Bootie's first bobcat!

[huntingfool]

Well my wife and daughter left me for 5 days to visit grandma so since I had the morning off I figured today was as good as any to start the season. My dog Bootie used to go out hiking and squirrel hunting with me all the time when we lived in Flagstaff but now we don;t get out much and I was feeling guilty. I promised I'd take her out during dove season but it didn't happen last year and I think she was done hearing excuses. Anyway, we headed out to a spot relatively close to home and I thought I'd give her a shot at predator hunting. I hadn't been out since march and was chomping at the bit to go calling. Here's how it went down.

 

Stand 1:

We got a late start (thought I missed my turn, delayed us) so I turned off on a dirt road earlier than usual. Bery thick palo verdes and cholla. Bootie ran in front of the truck like the good old days. She did what I expected on stand. Milled around eating grass and digging, ten yards away or less. I had high hopes for the first stand and it looked good but nothing doing.

 

Stand 2:

Around ten minutes in Bootie saw something behind me, she was growling and all ancy. Finally I got up and swung around the tree but didn't see anything. Wind was blowing that way, whatever it was must have smelled me. Here is "The Boot" in action:

 

Stand 3:

At 8 minutes or so I see a coyote coming thru the brush but held up at about 80 yards out of shotgun range. I think it saw Bootie, she was taking a break in front of me, but it never came in. It was upwind and I don;t think it saw me, but didn't take the bait (Bootie)

 

Stand 4:

One of those stands where the set-up was bad and I should have just gone back to the truck. I brought my rifle but it was too thick. Found a nice 4-point muley shed though:)

 

Stand 5:

This was gonna be the last anyway, I was sweating in my heavy field pants. There were some clouds blocking the sun but still getting kinda toasty. Bootie was tired by this time and was just laying next to me watching our backside. I started off with the green lil' dog mouthpiece, and switched to the TT extreme after about 5 minutes. Ten minutes in or so I'm slowly scanning the bushes around me, I'd had that "something is here" type of feeling for a few minutes. Sure enough, 90 degrees to my left I see a kitty face at about 30 yards. I slowly leveled my 870 at her and let some go. She levitated like 6 feet in the air, then began swatting her face. I knew she was hit well but kept flinging buckshot at her. Finally I ran down there and she laid up under a palo verde. My fourth shot was true and she was done. Heck of a way to start the season!

Bootie was fairly entertained but not too excited:

Needless to say I'm a happy camper. This is my second cat and my first with hand calls. It was just like old times with too, Bootie loved the trip. Feels GREAT, thanks Tony for the call!

[Guest 300ultramag.]

love bobcats.... good job...

 

keep ur shotgun action off the dirt!!!

 

 

 

thanks for the post

[thegunsmith2506]

Nice cat! congrats!!!!!!!!

 

[bonecollector]

Nice cat like all the spots.

[MangeyJoe]

Nice SEXY Bobcat!!! My Favorite Predator

[josh]

Good job on the cat.

I know it is hard but you guys should try to lay off killing those cats this time of year. In a couple of months that same cat that is worth nothing right now could be worth a couple hundred bucks with the right handling of that pelt. I will show you how to put that fur up so you could makes some $$ this season.

[huntingfool]

I know it is hard but you guys should try to lay off killing those cats this time of year. In a couple of months that same cat that is worth nothing right now could be worth a couple hundred bucks with the right handling of that pelt. I will show you how to put that fur up so you could makes some $$ this season.

 

It did occur to me before I went out that pelts aren't prime yet but to be honest I wasn't really expecting a bobcat when I went out. This is my first one that I've called in myself so I took it. Given my track record of at least a hundred stands and this is my first cat called, I'm not sure passing on them would be a productive approach to me killing cats...not everybody kills a hundred cats a year Josh! Even though the pelt isn't prime it's still pretty enough for me, the fur isn't real long yet but it will still look good. However the idea of selling cat pelts sounds fine to me, if you ever want to show me the ropes I'd be more than glad to learn what I could from you. I know if I could sell even a couple pelts a year my wife would be waaaaay more receptive to me going out. Plus they'd be a whole lotta fun to go get

[josh]

I understand the urge to shoot those cats this time of year but knowing that going out having fun hunting can make you some serious cash gives me enough reason to pass on the cats right now. Now that you have called and killed a couple they will start appearing more. So don't think this s will be the only cat you see this season. You and Casey are crazy about predator hunting and get out a bunch so you will have alot more success this year.

 

As far as help putting up the furs if you skin them as soon as you shoot them it will help a ton then freeze them. At some point this year we can get together and put them up. The other choice is to come up to the Arizona Predator Callers meetings. They usuallly have a bunch of guys that know there stuff when it comes to fur and making $$. In fact this year they are having a contest to see who can put up and sell the highest $$ amount of fur at the Globe fur auction this year. I believe the winner gets a new gun.

[Ernesto C]

Excellent advice Josh. I saw a bob cat last week in an area that I usually call in coyots, I'm going to try (notice, I said "try") not to shoot the bob cat if I get to call it in....I really dont know if I'll have the nerves to let it walk away Or I can try leaving that area for calling in December - March Josh, when is the fur auction in Globe?

 

Ernesto C

[huntingfool]

Cool thanks for the advice. How do you skin them? Casey and I cased this one, we open skinned the last two. We went out today for coyotes but nothin doin'. We made the decision to pass on cats if we saw any ahead of time, I think that will make it easier to pass if I have it set in my mind before hand. Before I went out yesterday I wan't even sure if it was cat season and almost didn't check. I thought it may start in september but checked and saw that it was Aug 1st. It wasn't really a serious thought, it was more of a "I'll deal with that decision if it comes up" kind of thing. I really didn't expect to call one in, I was after dogs which I have much less reservation about shooting. Cats are kinda higher up on the totem pole for me. I admit I was a little disapointed when I got to it knowing that later in the year the pelt would be better, but the adrenaline hit pretty hard. Hand calling in a cat is like the most exciting thing I could have done, it's a little different feeling than calling in a coyote (I think). I hope I get another shot at one later in the year. That brings me to my next question, when do pelts become prime? We were guessing like november. Does it matter how cold it is or is it mostly genetics or both? Do they come into prime at higher/colder elevations earlier, or do they just get more full up there?

[huntingfool]

keep ur shotgun action off the dirt!!!

Oh and for the record it was gravel, and I layed it carefully as to not get dirt in there. It's still clean!

[ihuntemall]

you take your dog calling with you?? how does that workout?

[huntingfool]

This was the first time I've done it but it was fine. Didn't bother that bobcat anyway. She just mills around me, staying pretty close, if I want her to come closer I just kiss at her, I don't even have to move. I figure it will take the attention off of me. Lots of guys use decoy dogs, but they do it a little differently than what I did. Their dogs have training and know what is going on. Bootie is clueless. I'll bring her along again in some open country and see if I can bring some coyotes in to shoot.