Mountain Lion Hunting

Mountain lion hunting is one of the most exciting hunting sports imaginable. All hunting is exciting, but when you’re hunting the hunter it gives you an extra rush of adrenaline and the knowledge that you’re truly into the natural rhythm of the wild. Hunting a big game cat-like a mountain lion takes skill and caution. Mountain lions are dangerous predators, and one could easily turn around and hunt you, instead.

Most likely, though, a mountain lion would simply run away if it discovered you because they’re not big on confrontation. If you corner one, it’ll attack. But if it has an out it will take it. They prefer to avoid humans at all costs and are adept at hiding. In fact, you may have walked right by one in the wild that knew it was hidden and safe, and never even known it.

Understanding the habitat and the habits of these animals can help you when you’re mountain lion hunting. It’s important to understand that these are creatures that will protect their territory fiercely. And their territory is typically an area of about 300 square miles. Figure about a third of that for the female mountain lions. They’re not really nocturnal and do their moving during the daytime. They’re already very large cats with the males at about 150 pounds and measuring up to 8 feet long. But despite their size, which would allow them to rush and overpower their prey, they choose a strategic and slow approach.

Mountain lion hunting is exciting because mountain lions are such good hunters. They’re slow and quiet, stalking their prey and then springing when the prey least expects it. They tend to gather around areas where deer like to herd. They eat mostly deer, but also kill smaller prey. Mountain lions like areas with brush and cover that can hide them until it’s too late for the deer or other animal. As the animal turns away from them, the mountain lion rushes out and take it down with their sharp claws and powerful jaws.

Mountain lions aren’t just hunted by man. They’re sometimes killed by bears, and occasionally they get into a tussle with hungry wolves. This usually happens when they’re fighting over prey, not because the bear or wolves want to eat them. Mountain lion hunting starts with good tracking. These cats have distinctive tracks, with four toes, the front two of which aren’t right next to each other. It’s quite distinctive from some other cats’ prints.

You’ve probably heard of a duck call, but you may not be aware there’s a mountain lion hunting call, too.  This will only really benefit you if many mountain lions happen to be in the area, which is unlikely.

For safety’s sake, take a dog mountain lion hunting. It’s not as if you’re hunting deer that will simply run away. If a mountain lion really feels cornered or threatened it may turn and attack. If that happens, stare at it or until you can get your weapon ready. Your confidence along with the attacking dogs may be enough to save you.

Photo Credits: angel_malachite

Originally posted 2010-03-23 12:08:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Choosing your Hunting Rifle Caliber

huntingrifleWhen you are choosing the right hunting rifle, there are actually a ton of different calibers that you can choose from. If you are a relatively inexperienced huntsman, then you may be feeling overwhelmed at the sheer number of different available weapons.

When it comes to talking about gun calibers, the simplest way for you to understand the concept is as follows: The higher that the caliber is, the greater that the stopping power will be. Unfortunately, the higher that the caliber is, the harder it will be for you to control. What this means is that you will need a higher caliber weapon in order to deal with larger animals, but a higher caliber weapon is also going to deliver significantly more kick as well.

You are going to also want to remember that the hole that you produce in the target is also going to be larger when you are dealing with higher calibers. This is why choosing the right type of rifle is vital based on what type of game you are intending to go after. Let us say for example that you are interested in hunting something small, like a small deer, fox, hare, rabbit or wildfowl. If this is the case, then a .22 caliber gun is generally a good way for you to go. Typically the bullets or loads for these types of weapons are capable of being varied so that more range and more penetration can be produced as needed. For wildfowl, a standard bullet or load may be suitable, but for a fox you may want to switch to something that is somewhat heavier.

If on the other hand you are hunting larger deer, then you are going to want to choose a rifle with a higher caliber, such as a .303, .308 or a .270 for example. Rifles that fit in with these calibers are going to be significantly more success at taking down larger creatures like dear. The load sizes, once again, are capable of being obtained in various sizes meaning that there are always weapons and ammo choices that are more suitable for specific types of game over others.

Something that you are going to want to consider when you are swapping loads is that you may have the recalibrate the sight for your weapon if you change from one load into another type of load. Different loads are going to produce different types of trajectory paths, and you are likely going to find that your accuracy will be lost if you do not do this reset.

If you are on a budget, then it may not seem pleasant to waste between five and ten rounds on resetting your scope, so if this is the case you should stick to a single load size, hunting accordingly. It is not uncommon for hunters to keep several different types of rifle calibers on hand but if you are just getting started, choosing a single weapon to suit your needs is generally a good idea.

Photo Credits: Kankie

Originally posted 2009-07-23 05:36:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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