Cool video: Bobcat takes down a deer

hm1996

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Yeah, our deer go crazy when a bobcat is around down here. I thought I was experiencing some weird wind swirl when deer started blowing like crazy off to my right. It wasn’t until a bobcat walked out that I realized what all the commotion was about. For my landowners I trap for coyotes are way down the list of predators to remove…coons, cats, possums, coyotes, fox.
 
Had a good example of does going into protective mode several years ago. Set up overlooking a fairly open pasture w/enough cover for coyote to feel safe crossing on outer ranch fence where I had seen a coyote crossing in hopes of luring a coyote from across the fence. Started fawn distress on max volume and almost immediately had a coyote coming on a string across that field toward the fence. Figured I had this one in the bag, all he had to do is stick his nose under that fence.
Unfortunately (for me), several does blew out of a mott like a bunch of NFL line backers of brush and hazed that coyote until he gave up, turned around and left. Put on quite a show, but no cigar.
 
I’ll be honest I’m a little leery about using fawn distress at night down here. Even with the caller out a ways these does come I’m looking for blood! Had one about run me over one night coming from behind me heading to the sound. Put it this way, I wouldn’t hold a caller playing fawn distress, lol.
 
Years back I was out calling and had walked down a long ridgetop with a deep spring bottom on my left. I found a little spur ridge that led down there that would make a natural ramp for a responding critter to come to the call. I eased down and set the caller and decoy out. As I was doing so a deer across the holler started blowing. I figured it had seen or heard me getting set up. I eased back about twenty-five yards and sat with my back against a huge oak tree. The deer was blowing constantly across from me. At first, I was aggravated with the deer but then I realized that nothing in the hollow could smell me and that deer commotion might add to the realism of the stand. Just before I started the call I looked around and saw a bobcat walking down the holler. The big cat walked directly in front of me sat down about sixty yards and turned to stare up to where the deer was snorting. Don't get easy ones like this often so I took that opportunity thankfully. That is what the deer had been snorting at all along. If you are tuned in you can often notice deer, squirrels, crows, blue jays, turkeys, etc. giving notice to a predator in the area. And heck yes a momma doe will come in to a call ready to stomp a muddy spot where you're sitting. The old gal will be aggressive and fast coming in.
 
Few years back they wrapped up one of the most extensive studies ever done on fawn predation in the South East. One of the biggest surprises that came out of the study was the amount of fawns that bobcats killed. If I remember correctly, they killed just as many if not more fawns than coyotes did.
 
One evening, several years ago, a 10 point buck blew across the sendero in front of me with a big bobcat hot on his heels. The next morning I went back and set up near a heavy mott of brush and called the cat in.
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He now resides in my foyer

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Had previously found a partially eaten young deer's front leg and shoulder about 3' up in a fork of a small mesquite tree in that mott. So yes, bobcats definitely have a taste for venison.
 
Gotta love it when a plan comes together. Nice cat. Not much chance of losing that rifle in the brush, is there, Murl? :ROFLMAO:

Looks like you got a little bit of moisture out of the storm, assuming picture is recent. We didn't get a drop, but its raining pretty hard right now, so far 3/4". Hope it lasts a little longer, but will take what we can get.
 
When I first started trapping I thought I won’t be a true trapper until I catch a bobcat. After the first it was about like catching possums. They’ll clog up every coyote set I put out, lol. Cool critters that most landowners don’t even know they have. One landowner told me he had never seen one or even got a pic of one. Caught 12 on his property, lol. I’m hearing a rumor that GA is going to allow e-callers used to take them this coming season. Right now it’s hand calls only.
 
When I first started trapping I thought I won’t be a true trapper until I catch a bobcat. After the first it was about like catching possums. They’ll clog up every coyote set I put out, lol. Cool critters that most landowners don’t even know they have. One landowner told me he had never seen one or even got a pic of one. Caught 12 on his property, lol. I’m hearing a rumor that GA is going to allow e-callers used to take them this coming season. Right now it’s hand calls only.
South Carolina is the same way.
 
I catch coons bigger than some of our cats and on occasion I get a pretty decent one. Cats, whether tamed or wild, are just natural born killers. I’ve had them come in and sit there looking at the caller while playing pup distress. I don’t think they’re afraid of anything down here.
 
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