How to Legally Hunt Cougar
Game hunters who want to challenge their skills and capture big game should consider cougar hunting. Cougars live largely in the American West and offer a heightened sense of danger for hunters used to docile prey. Your safety during a cougar hunt rests entirely on your adherence to state and federal hunting regulations.
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Things You'll Need
- Cougar tags
- Big-game hunting license
- Non-toxic ammo
- Big-game training sessions
- Hunting portfolio
- Hunting dog handler
Instructions
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Write out appropriate information on cougar tags in order to claim your prey legally. You can get a head start on tags before you leave your home by filling in contact information with permanent marker. It is critical that you report tags immediately to a field agent to avoid problems as you leave the hunting area.
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2
Purchase a big-game license if you intend to hunt cougars legally in your state. Big-game licenses are more expensive than small-game permits and require some certification by the applicant that he is aware of the risks of hunting large animals.
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Hire a trained hunting dog handler to help you during your hunt for the elusive cougar. Most states with cougar seasons allow at least one dog handler to help you keep your dog healthy and ready to track down traces of a cougar's presence.
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4
Utilize large ammo with non-toxic casings to participate in a cougar hunt legally and humanely. Your ammo must meet minimum legal requirements to provide a kill shot without excessive pain to the animal. Lead and other environmentally dangerous casings have been outlawed in most states.
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Maintain a portfolio of cougar sightings, hunting party activity and other points of interest throughout your trip. Some states require a daily log of activity, but every hunter should track his activities in case of problems with tag registration and processing.
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Gather your friends and family for big-game training sessions in your area to find out how to hunt cougar legally. Members of your annual hunting party should have the same level of information to enhance good judgment in the wild.
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Arrange your transportation needs around the cougar hunting regulations within your state. You can hitch a ride with a wildlife agent or fellow riders after you drop your car off to minimize traffic in the hunting area.
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Tips & Warnings
Monitor changes in kill quotas during cougar seasons to stay ahead of changes in bag limits. Wildlife agents look at daily tag registrations and population trends to adjust the maximum limits allowed for each hunter. You should look for unlimited hunting sessions mandated by the state that allow hunters to kill cougars until seasonal population numbers are reached.
