Despite the hounds and hunters gathered below its perch , the big cougar acted nonchalant in the tree and even appeared to fall asleep .
where and how they hunt , how efficient they are and how big their territories extend was an eye-opener .
Cougar hunting and cutting proved to be challenging for several weeks . Cold , miserable weather and heavy snowfalls didn ’ t help . One evening , my luck changed with the news that some crew members had cut a big cougar track . The team was already busy running cutlines , pipelines and other linear access to find out where the cat might be headed and hopefully held up . The immediate question was , “ Can you get here first thing in the morning ?”
I eagerly organized gear and crossbow equipment to deal with deep snow and to ensure I would keep warm . One never knows if you will catch up to the cat , and a hunter must prepare for long , hard days . I headed out before sunrise the next day as the team stayed in the area and freshened up the track . Kelly ’ s life partner , Chelsey , provided directions to the remote area where they would park . The cat had covered about 5 miles of the mature boreal forest before settling down in a block of timber . If the cat stayed put , we would have a good chance of catching up to it .
I drove for several hours and caught up to the crew , looking at the freshest tracks they could find . The dogs were on leashes , people were scurrying about , and Chelsey met me to provide a game plan . Kelly was in British Columbia running cats for other hunters , and Chelsey was the team leader here . The smile on everyone ’ s face told the story . The track was big and fresh , and everyone was eager to start the chase . The two lead dogs were led to the cat tracks , where they nosed into the scent and were off .
We trekked as fast as possible , fighting deep snow up to our knees with every step . We maneuvered over , under and around never-ending deadfall , which made it impossible to use snowshoes . We listened to the chorus of dogs ahead to keep us excited . Occasionally , we stopped and watched how the chase unfolded on the GPS tracker attached to the dogs ’ collars . The big tom cat was on the move , swinging around a small lake and heading up the far shore . The cat was cagey and turned away to lead the dogs in the opposite direction . Twice , the big-tracked cat gave the dogs the slip , but the veteran hounds circled , picked up the scent and were able to continue the chase .
We had been tromping through the deep snow for more than a mile when the dogs started barking “ tree .” When we arrived , the hounds sang their exciting song and tried
26 SPORTSMENSALLIANCE . ORG