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View Full Version : new experience for me (thump thump thump)



valleycowboy
10-31-2004, 09:17 PM
i was out last week hunting my favorite mule deer spot.things were pretty slow around noon,so i decided to go and play with my new magellan sportrak map.after walking for about an hour through the select logging,i got this strange feeling.usually when i get this feeling i hear the bounce bounce of a mulie or a flash of white from a whitetail.not this time,nothing running but i did hear a strange little noise,hard to explain the noise,nothing i have heard before.looking all around in front of me,i couldn't see anything.i looked to my left and there it was peering at me from behind a windfall.there i am staring eye to eye with a cougar,he was only 15 feet from me.when we made eye contact his ears layed back.my heart stopped for a sec,wow,what a pretty animal.i turned to face him,thinking he would run,NOT.he started to slowly sneak out from behind the windfall.he was crouched down close to the ground,ears back and sneaking.i lifted my gun and started to yell at him,all he did was look at me,still in the same possition.after what seemed like an hour,more like 2 min,he turned and was gone.he dissapeared just like a ghost.i don't hunt cats,and am not sure what he was up to,i don't think i want to know,lol.i have seen cats before in the bush and usually when you see them they are gone ,fast.
just a little experience i had to share with you all.

jonz
10-31-2004, 09:35 PM
That's cool wow was he close. I saw 2 lynx together on the road in the Christian Valley area last weekend. I think that was the 1st time I've seen cats in the bush.

todbartell
10-31-2004, 09:36 PM
I would of pooped my pants http://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/cry-baby.gif

thanks for sharing :-D

Nails
10-31-2004, 09:39 PM
Valleycowboy, what a great experience and I am glad every thing worked out. Good for you that you listen to your hunting senses and checked your surroundings and kept under controled. I guess you bucked off your shorts right after that, eh. Thanks for sharing your story.

Steeleco
10-31-2004, 11:31 PM
I once flushed a cougar out of a slash in an area just south of Merrit. I was walking the tree line my buddy walking the trail. I could hear a noise for about 15-20 min couldn't figure it out. When I stepped onto the road just behind my buddy, the cat stepped out about 50 yards further down the trial. We both stood there in awe. That big tom could'nt care less about us. Like your story he just slipped away just as fast as he appeared. Was scary and cool all at the same time. You'll not soon forget that day. I haven't.

3kills
11-01-2004, 04:00 AM
i think i agree with firebird on this one...

bone-collector
11-01-2004, 08:59 AM
well seeing I am way to tubby to run and way to tubby to climb trees I would have stroked it ....right after I shook the crap outta my pantlegs :lol:

Bman
11-01-2004, 11:55 AM
I agree I would have crapped my pants as well! 15 feet is a pretty close encounter, I probably would have shot it, especially the way it was behaving in your encounter. I have a very healthy fear of these cats... I used to work in the same office as the CO's and got a chance to see a part of a cougar presentation. They showed some pictures of cougar maulings... picture hundreds of puncture wounds all over a body... ever since I am always checking behind me when hunting deer in the bush, even though the chances are low of something happening!

I'm sure it will be something you will remember for the rest of your life!

Foxer
11-01-2004, 12:31 PM
I'm glad you are ok - i gotta say you're a braver man than I would have been - i'd have likely popped it after it didnt' run when challenged. If they decide to attack, and clearly it was stalking you, you would have been very lucky to get a shot off at that range. They move like the wind itself.

Roughly where were you? like, which management zone? THat's pretty agressive behaviour for a cat - were you on the island?

3kills
11-01-2004, 01:49 PM
yes agree with them too i would have shot the lil bugger..a guy i use to hunt with here...he has since moved to quesnal to work at one of the mills there ...shot a cougar that had stalked him i think it was two years ago...i felt something behind him so he turned around and there it was the cougar pounced and he just managed to get a shot of while it was in the air...there was even a story in the province about him...just a short lil blurb nothing big...

valleycowboy
11-01-2004, 06:02 PM
first off,i did remain kool(believe it or not),but i started sweating bullets in the -1 temp,lol.i have read alot about cougars and bears,i do believe if he wanted to eat me,he would have.he was a smaller cat,i'm guessing about two or three.when i told a couple buddies about it,they all told me he just wanted to play,now ,don't cats play with their food before eating it,lmao.i'm just glad i can joke about it.believe me when i tell you,when my gun came up the safety did come off,one step closer ,and i would have had a decision to make.the area was in 8-11.as for the 15 feet,i paced it off,even with my boots shakin.lol

BOMBER77
11-01-2004, 08:17 PM
I know how you feel. My cousin and I ran into a cougar behind Lassie Lake (8-14). It was my 3rd hunting trip. I had to change my pants twice after this incident. We were walking a game trail and all of the sudden we heard some deer blowing all around us (we had a whitetail doe tag). We split up. My cousin started blowing a doe call to try and keep the deer in the area. As I was walking, I saw something pacing along a dead fall. I loaded my gun, as I got closer the animal that I saw, swung his head around and he was looking right at me. It was a cougar not a deer like I hoped. All I can remember is him putting his paws on to the dead fall and staring at me. I had no idea what to do, so I shot my gun from my hip. I hit the log right in front of him. After I shot, he stood there, looked right at me and then ran off. From my shell to the log it was 18 feet. We figured the deer were blowing because of the cougar. Not what I wanted to see on my 3rd time hunting.

Beaver Skin
11-02-2004, 10:26 PM
The first time I took my wife hunting we set up in a tree stand over a lick. Figured it was a good spot for her to see some wildlife. After a couple of hours I see a small patch of fur move through the bush and knew immediately what it was. I wispered to my wife, "cougar" to which she replyed, "yea right" Low and behold a minute or two later the cat comes stalking into the lick following foot for foot our trail. It stopped about 10 feet from our tree. (we were about 9 feet up) We checked eachother out for a while before the big tom decided to move on. An hour or so later a bobcat come by. My wife's comment was priceless; "I'd be alot more comfortable here if everything that came by didn't climb trees!" :lol:

Foxer
11-02-2004, 10:42 PM
hehehe :) Sounds like a sensible lady to me

bill
11-03-2004, 03:37 PM
wowthats close in all scenarios good for u keeping your head and holding your ground.I probably would have finished it as soon as i seen it was a cougar! beaver skin your wife is very funny LMAO...

MRBucks
11-04-2004, 12:52 AM
Sounds like my cat, when it's going after a bird. You were definitely on the menu! Good thing you didn't run..

Dano
11-04-2004, 03:44 PM
I would have probably pulled the trigger. At the very least, there would be one less "man tracker" out there and I think you would have been justified by a more than reasonble threat of attack.
My friend Ted said he was up by Princeton and came across a grouse laying on a trail. As he looked at it, he said he sensed something and glanced around. There in a tree 10ft from him was a cougar on a limb,.... it scared the h*ll out of Ted. He backed away slowly as the cat didn't look theatening.
I've only seen one cougar, it was up near bridge lake and I only had a glimpse as it crossed the road. Still an awesome sight to see one!