It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to chase the elusive mountain lion. Over the last decade or so, I have been blessed to hunt and harvest many first trophies, but to be able to finally get a tag for the coveted lion of the west and book a hunt was a feeling I won’t soon forget.
At this point, I already knew the outfitter I was going to trust to help me achieve my goals. I have hunted with Cody Carr of Cody Carr’s Hunting Adventures in the past for both bear and elk, and he and his guides have earned my respect and trust. They work tirelessly to assure you have a quality experience and an experience-of-a-lifetime. From the booking of my hunt to the time I headed home, we were well taken care of, and for that, I am thankful. If there is one thing that I don’t take for granted, it is a good outfitter and great guides.
One thing I always try to do is include someone in my adventures. I really wanted my dad to be able to tag along and experience this with me. This brought up some uncertainties and a few worries, but after speaking with Cody, he assured me that my dad could do it. My dad was 69 years old, and I know how the mountains of northwest Montana can be. I know they can humble the most in-shape men and make them feel small. Nonetheless, I wanted my dad there, so I decided to ask him and see if he was up for it.
Thankfully, after inviting my dad along on this endeavor, he accepted. As time went on and we were nearing the time of our hunt, we were both getting excited and a bit nervous for the unknown. Not knowing exactly how the weather would be, we packed for all the scenarios. Finally, we were ready to roll. Our hunt was scheduled for February 7, 2019. Living in Iowa and not knowing how road conditions would be, we decided we would fly and save ourselves some trouble. Unfortunately, all we had was trouble with the airlines. First, we sat at the airport the entire day waiting for our airplane to thaw out. That didn’t happen, so we quickly changed flights and made it to Missoula only to find out our hunting gear and my bow were not there. Thankfully, the next morning, our gear did show up and we headed out to hunting camp.
That afternoon, we met up with our host and cook, the guides, and hired hands. We settled into our cabin and started preparing for the hunt. We met our guide, Rob. He was personable and fun to talk to and clearly a tried and true professional. After eating a great meal, we discussed our plan of attack and hit the hay early. We would be getting up at 1:30 a.m., eating a bit of breakfast, and heading out to find a fresh lion track. The air was cold, and the snow was fresh that morning. We made miles and miles with the truck that day. We also took snowmobiles for miles further where we could not access with the truck. We saw many tracks, but mostly deer, elk, and wolf. That first day, we hunted for about 13 hours. By the time we got back to the lodge, we were ready for a big meal and the bed.
Day two brought new hope and excitement. Again, we put on miles and miles, checking areas for a big tom cruising through the night. At about 11:00 a.m., we cut a fresh track from the previous night. Rob assured us it was a big, mature tom by the length of his stride. He also assured us this was a cat we could catch. We loaded up the snowmobiles and loaded the dogs in the cart. We were off to catch this cat! My dad and I were excited and nervous. We collared up all eight dogs and Rob released the hounds. Thunderous barking erupted as they picked up the scent and charged straight up the mountain. Up and up they continued. The higher they got, the more concerned I was that my dad might have to stay behind. After about a 2,000 foot climb in elevation, the big tom started tiring and started back down the hill. After another 20 minutes or so, we confirmed the dogs had the lion treed. I believe God had his hand in this because we were able to take the snow machines to within 300 yards or so of the treed lion. My dad would be able to make this no problem. Rob headed up to find the dogs, and my dad and I got our gear ready and followed a few minutes later. We finally reached the tree and laid eyes on one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in the woods. There, high up in that Montana pine, was a big ol’ tom staring down at us. The dogs were going crazy, and Rob and I were looking at our options for a clean shot. I wanted to take my lion with my bow. Unfortunately, the cat was in no position to get a clean kill with a bow. One of the other guides was heading up the mountain with a rifle I could use if worst came to worst.
As we were assessing the situation, Rob told me to tap on the tree with a stick and see if the lion would adjust positions. After a few taps on the tree, he jumped to another limb and was in textbook position for a bow shot. I drew back with the bow a few times for practice, and we got the video cameras ready. It was time! I drew back, and Rob said “Fire in the hole!" The arrow hit its mark perfectly. The cat stayed in position, and I hit him again. He lunged to another tree, and I released another arrow. Then he came crashing down along with all the snow that was hung in the branches. The dogs went wild. I quickly went to the lion to confirm he was dead. It was celebration time!
A dream was fulfilled. A goal was achieved. I have never been so thankful that my dad was by my side. This was a hunt-of-a-lifetime for us, Not because hunting and killing a mountain lion is so rare, but because we were able to do it together. Not many fathers and sons have that opportunity, and for that, I am thankful.
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