Now, don't scroll down to the end... that wouldn't be fair!
And it wouldn't be as fun!!!
Ideal conditions this morning. Heavy snow up high Friday and Saturday. Stormy and bitter cold with flurries yesterday. Clear and bright this morning. Not a wisp of cloud in the sky.
I drove into the snow just right, got above civilization just as the light got bright enough to see tracks.
I didn't see many tracks until I was already quite high up the drainage. Then I ran into several fresh deer tracks heading down the hill. I rounded the ridge and hit a lion track trotting down the road for 50 yards. Up from below, trotted down the road for awhile, then up the bank and onto the hill.
Here's the tracks in the road...
I doubled back and parked. Packed up and headed up the hill.
Very steep, very thick. Just as I got up the bank, thru the scrub and into the timber a pickup went by. I thought it might be a good thing, to make the cat think I drove away. Not likely, I was making so much noise.
I got to the top of the ridge several minutes later. There were tracks running down... then running up... the cat had been all over that ridge.
I decided that well enough was good enough and set up right in the midst of the tracks. I'm sure if it was within earshot it knew I was there, but it was too thick to continue on, and I couldnt' tell which way it ended up going.
Here's where I sat...
Here's what I saw...
Sorry for the blurry. Not bad for that particular piece of ground, trust me! It was thick!
I sat quiet for 5 minutes after setting up. You never know. If it was in the area it might forget I was there!
After that I ran a vocal for about 40 seconds. Then switched to a prey sound for 30 seconds, then ran a vocal. Planned to settle in for the long stand...
I heard it call back from about 150 yards behind me! Yes, that fast! <2 minutes!
I wasn't sure what to do, I was looking downhill at the call, I was pretty sure this cat was behind me....
It kept responding to the call. It was behind me, up the hill. DIRECTLY behind me. I shifted forward and looked behind, still not sure what to do. Should I sit it out and wait for it to walk out from under my armpit??!!?! I didn't figure I could sit still and quiet enough for that.
I was still looking behind, when I saw it, just like a shadow, slinking thru the scrub.
Here's the view behind me...
I grabbed my gun and wheeled it up and around, mounting it left handed. I thought I did it while it was making a move, but it still spotted me. It froze. I lost sight of it. I tucked into the scope and looked where it had been... sure enough, I could see its face! It had me nailed, but I had its face. About 50 yards through a tangle.
I centered the crosshairs on it's nose and shot! BANG! (The 223 sounded like such a pop gun shooting through that scrub at a lion's face!)
It wheeled back, flailed to the side, and took off to my right. I was SHOCKED that it didn't go down. It was a solid shot, good trigger pull. Good sight picture. Right on its nose. I sat there panting. All the thoughts that run through your head... I should have practiced more shooting weak handed... Did I check for limbs and saplings in the lane?... etc. etc. etc. etc.
I picked up all my gear and headed up the to point of impact. There was blood in the track.
Here's the beginning of the trail...
I followed it for about 60 yards. Good sprays of blood, but it was traveling hard. So I stopped and unpacked and sat down. Waited until it had been an hour since the shot. Then I packed up and followed again.
Here's a picture of a little rhody in the trail covered with blood...
It folowed the ridge up for probably 200 yards, then it turned back downhill and went towards where it had come from. I kept tracking, trying to go a little quieter.
I followed it all the way back down to the road. It crossed the road 100 yards uphill from the truck!
I was on the cut bank, probably 40 yards above the road when a truck came around the corner. The driver's window was open. I whistled at the guy, he stopped. I asked him if he had a dog, kinda joking. I don't know him, but he was a fellow hunter and very interested in the story. Nice guy. We walked over and stood on the downhill side of the road where it had bailed into the timber.
All of a sudden we saw it! He said, "What is that, a dog or something?!?!" I said, "No that's it!" It was about 70 yards down the hill. I pulled up and my scope was all covered with snow. It kind-of flailed and stumbled away. I got the scope clear and looked hard for a few minutes, but never saw it.
He left, with a promise to call my wife and tell her I wasn't on a shcedule anymore, 'cause you never know! I went to my truck, both to give the cat a few more minutes, and to lighten my load of gear. 10 minutes later I got back on the track.
I crawled down the slope to where it was sidehilling, and found where it had stopped below the road, far enough to escape, close enough to watch the road. Lots of blood.
I continued on, quietly. About 200 yards in, I thought I saw tawny brown on the next ridge. I looked thru the scope and convinced myself that it was a rotted stump. I followed through the draw, and came up onto the ridge.
I stopped with a Shock! 50 yards ahead the Lion was laying in the train ahead, head down, looking forward. I leaned the rifle on a tree and put a round into its right side. Good hit, heart/lung, no exit.
The cat lept high into the air, made 2 bounds forward and out of sight.
I racked another round in and cautiously approached. I heard it down below. Kind of a combination of growls and gasps. Moaning and snarling at the same time. I snuck in to where I could see it and watched it expire. Just didn't want to die!!! Tough! Unbelievable Tough!
Here's where the trail ended....
The cat is in the center of the frame.
Here's from below, the chase is over! ....
More......
