I missed this post before.
Nice mount and good story too. I took one in my life time, with a T/C carbine in 30/30. That was overshadowed the next day when I took the only mountain lion of life, but together they make up one of my life's great memories.
Thank you for sharing and for all the nice pics of S&W's over the years. I love mine too.
Hello siskiyous6
Thanks for the Kind words I Certainly appreciate it. I am very pleased with the mount and will never forget the harvest like you, it was
intense and a challenge that only those of us who have been lucky enough to harvest one can Know how it really feel's.The taking of this cat with
"a hand gun" was the Icing on the cake to have it in that close is a definite thrill and head rush to say the least, & Let's face it these aint Tame house cat's and they can be very unpredictable in the wild when they are out in broad daylight hunting food, it is Certainly not normal of any wild cat to hunt in Daylight hours, so I knew he had to go.
Wild Cat's as we call them here in
East Tennessee differ in looks, proportions and profile from Wild Cats in other geographical locations throughout the United States. According to our Local Fish & Game department personnel, they say Ours seem to
lack the Black High Ear Tuff Hair and Heavy Black Cheek Tuff Hair seen on other cats else where in the United States. This Cat has been viewed after it was harvested by several of the Local Tennessee Wildlife game officers and all agreed that it was one of the largest ones they had ever seen taken in Tennessee, and three of the Officers that looked it over mentioned it may very well be a Mountain lion mix due to it's size and facial feature's that they said resemble a Mountain lion more so than a Bob Cat.
In closing here, it is also Nice to respond to
another Hunter or other hunter's that are members here that have actually
Harvested one of these Cat's, & that care's enough to openly share their hunting experience & harvest results Rather than to respond with Cheap
Rude, Arm Chair Expert remarks that with me fell on Deaf Ears as I don't see any of theirs, or hear how they took one up close and Personal with a Hand Gun & it is rude remarks or responses like those posted earlier in my thread that remind me quickly of what my Father always said while raising me at a very Tender age being that
"The Most Noise Always comes from the Emptiest Drum", 
I Guess I was Just raised the right way, being taught, & corrected along the way that if I didn't have something
nice or positive to say to someone, that I was to have the
Class & Manners to Just keep it to myself ! Too Bad not everyone in today's world is that Polite, & It is Often that Rude remarks like those that were posted that Kill Threads and good future gun forum discussion, I Guess the posters
"Forgot" The forum Rule's" about this type of Rude behavior, or Lighting the fuse for a Flame War in other's threads is not wanted in the best interest of this forum, & often ruins a Good Forum.
The guy that Mounted this Cat has done many hundreds of them in the past from all over the United States & Canada and all that he has mounted them for have been very pleased with his work, including myself, and several of them have won awards from his realistic mounts, so hearing this from previous customer's of his was good enough for me to give him the job of mounting mine. Getting Back to the scope of this thread Most recently, I have a line on an area that has a Pocket of
Rare Large Black Fox squirrels in it, and I hope to hunt it soon to add one to
my Wild Cat's Paws finishing off the mount. To you and many of the other respectful forum members in this thread Thanks again for the pleasant responses, I just wanted to share the hunt here...Have your
got any pictures of your Cats that you have harvested ? I sure would love to see them or other's Harvested wild cats in this thread, and hear of how they took them, where they were taken and what guns they used to do so. Thegeneral
