Author Topic: First Cougar Hunt Tomorrow! SO PUMPED! (Read 10997 times)

BigBears · « **on:** December 01, 2013, 08:50:30 PM »

For 20 years its been a dream of mine to go on a Cougar hunt. Tomorrow its gonna come true!

Leavin at 1 am for my first Cougar hunt ever.

Anybody got any tips on how Im supposed to sleep tonight? Lol

Weste · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2013, 08:58:16 PM »

Have fun. Cougar hunting is a blast. Killing cougars is a little anti-climatic but the hunt itself is a blast. You just never know what's at the end of those tracks. Not sure where you are headed but the fresh snow will lend well to the hunt.

walleyes · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2013, 07:28:56 AM »

Good luck on the hunt BB.

BigBears · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2013, 08:28:12 AM »

Just pulled into Hinton. Guide is on his way to meet me then off we go.

Super pumped!

Deputy sheriff · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2013, 09:55:21 AM »

Good luck,hope you get a big Tom.

drake870 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2013, 05:56:43 PM »

Good luck! If your hunt goes like mine went, I hunted Hinton also, then you're going to max out on exercise! Let us know how you made out.

Speckle55 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2013, 10:06:21 PM »

I saw the Guide yesterday west of Hinton and chatted with him .I was hunting Wabbits

Good luck Cougar hunting

David

BigBears · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2013, 07:20:58 AM »

Wasnt us. Do you mind sendin me a pm or text with a bit of info? Where he was, what hes drivin etc? Wer trying to avoid other Cougar hunters

780-843-5338.

Day 1 was tough conditions. Big wind and lots of snow. Tday is perfect. No wind, fresh snow. Weve cut a few older tracks and some fresh Lynx, theyre confident wel have a fresh Cougar track shortly. Havin a blast so far!

BigBears · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2013, 09:07:35 PM »

Day 2:

Better conditions and we cut some fresh tracks but not what we are looking for. 3X Females with kittens, LOTS of Lynx and one mature Tom but not hot enough to cut the dogs loose.

Forecast for tomorrow is ideal for cat hunting, fingers crossed.

Speckle55 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 03, 2013, 11:07:18 PM »

He was in the Hinton/Jasper Airport road or as we call it Camp 1 .. North of hi-way 16 to 1 mile before the park gate to Athabasca river to hi-way 40 north had a black box in back of truck with dogs gps collars

Good luck on your quest

David

coachman · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2013, 09:09:46 PM »

The upper part of Camp 2 had more cats tracks then any other place I traveled, but it has been a few years.

BigBears · « **Reply #11 on:** December 04, 2013, 09:23:54 PM »

Thanks for the heads up Coach!

Day 3 of Cat hunting:

Cut lots more tracks tday, some pretty fresh. This morning we cut a smokin hot track that was perfect except it was headed right into a provincial park. Crap.

Cut a fairly fresh track this afternoon and actually cut the dogs loose for the first time (super exciting). They bayed hard and ran in then quit hunting 100 yards in. Guess the track wasnt as hot as we thought.

Wer making progress and doing better every day. Hopefully tomorrows the day.

BigBears · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2013, 12:32:07 PM »

Day 4 got shut down due to the -40 windchill, too cold for the dogs apparantly. Argh.

diamonddave · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2014, 06:14:04 PM »

So I gotta ask, how does a first time cougar hunter all of a sudden become a booked up cougar guide??

Weste · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:18:40 AM »

Quote from: diamonddave on February 05, 2014, 06:14:04 PM

So I gotta ask, how does a first time cougar hunter all of a sudden become a booked up cougar guide??

ok....... what is that referring to??

diamonddave · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2014, 10:03:15 AM »

I saw that AAO was offering limited cougar hunts, just wondering how that all came about?

Weste · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2014, 01:33:03 PM »

OK. did not know that. I have been on cougar hunts, Dogs are the heros on those anyway. Pretty amazing animals.

BigBears · « **Reply #17 on:** February 07, 2014, 11:21:35 PM »

The fact of the matter is that Alberta Advantage Outfitters employs and works with guides that are experienced in hunting a variety of species. I am not an experienced Cougar hunter nor do I own any of my own hounds. I do however employ a couple guides with lots of experience that have very well trained hounds. My guides were out last weekend running our first round of Cougar hunts and things went VERY well. The guides and dogs did their jobs, a couple cats were treed and one was harvested. The clients left very satisfied

diamonddave · « **Reply #18 on:** February 08, 2014, 01:12:35 AM »

That's interesting..... It sounds odd that experienced guides with their own dogs would need to run under your banner. With the amount of guys looking for hunts from experienced guys and hounds, they should be booked up solid without giving AAO the big cut.

BigBears · « **Reply #19 on:** February 08, 2014, 07:47:14 AM »

Although the minimum requirment to guide Alberta residents is a Big Game Guides Designation (I guided this way for a few years), it's a better option to work under an Outfitter for a few reasons. The biggest advantages are that: 1: The hunters are protected by our Outfitters insurance and 2: Having access to our client pool. With 5 years in the Alberta resident business we have literally hundreds of happy hunters, many that hunt with us year after year and are always interested in new opportunities with us

Author Topic: First Cougar Hunt Tomorrow! SO PUMPED! (Read 10997 times)

walleyes