Arizona White Mountain Apache Reservation Mountain Lion

This was my first Mountain Lion Hunt utilizing the benefit of setting dogs on fresh tracks in snow.  After two days of driving roads in temperatures that started respectively at -15 and -19, we could a heatwave and crossed a fresh track when it was 5 degrees at 10:30 in the morning.  We were hunting at over 7500 feet in elevation and the Lions belly made a channel in the deep snow to coincide with his tracks.  The hounds were released and on him immediately.  Our trek on foot up the mountain showed the Lion had bedded down less than 75 yards from the road.  The dogs were able to tree him in less than 10 minutes.  Once tree'd, I was able to get a great angle and place the shot with my Remington Model 700, .22-250 right in the heart.  Great hunt with reservation guide Kelly McBride utilizing Rick Sloans dogs.  Enjoy the photos.