Do it for the Fawns...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Double Naught Spy
    Chieftain
    • Sep 2013
    • 2560

    Do it for the Fawns...

    {To paraphrase Sally Struthers' old TV commercial of "Do it for the children..."}

    I was hunting for hogs outside of Montague, Texas two nights ago, on a property called TBR. About twilight, I spied a small moving thermal target with a FLIR PS32 at about 150 yards SE of me on the opposite side of the food plot from where I was and behind unmowed hay, clover, and weeds. It looked to be raccoon sized but moved wrong for a raccoon. I was able to identify the target as a bobcat with a Pulsar N750 and UNV20IR illuminator. At the time, the winds were out of the south, calm - maybe 3 mph, but gusti0ng to 9 mph.

    Due to the foliage, I had trouble visually tracking the bobcat with night vision, so I primarily used thermal, watching as he moved NW toward where I was, but he never broke out of the unmowed plants. However, I was able to better track him with the Pulsar once he was close to where Mr. TBR (landowner) had cut the field for hay.

    While this was going on, two fawns came out of the treeline and headed to the feeder that was north of where the bobcat was located. Despite the wind being in their favor, the fawns did not seem to know or notice that a bobcat was nearby. It was not until the bobcat had moved to within maybe 30 yards of the fawns that they took notice of something being wrong and were staring in the direction of the bobcat, though I do not think they could see him in the grass as well as I could see him and I could not see him that well.

    About the time the bobcat was between my position and the fawns at the feeder, he stopped and raised up above the grasses and looked toward the fawns who were looking at him. His actions reminded me of what a raccoon would do. I could clearly see the back of his head, white bands and black tips on his ears, the back of his neck, and what I thought was his back below his neck. I placed the crosshairs in the center of his upper back and fired. He immediately disappeared from view. I had no idea if I had hit him or not. He was just gone.

    The fawns continued to look at the spot where he was briefly, then went back to eating corn. After about 10-15 minutes of eating, they meandered around to where the bobcat was on the ground and sniffed at and around the spot where I last saw him, and then bolted for the woods. At that point, I was certain that the bobcat was down at that spot.

    At the time I shot, he was nearly 50 yards from me, but only about 15 yards from the fawns.

    I had incorrectly identified the bobcat's positioning. He wasn't standing with his back to me when I fired, but was broadside to me with his head turned toward the fawns. So what I thought was his upper back turned out to be his shoulder.

    The shot entered the left shoulder and exited the right shoulder. The exit hole was larger than the diameter of a quarter.

    Mr. TBR was pleased that his preferred wildlife remained safe for the evening.

    Grendel 6.5 Hornady SST 123 gr. Ammo
    Pulsar N750 Digisight
    UNV20IR Illuminator
    FLIR PS32 Thermal Spotter
    Male Bobcat at ~ 50 yards



    Three nights ago, I was trying to hunt hogs yet again at the same place. Mr. TBR had just cut hay and I did well last year at his place when that happened. Plus, I was only 20 minutes away from my place if hogs showed up there (cellular cams would send me images). I figured that I had stacked the odds in my favor fairly well, but I had not used a calculator to do my figuring.

    Other than an armadillo, the first critters I saw were a momma doe and a tiny fawn. They came out into the pasture and picked around for a while before heading back into the tree line. The tiny fawn was doing that terribly cute, awkward prancing and running around the mother that would then run to catch up with the fawn or the fawn would run back to be close to momma. It was the only real excitement as about all else I was seeing was a couple of adult deer doing normal boring adult deer things in no particular hurry. I was not seeing any hogs either.

    About 5 hours into it (around 1:00 am), I spied a coyote at about 200 yards to the north. It disappeared into the tree line before I could get my gun up, not that I was confident of making such a shot at that distance on a moving coyote. Mr. TBR has me take out his major predators well as hogs to help protect the deer and turkeys, though I do not actively call predators. Anyway, maybe 10 minutes later, out of the same edge of woods, I saw a doe and fawn come out (on thermal). They were playing, or so it appeared, but they were moving too fast for playing. The fawn would run at the doe and the doe would chase the fawn.

    Then I realized what I was seeing. It was the coyote going after the doe and the doe standing her ground and then charging back. They covered well over 100 yards, working in my direction very fast. By the time the rifle was in the window and pointing in the right direction, the pair had come to a standoff about 5 yards from one another and about 60 yards from me. The coyote was sideways and a good target and so as soon as the crosshairs settled, I dropped it.

    I expected the doe to run. She did not. She looked toward me, or toward the sound of the report, then went back to staring at the now dead coyote. She didn't know what had happened, but that the coyote wasn't upright anymore. Magic thunder had dropped the coyote for all she knew. At the time, there was lightning and thunder off to the NE. Her staring at the downed yote lasted maybe 2 minutes before she let out a series of snorts, bouncing sideways back and forth in front of it, and then bolted for the woods she had come out of earlier. That was the only time I heard her snort.

    The bullet entered high on the right shoulder and exited through the lower left humerus on the opposite side, breaking the left leg. The coyote, a female, was DRT. No idea of the actual weight, but she was heavy enough to be a significant burden to drag 200 yards to the bone yard (designated area for carcasses), LOL. She was clean, no heavy parasite load, and no sign that she had had pups.

    Grendel 6.5 123 gr. Hornady SST
    Pulsar N750, UNV20IR illuminator
    FLIR PS32 thermal spotter
    60 yards
    female coyote

    Kill a hog. Save the planet.
    My videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange
  • Adam Lilja
    Warrior
    • Dec 2013
    • 267

    #2
    That's a heavy duty set up! Nice Bobcat man, those pelts go for a lot of $$.

    Comment

    • Slappy
      Warrior
      • Feb 2014
      • 711

      #3
      Nice story and nice pictures. Like the way you have that setup. BANG BANG!!

      Comment

      • Double Naught Spy
        Chieftain
        • Sep 2013
        • 2560

        #4
        It is a heavy duty setup. It is great for use out of a stand. For stalking, I take a couple of the gizmos off and/or go prone or use shooting sticks. However, it has very little recoil, LOL.

        I actually use everything that is on the gun, even if it does look like it is "from the internet."

        I can at least look at the rifle and know whether or not I have all my gear with me.
        Kill a hog. Save the planet.
        My videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

        Comment

        • NugginFutz
          Chieftain
          • Aug 2013
          • 2622

          #5
          Recoil? How would there be any, with the mass that rig has? So, is that a rifle with a scope, or a NV scope with the optional rifle accessory?

          Nice shooting, and great story to make those pictures speak even louder.

          Thanks for the posts, 00
          If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

          Comment

          • Double Naught Spy
            Chieftain
            • Sep 2013
            • 2560

            #6
            Exactly! And you are right. I got the scope with the rifle accessory package. It is something the dealers don't normally advertise, LOL.

            Last year when I got into this caliber and in this way, I had a medical issue the precluded me from heavier recoiling rifles. Most of the hogs I took last year were with a Rem 788 in .308 and my favorite hog gun is a Marlin 1895 .45-70, but those were out of the question for a while and I wanted more than just .223 and a buddy indoctrinated me into the Grendel cult. It has turned out to be a really good choice and despite being over my medical issues, I have made this my go-to hunting caliber and rig.
            Kill a hog. Save the planet.
            My videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

            Comment

            • jawbone
              Warrior
              • Jan 2012
              • 328

              #7
              great well-written stories, great shots, and a great rifle. many thanks for sharing an all-around great post, 00Spy!
              and that rifle must be a blast to run, although i'd probably have to rtfm to even locate its oscillating overthruster.
              Last edited by jawbone; 06-25-2014, 04:21 AM.

              Comment

              • IceAxe
                Warrior
                • Jan 2014
                • 168

                #8
                Nice shooting and thanks for the post.

                Comment

                • rebelsoul
                  Warrior
                  • Jan 2014
                  • 156

                  #9
                  Good huntin'. Is that rifle the "Annihilator 2000" from Beverly Hills Cop III ?
                  "When you have to shoot... Shoot! Don't talk." Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez a.k.a. "The Rat".

                  Comment

                  • Overwatcher

                    #10
                    Great writeup and read! Thanks for posting,looks like you are having some fun,you should try some predator calling,its addicting!

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X