I am seriously considering spending a lot of time this fall/winter trying to call in a lion in southern CO. I know an area with a good population of them and have been in contact with the game warden for that area and he says it is definitely possible in that area. I've done my fair share of calling in coyotes, foxes and bobcats but have never targeted lion. Does anyone have any experience with this? I am not allowed to use electronic calls in that area so it has to be mouth blown calls. Just not sure what would be best, rabbit? Deer in distress? Or something else. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Most likely rabbits.

The fawns doesnt distress call anymore in fall/winter up there. Theyll be too old.

Im completely guessing though, but it works for bobcats down here. Whatever they're hunting in the season.

Sit with your back to a big tree.

I have called two with the Mini Blaster and my son, Steve has called one with the Mini Blaster as well.
Adios,
Gary

I'd go with fawn in distress, they eat more deer than rabbits.
They come in quiet too, keep your head on a swivel.
Can be spooky when a big cat comes in on your calling setup. They are sneaky.
Pick up a b ear tag also, you can call them in as well.
Be a pretty neat double to get a black bear and a mt lion by calling.

I have called in several, while calling for bears with my muzzleloader. Unfortunately, our lion season closes on March 31st, and all of our spring bears are in May or early June. I typically call around our elk calving grounds, and use a lot of cow and calf elk sounds. fawn in distress would be the same. I call in Oct when our bear and lion season is open, and dogs prohibited but they are much more skittish then with all the hunters out for archery or rifle seasons

Rabbit.

I did it in with an elk bugle in Sept. I’ve blown alot of fawn in distress during sept bear rifle and have called in a few sows with cubs and a small boars but not cats yet with it, or atleast what I have seen

from my experiene calling is hard because its a long game not a short game like with yotes or bears. got to be overly patient.

Didn't a member on here call one in using a mating call during the breeding season?

There is a website that specializes in this:
https://rain-shadow.com/cougar-calling-stories-2

I printed out the entire info and put it in a binder- sort of a book. Both New Mexico and Arizona have fairly affordable fees for cougar. I've thought about a cougar hunt. Camp out, call morning and sundown, bird hunt mid day. NM and AZ- less rain, warmer, etc.

I'm still sort of "on the fence" about the success of calling. Dogs would be best but the price is high.

The highest lion population that I am aware of is the area around SW Colorado. My oldest son was hunting muleys up there and saw two different lions on back to back days. Lots of lion sign as well. If I was going to try to call a lion with a hand call, I would get a permit for that area and a Mini Blaster.
Adios,
Gary

Thanks- good to know.

Back in the day, we had good success calling Bobcats with portable cassette player hooked to a bullhorn speaker and a woodpecker squeak (Burnham Brothers recording maybe) along Walnut Creek.
One night we called in a mountain lion with it that got within 35-40 yards and was coming hard until my buddy screamed "OH [censored]" rather loudly as he jumped up.
We were all too stunned to take a good shot.
They say they aren't in this area but I know quite a few people that have seen them, one chicken farmer in particular who caught one in a box trap and called TWP.

Up here in Montana we have had an alarming number of bowhunters inadvertently call in lions using cow elk calls. I would try that but tune the call down to sound more like a calf.

The interesting thing about the lion we called for CARIVORE was that she stayed around on the open prairie for over 5 and a half minutes even after getting my scent off the FREQ.
To use a phrase similar to James Carville, who I despised, "It's the economy stupid". With the FREQ "It's the frequency stupid"...the only way to improve sound quality.
Adios,
Gary

I watched the that yesterday, was quite a show for sure. I had recorded it. Looked like a lot of fun!

A few years back a couple guys called one in in West Texas using a mountain lion in heat call. They were at the end of a stand, and turned it on as a joke, and the lion came charging in.

The guide I had on a mountain lion hunt said he has called some in using the same wounded/distressed critter sounds he uses for coyotes. That was in SW CO and we saw 7 different lion tracks in 2 days, it was shortly after a heavy snow storm so it pushed all the game down off the mountains.

I have called up three other lions over the years, but all were in darkness as lions are basically nocturnal. Murry Burnham told me many times that if he was targeting a lion that he would not start hunting until after midnight and then hunt until almost daylight.
To call that old female out into the wide open in the daylight was extremely rare and then to have her hang around for 5 and a half minutes, even more rare.
Adios,
Gary

Cut a fresh track in the snow, follow it, and call. Odds would be decent. I know a guy that did it in Nevada.

Can anyone find this? I know it was on THF that I saw this but I'm not that good with the search function.