badshot
02-21-2013, 00:27
For those interested these photos represent a normal pattern of a Lion kill feeding pattern over three days. If you are in an area that allows the take of Lion, not being seen and calling near a kill the first couple of days can be productive.
Couple of things to note:
This Lion's covering attempts were minimum.
Normal behavior after the kill is to gut it, eat the lungs, heart, and liver and drag/bring the carcass somewhere else to hide the smell. Bring means carry, this one produced no drag marks. They then normally start on the rear legs then the front shoulder if still hungry, bury it and return to feed again later. Upon first discovering this site the lion (later determined to be a male) jumped from a nearby tree and took off (not a good time to call).
Notice how clean the bone is, they lick the bone clean, they lick the hair off too before biting into the skin. Personally like the hair off myself...
On the third day they may return for a short feeding depending on several factors.
Photo of Wolf print taken on third day (size 10 ½ boot), lion apparently moved on before the snow.
(Photos are in order of days, first photo day 1, second day 2, etc)
How to find kills (as per wife):
Look for mounds of debris under trees, boulder fields, near downed trees, or under cliff ledges. I have found most kill sites to be near ridge lines or around the center of half bowl shaped mountains, though have found many in oak brush that you have crawl through to find them. This one was found on moderately steep mixed rocky/dirt terrain in flattened area (ledge) of the slope, about 25 yards below the ridge line in Montana on 2/7/13,
Couple of things to note:
This Lion's covering attempts were minimum.
Normal behavior after the kill is to gut it, eat the lungs, heart, and liver and drag/bring the carcass somewhere else to hide the smell. Bring means carry, this one produced no drag marks. They then normally start on the rear legs then the front shoulder if still hungry, bury it and return to feed again later. Upon first discovering this site the lion (later determined to be a male) jumped from a nearby tree and took off (not a good time to call).
Notice how clean the bone is, they lick the bone clean, they lick the hair off too before biting into the skin. Personally like the hair off myself...
On the third day they may return for a short feeding depending on several factors.
Photo of Wolf print taken on third day (size 10 ½ boot), lion apparently moved on before the snow.
(Photos are in order of days, first photo day 1, second day 2, etc)
How to find kills (as per wife):
Look for mounds of debris under trees, boulder fields, near downed trees, or under cliff ledges. I have found most kill sites to be near ridge lines or around the center of half bowl shaped mountains, though have found many in oak brush that you have crawl through to find them. This one was found on moderately steep mixed rocky/dirt terrain in flattened area (ledge) of the slope, about 25 yards below the ridge line in Montana on 2/7/13,