Beat by another "hunter"

[jlong17]

I am still trying to punch my deer tag after many opportunities. I shot low a few weeks back at what would've been my personal best, a beautiful 4x4. I have been chasing that deer down ever since, spending 4 days a week hunting- with no sightings. This morning I finally found where the does relocated their feeding grounds. I watched 1 doe in particular feed up the hill and stop several times with hear ears perked up intensely scanning the brush ahead. I was expecting the bucks to come out, and I would initiate my stalk. Well, something else happened... a mountain lion beat me to them!! Ya, crazy. I scanned the ridge line ahead of the doe to see what she was looking at, and found a mountain lion crouching down and slowly, and methodically inching closer to the doe. Like a house cat his tail revealed his excitement and he pounced!! The doe busted him and bolted off the side of the mountain, followed by 5 other does... and yep, you guessed it, the buck I had been searching for. They were all scattering in a total frenzy and the lion tried to reposition behind some brush to attempt and snag one of the stragglers. He failed, and ended up empty handed. It was an experience I will never forget. Nature is intense, and I never want to get to a point in my hunting career where I focus so much on the harvest and miss out on the adventure. It was funny though to see the face of another defeated hunter hahah!!
Anyone else ever experience something like this? Did you relocate your hunting that week? I'm trying to decide if I finish off the season in this spot, or if I need to move on to back up spots. Thanks for reading!!

Jake

 

[daltrix99]

Wow! That’s an awesome sighting. I’ve competed with wolves in very close proximity; had them come into cow calls, had them on the edge of our camp, and had them make a kill overnight in the spot we were hunting. In my experience, this has not moved the elk to the extent where we’ve needed to relocate. We’ve had success in the same areas while the wolves are still around. Never competed directly with a lion like that!

 

[elkrchr]

That was an exciting outing. Good luck in relocating the buck again.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

That is awesome! Once in a lifetime experience.

I ran into a lion last year and was able to get some cool pics. It wasn't chasing deer or anything but still super cool to see. In fact it is the first and only lion I have seen in the wild. We were elk hunting, and I would have been just fine if I didn't kill an elk, as it would have been hard to top the lion encounter. As it turned out, my friend killed his first bull and I killed the bull in my profile pic later that afternoon. It was an epic day for sure.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I feel like a pretty hapless hunter compared to predators who survive without any manufactured tools. I've had an eagle steal ducks off the water that I had shot.

 

[Gerald Martin]

That is awesome! Once in a lifetime experience.

I ran into a lion last year and was able to get some cool pics. It wasn't chasing deer or anything but still super cool to see. In fact it is the first and only lion I have seen in the wild. We were elk hunting, and I would have been just fine if I didn't kill an elk, as it would have been hard to top the lion encounter. As it turned out, my friend killed his first bull and I killed the bull in my profile pic later that afternoon. It was an epic day for sure.View attachment 118899

You should have crawled down closer and gotten better pics.....

 

[Wyhunter]

Sometimes seeing nature like that is better than tagging out. Probably wont ever get a chance to see it again. My wife was with me when I spotted a lion walking a ridgeline one year, she still talks about it to this day.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

You should have crawled down closer and gotten better pics.....

Haha is that one better? Added another photo to my post. Was having trouble earlier trying to add it. Yeah we were prwtty close. But I never felt nervous.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

I am still trying to punch my deer tag after many opportunities. I shot low a few weeks back at what would've been my personal best, a beautiful 4x4. I have been chasing that deer down ever since, spending 4 days a week hunting- with no sightings. This morning I finally found where the does relocated their feeding grounds. I watched 1 doe in particular feed up the hill and stop several times with hear ears perked up intensely scanning the brush ahead. I was expecting the bucks to come out, and I would initiate my stalk. Well, something else happened... a mountain lion beat me to them!! Ya, crazy. I scanned the ridge line ahead of the doe to see what she was looking at, and found a mountain lion crouching down and slowly, and methodically inching closer to the doe. Like a house cat his tail revealed his excitement and he pounced!! The doe busted him and bolted off the side of the mountain, followed by 5 other does... and yep, you guessed it, the buck I had been searching for. They were all scattering in a total frenzy and the lion tried to reposition behind some brush to attempt and snag one of the stragglers. He failed, and ended up empty handed. It was an experience I will never forget. Nature is intense, and I never want to get to a point in my hunting career where I focus so much on the harvest and miss out on the adventure. It was funny though to see the face of another defeated hunter hahah!!
Anyone else ever experience something like this? Did you relocate your hunting that week? I'm trying to decide if I finish off the season in this spot, or if I need to move on to back up spots. Thanks for reading!!

Jake

jlong17.....what state are you hunting, South Carolina?

 

[bobbydean]

Did the Yellowstone tourist thing about a month ago. Saw a mountain lion crossing an open meadow. Only, the second I have seen in the wild.

Was one of the highlights of the vacation.

 

[jlong17]

jlong17.....what state are you hunting, South Carolina?

Hunting my local mountains in Southern California

 

[jlong17]

Sometimes seeing nature like that is better than tagging out. Probably wont ever get a chance to see it again. My wife was with me when I spotted a lion walking a ridgeline one year, she still talks about it to this day.

I totally agree! After the dust settled, I was shocked at what I had been fortunate enough to witness. I haven't decided yet if I have the courage to go back out by myself in the morning. Its an hour hike in the dark to get to my glassing point, right next to the mountain lion sighting haha

 

[Mtnhunter1]

jlong17.....what state are you hunting, South Carolina?

10-4, my damn vision read Carolina! Go back and find that buck tomorrow,,,Good Luck and shoot straight...

 

[SG25]

That's pretty cool! I would love an experience like that. I'm in central CA and have seen A LOT of cat tracks in the snow where I mainly hunt, but never in the flesh. Good luck to you and keep us updated on your hunt!

 

[LuketheDog]

Very cool!

I took my daughter out looking for a lion yesterday morning. We'd heard from a neighbor that a lion had been seen up the road so we went up there about 30 minutes later to look for tracks. We found a bunch of deer who were entirely unconcerned with our presence, and very focused on something in the brush about 50yds away. We sat and glassed a while but never found the cat and the deer either were feeding or fixated on that one patch of sage, I'm sure it was in there somewhere.

 

[jlong17]

Very cool!

I took my daughter out looking for a lion yesterday morning. We'd heard from a neighbor that a lion had been seen up the road so we went up there about 30 minutes later to look for tracks. We found a bunch of deer who were entirely unconcerned with our presence, and very focused on something in the brush about 50yds away. We sat and glassed a while but never found the cat and the deer either were feeding or fixated on that one patch of sage, I'm sure it was in there somewhere.

It's crazy how stealthy those cats are!