The Hound Element
If you have never hunted with hounds , you may not understand all components of the hunt . It can be challenging to explain , but harvesting the cat is not always the highlight of the adventure . The total experience with the dogs and seeing how they sort out the sneaky tactics of the cat to escape are impressive .
Ensuring the hunt is done correctly keeps the cat from frustrating the crew or harming the dogs . During the chase , we came through a bog area with stunted trees , and there was immediate concern that the hounds could catch up to the cat where it had no escape options . A situation like that could devastate the hounds , forcing the cat to fight and injure them .
The hounds are hunters with keen noses , and their ability to assess the tracks is impressive . How they decipher fresh spore from a cat that has backtracked is incredible . The hounds live to hunt , and it shows .
Hunting with hounds is a unique experience , and I consider the entire Kelly Morton Hunting crew the reason for my success . I don ’ t know how anyone could have caught up to the cougar without the help of well-trained hounds . The chase is a big part of the hunt , but so is cutting , managing dogs and knowing how to judge tracks long before the chase starts . Kelly runs cougar , bobcat and lynx in British Columbia for the trifecta of wild cats in North America , plus black bears . Someday I hope to join him and his well-trained hounds and hunting team to chase a lynx .
Careful Management
Alberta is divided into Cougar Management Areas , with strict quotas for male and female cats . A requisite of the hunt is to phone a special number to confirm the kill . The zone where we found the tracks and hunted has a quota of two male cougars per year . Hunters must check on the quota daily to ensure the unit they are hunting is still open .
It can sometimes cause frustration for hunters cutting tracks and trying to freshen up a cat . However , serious houndsmen and hunters know and understand it is in the cats ’ best interest and supports the future of hunting . It is a privilege to hunt a unique species carefully managed in Alberta , which generates respect for the animal and its management .
All cougars must be registered with information about the hunt and coordinates of the kill site . A tooth is extracted for aging . It is all part of a management scheme to keep cougars on the landscape and in sustainable numbers . Big cats are efficient predators and are often viewed with disdain by hunters , who see them as competition . However , healthy cougar populations are indicative of healthy ungulate numbers . The cats often specialize in certain prey . The big tom I harvested was taken in the boreal forest . We did not cut many deer tracks during our chase but did encounter lots of moose . There was some consensus that the cat was likely a seasoned moose hunter . A broken canine tooth indicated that the old cat had been in some serious battles .
Rewards of the Chase Cougar meat is delicious , and I was anxious to share some with good friends back home . It is light in color and often
Taking the cougar required a team effort from trackers and hounds .
The hounds treed the cat only after a three-hour chase through the snow .
compared to lean pork in flavor and texture . The meat is highly versatile but does need to be cooked well to prevent concerns with trichinosis , a parasite in many predators as well as feral hogs .
We enjoyed several roasts , loins and specialty dishes like sweet and sour cougar . Two portions of the hinds were cured and smoked into hams , proving to be quite a delicacy .
Cougars are scored for various records by measuring the length and width of the skull . The cat I harvested scored 15 4 / 16 , qualifying for the Boone & Crockett all-time records . The cat was also scored by Safari Club International ( SCI ) and was deemed to be the new world ’ s record cougar harvested with a crossbow .
Wildlife records are a testament to sound wildlife and habitat management , allowing species to flourish with long , productive lives . The intent of the hunt was to chase a mature cat , and having it recognized in different scoring systems is a bonus .
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