lions nomadic and they just move to where the feed is? kind of spending their whole lives on the move? or kind of stick to a general (albeit large) area as long as there is feed?

[Brew]

I’m in maple ridge as well. Not sure if your hunting close but this year I’m finding lots of large cat tracks around Stave lake, harrison and chehalis while I’ve been at work or hunting. Very healthy population right now. Wish I had the room for hounds at my house, would be fun to chase a few cats.

[TheObserver]

I'd bet on cat too...if there's food (deer) the preds will eventually follow unfortunately...I'm on an area right now (not blacktail) where the deer in the area changed up their habits at the same time I noticed fresh cat tracks in the area - coincidence?

Yeah sucks, the coyote's here are numerous and I had a Doe in summer on cam with only 1 fawn. I suspect she started with two, then as the weeks went on she would show up without the one fawn she had. Was sh***y to see.

I am going to do strictly coyote hunts in this area.

I bet nothing gets them on edge like a Lion

[RackStar]

Bigfoot for sure

[ACE]

​Cat . . .

[high horse Hal]

I'm going with cat too, dragged to cover, neck torn open, mostly intact bones, a lion will eat the heart lungs and liver quick but not the stomach or intestine

[Imdone]

Kitty Cat Cougar

[TheObserver]

I’m in maple ridge as well. Not sure if your hunting close but this year I’m finding lots of large cat tracks around Stave lake, harrison and chehalis while I’ve been at work or hunting. Very healthy population right now. Wish I had the room for hounds at my house, would be fun to chase a few cats.

I found a couple spots up both East and West Harrison this summer. Thinking about heading that way for a few days this week, going to grab a Lion tag today...... you never know

[TheObserver]

Well looks like the verdict is in Mountain Lion most likely. Anybody here ever get them/one without hounds?

[high horse Hal]

Watch your back trail.
Once I went into a new area to explore, set 3 trail cams as I went in with the idea of leaving them for a few days
Found some shite that made my decision to abandon the area and look else where so pulled the cams on the way out
2 cougars were on the 2nd camera, less than 20 minutes after I set it up
Maybe they like my Tinks stink, maybe it was the noise, not sure but they followed my track for a while before veering off

[TheObserver]

Always do, thanks for the reminder/heads up though! Was that scenario in Reg 2?

[tigrr]

Nothing like going out to your blind and venturing away after dark to a new route home. The next morning I found that the cats had followed me out to the blind and then almost back to the house. End of staying out after dark. If it wasn't for the snow I would never had known. Never seen a cougar on my property but my wife and I have seen 11 of them all over BC and AB.

[Pioneerman]

Years ago I was hunting Green mtn in Nanaimo lakes it was a ugly snow storm I headed up a old road into a slash, then the wind started blowing like made I could barely see 30 feet and said screw it, so turned around just 200 yards from my truck and just 20 yards behind me were cat tracks, it followed me almost from the truck but never saw it, I guess it jumped off the road when I started my way back. Never did see it, just tracks

[TheObserver]

I was in a set up in this area today, when I was done figured I would check the close by cam. A doe running by the cam tail up the other morning, then minutes later it looks like a cougar is walking by but hard to tell. I will pull the card sometime this week and post it here see what you guys think.

[Redthies]

It wasn’t a cat. It was me. I just ate my fill and then wandered off to the next meal.

[ElectricDyck]

Theres one spot I hunt on Harrison Lake where the cats shit in the middle of the roads like bears, huge piles, its eerie..deer populations are way down from previous years..

[TheObserver]

https://i.imgur.com/yLLoaeT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/L5Jh7Rs.jpg

[REMINGTON JIM]

Tom Cat I Bet :D RJ

[TheObserver]

Tom Cat I Bet :D RJ

He looks frickin wide hey Jim!

[Deer_Slayer]

Maybe shot and never found..lay down to die? Predator found it and dined.?

[Deer_Slayer]

Don't cougars try to bury a carcass similar to a grizzly? That deer looks like it died from being shot. Usually the head will be turned back as their last attempts at fighting off an attacker, not usually just lying straight like that. Just my 2 cents. Maybe someone shot it and couldn't find it? Happens

[180grainer]

I'd think a cat if the chew mark on the throat isn't from something else.

[TheObserver]

Don't cougars try to bury a carcass similar to a grizzly? That deer looks like it died from being shot. Usually the head will be turned back as their last attempts at fighting off an attacker, not usually just lying straight like that. Just my 2 cents. Maybe someone shot it and couldn't find it? Happens

They do sometimes, but i'm pretty sure they do it less than they don't do it.

After some extensive research i'm led to believe without doubt it was a Mountain Lion. Most likely the one on my cam there spooking that Doe. It's got all the hallmarks of a Lion kill.

[LBM]

Don't cougars try to bury a carcass similar to a grizzly? That deer looks like it died from being shot. Usually the head will be turned back as their last attempts at fighting off an attacker, not usually just lying straight like that. Just my 2 cents. Maybe someone shot it and couldn't find it? Happens

Yes cougars typically bury there kill, not always but usually.

[RBH]

Something I forgot to ask if anyone knows, are Mountain Lions nomadic and they just move to where the feed is? kind of spending their whole lives on the move? or kind of stick to a general (albeit large) area as long as there is feed?

My understanding is that cougars are territorial. They have a pretty large territory that they use and defend against intrusion by other cougars. That is a reason that problem cougars are dispatched rather than relocated -- because when you relocate a cougar it will probably be into the territory of another cougar and only one will survive.

Also, young cougars are in due course driven out of the mother's territory and they go roaming looking for new digs. In that way they can show up where a cougar had not been seen recently.