Smoked Mtn. Lion (Cougar)

Maximus1959 · March 01, 2014, 10:03:37 AM

Anyone ever smoked up Cougar meat?

I had a cougar walk into me on opening day of Elk season. Scared the crap out of me (less than 30 feet). I was standing on the edge of some brush watching a couple of deer work their way up the hillside. Heard some brush crackling off to my left. Then a pause, then crashing. Out pops a very large Cougar looking at me dead in the eyes. I raised my 7mm rifle, and bang!

Soon after a couple of hunters walked in to the area. I believe the hunting pressure pushed the Cougar into me. In my 30 years of hunting, I have seen 4 Cougars in Washington State. The first one I saw was in the 1980's standing on a logging road. In 2010 I saw 2 about 1000 yards away hunting along a hillside. The fourth being the one I shot this hunting season. It is pretty rare to see them. In the past hunters could use dogs to hunt them. Washington banned that about 10 years ago. Since, the Cougar population has been going way up. More and more sightings and face to face encounters. A Cougar will kill a about 1 deer every 7 days; thus our deer populations have been dropping. Now we have Wolves, which are rapidly killing off Elk herds. In the past I would probably let the Cougar go, knowing I would probably not eat it. But knowing their population is getting out of control, I decided to harvest him. Now I need to figure out what to do with the meat. I was happy to notch my Cougar tag, but I was more interested in hunting elk. I skinned it, and boned it out. The meat has been in my freezer since late October. I guess people eat it. It doesn't sound very appetizing, but I thought I would put it out in the forum to see if anyone has tried it?

Salmonsmoker · March 01, 2014, 11:02:36 AM

Max, what part of the state is home to you? The rule of hand is predator animals are not usually good table fare for us humans, although I'm sure there are some exceptions. Bear is a little different because it's an omnivore. Wolf(dog) well, some parts of the world. :P :P :P

ragweed · March 01, 2014, 12:30:43 PM

Probably tastes like chicken. But seriously, I recall reading or hearing about eating Mtn. Lion and that it was good. If I can get that brain cell working again, I'll get back to you.

RedJada · March 01, 2014, 03:44:57 PM

When I live in northern AZ, Did a lot of deer/elk hunting. Every year I would come across a mountain lion. Got chased up a tree once, way up the tree. It's illegal to shoot without proper tags/licenses. Not sure where your from to be able to do that....

pokermeister · March 02, 2014, 09:51:28 AM

I am sure that however you cook it, it will have some bite (I couldn't resist) ::) ::)

hutcho · March 02, 2014, 10:20:38 AM

I remember reading somewhere that its really good.

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Maximus1959 · March 02, 2014, 02:18:19 PM

Quote from: Salmonsmoker on March 01, 2014, 11:02:36 AM
Max, what part of the state is home to you? The rule of hand is predator animals are not usually good table fare for us humans, although I'm sure there are some exceptions. Bear is a little different because it's an omnivore. Wolf(dog) well, some parts of the world. :P :P :P

I live in Graham, which is in the Southeast Tacoma area. I shot it over in Yakima area.

Maximus1959 · March 02, 2014, 02:28:08 PM

Quote from: RedJada on March 01, 2014, 03:44:57 PM
When I live in northern AZ, Did a lot of deer/elk hunting. Every year I would come across a mountain lion. Got chased up a tree once, way up the tree. It's illegal to shoot without proper tags/licenses. Not sure where your from to be able to do that....

You can hunt them from September 1st-March 31st in Washington State, which is where I live and hunt. You can purchase a tag over the counter. You don't have to be drawn. You cannot use dogs to hunt them during the general season.

The state of Washington offers a special tag to hunt them with dogs, which is extremely limited. It takes several years of applying before you will get drawn it (around 10 years average).
.
Hunters are fighting to bring back the use of dogs during the general season, due to the population getting out of control. Cougars are now competing with Wolves for food. Some Cougars are showing up in heavily populated areas around Seattle to feed off pets etc. An 11 year old girl shot one last week, after it attempted to attack her 4 year old brother. The Cougar was way malnourished.

Wolves are the bigger problem around my parts. They are federally protected and not allowed to be hunted in Washington State. They have a limited quota hunt in Montana and Idaho, which is where they are moving in from.

Salmonsmoker · March 02, 2014, 07:11:19 PM

Quote from: Maximus1959 on March 02, 2014, 02:18:19 PM
Quote from: Salmonsmoker on March 01, 2014, 11:02:36 AM
Max, what part of the state is home to you? The rule of hand is predator animals are not usually good table fare for us humans, although I'm sure there are some exceptions. Bear is a little different because it's an omnivore. Wolf(dog) well, some parts of the world. :P :P :P

I live in Graham, which is in the Southeast Tacoma area. I shot it over in Yakima area.

Been through there several times. Worked on a school in the '80s.

Maximus1959 · March 02, 2014, 10:37:35 PM

Lake Stevens is a nice area. I have lived all over the Seattle/Bellevue/Redmond area, but I grew up around the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma.

rajzer · March 02, 2014, 10:44:32 PM

I guess if you eat cats then a cougar might be good. I hear it can be tasty if cubed and prepared like sweet and sour ribs.

Salmonsmoker · March 03, 2014, 08:21:55 AM

Quote from: Maximus1959 on March 02, 2014, 10:37:35 PM
Lake Stevens is a nice area. I have lived all over the Seattle/Bellevue/Redmond area, but I grew up around the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma.

I've done a couple of drift dives in the Tacoma narrows and under the bridge. Kind of like a horizontal parachute dive freefall in the water. The current smokes through there.

Grouperman941 · March 03, 2014, 08:50:06 AM

I was a little afraid of what I might find when searching 'eating cougar' but I turned up quite a few threads on forums, including these:

http://www.outdoorlife.com/answers/survival/food-water/my-question-can-people-eat-cougars-are-they-edible-deer-rabbits-and-turk

http://ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=236347

Salmonsmoker · March 03, 2014, 12:12:03 PM

Good post grouper, it looks like it needs to be thoroughly cooked like pork because of toxoplasmosis, but those who dined on it said it has good flavor.

Smokesmore · March 03, 2014, 04:24:00 PM

What did the DNR say about shooting it? I suppose if you felt you were in danger (with 30 yards being a blink and he's on you) you would be ok. I'm in ND and they only offer a limited amount of Cougar tags so obviously laws are different. Either way that is pretty crazy.

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