Why my public land birds don't gobble...
Turkey
I think I figgered it out...this was taken at about 8 feet!
Best of Luck, Jeff
my advice, you should stop gobbling too! That's awesome!
Wow, when the season's on you could hunt the...
Oh, wait, you live where mountain lions are more important than people or pets, huh? :-)
Great photo, that had to be a thrill.
My heart was hammerin' pretty good, Writer. He came in from my right side. Two more steps and he'd have been in my lap. When I realized what it was...I got a bit of the "fight or flight" rush for sure.
He watched me patiently as I futzed around with the phone...and started rapid firing lol.
Finally he decided I wasn't edible...and walked away. Liberals all over the State could be heard cheering I'm sure...although they probably would have cheered louder if I would have become lunch ;)
Best of Luck, Jeff
Good thing you don't taste like meow mix Jeff! Great shot and an incredible encounter for sure. I've had coyotes and a red fox come to my calling before but never a lion!
That is wild!!
I've had yotes, bobcats, & deer come in, and that gets some adrenaline going.. can't imagine a cat like that - especially that close!
Brotsky...last Year, I was sitting in a natural blind (a downed cedar tree)...and had a coyote walk about three feet in front of me and stop, staring at my decoys. Never did know I was there, I just froze.
Same general area...those birds don't have a chance up there!
Best Wishes, Jeff
Had a honey hole on public and set up early morning with my decoy out about 15 yards and couldn't figure out why no gobbling and then a dark mass stated to approach and as it was getting lighter it was a black bear, sniff the decoy and sat by it for a few minutes before it amble off, I figured he owned the honey hole without any argument.
Holy crap! I called a few in turkey hunting here in Colorado but not that close. I would have been going for my sidearm instead of my camera lol. Imagine how many you haven't seen!
Destroyer, it sure made me think about the fact that I had walked in there a couple miles in the dark.
It wasn't my first "close encounter"...I had one stalk in on me to about 15 feet when I was bowhunting elk in Colorado about 15 years ago...in a crouch with ears laid back when I finally saw it.
I actually drew my bow on that one, but it turned tail and walked off.
Best of Luck, Jeff
I bet that was a rush! Think I'm going to buy a tag to have through the year. NM lion season is the entire year. I've only had a small bear come in when I was calling turkeys.
That would be a pants crapper for me.... Great shot
If I was in your situation I sure as heck wouldn't have posted a picture of my underwear. :)
Simply awesome encounter!
Awesome, thanks for sharing. Forrest
I've had some oh shit moments while turkey hunting. Most involved bears.....some with cubs.
The main reason they don't gobble a lot on public here is the people. The stupidity killing a turkey breeds in my home state is legendary.
The deadliest predator in my turkey hunting grounds is a diamondback. That explains why I'm always looking at the ground when I should be looking for turkeys !
Wow thats too cool. A few years ago I was turkey hunting in New Mexico when just at first light I saw a light colored animal about the size of a yote go by at about 35 yards and just got a glimse of its long tail and thought it looked more like a big cat than a coyote. Later in camp I was talking to my hosts and they said it was a lion it never even dawned on me that I was hunting in lion country Duh !
You need to stop using the call "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!"
Wow! Did you poop? I would have.
Wow, great picture! I had a 10 yard encounter a few years ago. I did not reach for my camera though. I drew my bow and held my top pin on the cat until he made the correct decision to depart the area. That is an excellent picture!
You should have titled the thread "I almost crapped my pants".
Brian
Isn't PA hunting grand!
Wow. I reckon you guys out west have more steel in your nerves than I do. I feel like I would have felt threatened for my life and, handled it as such. Call me a wimp. God Bless men
I know around here the coyotes will make them quiet. Great pics!
And another. In response to some of your inquiries...my underwear were spared, mainly because I think I was too puckered to poop. :^D
Best Wishes, Jeff
bdfrd24v
When you think you have seen it all…….Someone does the unthinkable and raises the bar of stupidity. Pa is a beautiful state and I love hunting the mountains.
Those pictures are excellent!
Jeff, looks like a young lion or maybe a small female? Or maybe you were too scared to lift the tail and check? Ha!
Young, hungry lions are always the ones that scare me when I'm at home here hunting in lion country. Unpredictable.
Yeah Brotsky, I was a little too rattled to check for "junk" when it finally walked away.
Definitely looked like a mature adult, but could have certainly been a female (maybe she had cubs to feed)?
I had been seeing a lot of tracks in the area...I'm guessing she's been eating turkey on a regular basis since the spring thaw.
Best of Luck, Jeff
