Scooter Report post Posted August 30, 2013 I give up... Haven't had adequate time to really do any quality deer scouting or hunting. Having only mornings open this holiday weekend- I think the best bet to get out will be getting after some predators with my .223 and some of them new mouth calls. Wish me luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muledeerarea33? Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Just remember this time scooter, fox and bobcat is open season. Hahaha sorry, had to go there! I'm bored. Good luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scooter Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Haha! Been open since the 1st- but don't shoot 'Em or the trappers and traders will tan your hide online!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muledeerarea33? Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Go get yourself a wall hanger!! I hope we didn't just open up another can of worms haha. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scooter Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Eh, I'm excited... Never called any in with mouth calls- first try. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Antmo23 Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Heck yeah! Blast those kitties and post pics of your harvest. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scooter Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Hero pictures... Hero. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alexjh1 Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Very nice, headed up with the family camping south of Williams this weekend...My bow and archery tag are already in the truck...Shhhhh, she sleeps in and doesn't need to know what I am doing at first light...or looking for fire wood at sundown. Good luck, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4Falls Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Not sure where your headed out to but around here you might need flippers and a snorkel. Is it legal to shoot coyotes from a canoe? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Its very wet and muddy out. Sitting in my blind and not really sure why with all this rain. Good luck go thin the herd a little. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scooter Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Almost got mauled by a bobcat. 30 seconds after I called with one of my new calls. No seriously it was very close... Will update later. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scooter Report post Posted August 30, 2013 So I head out this morning and get to a spot where I've called in 3 coyotes before and missed them all because of a scope problem on my Rossi 223. I solved that problem by taking the scope off and sighting in with iron sights. I can still deliver one of my Hornady 55gr Soft Point hand loads to a clay bird at 200yds with the fiber optic front and rears on this rifle. Anyway, I get to the spot and wait for some daylight. I strap on my gear and head up and walk along a little ridge that overlooks some GREAT Coues country. It did not disappoint. As I was slowly and quietly stepping along I bumped a few does and a spike that were feeding in one of the bottoms. Another 100 yards and a doe and fawn combo busted out from some cover about 10 yards away from me downhill, neither of us knew the other one was there! After I had walked about a mile I came to a spot where the end of the ridge overlooks several thick shelter-belt type cuts that feed into a long grassy valley. The coyotes ALWAYS come out of one of those cuts and try to circle around the ridge to catch the wind. There was no wind today and I set up on a little pile of gravel that had a bush behind it to break my outline. I had the "sun" to my back (more like really bright clouds today) and I fired up the Thermacell. I just bought some new Primos mouth calls that were on sale at Goodwill for $5 each so I decided I would try the Primos 3rd Degree Randy Anderson Signature call first... I blew the call for about 15-20 seconds and then waited for about 30 seconds. I didn't see anything moving or hear any coyotes answer so I blew it again but this time only for about 5 seconds because I heard something behind me in the bush I was sitting against... I turned my head to see what it was and AHHHH!!!!! Scared the living daylights out of me!!! There was a bobcat standing no more than 5 feet away from me staring me down, and it wasn't running away after my involuntary shriek of surprise and fear. At this point I am literally having a significant emotional event and instinctively my right hand reaches for my right hip where I usually keep the .38 snub... huh? Yep- it's not there. It's ALWAYS there. Nope- not today I forgot it. Now after all that movement the cat still hasn't moved a muscle and I figure it's gonna slash me up if it pounces on me any second now. The rifle was on safe and hammer forward- nowhere near ready to go so I slowly cocked the hammer back and disengaged the safety all while the rifle was on my lap. The cat is still just standing there crouched in the bush staring at me- not a sound, not a twitch. I start to edge the muzzle in line with the cat because I've decided to try to just shoot it point blank. I moved the rifle into position and just let one fly... BANG!!! Now all of the last paragraph has happened in a matter of about 8 seconds. I missed the cat shooting from my lap but it must've gone deaf because it was RIGHT THERE. I think I shot high over it's head somehow. The cat now is acting unafraid, but is just walking slowly away and still staring at me. I try to eject the spent round but can't get the break action to budge. This happens sometimes- it's a Rossi. I finally get the action working and I cram another round in the chamber. Lock it up and engage the safety. I saw the cat go down the hill about 60 yards so I got up and followed it... I saw it again and it was still just walking away like nothing had had happened- I think it's ears were ringing and the shot at point blank range stunned it. I raised up the rifle and shot off hand at what I guessed to be 60-70 yards. BANG!!! The cat jumps straight up in the air and starts to roll around. I jack the action open and cram another round in there as the cat is limping downhill towards a thick cut- Now he's about 100yds away and has stopped moving. He's sitting up like a house cat and looking uphill at me so I raise up and deliver a second round that kills it instantly. It's over. I start to actually breathe again. I get downhill to where the cat was and it's stone dead, two shots on it's right side- one a little low on the shoulder and one up high on the same shoulder. It's a great Bobcat!!! Not huge, not winter colors, but WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!! That's why I hunt and call predators... for the sheer excitement it brings! I hope the pictures are visible on here- and if not I'll get them up soon. Thanks for reading, and good luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Avid Hunter Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Sounds like a blast! Nice job! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLW Report post Posted August 30, 2013 heck yeah! way to go! callin predators is awesome! congrats! James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Antmo23 Report post Posted August 30, 2013 Take that you dang bandit cat! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
