Butcher45
02-12-2011, 03:56 PM
Hunting Bobcat in Western Oregon, bordering the Siuslaw National Forest. There are many sub-species of Bobcat in the states. The local sub-species of Bobcat I hunt here on the west side of Oregon is L. rufus fasciatus.
Day started out promising at dawn, then tree workers entered the woods and really made some noise. I trekked away from the commotion as far as I could, and did more stalking than calling for several miles thru the forest.
I wasn't able to do any pre-season scouting, so it was mostly new ground. Got into some ridiculous thick stuff following a foot trail off of a foot trail. What a mess.
If a particular location does not look IDEAL to make a stand, I don't want to sit there and call for an hour when there are better stands to make down the way.
I had finished calling for the day, and was hunting my way back to the gate with as much focus as I could muster. I learned on the last stand on the last legal bobcat hunting day of last season, that it is not over until you have crossed that gate.
15 minutes after my last stand, I was stalking and spotting the bottom border road of a steep reprod clearcut, when I peered around the bend and guess what I saw sitting in the middle of the path quartering away at about 35 yards ahead?
I could tell from where she was that I did not want her going ANYWHERE, as any tracking in that terrain is a nightmare. Reprod to the left, gully with thick overgrown brush on the right. I have been saying that I would try for a headshot on a bobcat if given the opportunity just to be certain it went straight down, but this one was sitting quartered away from me to the right, presenting the perfect neck shot.
Thank goodness I had my rifle cocked and ready to go. That bobcat would have spooked immediately at the sound of an action I am sure of it. Took the neck shot and it worked perfectly.
Here is where she lay. Down the road behind her around the bend is where I was when I took the shot to the neck.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/100_0185.jpg
I immediately reloaded, and put an insurance shot into here heart as I approached her....probably at about 20 yards. No way was I going to let that cat get out of sight. Another hole or two in the hide doesn't bother me a bit, but a lost hide sure does!
After I filled out my Bobcat Report Card, I paced off from the bend in the road where I took the shot, where the Bobcat was sitting when I put that EPP/UG into her neck that put her down with authority on video afterwards.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/th_100_0188.jpg (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/?action=view¤t=100_0188.mp4)
I hunt alone for the most part, but use the self-timer on my camera while afixed to my mono-pod stuck in the ground. Took this picture real quick before putting the tag on her.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/100_0186.jpg
I took some more pictures after I hitched a ride to the highway to meet my ride.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020283.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020293.jpg
After I got home, I took additional pictures of the wounds. This is the entry wound from the neck shot as she was quartering away from me.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020306.jpg
The exit wound from the neck shot.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020305.jpg
This is the shot I took to the heart as she lay in the road. No exit.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020331.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020333.jpg
Day started out promising at dawn, then tree workers entered the woods and really made some noise. I trekked away from the commotion as far as I could, and did more stalking than calling for several miles thru the forest.
I wasn't able to do any pre-season scouting, so it was mostly new ground. Got into some ridiculous thick stuff following a foot trail off of a foot trail. What a mess.
If a particular location does not look IDEAL to make a stand, I don't want to sit there and call for an hour when there are better stands to make down the way.
I had finished calling for the day, and was hunting my way back to the gate with as much focus as I could muster. I learned on the last stand on the last legal bobcat hunting day of last season, that it is not over until you have crossed that gate.
15 minutes after my last stand, I was stalking and spotting the bottom border road of a steep reprod clearcut, when I peered around the bend and guess what I saw sitting in the middle of the path quartering away at about 35 yards ahead?
I could tell from where she was that I did not want her going ANYWHERE, as any tracking in that terrain is a nightmare. Reprod to the left, gully with thick overgrown brush on the right. I have been saying that I would try for a headshot on a bobcat if given the opportunity just to be certain it went straight down, but this one was sitting quartered away from me to the right, presenting the perfect neck shot.
Thank goodness I had my rifle cocked and ready to go. That bobcat would have spooked immediately at the sound of an action I am sure of it. Took the neck shot and it worked perfectly.
Here is where she lay. Down the road behind her around the bend is where I was when I took the shot to the neck.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/100_0185.jpg
I immediately reloaded, and put an insurance shot into here heart as I approached her....probably at about 20 yards. No way was I going to let that cat get out of sight. Another hole or two in the hide doesn't bother me a bit, but a lost hide sure does!
After I filled out my Bobcat Report Card, I paced off from the bend in the road where I took the shot, where the Bobcat was sitting when I put that EPP/UG into her neck that put her down with authority on video afterwards.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/th_100_0188.jpg (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/?action=view¤t=100_0188.mp4)
I hunt alone for the most part, but use the self-timer on my camera while afixed to my mono-pod stuck in the ground. Took this picture real quick before putting the tag on her.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/100_0186.jpg
I took some more pictures after I hitched a ride to the highway to meet my ride.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020283.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020293.jpg
After I got home, I took additional pictures of the wounds. This is the entry wound from the neck shot as she was quartering away from me.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020306.jpg
The exit wound from the neck shot.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020305.jpg
This is the shot I took to the heart as she lay in the road. No exit.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020331.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/P1020333.jpg