AntlerObsession
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- 50
This whole party started a few months ago, with me considering how to apply my 7 AZ Elk bonus points. I went ahead and put in for the early archery hunts in both of my favorite units, 1 and 27. In the meantime, I have spent every waking hour thinking talking eating drinking and dreaming bull elk! I had the opportunity to hunt CO mule deer in 2011, and in my scouting found some big mature bucks, and bulls that I would love to pursue.
If I wasn't drawn in AZ, at least I would have an excellent option #2.
Well, as I dreamed of big antlers, my buddy went ahead an invested in a hound dog named Spot. The name Spot probably came from the fact that he could "spot" a lion from miles away. There are few creatures that like hunting more than I do, but Spot might be one of those. You cannot contain that craziness once he is on the trail!
One Saturday morning, we headed out before daylight, not more than 30 minutes from the house. We unloaded at the trailhead, expecting to do a +/- 8 mile hiking trip, hoping we might cut a lion track, and see how Spot reacted. About 13 minutes from the truck, less than .5 miles, Spot started hitting a trail, and came up baying!! We followed him up a canyon, and it hadn't been a minute, when his baying changes, and the GPS unit indicates "Cat treed!"
Disbelieving that he could actually be on a lion so quickly, we hurry to the tree, and sure enough, a mature lion steps out on a tree limb, mad as Hades! As soon as we arrive, he jumps the tree, and the race is on again! We follow Spot another 200 yds., but he doesn't seem to be indicating any particular tree, and we wonder if the cat has given us the slip. As we are scanning tree tops, all of a sudden, Mark yells,"He is right above you!!" Afraid to look up, and perhaps catch the cat full in the face, I cringe and hurry away from the tree I had just been leaning against, and look up to see that cat not 10 ft above me!!
So I get clear of the tree enough to see that this cat is mad as ever, and probably deciding on whether to eat me or the dog! I drew my .40 and shot 3x, hitting the cat twice. Well, the cat just got madder! After sizing up Spot, my buddy and me, he decided that I was the easiest target and leaped out of the tree straight at me!
Now, I will tell you right now that there are few things more terrifying than an injured lion flying through the air straight at you! I will have that image burned into my brain until the day I die!!
Well, as that cat was flying at me, I calmly considered putting 3 more rounds in it mid-air, or maybe bypass the pistol and just punch it right in the face with an awesome upper cut. Wouldn't that have been sweet!?! Well, with the cat half-way to me, I came to my senses and quickly hid behind a tree, hoping the cat wouldn't follow suit.
So the chase is on again, and good ol' Spot puts the heat on him, getting him to tree a third time! As we watched him, he started to lose his balance and ultimately fell 25 ft to the forest floor. We thought for sure the cat was done, but even with 2 bullets in him, and a 25 foot fall, there was plenty of fight still in that cat! That cat got Spot pretty good twice, a bite on his muzzle, and on his chest, before I could get close enough to finish him with 2 more rounds.
Well, please mark a BiG one off my bucket list!! My buddy had him for about a week, and we weren't sure how good he really was, but Spot quickly put our doubts to rest!! More to come!!
If I wasn't drawn in AZ, at least I would have an excellent option #2.
Well, as I dreamed of big antlers, my buddy went ahead an invested in a hound dog named Spot. The name Spot probably came from the fact that he could "spot" a lion from miles away. There are few creatures that like hunting more than I do, but Spot might be one of those. You cannot contain that craziness once he is on the trail!
One Saturday morning, we headed out before daylight, not more than 30 minutes from the house. We unloaded at the trailhead, expecting to do a +/- 8 mile hiking trip, hoping we might cut a lion track, and see how Spot reacted. About 13 minutes from the truck, less than .5 miles, Spot started hitting a trail, and came up baying!! We followed him up a canyon, and it hadn't been a minute, when his baying changes, and the GPS unit indicates "Cat treed!"
Disbelieving that he could actually be on a lion so quickly, we hurry to the tree, and sure enough, a mature lion steps out on a tree limb, mad as Hades! As soon as we arrive, he jumps the tree, and the race is on again! We follow Spot another 200 yds., but he doesn't seem to be indicating any particular tree, and we wonder if the cat has given us the slip. As we are scanning tree tops, all of a sudden, Mark yells,"He is right above you!!" Afraid to look up, and perhaps catch the cat full in the face, I cringe and hurry away from the tree I had just been leaning against, and look up to see that cat not 10 ft above me!!
So I get clear of the tree enough to see that this cat is mad as ever, and probably deciding on whether to eat me or the dog! I drew my .40 and shot 3x, hitting the cat twice. Well, the cat just got madder! After sizing up Spot, my buddy and me, he decided that I was the easiest target and leaped out of the tree straight at me!
Now, I will tell you right now that there are few things more terrifying than an injured lion flying through the air straight at you! I will have that image burned into my brain until the day I die!!
Well, as that cat was flying at me, I calmly considered putting 3 more rounds in it mid-air, or maybe bypass the pistol and just punch it right in the face with an awesome upper cut. Wouldn't that have been sweet!?! Well, with the cat half-way to me, I came to my senses and quickly hid behind a tree, hoping the cat wouldn't follow suit.
So the chase is on again, and good ol' Spot puts the heat on him, getting him to tree a third time! As we watched him, he started to lose his balance and ultimately fell 25 ft to the forest floor. We thought for sure the cat was done, but even with 2 bullets in him, and a 25 foot fall, there was plenty of fight still in that cat! That cat got Spot pretty good twice, a bite on his muzzle, and on his chest, before I could get close enough to finish him with 2 more rounds.
Well, please mark a BiG one off my bucket list!! My buddy had him for about a week, and we weren't sure how good he really was, but Spot quickly put our doubts to rest!! More to come!!