North American Cat Slam

[BizCT]

Looks like I might have a shot at completing the North American Cat Slam. I am very close to booking a Lynx Hunt in British Columbia, Canada over New Years 2013 into 2014.

I am already booked to head back to Arizona the last week of October 2012 in hopes of getting a Mountain Lion after coming back unsuccessful in February.

I am already booked to head to Minnesota in December 2012/January 2013 in hopes of getting a Bobcat after my December 2011/January 2012 hunt got cancelled due to lack of snow.

[Woodsman20]

That would be cool. What makes a N.A cat slam? Mountain Lion, Bobcat and Lynx? Mountain Lion is on my list so let us know how you make out.

Good luck - Mike

[ny hunter]

Best of luck,can't wait to see the pics.............

[dave6x6]

Very cool Biz. Can you give us any info on how these hunts are done. Dogs? horseback? snowmobiles? any details you can share would be great.

[BizCT]

Very cool Biz. Can you give us any info on how these hunts are done. Dogs? horseback? snowmobiles? any details you can share would be great.

The Mountain Lion in Arizona is dry ground with dogs. I went in February and unfortunately did not get one. The dogs stay in their crates on the back of a truck, while the guide and I ride quads looking for tracks. We check the same spots everyday looking for a tracks that werent there the day before. Horseback is an option, it's up to the hunter. You cover much more ground with quads so I chose that route. However, it can be a lot of walking sometimes. The first day we 13 miles on foot in over 7,000 ft. elevation, I was exhausted. I only want a mature Tom, I passed on smaller Toms & females. The guide has very high success rates so offered me a good deal to go back so I am going back end of October/early November. Additionally, I applied for a deer tag since there are a few 1 week deer seasons while I am. It's a lottery so we'll see what happens. Any deer would be bonus, I just want a Lion!

The Bobcat Hunt in Northern Minnesota is with dogs and they need snow, not ice. I was suppose to go between Xmas and New Years this past year, but they had no snow! The outfitter was nice enough to take my deposits and put it towards this year. Hopefully we get snow! We will travel by trucks/snowmobiles/quads/foot looking for tracks.

The Lynx hunt will be in Northern British Columbia with dogs in snow. Travel will be done by snowmobiles/trucks/foot, etc.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Hey Biz,

I am not trying to bust your chops I really want to understand. You have been very down on any fenced hunts and while these cat hunts are free range isn't it more about conditioning that hunting? You may have to put on a huge amount of miles but the "hunt" is basically shooting a cornered cat? right? I grew up hunting behind hounds and I love that sound so I bet it will be a great experience. I was just wondering your take on it compared to the fences

Edited June 28, 2012 by Culvercreek hunt club

[Geno C]

goodluck! sounds like fun, deff post some pics

[BizCT]

Hey Biz,

I am not trying to bust your chops I really want to understand. You have been very down on any fenced hunts and while these cat hunts are free range isn't it more about conditioning that hunting? You may have to put on a huge amount of miles but the "hunt" is basically shooting a cornered cat? right? I grew up hunting behind hounds and I love that sound so I bet it will be a great experience. I was just wondering your take on it compared to the fences

If these were fenced hunts, then I would have gotten my mt. lion already. When I was there in february, we chased a lion that would have made the minimum to make the record books in Arizona for 3 days. Problem is there was no fence so we never caught this lion. I'm sure you can hunt cats inside of fences. I know you can for wolves. My Dad went on 5 wolf hunts before getting one, I have been on 2 so far without seeing one. I found places that are 100% success on wolves, they are fenced in. I would never do a fenced in hunt, hunting for animals that are essentially hand fed.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinions....I think hunting whitetails over a food plot is a joke, how can you not get a deer? Same goes with a tree-stand, I dont see the need for it. I guess I'm old school when it comes to deer hunting. I always taught to sit in a spot from dark to dark and move as little as possible and I would see deer.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Biz-R-OWorld

[wdswtr]

I went on an Arizona mountain lion hunt a few years back. The area we hunted was like going back in time a 100 years. What an experience. A couple things that stood out, one was driving throught he desert and seeing this copper wire dangling from bush to bush for miles on end. I asked the guide what it was and they said telephone line. I was thinking he was kidding but nope we get to a ranch and low and behold all they had was a crank up telephone. The other thing was horses and cowboys carrying 6 shooters all over the place. You even went into walmart and horses were tied up and cowboys strappped walking around inside. Also I was told make sure you dont look at or speak to the ranchers daughters lol. The last was you got greeted by the ranchers with a shotgun pointed at you on the porch. Anyways the hunt was guided with dogs. What the guide had worked out with ranchers was they would report to the guide on a regular basis of any cattle being killed or sightings of mountain lions and that is where we started. I had a couple opportunities early on but I wanted a mature mountain lion. The guide would let the dogs out once we cut fresh track and they would tree the mountain lion. When we finally got on a good one unfortunately they had a flash flood from a massive rain storm. In the area I was in the ground just doesnt soak the water up very fast and it fills the dry river beds up at the foothills. That mature lion had crossed that massive flooded dry river bed and we could not get across. Later that same day we had it happen again. It was alot of fun watching the dogs work. But something always felt a little wrong about it since I was not use to or ever hunted over dogs for 4 legged game. It was non stop hunting, walking, driving etc. The guide also would sit the to of us over the dead cattle at night and we hunted coyotes which was alot of fun as well. One last thing that I remember was the size of the deer were unimpressive to a guy from the east. You would walk in a sports store and they would have little spikes or 4 point mount on the wall next to massive elk mounts. The hunters would start talking about the whitetail and how impressive they were. I was like really please explain why lol. I guess it is quite a feat to get a whitetail in Arizona for the most part. They said you have to pack in for a few days and hunt high mountains to get to them. The feat of killing one alone is what the trophy is all about to them. Great people and a great experience. Oh and watch out for Ostrich the ranchers let out with there cattle to keep the lions away. They will and can chase down a full size truck and kick the living crap out of it. Happend more than once lol.

Edited June 28, 2012 by wdswtr

[BizCT]

Yea, I risked my life in Arizona when I went. Forget about the rattlesnakes, I'm talking about running as fast as I can to keep up with the dogs on ledges 2 feet wide, with 100+ feet drops on the sides....one wrong move and I woulda been dead. That is the type of experience that does not happen during a canned hunt.

Maybe someday, my views will change and I'll go on a canned hunt to PA, shoot a 300" inch whitetail deer from a shed haha........DOUBTFUL!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I guess that is what I was talking about. it is physical and a rush like running a race? you could do the same thing without a gun and a license. To each his own. shooting a treed cat just seems the same as a fenced deer to me. Now if you were chasing the cat that is a different story....lol

Good luck...What does a full mount on one of those run?

[BizCT]

I guess that is what I was talking about. it is physical and a rush like running a race? you could do the same thing without a gun and a license. To each his own. shooting a treed cat just seems the same as a fenced deer to me. Now if you were chasing the cat that is a different story....lol

Good luck...What does a full mount on one of those run?

100% success rate fenced deer hunt = the same as cat hunt that could be unsuccessful? You can't spot and stalk cats or sit in a spot and hope one walks by....you're crazy man.

Full Mounts where I go:

Bobcat $895

Lynx $895

Mt. Lion $3,400

A lot cheaper than the hunts, flights, licenses, etc.....full mount is the only way to go if you actually get one.

This was just a post about some hunts I'm going on, not to go back and forth about canned hunts.

If you shoot a fenced in deer can you enter it into B&C record books? NO

If I shoot a record book cat on any of these hunts, can I enter it into the B&C record books? YES

I think that answers everything. I'm done with this subject.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Just wonder about your view on this. I went on a bait bear hunt and it was ok....wouldn't do it again. just not my thing. I have also coon hunted with dogs and it was more about watching and listening to the dogs run...the shot was no big deal. like 50' target practice.

[BizCT]

Raccoons dont outsmart dogs and humans like cats....no comparison whatsoever.

Like I said, I'm done going back n forth.

I'm sure your baited bear hunt was very very similar to people who hunt whitetails over food plots....."if you build it, they will come".

Edited June 28, 2012 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Geno C]

some of these hunts using dogs are still challenging hunts. my buddy did some hunts like this and he said the terrain and timber he had to walk/run through was insane...

[BizCT]

some of these hunts using dogs are still challenging hunts. my buddy did some hunts like this and he said the terrain and timber he had to walk/run through was insane...

Yup, I probably lost like 7lbs the 1st day of my hunt in Arizona....we had to drink from streams to stay hydrated and almost had to the spend the night in the woods. It was 80 degrees during the day and under 40 at night....after that first day and 13+ miles in the thin air, my face was sucked out, all my water weight was gone i guess...my hands were all cut up, etc....everything in the arizona mountains has prickers....during the summer they see and kill 6+ rattlesnakes a day....forget that!

[dave6x6]

Thanks for the info Biz. Good luck..

[wdswtr]

Dont let the dogs treeing a mountain lion fool you. It is not easy by any means and was the hardest hunt I ever been on and although I never killed a lion the experience alone was unreal. Like I said it was odd hunting a 4 legged game over dogs when they got let loose. I think just due to the point I never hunted like that before other than taking my bird dog out in the field. Looking back I would say it would be darn near impossible to hunt them without the dogs though. Its tough on the body and mind that is for sure. Everytime the dogs got let loose I was more afraid of them getting torn apart than anything. I remember pulling my bow out of the case the first day and the guide chuckled and said Oh man I forgot you were coming with a bow, hold on. And then he pulls out a rifle for backup. At that point not only was the guide thinking I was nuts but I started to think the same when the rifle came out. lol. Tough hunt and there is no comparison to hunting strategies with whitetail in NY or anywhere for that matter. Totally different approach. Extremely smart animals that have the ability to outsmart experienced guides and a pack of dogs many many times.

Edited June 29, 2012 by wdswtr

[BizCT]

Dont let the dogs treeing a mountain lion fool you. It is not easy by any means and was the hardest hunt I ever been on and although I never killed a lion the experience alone was unreal. Like I said it was odd hunting a 4 legged game over dogs when they got let loose. I think just due to the point I never hunted like that before other than taking my bird dog out in the field. Looking back I would say it would be darn near impossible to hunt them without the dogs though. Its tough on the body and mind that is for sure. Everytime the dogs got let loose I was more afraid of them getting torn apart than anything. I remember pulling my bow out of the case the first day and the guide chuckled and said Oh man I forgot you were coming with a bow, hold on. And then he pulls out a rifle for backup. At that point not only was the guide thinking I was nuts but I started to think the same when the rifle came out. lol. Tough hunt and there is no comparison to hunting strategies with whitetail in NY or anywhere for that matter. Totally different approach. Extremely smart animals that have the ability to outsmart experienced guides and a pack of dogs many many times.

Well said and I agree. The guide I was with told me about this one lion that had a weird or broken toe, so its track was very unique. Anyway he found this lion track 60 miles apart within 2 days one time!