USA: Arizona Dry Ground Mountain Lion February 2021 With Seven Anchor Outfitters

[M Whitley]

Just getting around to posting my hunt report from February 2021, I did this same hunt in February 2020 just before the China virus showed up. In 2020 we hunted hard for four days running a cat the last day that would not tree and just kept running, a smart old cat I would imagine. The 5th and final day in 2020 it rained hard so I changed my flight and went back home. Logan Anderson who owns 7 Anchors Outfitters made me great deal to come back again in 2021 and was sincerely disappointed that we did not kill in 2020.

 

[M Whitley]

Sunday - 2/7/2021
On the plane to Phoenix to meet Logan Anderson with 7 Anchors Outfitters. 60’s and sunshine all week chance of a little rain Friday my last day. Just like last year. Single digits back home all week. Excited to get back after a mountain lion and ride through the mountains.
Upon arrival in Phoenix, I have to get by Cabela’s and grab a license so I’m legal.

Arrived at Logan’s place around 5:30 pm and everything is about the same here. Says he has taken 8 hunters so far this year and lion sign is the best he has seen in a while. Hopeful for this hunt and excited to get back out there in the mountains on the horse.
Dinner with Logan and his family at 6:30.
Dinner was pot roast that they had butchered a couple weeks ago from some of their cattle. He said he usually sells the calves as yearlings but because of the drought the past year he sold some early as there wasn’t enough browse for them.
Says 2” of rain from April 2020 until January 2021.
We are meeting at the truck at 6 am for day one. Logan, myself and Logan’s ranch hand also named Logan.

 

[M Whitley]

Monday - 2/8/2021 Day 1
Up earlier than I should be, 5th wheel is comfortable and clean. Logan says drive is less than an hour this morning.
We arrived at the ranch and got situated. My horses name is Clancy but Logan 2 told me it was Curtis by mistake. Was a running joke all day about the horses name.
13 miles up and around the mountain. No lion but I’m hopeful we will get a Tom shortly. Got back to the ranch at 4, my body is a little sore from riding all day.

Tuesday - 2/9/2021 Day 2
Logan said we are going to some rougher country today he hasn’t been able to hunt because most of his hunters can’t stay in the saddle as good as I can. He’s excited to hunt there today.
Meeting at the truck at 6 am to head out.
We drive back towards Wickenburg about 30 minutes and onto flying u ranch. We ride into the mountains in the cold air and it does look much rougher than anywhere else I have been. If they bay a cat up in the mountains, we will be doing some rock climbing for sure.

As we get to the top of the first hill, we find a deer kill. About a week old. We find several female tracks and one Tom track walking the road.
The dogs start off pretty good on the Tom track and cover a half mile pretty quick. We ride up and watch and listen as they go over a mountain that is too tough for us to follow. We head around the mountain and sure enough the dogs have gone back over to where we were.
We ride back around at a trot the whole time even a lope for a short distance and get up where we can see the dogs. Logan says there he is!
You could see the cat slipping around the boulders ahead of the dogs. Then a few minutes later you could see the cat all the way at the top of the mountain on a Boulder. We ride as high up the mountain as we can and jump off the horses. Grab the gun and start climbing up. Physically challenging climbing that mountain. We get to the top even with the Boulder the cat is on and all we can see is his head. Logan says do you mind head shooting him?
I tell him I don’t care and shoulder the rifle. Just as I’m going to shoot the cat takes a step or two towards us and turns giving me his right shoulder. I squeeze the trigger and you could see the blood explode out of his body. The cat was dead when he hit the ground. Logan and Logan run down to get him before the dogs can and I took my sweet time getting down.
I get over to the cat and Logan says man he’s an old cat Mark. All four canines broken. Missing claws and scared up face. Logan says I’m glad you didn’t head shoot him I bet he goes Boone and Crockett.
Back to the house we online check my lion and have some pizza after skinning the cat out. Meeting game agent at 9:30 am and I changed my flight to leave Phoenix at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday - 2/10/2021 Day 3
Later wake up today we left for Prescott about 8:30 am and met the game agent at 9:30 am he checked the cat. Pulled a tooth and said it’s the oldest one he has seen all year, 10 plus years.
Went by store and got a Plano tote, Logan is going to freeze cape and ship UPS Monday to Animal Artistry in Reno. Went back to Logan’s and settled up $ before I hit the road to Phoenix.
All in all, a great experience tough hunt even for two days physically I’m sore all over from riding and climbing to the shot. An experience that will be remembered forever.

 

[M Whitley]

 

[M Whitley]

 

[M Whitley]

 

[M Whitley]

 

[kdenn]

thanks for sharing your hunt. great cat.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Well done!

 

[Ridgewalker]

M Whitley, am I ever envious! You found a real trophy of an old rugged lion!
Congratulations and thanks for sharing your adventure!

 

[Firebird]

That can be a tough hunt-congrats on a great old Tom. Lots of space between the ears as well as front to back-hope you get to immortalize him in the record book!

 

[M Whitley]

That can be a tough hunt-congrats on a great old Tom. Lots of space between the ears as well as front to back-hope you get to immortalize him in the record book!

I think the best part was we were down at the truck loading the horses and the rancher came down in his truck. Probably a 70 plus year old broken down cowboy and thanked me. Said he loses 10-15% of his calf’s to the lions in that area.

 

[buckmarkhunter]

Awesome hunt, congrats

 

[Bhfs300]

View attachment 400509View attachment 400510

Great photo of the mount lion!!

 

[gillettehunter]

Very nice. Good job going back and getting your cat. Congrats
Bruce

 

[M Whitley]

Very nice. Good job going back and getting your cat. Congrats
Bruce

Thank you and it was an amazing hunt both times!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

@M Whitley , what an awesome hunting experience! I think this is the fourth report on 7 Anchors Outfitters and they appear to do a great job with mountain lion hunts. It appears you used a lever action rifle. Can you tell us a bit more about the rifle and the shot distance, etc. I want to do this hunt in the next couple of years! I have an old Win Mod 94 in 30-30 that I'd probably use. Reading your report makes me want to get the 30-30 out of the safe, dust it off and take it to the range.

 

[M Whitley]

@M Whitley , what an awesome hunting experience! I think this is the fourth report on 7 Anchors Outfitters and they appear to do a great job with mountain lion hunts. It appears you used a lever action rifle. Can you tell us a bit more about the rifle and the shot distance, etc. I want to do this hunt in the next couple of years! I have an old Win Mod 94 in 30-30 that I'd probably use. Reading your report makes me want to get the 30-30 out of the safe, dust it off and take it to the range.

Logan Anderson of 7 Anchors and his family are great people. The rifle I shot was Logan's 30-30, just an old beat up cowboy lion gun, LOL.

When the lion was bayed on top of the boulder we rode as high as we could up the mountain and then climbed up to the top of the mountain. It was physically challenging! Once up top we got in a position where we could see the lion for the shot which was probably 18-20 yards at best. That old 30-30 did the trick and lion was dead before he hit the ground below the boulder.

It was such a great experience I would without a doubt do it again and plan to go back with 7 Anchors once I finish the Big 5.

 

[Mort Hill]

Great hunt, cat, picture and story!

 

[rinehart0050]

Nice old cat! Congrats!