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Post by jfs on Jan 19, 2017 20:33:47 GMT -5
Never had the chance to hunt bobcat until this past Monday morning when I was in a blind at 5:30AM overlooking bait 30yds away.. This was in the forest of Aurora, Maine about two hours northeast of Bangor and the first of two day`s hunting. It was not until 1:30 in the afternoon that my first cat just appeared near the bait. He was licking his side and I waited and then he looked straight at me. Placed the crosshair where the front leg meet the body and squeezed the trigger. Cat disappeared... Expected to find him in the trees but nothing...no blood.. nothing except a tuft of hair. What the hell??? Go back to the bait and find my bullet hit and broke a short piece of fence wire. What I did not know was that the bullet deflected but a large part of it angled through the front of the chest, came out, and went back in for a perfect gut shot. The guide came back with his dog and he found him 50yds from impact....God bless that dog. Tuesday morning I was hunting from a high box blind about 9 miles from camp. Bait was 59.5yds away...2:45 in the afternoon I see movement at the bait and here was my 2nd cat pulling on a large chunk of deer. He snuck in a small gulley and his body was hidden. Set the Burris scope on 5X and waited until he exposed his shoulder. One shot dropped him there....Bobcat are one of God`s most beautiful predators.... If you can see the colors of his coat you will know why. It is VERY cold in Maine in January with Monday morning registering 9 degrees.... Longjohns are a must....
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Fowler
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,559
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Post by Fowler on Jan 19, 2017 20:44:34 GMT -5
You know the first season I tried to hunt big game with a handgun I was sneaking up the side of a ridge and I had a bunny go streaking by me from up the hill. A few seconds later a bobcat comes out in a clearing right in front of me at 25 yards and gave up chasing the bully and decided that sitting in the sun bathing himself seemed like a better way to spend the morning. Long story short I watched him do his thing for 20 minutes inside of 20 yards, even got a few good picks of him. I never even gave a thought to shooting him, he was just too cool to watch right then do his thing.
Now a different day under different circumstances it would have been on, but it was the first and only bobcat I have ever spotted while hunting.
Now as far as this Maine cat hunt I have to say I have never heard of anyone shooting them over bait and I must say I am impressed, very cool way to hunt them since most of the one that I know of being shot with a handgun had been treed by hounds first. What gun did you use, clearly a FA but that is not enough information is it?
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Post by jfs on Jan 19, 2017 21:23:32 GMT -5
Fowler, I would be dead within 50yds if I ran with dogs in the snow..... Freedom Arms model 83 in 41mag...John Taffin handload using large charge of AA#9 under a 210gr XTP....five rounds averaged 1745FPS from my 10" barrel....Got my Maine hunting liscense with the intention of hunting fox, bobcat and coyote. Would have stayed there until this Saturday but guy I was with got sick and left Wed. at noon....So happy I got my cats......
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Post by zeus on Jan 19, 2017 21:42:13 GMT -5
Cool buddy. Definitely had enough gun!
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cmh
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,745
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Post by cmh on Jan 19, 2017 21:59:23 GMT -5
Congrats James on a very successful hunt!!! Thanks for sharing 😉
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cmillard
.375 Atomic
MOLON LABE
Posts: 1,943
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Post by cmillard on Jan 20, 2017 0:31:17 GMT -5
very nice!
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Post by Robster on Jan 20, 2017 5:09:10 GMT -5
Beautiful cats!!! Great firearm choice!! what are your intentions? Rug? full body mount? don't forget to get the skull bleached. I had that done with mine. looks awesome on the shelf!!
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Post by Ken O'Neill on Jan 20, 2017 6:47:55 GMT -5
Great, James! Congratulations! Like Fowler, this is the first time I've heard of hunting them over bait. It makes a lot of sense, though. Around here, most are taken using predator calls. The only one I've ever taken was shot while I was easing down a trail. He was a surprise gift.
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Post by BigBore44 on Jan 20, 2017 10:15:40 GMT -5
That's Awesome, James...! Congrats on two fine trophies..
Ray
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Post by foxtrapper on Jan 20, 2017 10:50:11 GMT -5
To sit two days over a bait pile and shoot two bobcats is awesome. Critters have to awful hungry due to dense snow pack and fridged temps . They would rather hunt if they could! I'm sure the guide is surprised too!! Figure you have to go through a few coyotes and fox first. Great shooting too! Side note , i have been kicking around a re chamber of my Bisley ss356 gnr . I had Alan Harton build a 4 5/8 " 41 mag old model and love the cartridge and how it shoots,so a JRH conversion in 41 mag with a match 10" barrel is a first order project! :-)
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Post by markhampton on Jan 20, 2017 12:15:47 GMT -5
Well done -- Congrats!
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KRal
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,029
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Post by KRal on Jan 20, 2017 16:44:17 GMT -5
Two thumbs up!!
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Post by crazycarl on Jan 20, 2017 17:58:12 GMT -5
Very nice. You skin one out, to eat? Have heard mountain lion is right tasty & if I ever take a bobcat, I'm gonna hafta try it.
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Post by sixshot on Jan 21, 2017 2:22:56 GMT -5
Very nice cats James, Bobcats are an amazing animal to hunt. You did great, congratulations buddy! I've seen quite a lot of them, seeing them is one thing, getting them is another, fantastic! I have one mounted that I shot 50 years ago.
Dick
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Post by sheriff on Jan 21, 2017 10:14:56 GMT -5
Congratulations, James!! Hunting them over bait is a new one on me. I've trapped them, run them with hounds and called them in. There's a season on them here in Oklahoma, Dec 1 thru Feb 28.....
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