What a Holiday

[SHOOTER]

Just got back from the deer lease west of Ozona. Had been there since Wendsday night.

Thursday morning the wind was blowing about 20 MPH and the deer didn't cooperate so being as the blind is at the botom of a hill I though I might as well give the call
a try. Went to the truck and got the call and the decoy and set them up about 50 yards out, and I got back into the blind. I thought it was going to be pointless the way the wind was blowin, but after about 10 minutes a bobcat came trotting in. He never presented me with a good shot so he gets to live to see another day.

One of the guys on the lease, George, had expressed an interest in predator calling over the Christmas weekend. I showed him my callers and explained to him how they worked and how I set up to call. Well he was at the lease Thursday afternoon and after we filled my feeder, we decided to give it a try. On the first set he has ever made after about 15 mintes of calling in trots another bobcat. I never saw it until George took the shot at about 150 yds. I saw it run into the bushes. Went to the place where it was and no blood or hair.

Next set we called in a red fox at about 30 yards. George thought he had a long time to be able to shoot it but after about 2 second it ran walked back into the bushes and we never got another shot at it.

The next afternoon we called in a pair of Red Fox and again he hesitated to long. After they left it told George again that he cannot hesitate. If he has a clear shot take it. Still setting at the same spot I changed the sound on the caller via the remote from the grey fox special to the grown Jackrabbit called and I'll be d**ned if another fox didn't make an apperance. George didn't hesitated on it and it met the 50 grain ballisttip from Georges 22-250. George goes over to it and I pull the truck down the sendero to pick up the call. BAM BAM
While George was taking a picture of it another one came in about 20 feet from him and made a charge at him. He put the camera between his knee's and unslung his riflle. It got away though, as I think Geroge shot over him. The next set up produce another bobcat they got hung up behind a cedar tree and we never got a shot at him.

That evening after 2 unsuccesful sets, we pull on to an oil well location and parked the truck between the pump jack and the reserve pit. After 5 minutes of calling here come the eyes. To make a long story short, it was another bobcat. I got a shot off at it as it stepped from behind a cedar tree and was about to unass the area. I thought I had missed after getting back on the area where I had shot, so I went to pick up the call and decided to go to where he was standing and have a look around. Blood and fur...........we tracked him about 150 yds in to a creek botttom and into some of the thickest underbrush you can imagine. Common sense then prevailed as it was 2 o'clock in the morning and neither of us had a firearm. The next day we tracked him another 200 yards into a flat area where we lost the blood trail.

Needless to say it was a great weekend and George is hooked, big time. 4 Cats and 5 Fox in two days is really good for the area we hunt in. Although we only got 1 fox to show for it it was great.

My only real concern nows is that George may think I can call like this all the time, boy does he have another think coming.

[BozoWise]

Shooter anytime you want to take me out there you just let me know ;D

Boy I am jealous now. Great post, sounds like you have a new varmit hunter for life.

[loydnascar6]

Sounds like you had a chance of a lifetime.But I wouldn't say that you blew it either.You most certainly had some great days there.Now if you could just work on the"Dear Calls" some more , you might just have the hunt of a lifetime.Way to go,and let us know how it goes next trip.

[SHOOTER]

;D We must be having a epidemic of bobcats on our lease. I just talked to the ranch foreman and he told me that the trappers have taken 30 bobcats off our 6000 acre lease in the last 4 to 5 weeks. He also told me they are seeing an increase in coyotes to the west and he expects them to be filtering in to our area pretty soon. We have been on the lease for about 13 years now and out of the 15 guys on the lease we have seen a total of 2 coyotes in all that time. The rancher is dead serious about keep the preadtor/varmit population in check.


As the ranch foreman told me once "If it isn't a cow, goat , or sheep, kill it." He is also considering letting us hunt other parts of this ranch and a couple of other ranches they own. Wouldn't that be grand to have a couple of hundred thousand acres to hunt on. I would never be home

[pyledriver]

Hey Shooter-if y'all do get access to all that area and need another lease member, let me know! Especially if y'all have pigs out there I'd really be interested!!

I've hunted near Junction and noticed only a few coyotes, and one bobcat in the last few years. Unfortunately we won't be renewing that lease but maybe the next one will have more predators!

[SHOOTER]

Pyledriver.....Pigs are another thing we don't have any of. They are all around us but have not filtered into our area yet. I also am waiting for the day they do.

Don't tell the rancher but I have had thoughts of releasing a trailer full out there just to get them established......Wouldn''t do it, but the thought has crossed my mind.

I got a call for the Parks and Wildlife biologist in Boerne wanting to take a sample of spinal tissue from a buck I shot over new years weekend. The biologist from the Ozona area is doing some kind of disease testing from that area. He told me there was no problem and that they were just doing routine testing for any signs..Sure had me scared for a few moments though. He did send me a useful link to the parks and wildlife sight where they keep all the info on total deer population by county, with breaks downs on buck to does, fawn survival rates and such.

I'll keep you in mind if we have a vacancy this year.

[Bobcat]

Hey Shooter,

Congrats!! I think you may have ruined your buddy for life! ;D

Good Hunting,

Bob

[slammy]

Hey Shooter,

That's a lot of cat and fox action. Sounds like you had a good time. That's what it's all about. You are doing something right.