# lion shot on 1st day of Utah deer hunt



## HuntingCrazy (Sep 8, 2007)

What do you guys think about this?
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8404242


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## Oaks (Nov 16, 2007)

Whenever I hear a story like this the first thing that pops in my head is guilty until proven innocent. Thank goodness the hunter was able to show proof of what took place. Sure he is a potential poacher but I think I would be afraid to report it to the fish and game.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Interesting story. If the DWR says it was self-defense, so be it. The DWR officers over here are thorough, do a good job. 

Too bad about the kittens and I suppose the meat went to waste.


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## HuntingCrazy (Sep 8, 2007)

Oaks said:


> Whenever I hear a story like this the first thing that pops in my head is guilty until proven innocent. Thank goodness the hunter was able to show proof of what took place. Sure he is a potential poacher but I think I would be afraid to report it to the fish and game.


My dad has a buddy who was hunting in unfamiliar terrain when he shot a lion (years ago) that he thought was going to chase him. He left the lion there and continued on hunting deer. He reported it when he got off the mountain and the warden asked him to take him back to the lion the next day. He took the warden back to the area where he had shot it, but they could not located the lion. The warden then told him that he could not give him a citation since they couldn't locate the lion. :shock: Needless to say, my dad's buddy was ticked...here he thought he was helping the warden, when the warden was planning all along to give him a citation for an illegal kill.
That's messed up.
That's why I hear so many people say, if you do kill a lion, keep it to yourself!


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2009)

I too had a run in with a lion this year. At least I think that is what it was. I never actually saw it. I was hiking up through some timber, in the dark about 6:00am, and about a mile from my car, when I heard what I can only describe as a "hissing growl" about 15 feet away from me. Scared the CRAP out of me! I only had a small LED flashlight but when I shined it in the direction of the sound I thought I saw eyes reflecting the light for a split second. Then I heard some leaves crunching. Whatever it was it sounded like a cat, but I guess it could have been a big bobcat. Kinda doubt it though. It sounded big. Then again, everything sounds big and scary when you are alone in the back country and it is dark. I was glad I had my 1911 on my hip! I immediately took it out of the holster and did not put it back in until the sun was up!


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## HuntingCrazy (Sep 8, 2007)

There is now a video of this on the ksl page. Guy says he is terrified to go hunting now, but he wants the DWR to give him the pelt!


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Yeah Huntingcrazy I know what you are talking about. I have heard waaaay too many stories about people getting stabbed in the back by the DWR for crap like that. I would be very hesitant to report something like that to the DWR.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Sounds to me the state needs to issue more cat tags. We are seeing alot more situations like this and it worries me to take my 9 yr old daughter into the hills at times.


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## bossloader (Sep 11, 2007)

While on the muzzy hunt we were hunting han**** flats and we seen 4 does walk across the road 30 yards from us and behind them a young cat 4 feet long around 100 pounds was my guess i so wanted to shoot but we scared it good and in was gone.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Bo0YaA said:


> Sounds to me the state needs to issue more cat tags. We are seeing alot more situations like this and it worries me to take my 9 yr old daughter into the hills at times.


BoOYaA,, Just go buy one. The state has 47 cougar units, 36 of them have harvest
objective opportunity with unlimited tags....very few even fill there quota,they don't close. 
15 of them are open to year round hunting.........Issue more cat tags?

And for the record, I don't believe for one second that guy had to shoot that cat,,
he just did not know the right things to do.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

he just did not know the right things to do.
What is the right thing to do when a cat is 21 ft away and crouched?


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

He could have holard and waved his arms, and actually take a step or two toward it,
If that failed, fire a round in the dirt directly in front,,,99.9%of the time, even with kittens
near by,,,,,That cat is LOOOOOOG GONE.....

Ive had a cat crouched inside 10 feet, with no gun or dogs that day,,A stick worked.

But again, I've been around literally 100s of lions in my life, and know how they react.

If you want to read some funny stuff,,go to MM and read what those guys think about it.

Oh and bearsbutt,,,sent ya a PM.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

I had no idea there were so many opportunities to take cats. Ive never been a fan of hunting apex predators, I figure they have a hard enough time surviving on there own (in most cases). 

For those of us who do not know how the cats respond, its real easy when confronted by one and you have a gun just to put any doubt to rest by aiming and pulling the trigger. I know that encroachment playes a big factor in a lot of the encounters but not seemingly this one. I guess all I can say is they are neat to see from a distance, but if one ever comes near me or any member of my family in a threatening manor, that's one less cat on the hill regardless of what I "could" have done to scare it off.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Personally, I'm scared of them sharp, pointy things on top of some deer's head. In fact, the bigger and more pronounced those pointy things are the scareder I become. Sure I could stand up and wave my arms in an attempt to drive it off, but what if it calls my bluff and decides to attack?? When it comes to my own safety, why take the chance?? 

BANG, BANG!


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Kevin D said:


> Personally, I'm scared of them sharp, pointy things on top of some deer's head. In fact, the bigger and more pronounced those pointy things are the scareder I become. Sure I could stand up and wave my arms in an attempt to drive it off, but what if it calls my bluff and decides to attack?? When it comes to my own safety, why take the chance??
> 
> BANG, BANG!


No doubt Kev,,,,,,,It's them big stinky rutting bulls that I want " self defence" against!

Now seriously,,It lions wanted to attack humans,,,game over! you would not see it coming.

And on another note,, If, or should I say when, the wolves show up and establish
"home turf",,,,,,That's when you wont be able to let the dogs and kids out to play.

The danger that is mythed around mountain lions is WAY over rated.


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

Bo0YaA said:


> Sounds to me the state needs to issue more cat tags. We are seeing alot more situations like this and it worries me to take my 9 yr old daughter into the hills at times.


+1


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## REPETER (Oct 3, 2007)

On the way home from Sheep Creek opening morning passing near your house I believe-Goofy Elk, where they are doing the construction at the mouth of SF canyon, I was stopped by the flagger and looked up the side of the hill and saw a young cougar bounce between some rocks and brush and disappear. Couldn't have been more than 150 yds from the main road and all those people there working, but it was there just the same.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

torowy said:


> Bo0YaA said:
> 
> 
> > Sounds to me the state needs to issue more cat tags. We are seeing alot more situations like this and it worries me to take my 9 yr old daughter into the hills at times.
> ...


Just so everyone is clear, New Canyon, where this incident took place, is part of the Cache unit. Because the deer herd has consistantly failed to meet management objectives, the Cache unit has been a cougar harvest objective unit since the mid 90's. In other words, there are an unlimited number of over the counter tags issued for the unit. But just so you know, that other than the first couple years, the harvest objective quota has never been met despite the unit getting pounded by hunters desperate to fill their tags.

So go ahead and buy a bunch of lion tags for the unit guys, the DWR would love to sell them to you. Just don't be too disappointed when you find there is a lot of empty country between tracks.


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