yoteblaster243
New member
Went out yesterday afternoon and hiked in to a new area the game warden said I should check out. It has sage fields, some grown up with honeysuckle and briars and such (good cover). It also has a long ridge running parallel to the Tennessee river. This ridge is fairly thick with lots of rocks and boulders around, good looking cat country. Even noticed a fresh set of cat tracks in logging road on way in. It was a good 1 1/2 mile hike in.
Well, I set up first on top of the ridge calling off the back towards the river. I used the Johnny Stewart Yellowhammer tape. Thirty minutes and nothing. So I used my hand mouse squeeker for 5 minutes, nothing. Since I was alone I thought it best to hike down off of the rocky ridge before dark so as not to twist an ankle, which I almost did on way down even in good light.
I then set up at the foot of the ridge next to a logging road. I have 25 yards of cable going to my speaker. I also put a turkey feather on a thread attached to a broken fishing rod to add movement in the breeze. Well, after just 7 minutes (same yellowhammer tape) a bobcat appeared to my left just 25 yards! He had actually came from where I had just called at the first set up!
That turkey feather tore him up good but eventually he looked away and I shot him with my Remington 700 BDL 22-250. Come to find out the reason he looked away was a group of coyotes were coming up the logging road to the call!!! I seen about 5 or 6 dropping piles when I left in the road not 100 yards from where I was calling that were not there when I hiked in.
Awesome evening and my first bobcat. I always hunted coyotes and this year decided to try for cats.
Lesson learned: When hunting cats stay on stand for an hour for sure before moving!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Well, I set up first on top of the ridge calling off the back towards the river. I used the Johnny Stewart Yellowhammer tape. Thirty minutes and nothing. So I used my hand mouse squeeker for 5 minutes, nothing. Since I was alone I thought it best to hike down off of the rocky ridge before dark so as not to twist an ankle, which I almost did on way down even in good light.
I then set up at the foot of the ridge next to a logging road. I have 25 yards of cable going to my speaker. I also put a turkey feather on a thread attached to a broken fishing rod to add movement in the breeze. Well, after just 7 minutes (same yellowhammer tape) a bobcat appeared to my left just 25 yards! He had actually came from where I had just called at the first set up!
That turkey feather tore him up good but eventually he looked away and I shot him with my Remington 700 BDL 22-250. Come to find out the reason he looked away was a group of coyotes were coming up the logging road to the call!!! I seen about 5 or 6 dropping piles when I left in the road not 100 yards from where I was calling that were not there when I hiked in.
Awesome evening and my first bobcat. I always hunted coyotes and this year decided to try for cats.
Lesson learned: When hunting cats stay on stand for an hour for sure before moving!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
