Anyone who has ever deer hunted within the distribution range of squirrels and chipmunks know of the annoyance one of these little buggers can cause. I once had a big red squirrel sit on a stump and flip its tail and chatter at me for hours. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer and proceeded to center punch him and stick him to an oak tree. Of course he got the last laugh and broke my $6 Port Orford Cedar arrow right in half. He also cost me another $4 or $5 for the Rothhaar Snuffer that I was never able to get out of the oak tree. In addition to the lost cost of the arrow, I’m certain he caused me to spook every deer within 2 miles away from my deer stand.
I was beginning to feel a little déjà vu this evening while deer hunting in the Hudson Valley of Upstate New York. I had a chipmunk that was squelching at me in his little high pitched chirp for seemingly eons. I just couldn’t imagine why though? He was pretty far away up the ridge and I don’t know how he could’ve spied me. If his little serenading wasn’t enough, I then got stereo sound from a couple of barking squirrels. As if on cue by the conductor of a symphony a trio of crows begins to raise a raucous. Finally, as if to build to the crescendo of the fat lady singing a couple of deer started to blow up the hill. I had a virtual opera of annoying sounds interrupting my evening vigil. Again, I didn’t know why the deer were blowing. The wind wasn’t wafting anywhere near them and I was motionless. Finally, I caught a glimpse of the genesis of the wildlife chorus’ crooning.
It slinked through an opening at the top of the ridge and my first thought was “wow, I didn’t know they had Mountain Lions in this area”! He then reemerged in another opening and I got a good look at the biggest bobcat that I have ever seen (not that I have seen that many, but he looked HUGE). He was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in the wild. They are fair game and in season here in New York and I would love to have a chance at the beast. His travel path was taking him well beyond my recurve effective range and my heart began to sink.
The only other time I ever saw a bobcat was in Texas on a Javelina hunt just prior to the San Antonio PBS Annual Gathering. While hunting one afternoon, the ranch hand told me to shoot any I saw because they are tough on the deer fawns. The Texas bobcat was a scrawny little thing compared to this one. The Texas kitty wasn’t anywhere close to offering a shot either, but I tried squeaking him in like I saw on TV once. You know, wet the back of your hand and purse your lips against it and suck in to create a squeak. I guess it is supposed to mimic an injured rodent or something. Anyway, it didn’t work worth squat in Texas.
As the NY bobcat was moving along, I thought what the heck; he’ll be walking right out of my life in a second anyway. So, I begin to squeak like mouse in a trap. At first he didn’t seem to pay any attention so I ratcheted up the volume. He heard me that time and looked in my direction. I hit the old hand squeaker one more time and he zeroed in on me like a fat women in spandex shorts finds deep fried Snickers bars at the State Fair. I know you are all envisioning a golf ball butt as I write this! Well, that old boy came straight in to about six yards from the base of my stand. He then proceeds to sit down behind a log with only his head and the top half of his shoulders showing. Of course, he was looking directly at me. It must have been because he thought the squeaking was coming from a hyperventilating tree rat he was hearing. Ok, ok, it was me! I was so excited I was trembling like a teenage boy looking at his first Playboy. The hard breathing was probably similar as well. Anyway, he had me pegged and I was about half drawn on my 75# TimberHawk takedown recurve. Eternity couldn’t be much longer than it felt before he turned and looked in another direction. I was able to let my bow down a little before he turned back, but he caught some motion and was really interested now. His gaze matched mine when I was looking at my oldest daughters first date. I didn’t know whether to just jump up and kill him then or turn away and hope for the best. The bobcat and I both made the same decision. He must’ve thought I was the biggest and ugliest squirrel he’d ever seen and wasn’t worth attacking because the sounds coming out of the tree indicated I was gonna die anyway. So he turned to leave and faster than Gene and Barry at an all-you-can eat buffet I was at full draw and let my Eclipse tipped hickory shaft rip!
Well, I’ve had my share of good luck and blessings and this one will be added to the list of reasons to give thanks to our Heavenly Father. The photo should tell the rest of the story! What a magnificent animal! He is absolutely HUGE. To give you some perspective, I’m a hair shy of 6’ and easily push 230#s. He is absolutely the most amazing creature I’ve ever killed, and I’ve killed huge moose in Alaska, zebra in Africa, and bear in Canada. Needless to say, he’ll be a full body mount of some sort. I was thinking of a fully extended leap after a squirrel. Any other ideas? Thanks for sharing in my excitement.
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Topic: I Killed a Huge One! (Read 9835 times)
