A sitting cat at 170 yards saw your movement and fled. Let that lesson sink in and don't forget it. There are times when you gotta swing and shoot real quick. Sometimes you can get away with real slow motion a few seconds before the shot. Slow, like molasses for cats, not jerky. Sometimes ZERO motion is acceptable. Just freeze. Because even at 170 yards it had you made. When a cat is looking in your direction, you better hold fast until he looks away.
Try sitting your rifle forearm on shooting sticks pointed in the direction of best probability for predator approach. Shoulder your rifle 5-10 minutes into the stand to be ready. Minimize your movement to near zero.
Sounds like you're using an ecaller? Don't sit in line with the ecaller, offset it. You don't want to be sitting directly behind the ecaller when a predator is staring at it because he'll see your movement in the background. Put the caller off to one side. Try to use the terrain to your advantage when setting up a stand location. Lanes of travel, cover, shooting lanes, shade, visability, etc. MAKE it work for you. Takes experience. Brush critters often shy away from crossing big openings and instead hold up on the perimeter. Cats Sometimes won't leave the shadows of midday sun and will sit there on the tree line. Set up your stand to anticipate these things. Have a plan of action for when a predator approaches from A, B, or C direction.
