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I've been hunting hard trying to get me a lion, guess I'm a little impatient not wanting to wait for snow. Found what I thought was a fresh track today but the dogs wouldn't take it. Just wondering if any of you dry ground guys have any pointers on finding lions in hot dry conditions.

It likely was not a fresh as it looked... I have found it hard to age tracks in dry sand unless you have had some wind to soften the edges. An older track 1-2 days old can look just a few hours old. Plus once the sun is climbing past mid morning the heat and dry air can age the trail fast, by drying up the scent.

Tips humm well... Get out there as early as its legal to beat the heat and bring lots of water for the dogs if there are no waterholes in the area. If they are hot and dry its going to be hard for them to trail even a few hours old track. You will just have to hope you hit the trail at the right spot before the heat of the day has burnt it off.

Also don't be afraid to walk the tracks out with the dogs if you can see it, even if they can't smell it very well. You may get lucky and the lion is laid up within a mile or two. If you lose the track just keep going in the same direction but hit likely lay up spots. Cover on hill sides or bluffs. Can be a big solo tree or rocky outcropping ect where the lion can watch the hillside below but be in shade. He may see you coming and slip out but not to worry cause the dogs, if they are any good, will smell where he was laying and then the chase is on!

I have had the best luck by locating kills, even older ones. Keep checking those kill sites, many times you will find multiple kills and sooner or later a fresh one in the same area. If there is still meat on the bones and its covered, hit that kill site early in the morning just as its getting light and you will have a good chance of catching it before the dry heat burns off the scent.

Good luck out there and remember even if you don't see a lion you and the dogs got plenty of good exercise

I've been getting out before sun up and checking on some travel areas I've seen sign in before. I totally agree on the track being older then i thought, it was a pretty sheltered canyon area. Thank you very much for the advice, I'm going to walk the tracks more with my dogs. Being out there is the best part of this deal and the more I'm out the better the chances. Thanks again

Each lion track you find is sort of like a country song, it tells you a story. Problem is at times it is just not a very good story. LOL!


Have fun!

Mike, I think I'm getting a "best of billy ray cirus" repeat so far. Only story I got from these tracks was my mullet isn't cool enough. Lion was hungry though, followed deer tracks for a long ways. Caught a little bit of the story but a few days too late.

had the same problem in arizona found a night old track about 1pm and even we couldnt move it very far, its worse in northern nevada, instantly hot when the sun comes out and the scent is gone, even when it was in the 70s the dogs could only trail this cat in the shade and would lose it in the sun. the moisture is in the track at night which holds scent but when the sun and dry air hit the moisture evaporates and takes the scent with it. I know the lion track was not very old cause it rained that night and no water drop marks on the track and it was a good tom

I'm planning on giving all the suggestions and tips a go this weekend, I appreciate the advice and plan on giving it a hell of a go. I'm new to this but have been hunting for years. I'm all about the hunt, not the catch! I'm determined to get me a dry ground lion before the snow flys. J.t., I'm still up for coming out your way and wearing out my boots after the deer and elk take a dirt nap. Good luck and thanks.

im determined to get another dry ground cat too, my muzzloader hunt starts sept 10th, im going to lion hunt the whole time but if i come across a decent buck i will switch over let me know when you are out this way.

J.t. I will for sure, love your area. I'm doin a combo hunt too. Trying to get a lion in the same area I have a deer tag, hunting and scouting. I'm pretty big on bird hunting too, dove opens tomorrow but I've seen plenty of Chukar and mt. Quail in the last month to make a great bird season too. It's about being out in the mountains.

Here on the coast we dont have dry ground like what you have there, But in the summer months when conditions are bad just hearing a slow babbling race is a step in the right direction even if it dosent produce a tree or even a good jump, letting the dogs work that tough track is going to pay off big once conditions get better. One thing to think about, I have went into summer months with very honest young dogs, Only to find out the hard way I had let and probably even encouraged my young dogs on off game. Once better trailing conditions came it was easy to recognise. Young dogs want to run, lack of scent frustrates them. Its very tempting for them to find a track they can move. Hope this helps, have a good day. Thank you. John.

So, I definately got some exercise this weekend. Didnt get to do all I planned on but did find a fresh track early Monday morning, walked it out with the dogs until we just couldn't trail it anymore. Lost it on the sunny side of the mountain in a rocky ridge. All in all im learning and beat the crap outta myself this weekend. It's bound to happen, even if it is the bumble effect "bumble around enough, your gonna bumble into something!"

Haha right on. Keep it up, my trip went good, bummer I couldn't get you that dog. Looks like your going to get yourself that dry grounder if you keep at it the way you are.

it definitely sucks but you know where the cats are and soon enough you will get lucky

Sounds like you had a good time and I bet those dogs learned something even if you didn't catch. If it was easy everyone would be doing it Maybe next time that cat will be layed up closer to where you cross his track and you will get em!

Good luck out there.