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BuckTracker: Cat Tales
On that note, please read the story that follows. It comes to us from a reader who, like me, was lucky enough to see a bobcat putting the sneak on a feeding doe. Only this time, there was no buck to act as her bodyguard!
I just wanted to share with you an amazing end to a great 2007 hunting season. Yesterday I was sitting in my stand on a small food plot just off Colly Swamp in Bladen County. I was enjoying a beautiful sunset and hoping that I might get one more opportunity at a doe to take to the butcher for processing. Then I spotted some movement in a corner of the food plot that was partially blocked from my view by some trees.
I was able to tell that a mature doe with two button bucks entered the food plot but I did not think that they would move into an open area for a shot before dark. Suddenly all three deer became alarmed and began looking toward the woods where they had entered the field. The doe then blew at whatever was approaching and turned and bounded into the middle of the field followed by the two smaller deer.
Well this gave me a clear line of sight at the doe so I put my crosshairs on her. I started to squeeze the trigger but then I began to wonder if it could be a big Buck that was making the deer nervous. Then the three deer all blew and ran a little further across the food plot, stopped again and looked back on full alert. Well I decided that it was most likely not a buck that had them startled so I shot the doe.
When I shot, the two button bucks ran away while simultaneously a 20 pound bobcat ran into the field and put the death lock on the neck of the doe I had just shot. Amazed by what I had just seen, I shucked another (also my last) shell into the chamber. I could not believe that the bobcat was still there after the sound of the shot and me reloading but he had locked onto a big meal and did not intend to give it up.
I put the cat in the crosshairs and squeezed off my last round, he did not flinch. I thought I had missed him. I sat still for a little while and then I yelled at the cat to see if he was still alive, I got not reaction. I climbed down from my stand and approached the two animals in the field.
The Bobcat still had a death grip on the doe and was looking right at me as I approached, with an empty gun. What I saw amazed me. The Bobcat was stone cold dead but he still maintained his grip on the doe. I called everyone at camp to come look and take pictures. When it was time to load the doe in the truck we had to load both the doe and the bobcat because I could not separate them.
"You can have my deer when you pry it from my cold, dead mouth!"
Posted by: Blue Ox | January 24, 2008 at 11:38 AM
You know it's late season when you only have 2 bullets to your name.
Posted by: John D | January 24, 2008 at 03:38 PM
that is something i've never seen in my life
Posted by: roger | January 24, 2008 at 07:09 PM
You know, it's kinda funny. All the "experts" say that coyotes couldn't possibly take down a deer or even bother attempting, and they disproved that with a few videos of the very thing happening. Now you have a bobcat (an animal maybe half the size of a coyote) caught on film that was hunting a deer. When are these experts going to learn. If an animal is hungry enough and has the gumpsion it will take on much larger game than one might think. Great story thanks for sharing.
Posted by: airforcewx | January 24, 2008 at 07:19 PM
now that is a cool picture i have trapped a bobcat before but never seen one in the day time,and as far as coyotes go i have seen them chasing deer alot of times and i have seen them chasing buck deer,i was watching a coyote hunting one morning along a deer trail,,when i heard hooves running my way ,the coyote heard it to,and layed down imedialty,the buck came over the hill and smelled where the coyote was walking and followed it about fifty yards or more right to where the coyote was laying,wasnty afoot from it with its head down when the coyote jumped at the deer and chased it straight to me,i could have shot it less then ten yards from me,,but it was a small 4x4 i didnt want,that was just one example i have seen them chase deer alot of times,aint ever seen one catch a deer yet tho
Posted by: dave c | January 25, 2008 at 12:51 AM
so you see a bobcat with its jaws around the neck of a dead deer and automatically believe it killed it?
i won't say it's impossible, but give me a break. looks like the 'cat come across a doe all ready dead.
notice the blood under the chest, this just doesn't look like a believeable scene.
is the picture taken from a treestand or something?...
Posted by: joshd | January 25, 2008 at 11:09 AM
joshd, did you read the post? He shot the deer and the bobcat pounced.
Posted by: John D | January 25, 2008 at 11:22 AM
josh your stupid!
Posted by: ls | January 25, 2008 at 02:39 PM
Pretty fortunate that guy hat a Bobcat tag in addition to a deer tag.
Posted by: Whit Stevens | January 25, 2008 at 05:27 PM
Always an awesome site to see the circle of live played out before your eyes, no matter you made the "kill" the circle goes on.
Posted by: Shawn | January 26, 2008 at 02:01 AM
I've had a Bob follow me through the woods - kind of a spooky feeling. Not scary, just spooky. Been followed by a skunk too - that was scary! lol
Posted by: MidnightBanjo | January 26, 2008 at 07:24 AM
Had a friend in south MS get smacked in the head by a bobcat while he was turkey hunting. Mistakin identity. He said he didnt know who Sh#$ more when they figured it out!!LMAO
Posted by: GREG | January 28, 2008 at 08:40 AM
That doe and bobcat were not shot by a female hunter but by John Clark. The story is true as written otherwise. Bobcat tags are included with your big game tags in North Carlolina.
Posted by: John Clark | February 07, 2008 at 10:45 AM