but I took her picture and counted coup (kinda).
Here in IL we are down to the wire. Only 10 days of season left and I need one more deer for the freezer. I am also trying to perform my own exorcist on a season full of trainwrecks for me...a treestand accident, a bad miss at a big 'un, and too much work/not enough hunting. Not wining here as I am lucky to be alive, lucky to get a chance at a booner (mmmmissed him), and lucky to be workin' in this economy. But still I am out there trying to loose an arra, and tryin' to put this season to bed the right way.
So I hung a new stand and had some deer nearly to me when I hear something crunching in the leaves. It's too light to be a deer and I make out 3 small shapes just ahead. A momma bobcat and two near-grown tawny furballs. Momma has the typical spots and never-still buggywhip of a tail and the babies are walking hushpuppies after they have been shot in :)
It gets interesting when the little ones cross to my side of the creek first and momma spots me in my Lone Wolf about 15 feet off the ground. She spits and the kits scurry up the small oak right next to me. I have two crying kits a bow length away, and a VERY pissy momma cat at the base of my tree. She is growling and spitting, the kits are crying and I am sitting there with my mouth open. She finally has enough and starts up the tree after me. I talk to her in a half-panicked voice that is somewhere near puberty and an 8 year-old-girl's pitch, but with words that only a sailor would use. That is enough to send her back over the creek. She paces, growling and spitting with that long black streak of hair on her back standing at attention. I managed to hold my nocked Osprey with one hand and my camera with the other and managed to get a few pics of her before the kits bailed and they all took off like scalded cats.
Perhaps it was my language, perhaps it was the ultimate predator look up in the tree (Osprey longbow at the ready, Kuiu-donned frame, war-paint on, ready to kill) or perhaps it was the high-pitched scream-squeal from all of the above. Anyway she left me, took her kits and skinned out. I have been around these cats all my life and never have had one try and get me. It is funny now but let me tell you, there was nothing I could have done if she wanted to chew on me for messin' with her babies. It is not legal here to shoot them, and I doubt if I would with those little ones so near. I most likely would have taken my arse whoopin' like the man that I am :archer:
I think the high pitched squeeling might have made her think you were dinner, a big dinner :) Good luck with the rest of the season, you deserve some good luck Bud!!
Nice, thanks for shareing. Seeing a cat is always a treat.
Great pix & story. Not big but can inflict some damage protecting the cubs. Pretty exciting!
Maybe she's eaten Sasquatch before and has developed a taste for it...lol
I don't much care for it when a squirrel gets real close to me so I can imagine what that kitty with a double handful of switchblades would make run through a man's mind and... as you said... down your leg...lol
Thanks for sharing.
God bless,Mudd
kool pic, saw My first wild one a few weeks ago not to far from My home.
thats pretty cool, thanks for sharing and good luck
Great story.
Is that cat wearing ASAT?
Neat story. First time I've heard of one showing aggression.
Wow ! What a unique experience !!!
thats pretty cool,,,,,in 35yrs of hunting I still have not seen a Bobcat in person.
Unreal!
You would have done what was necessary.
True story here in Central NC. A while back a guy got attacked by a rabid bobcat. The man choked it to death. Now I don't think I could have done that!
See its the hunt not the kill. Great adventure you had,glad she didnt eat you.
Thanks guys. Glad you enjoyed the ditty. I have seen more and more here in IL. I had a big tom under my tree last year stalking a rabbit I had shot at from the tree. He sniffed my arra and was very interested in it. Watching him move and sneak was awesome. He even sprayed a nearby bush to mark his spot. He could have done some real damage I tell ya :campfire:
thats one you won't forget huh! i just seen my first ones in the woods yesterday morning, thery'r were three of them too. beutiful critters. the ultimate trophy i think. :thumbsup:
Guy on our lease had one run through the oak he was hunting. It was chasing a squirrel :eek: :eek:
:biglaugh: Great story thanks for sharing it! Good luck with the rest of yours season
Pretty cool Mike, it's such a treat to see them and get the chance to watch them do there thing but this one was a little to close.
Great picks my friend looks like a nice cat.
Tracy
Cool story Mike, thanks for sharing it with us! I hope your season ends on a positive note!!!
I would have had to change my drawers too! What a cool experience.
QuoteOriginally posted by wapiti792:
Not great but pretty good one handed and with urine down one leg.
That's funny!
Reminds me of a joke I once heard about 2 hunters being stalked by a mountain lion. The one hunter tells the other "I am going to get away and he will get you....because I will be ahead of you running on dry ground while you will be running in mud behind me."
Great story. I've seen a lot of them out here but only the rear end running away. I can imagine your vocabulary got a work out, all right.
Great story well written.
To be honest I am surprised you had the presence of mind to take photos! I think I would have been in too much shock to think of it. Well done!
that would be kin to haveing a weedeater loose in your fruit of the looms...TKS for the story and pic's
Wow what a hunt. Great story
Very cool. Around here they run like a scalede cat if you blink when they look your way, but kits would make all the difference!!
God Bless,
Nathan
Great story and pics! Thanks for sharing. Clorox will take care of the drawers
Hey Mike,
Enjoyed the story! Had a similar deal in turkey season last year, in the dark.
Lots of growling and snarling at about 15 yds. :help: Flashlite in backpack, talked to it not so quietly with sailor words to no avail, so just walked on.
Finally heard little ones (I think), scurry up tree. Had an arra nocked while listening to it, figured I'd never see the critter, but it might run into my arra.... :laughing:
With your luck this year Mike, you ought to be carrying a rabbits foot, buckeye, or an assortment of good luck charms! I have seen lots of bobcats in Texas and a few in Colorado but never one here in Illinois. Never even got any pics on a trail cam. Glad you are hunting with no bad effects from your fall. Sorry but I will miss you at the banquet as we will still be in Texas.
that story made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
WOW!!!!! i woiuld have liked to seen that
i saw my first one ever in il on new years day this year, no story like that, it just slipped past me at 20 yards. I watched in awe thru my bino's
What a cool experience! Thanks for sharing, and I'm glad only your drawers took a beating! :laughing:
Pretty cool story. I've never seen a bobcat in the wild.
VERY cool...you say you encounter them often.
In all my life in the woods, I only ever saw 2 and it was the same day...here in Central PA and they were sooty grey...looked like they crawled through a dirty stove pipe!
Female first...then a long-legged male came by... amazing to see for this ole hoss! No personal encounter of your ilk though...just never saw any that were sooty grey like that!
Here in our part of IL the population is growing rapidily. The DNR thinks there are at least 2300 bobcats in our part of the state. Deer hunting here you either hunt the field edge cover, funnels which include waterways and mini-thickets, or the little swampy areas between giant crop fields. These areas IMO are where the cats thrive: lots of escape cover and plenty of food nearby. I have seen maybe 20 in 20 years of bowhunting KY, TN, and here, but I bet I have seen 15 of those here in IL the last 10 years. Pretty neat animals so long as they are not offering to unzip your femoral artery for messin' with her youngins' :)
Awesome pics
:eek: Wow just saw this thread Awesome! :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing! :clapper:
Real cool stuff. Cool pictures. :thumbsup:
Both fascinating and suspenceful encounter.
Thanks for sharing!
I've seen a couple in the last few years. They are really cool to watch. I think coming up the tree after me might be too close.
AWESOME!!!!!!!Never seen one myself, thanks for the story.
I've seen Mike with pee pee down his leg and talking like a 6 year old girl....not pretty!
Mike.....easy big fella, need you alive for next year!!...Ry
That was AFTER I shot a 7 foot bear Ry. Imagine if one was in the tree with me :)
Lookin' forward to my trip back. Can't wait to be on Manitoba time!
Ha. This is funnier for those of us who know you!! Good stuff brother. I saw two last year, but havent seen any this year. She is colored much like the one I saw early last year. Be glad when they are legal game!
Great story! I had one land atop a stone wall I was braced against on the morning of a spring turkey opener a few years back. I had called to some far-off toms a couple of times. Wind was apparently blowing at the cat's back as it approached. My leg stayed dry 'cuz i didn't figure out what exactly was going on until it left ......
Great story! I would love to see one sometime while hunting, although not one that was bent on doing harm to me! Nice pictures!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Cool story, thanx for sharing.
Great story and some nice pictures, thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
Yeah Neat One! What an experience and you can put together a great yarn. Appreciate the post. Enjoyed It.
Sorry double post, but still great story!!!!!!!
Thanks everyone. I was calling turkies with Sheltoncreeker yesterday and called in a big long-legged male cat. Got to 75 yards or so and winded us...now I know why the turkies are not very vocal on that ridge :)