LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-09 AT 05:40PM (MST)[p]...was out turkey hunting with BIGBULL48; I was just behind and down hill a few feet from him when we stumbled into a herd of about eight bedded cow elk and a spike bull. The lead cow walked a few steps towards the now motionless 6'1" BIGBULL48 (still on the uphillside of him) and had a nose to nose (talking inches) stare down with him for about a minute before she finally turned an led the others slowly away. No stampeding at all. It should be noted that BIGBULL48 was completely decked out in turkey hunting clothes. He looked like a tall bush with a shotgun slung over its branch.
Last October, I was attached about 15' up an aspen via a tree-saddle, watching my favorite waterhole for bears. Through the pines I saw a large animal coming up the trail towards the water. At 30 yards, it stepped into a clearing: MOUNTAIN LION! At 15 yards, it veered off the trail and made a straight line to my aspen, stopped, and reached its front paw into and sniffed at some cut pine boughs that I'd used to cover my fanny pack on the ground below. The tip of my gun barrel was between my legs, pointed directly down at its head, my finger on the trigger. It turned away from my fanny pack an then sniffed the base of my aspen. Had it looked up and gave any indication of coming up my tree, I would have pulled the trigger. As it was, after about 10 or 15 seconds of sniffing, it continued walking in the direction it had been going, head still down, sniffing the ground. From my perch, I was only able to watch go about 10 yards before it disappeared into some thick brush. I will be kicking myself forever more for not having the foresight to buy an over-the-counter tag. I bought one the next day, and this year as well, but have not since been able to get my sights on one.