Last Night's Hunt

I got to the stand in the creek bottom at 4:30 PM and no sooner got situated and a doe busted out of the creek bed. She no sooner came out of the bed and a younger buck came out on the same trail. He stayed on the same path as her (but wasn't chasing her because we've already been informed that bucks won't chase does before the chasing phase starts) all over the bottoms. They finally disappeared into the thicker timber with the buck still not chasing the doe.

At 6:05 PM, 2 does and a very small button buck came out into the open and started browsing. After 10 minutes of browsing in front of me, one doe popped her head up and raised her tail. She stared into the edge of the timber to my right and then took off. The other doe looked and followed suit. She went about 20 yards and then turned around and looked again. She then stomped her foot and the button buck went to "Mom" and they took off together.

I watched the area that the does were looking at and soon saw 10-12 turkeys walking through the woods. I thought it's strange that the deer were alerted by turkeys, but maybe they heard them coming and couldn't see them yet. I considered taking one of the turkeys with my bow (as I have a tag). I finally decided if they came into range, there would be another turkey in the freezer. At 35 yards out, I got a startle. Just as the gobblers were approaching my turkey range (30 yards) a bobcat pounced on one of the turkeys and took it. Up to that point, I had no idea there was a bobcat in the area. It was quite noisy for a few seconds as the turkeys all alerted and the victim squawked and flapped its wings until expiring.

I figured that any deer that had been in the area were now half the county away, I got out of the stand and started the walk home. I thought how cool it would have been to get the ambush on video. But, I also thought about how having a camera on stand with me would be a distraction I would rather not have while hunting.

Anyway, kind of a neat experience and I consider it a successful hunt for the memories.

 

Now that had to be neat Mark!! Consider yourself lucky seeing that.

 

First , sounds like a neat experience and a wonderful night in the stand.

Second, I see why you and Jeff don't get along.

 

Lmao!:d

 

That had to be quite an experience to witness.

Several years ago while turkey huninting with my son in the the spring, we witnessed a bobcat stalking a turkey with the turkey completely unaware. The bobcat just barely missed the turkey as the turkey took off in flight, but it was still quite the spectacle.

As far as the camera goes....to each their own.....they can be a PITA for sure and can interfere with one's hunting, but at the same time it adds another element of enjoyment for me in the overall experience. I am at the point that I get as much satisfaction from the occasional really good picture as I do from any part of the hunting experience.

 

I will be videotaping my son's hunts in November, but won't be hunting myself so I can focus on HIS hunt. That is as long as I'm around as the military keeps changing the dates they want me to instruct. As long as I can get that down for him, I might consider taking the camera with me when I hunt. It would be very cool to have film of a hunt.

 

That's pretty neat, Mark .... thi year in NY so far I have seen a fox, raccoon, and a small raptor (osprey?) come down and grab a chipmunk and start eating it, then it took off .... I have never seen that before ... I have seen a hawk come down but not close enough to witness the whole event .....

 

Cool story...have yet to see a bobcat - although they are around here...anxious for that first siting.

 

What's so funny? Jeff quoted what you were refering to and I don't see where I was making a joke.

Please, enlighten me.

 

Sounds like a pretty cool hunt. It's always cool to see Mother Nature at her day-to-day business.

 

I agree! Successful to say the least, Awesome hunt!

 

I will put it as simply as I can to you Dan.
1. The dictionary (a big book that defines terms) states that "Chasing" is the persuit in order to catch or overtake. If a buck is persuing does, whether the rut has started or not, it is chasing.
2. The "LMAO" was to GMMAT's "leave me out of this".
3. As far as enlightenment, I hope this explanation has enabled your lightbulb to flicker.:D

 

Mark,

Good luck trying to insult my intelligence here, I find your attempt laughable.

If you want to look at the dictionary for hunting terms and advice, have at it. I'll be sure to post in other people's threads that are actually here to learn and have a serious conversation about killing deer.

 

Thanks Jeff. I didn't think it was that hard to understand.

 

Neat experience thanks for sharing

 

This pic came off the neighbor's trailcam about 60 yards from the stand I was in. Just got it in email.

 

Mark, awesome hunt, you wont forget it im sure.

 

Bobcats, like weather, can kick the rut into high gear much earlier than it would normally start.