Tom down :) updated

[jasnt]

I was out deer hunting my favorite place. I was just setting up on a heavily used saddle crossing when I heard this terrible screaming.  At first I was thinking some one was screwing off. The sound kept up almost constant. I had to go check it out. Half mile later im getting close, I can tell its coming from just the other side of this marsh/swampy area at the base of huge hill that I already new is normally 90% surrounded by water. I sneak up to just 10 yards from the screaming that i can tell is a cat.  I start glassing threw the trees and thick brush and at first it looks like a person peeks out at me from behind a tree. Then again and this time it's obvious its a cougar. I pull my rifle up and center my cross hairs excitedly and squeeze. A big cat runs up the hill best it can. As i jack another round in i see another cat peaking out at me,this one smaller and looking confused. After a sec it jogs off. I seen where my cat went so i cross the bog and head up the hill after him.im shooting a 300win mag with 185gr Berger's so i was sure he was toast. I get to the top and no sign of the cat but I thought I spooked a deer off the other side of the hill.  So i head back to where i hit him,take off my pack and set down my rifle,marked the spot on my gps and started tracking the blood. With toilet paper as marker and my 44 on my hip i headed up again.  I get to the top again and the blood Peters out.  So i start circling looking for some sing. Down the other side i find a track on a mole hill,down a little farther i find. another. So down to the bottom i head. Get All the way down and see that the pond is about dried up, mostly just grass and berry thick brush all around the outside edges. I hear a commotion in the brush. I stand there listening and watching but it won't leave the brush.  I debate with my self for a bit then decided i owed it to the cougar and the deer to put this thing down. I take a deep breathe,say a prayer,draw my 44mag and cock the hammer back. Headed straight in to the brush right at him hoping to push him out in to the shorter grass where i could shoot it easy. Nope cat charges straight at me and just barrely misses me as squeaze off again missing him. Cat runs past me back in the trees makes a quick half circle and back in the brush. I keep after him and each time i just get a glimpse of him before he runs farther in the brush,i catch up again and this time he charges at me again and i nail him in the spine. Cat stops under a nasty thorny tree and screams at me.we're 10 ft. Apart and i check my gun  oops I got one round left. I step to the side with the cat growling and hissing my heart is pounding and I aimed for the heart (best I could tell from my angle)sqeazed it again. This one hit him hard and sprawled him out,I could tell he was about gone so I hiked back up and over the hill to my backpack and rifle. When I got back to the cat he was still. I poked him with my rifle and then grabbed his leg and drug him out. Holy cow he was bigger than I thought. Heavy too and it was getting dark. I was planning on just skinning him out but it was so big and heavy I felt I needed to weigh him. So I drug him out to the trail and half mile back towards the truck before I decided to call for help,I was mentally and physically drained,it was 8:00pm and I had been in the woods since 5:15am. Still had over a mile to go to get to my truck. Got him home and weighed. He was 134lbs,6'9" long. My first cougar.  I didn't think cougars bred in the fall but that's what they where doing.

first pic after retrieving my pack and rifle

[mulehunter]

 

[Pilot_Hunter]

Awesome story! Can't wait to see pics!

[Hoythunter]

Holy smokes, let's see this bad boy!  My heart gets pounding just reading your story.

[scottcrb]

damn crazy story glad your ok and the cat isn't, nice work.

[Elkbow33]

Good job had a similar experience in Oregon.  I know the feeling you got when he came at you!!!!!

[jasnt]

I practice with this pistol alot!  I was very confident I could hit anything that charged me down but your body works a little funny when the adrenalin starts flowing hard.

[boneaddict]

Nicely done.   Good story too

[Taco280AI]

I've heard the screaming and saw two cats together while deer hunting before, had no idea what it was at first.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Sweeet...that sounded like some fun their now    Hurry up with the photos 

[jasnt]

Sweeet...that sounded like some fun their now    Hurry up with the photos 

Im almost home from work,this phone is a pain it won't upload anything tonight

[BOWHUNTER45]

Sweeet...that sounded like some fun their now    Hurry up with the photos 

Im almost home from work,this phone is a pain it won't upload anything tonight

I am sure we will all be here waiting 

[jasnt]

updated

[DoubleJ]

Females can go into heat anytime of the year but will mostly breed in the fall/winter

[MLBowhunting]

Awesome story and pics