I, like you, am not a lion hunter, but I have treed them in a few different states, with combinatoion dogs that were hunted on bobcat.cfanno01 wrote:I am considering a planning a lion hunting trip (snow only), hopefully within the next 2 or 3 years, and am looking for some helpful information. I would be taking my own dogs from Michigan (bobcat and coyote). I am assuming they will run a lion also...? I've never been west of the Mississippi so I really don't know what to expect. What states offer good opportunities for nonresidents? I've heard Montana and Wyoming? Not looking to kill a world record lion...i want to go for the experience more than anything but wouldn't mind the chance at killing one. Since i would be unfamiliar with the area, I would like to find a region that has ample accessibility via roads or snowmobile... i want to stay as close to the dogs as possible. Also would prefer to go where the wolves are somewhat scarce. Timber would be better than open terrain (I think??) being my dogs have no experience with lions and I would prefer somewhere lions usually tree instead of bay. I'm not looking for specific hunting grounds, just general recommendations and advice. Any info would be very helpful and appreciated.
If your dogs have done well on bobcat in the snow, in my experience, they will do very well on lion in the snow. In fact, bobcat hunters coming from the Great Lakes areas to hunt lions are sometimes disappointed at how easy it can be for their dogs.
If you have a couple years to prepare, this would be my best advice: try to buy, borrow, or develop a dog that is CHECK BROKE off canines. You only need one that will refuse to go on coyote or wolf.
It is possible you would find a hot lion track in perfect conditions. But it would severely limit you if you require this because of coyote dogs.
In my limited experience, so much of snow lion hunting is cold trailing the cat followed by a jump, followed by a very short race, followed by a tree. Also so much of my experience with coyote races is cold trailing the cat followed by a jump, followed by a coyote race that blows up any chance of catching a cat that day (and maybe that trip).
You might only find one lion track that is workable. You might only get one day during your time off work where the conditions are favorable. You might work your guts out for a week to find that one track. In my opinion, you need that one dog you can rely on to stay hooked on that cold track no matter what. Then, you will have control and then you will know what is going on. You will have different options for strategy. You could send him alone until the jump, or send him with one other dog that would be unlikely to break on its own, or send him with the pack, and fry them if they jump something he won't honor.
If you don't want to do the breaking yourself, I think you could buy a dead broke (check broke) cold trailing coon dog who was young enough for you to get him started on bobcats before you go; for a reasonable price. If you can't afford to keep him then sell him when you get back, and you will have him pictured with a lion, and a couple Michigan bobcats, as a broke coon dog and started cat dog.
Myself, I just would not enjoy the experience very much if every time my dogs jumped off a cold cat track I would have to wonder what it was, and wonder if I might loose my dogs for the day (or days) unless I stopped them; while at the same time wondering if I was about to shock them off the only lion jump of my trip.
I am not saying don't go unless you can do this. Go and learn a ton and have fun doing things however you can. I am just saying I myself would have a hard time enjoying those circumstances.
