BizCT Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I survived another trip to Southern Arizona in search of a Tom Mountain Lion. Rattlesnakes, killer bees, wasps, scorpions, scaling rocks/cliffs, etc. I flew into Arizona late Friday night, 10/26. Was hunting with Wade Eckel, the owner of http://killerlionhunts.com/ The trip went as follows in as short of a version as possible: Day 1 – 10/27: We did 77 miles on quad. Saw lots of lion and bear tracks. No Tom lion tracks were fresh enough to let the dogs loose on. Also saw a few Coues Deer does and 1 coyote. Day 2 – 10/28: Found fresh Tom track of an estimated 80-90lb lion at 840am. Went with dogs for 2 hours in the morning with no luck. Tried to cut the lion off in the afternoon. After walking many canyons with the dogs, we ran out of daylight. Day 3, 10/29: We chased the same 80-90lb Tom for about 5 miles on foot with the dogs from 8am-1pm. Then did a bunch more miles on foot from 4pm-dark. Dogs got a little crossed up with multiple fresh lion tracks. There were actually too many lions in the area. There were fresh lion tracks from the Tom we were after, a bugger tom, and a female. Walked through a few big swarms of wasps. I was advised to hold my breath and I wouldn’t get stung. It worked, thankfully. Found a horseshoe, maybe my luck would change? Day 4, 10/30: Found the tracks of the 80-90lb Tom about 12 miles away. We seemed to be just 1 day behind. Didn’t let the dogs out this day. Wade told me that tomorrow we will leave at 4am instead of 6am, to start looking for tracks in the dark. Day 5, 10/31 (Halloween): Out we went out at 4am to look for tracks in the dark. At 6am we found fresh tracks from that bigger Tom. Wade estimated this Tom to be 3-4 years old and 110-120lbs. We got the dogs and got back to the fresh track to start tracking at 7am. We did about 3 miles on foot, up and down canyons. This lion was obviously hunting deer as his routes were very erratic. At 855am we caught a glimpse of the lion running back down towards we left the canyon 3 miles away. The dogs were in chase, and we moved as quickly as possible back down towards the quads. On the way back, I found another horseshoe. My luck had to be changing? At 945am we found fresh track a mere 20-30 yards from the quad where the lion ran right by. The dogs treed the lion at 1020am. After a few quick pics and video, I shot the lion out of a tree about 35 feet up at 1030am. I used Wade’s 44mag trapper. Wade estimated this Tom at 3 ½ years old. This lion was 110lbs with an empty. With a fuller stomach this lion could have been close to 120lbs. I was ecstatic. Finally, I had gotten a great tom mountain lion. Day 6, 11/1: Was the last day of the Coues Deer season for the tag I drew. We glassed and walked all day looking for deer. At 325pm we jumped a small 2x1 Coues Deer buck. I took a quick offhand shot at about 130 yards and missed just under him. Oh well. It was the only deer we saw all day. Day 7, 11/2: Wade took me out varmint calling. He didn’t expect much with the full moon, but we gave it a shot. We did 3 sets and I shot a big female gray fox on the 1st set and a big male gray fox on the 3rd set. We were done in under an hour. I shot both with Wade’s 20ga. Remington youth model pump shotgun. I decided to end the day so Wade could skin the 2 foxes and get them in the freezer. It was a great trip and I will be getting full body mounts of all 3 animals. I will have the 2 fox done together. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Thanks, it was insane! I'm sore as hell and exhausted, but well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanrobb52 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Nice looking cat! Congratulations! Be sure to post pics of those mounts when you get them back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 sounds like you had a great time, i like the picture of you holding cat. think its also cool you found the horse shoes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ny hunter Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Biz great pics looks like you had a great time,please post when you get the mount.Congrats Buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Next up is Minnesota in December/January for a Bobcat. Then the winter after for a Lynx in British Columbia (shooting, not trapping). If both trips are successful, the North American Cat Slam will be complete for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growalot Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Congrats....beautiful animals...good Luck on next adventures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephmrtn Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 congrats! sounds fun!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno C Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 cool stuff Biz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Thanks guy. It was an awesome 33 day stretch. My 1st kill of 5 different species (Mule Deer, Antelope, Mt. Lion, Gray Fox, Prarie Dog). Too bad I missed that little Coues Deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Biz, whats on the 2013 schedule ? You covered a lot of ground this year. Always great to see hunting pics of animals we dont have in NY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Biz, whats on the 2013 schedule ? You covered a lot of ground this year. Always great to see hunting pics of animals we dont have in NY. This December/January will be Minnesota for Bobcat. Next October/November will be back to Pennsylvania for Whitetail with crossbow. Next December/January will be British Columbia for Lynx. That's all I got for right now. Probably wait a few more years before another wolf hunt. Went in 2007 to Alberta and this past March to N. Ontario, both with no luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Forgot to post this picture. A Western Diamondback rattlesnake that my guide had killed a few weeks before I got there. The snake was over 5' long and as thick as an arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pistolp71 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Cool pics Biz, looks like a great trip. Busy year for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Cool pics Biz, looks like a great trip. Busy year for you. Yea, hopefully add in a nice NY gun season buck this year too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Finally posted a quick video on Youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 Throwback! 7 years ago today, I killed a lion while hurricane sandy was going wild in NYCSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveboone Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 What a great trip! I have long wanted to go on a US lion hunt. I was talking for a few years with a guide in Idaho. Winter hunt. I don't know if I could handle it anymore, but it still is a great thought. Also, simply don't have much room to properly display the kitty. What do you think you will do with your cat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 2, 2019 Author Share Posted November 2, 2019 What a great trip! I have long wanted to go on a US lion hunt. I was talking for a few years with a guide in Idaho. Winter hunt. I don't know if I could handle it anymore, but it still is a great thought. Also, simply don't have much room to properly display the kitty. What do you think you will do with your cat?This was from 2012. I have full body mount Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter007 Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said: This was from 2012. I have full body mount Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Price of those lion hunts ? Tried looking it up nothing shows up ? Or are they outlawed now in Az like Cali ? Edited November 2, 2019 by Hunter007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizCT Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 Price of those lion hunts ? Tried looking it up nothing shows up ? Or are they outlawed now in Az like Cali ? Not outlawed. Killer Lion hunts. Was $3K to chase a Tom in 2012 when I went. Now it’s $8,500Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Not outlawed. Killer Lion hunts. Was $3K to chase a Tom in 2012 when I went. Now it’s $8,500Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkYeah they've gotten pretty priceySent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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