Wife called me today and said a buck came huffing theough the yard with an arrow high in the shoulder. I couldnt find a drop of blood. Not a recent hit i guess. Crazy drive they have this time of year. I can smell rut in the air.
Hunted out at Dad's last night and figured I would shoot a doe for him given the opportunity. Sat in one of my favorite stand out there and saw 3 deer. The two does stayed about 60 yards out eating briars and leaves. Had a small 4 point come in from behind me and proceed to bed down 25 yards from my stand. He laid there for about 30 minutes and then got up and grazed up and over the hill. This stand sits on a natural pinch point with mature oaks to my left, a small .5 acre clearing with lots of rubs, and a creek. Can't believe I only saw 3 deer. Sorry the camera on my phone is so crappy but there is no way I am carrying another item out to the stand lol!
He came in behind me and laid down so I would have had to stand up and turn around to take the picture. I was trying to not get busted hoping those does would walk down off the hill. I only pull out the camera if I know I'm not going to get busted or I'm done for the day lol. When they are that close I tend to just sit there so I don't unnecessarily spook something
I haven't got out for much hunting yet but the rut is really starting to kick in so I plan on taking my rifle for a hike here in the next few days. Although, given that I just snapped this pic while gazing out the window overlooking the porch, maybe I should plan on going somewhere other than my front yard.
How many lbs is that Trundle ? Holy chit. Big cats aren't seen much around here in Maine, tho there are some I guess. Have no interest at all in having them wander around in my yard...
Stinny. You and I are on the same page when it comes to having cats that size wandering around (especially withing 30 feet of the porch). As far as weight, I'm not sure but bigger than I'd want to tangle with.......
Haven't you been listening? Inland Fisheries and Wildlife keeps telling us there aren't any mountain lions in Maine.
Don't wanna offend anyone but... if it was wandering around here, I'd hafta shoot that thing if I had the chance. He's gotta be 100-150 lbs right?
Ha! Believe me Stinny, I wish there was an "after" photo to accompany the first one. I'd only been home for half an hour or so when he just came sauntering down the driveway without a care in the world. I didn't have quick access to my hunting rifle so I grabbed my camera and snapped a pic real quick. I then called my neighbor and got my rifle and we spent a little while looking around for him but never caught another glimpse (and his tracks went from the driveway for another 20 feet or so then he headed straight up the mountain). My neighbor saw the photo and he thought probably in the 150 lb range. Now we just need a couple good hounds to get him treed...calling DaveGunter.
Good luck finding him and any others. Hope you're able to eliminate the threat. 150 lb cat... what could possibly go wrong...
Holychit! No way man, my dogs are wimps, Oliver! Has been lame all week from a tussle with a coyote last Friday, and he outweighs them by 2-3X. He!! The 10 lb house cat routinely beats the crap out of the puppies, and she doesn't have any front claws! Maybe you could call that guy from the Mountain Men TV show.
Stinny - I called the folks who live above and below me so we'll all be keeping an eye on things. The neighbor who came up and looked for him with me yesterday has chickens and a couple horses so he was a little freaked out. Hopefully we either thin the 'big cat' population down a little bit or spook them enough to head for the high country and stay out of the immediate area. Another neighbor has a pic of a big wolf that was standing on his patio a few years ago. Just standing there looking into the house.....pretty spooky! Dave - Ha! I hear ya man. Lexie's favorite move when she sees something scary is to get behind me and then start acting tough. That Mountain Men guy, if I recall correctly, lives up in the Yaak valley. That's only an hour and a half or so from my place........might have to drop him a line.
With those "food" sources your neighbor has Trundle, I can see why he'd be a little freaked. You too. I don't hunt much anymore, but have many friends who'd be here in no time if I had a big cat comin round here. Any chance you've got a group of hunters out your way that would like to help get after him... and any other cats? The wolf standing at the "food court window" deciding what he wants fer supper, is... interesting... Good luck with any hunting and keep us posted would ya?
Stinny - Yeah, the neighbor has lost a few chickens over the years to coyotes but overall he's gotten away pretty lucky. The wolves around here generally seem to stay away for the most part and, until I saw that big cat yesterday, mountain lions haven't been cause for concern. As far as hunters around here that would love to shoot a big cat, let's put it this way....you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting one (sorry, it was just sitting there waiting to be used) I'll definitely keep ya'll posted on the situation. A big mountain lion mount would look pretty cool perched up on the wall of my place, that's for sure.
