Posted By: LarryCopper
Crazy 28 hours - 01/01/18 12:31 AM
I had a vacation day to kill before the end of the year so I took off last Friday. Instead of heading out Thu night to the lease I just got up at 3 and headed straight to the small pond. Met my brother and 13 yr old nephew and we had a top 10 hunt. Must have had a dozen groups decoy in a 45 minute window. We let him take the first shot or two and we played clean up, he got his limit, too. Had the first group of migratory mallards so that was great to see. Went to the camper and took a good nap.
Then it gets crazy. Got out to a deer blind by 3 pm and it cleared off and warmed up. I’m on top of a high ridge where I can see for damn near ever. Way off, prolly 750 yards or so I can see a coyote across the road (on another property) standing at the edge of a little winter wheat field. As it starts to head south towards me, I noticed it wasn’t walking like a canine. Got out the specs, and when it quartered a bit I could see it was a cat. Cool, big bob cat, we see them on game cams all the time. As it makes the way across it gets completely broadside and that is when I saw the tail dragging the ground. First time I’ve ever seen a mountain lion in the wild... in daylight no less. So I start thinking... WTH would it be out that time of day? Sick? Starving? All I know is for the first time ever there I didn’t see a single deer and the walk back to the 4 wheeler after dark was a bit... puckered.
Got up Sat am to strong north wind and drizzle at 35 degrees. My brother was running a little late so I decided to get down to the other pond we were hunting that morning and get things figured out. When I get to the spot I was looking around with my (kick arse) flashlight when a few grey ducks get up. I follow a hen with my light and she kind of veers my way. Flies right over me, then kind of loops back and gets caught up in a tree right behind me. After a few seconds she breaks loose and plops down on the ground right next to me! I’m thinking... is she a cripple? Part June bug? Is it even legal to kill a duck before LST by hand? About the time all that ran through my head she takes a couple of steps and takes off. All I could think was how I was supposed to have 2 other folks with me that would have witnessed that, but now nobody in their right mind is gonna believe me. I’ve had coots run into the side of the boat in the dark, but never in all my time have I had anything like that happen.
The hunt ended up great. My nephew got his limit again, brother got a Can, and we got out of there just as everything started freezing up. Down to 27 by the time we left with freezing drizzle. On the way back I get a text that my wife threw her back out was headed to the ER. She wasn’t very amused by my stories so you guys get to hear it.
Then it gets crazy. Got out to a deer blind by 3 pm and it cleared off and warmed up. I’m on top of a high ridge where I can see for damn near ever. Way off, prolly 750 yards or so I can see a coyote across the road (on another property) standing at the edge of a little winter wheat field. As it starts to head south towards me, I noticed it wasn’t walking like a canine. Got out the specs, and when it quartered a bit I could see it was a cat. Cool, big bob cat, we see them on game cams all the time. As it makes the way across it gets completely broadside and that is when I saw the tail dragging the ground. First time I’ve ever seen a mountain lion in the wild... in daylight no less. So I start thinking... WTH would it be out that time of day? Sick? Starving? All I know is for the first time ever there I didn’t see a single deer and the walk back to the 4 wheeler after dark was a bit... puckered.
Got up Sat am to strong north wind and drizzle at 35 degrees. My brother was running a little late so I decided to get down to the other pond we were hunting that morning and get things figured out. When I get to the spot I was looking around with my (kick arse) flashlight when a few grey ducks get up. I follow a hen with my light and she kind of veers my way. Flies right over me, then kind of loops back and gets caught up in a tree right behind me. After a few seconds she breaks loose and plops down on the ground right next to me! I’m thinking... is she a cripple? Part June bug? Is it even legal to kill a duck before LST by hand? About the time all that ran through my head she takes a couple of steps and takes off. All I could think was how I was supposed to have 2 other folks with me that would have witnessed that, but now nobody in their right mind is gonna believe me. I’ve had coots run into the side of the boat in the dark, but never in all my time have I had anything like that happen.
The hunt ended up great. My nephew got his limit again, brother got a Can, and we got out of there just as everything started freezing up. Down to 27 by the time we left with freezing drizzle. On the way back I get a text that my wife threw her back out was headed to the ER. She wasn’t very amused by my stories so you guys get to hear it.