Cool day in the Double Bull

AR RidgeRunner · April 23, 2016, 11:08:00 PM

Saw something I've never seen before this morning while sitting in a blind turkey hunting. Had three jakes in front of me doing what jakes do; feeding with occasional bouts of strutting, running in circles, etc., generally acting like 13 year olds trying to prove their manhood. Same three jakes I had 10-12 yards in front of the blind yesterday, jakes aren't legal in AR by the way, when all of a sudden they got serious about something and started moving off. Was asking myself what for when I spotted a good sized bobcat coming across the field. I've seen several over the years and it was obvious this was a mature tom, one of the biggest ones I've seen. I'm thinking the jakes have decided to get the hell out of Dodge but about that time I realize they're headed toward instead of away from the cat. As I set there watching I realize they're following the bobcat. Once in a while he'd look back at them but kept moving until he disappeared in the woods. These three jakes had actually run him out of the field. He was big enough and they were close enough that I feel sure he could have turned and had one of them for dinner but he never did. Just curious if anyone else has seen anything like this. That's one of the things I love about bow hunting, especially with a stickbow. You spend a lot more time sitting and waiting which gives you the opportunity to see things most people have never seen before.

wooddamon1 · April 24, 2016, 07:23:00 AM

Sounds like a great hunt, maybe the cat had his butt whooped before by a turkey when it was smaller?

Friend · April 24, 2016, 08:10:00 AM

A splendid rare experience.

Thank you for sharing.

Warden609 · April 24, 2016, 10:03:00 AM

Great stuff!!

Tater · April 24, 2016, 07:51:00 PM

I'm sure that was quite a sight...thanks for sharing ..

April 24, 2016, 08:29:00 PM

That's pretty cool, and you are correct about seeing stuff in the woods while hunting. We get to see a lot of things a lot of folks never even dream about in nature!

Bisch

Kopper1013 · April 24, 2016, 09:03:00 PM

I once watched a big hen and a coyote cross each other at no more than 10 paces they both continued away from each other taking looks here and there until they where maybe 70 yards apart and then they seemed to forget about each other and move on.

I also had an immature bald eagle once come out of nowhere and completely flatten a hen decoy 15 yards away from me and my father, soooooo awesome!!

Those kinda sightings you'll always remember glad you had a cool morning.

CoachBGriff · April 24, 2016, 09:35:00 PM

I've never seen one run like that.

I did have a one morning where I had a bird gobbling his head off on the roost 50 yards away. I had my decoys set out when all of a sudden a saw two figures creeping across the field.

I quickly realized it was two bobcats. They attacked my decoys, so I scared them off, and they scared my gobbling bird off the other direction!

CDK · April 24, 2016, 10:27:00 PM

Good watching right there!

Cyclic-Rivers · April 25, 2016, 07:21:00 AM

That sounds like a very neat encounter. I am going to speculate based on behavior I have seen over the years.

Animals respond to body language and posturing. I'm willing to bet, those turkeys would run him off every time but one. (probably the last one

)

I can communicate and correct my dogs and horses without ever saying a word. People say I dont talk much, I disagree, they just aren't listening). Its funny though, animals are very in tune with body language.

Nantahala Nut · April 25, 2016, 08:32:00 PM

On the last day of deer season last year I had a bobcat encounter. It came from behind me and circled around 8 yards in front me. Then it looked at me and walked right up to my boots. I had to shoo the dang thing away cause I was afraid it would jump in my lap. It was the highlight of my season.

sidekick · April 25, 2016, 09:10:00 PM

Couple summers ago I was sitting on my back porch one evening and watched a mature doe chase a lone coyote across my pasture into the woods on the other side. About five minutes later she came trotting back across. Bound to have had a fawn and the coyote got too close. Probably happens all the time, but something I've never seen before or since.

elkhunter-27 · April 26, 2016, 02:09:00 AM

While looking out my front window, I saw a Redtail hawk grab a dove off the front lawn. I also heard 2 raccoons fighting in a tree one windy night, the next morning I found them laying dead under the tree.

mnbwhtr · April 26, 2016, 07:48:00 PM

Saw a coyote chasing a tom only to have the tom turn tables on him and chase the coyote off, kinda interesting.

Fritz · April 28, 2016, 11:59:00 AM

Saw about 15 jakes chase a yote out of a green field in KS few yrs back.