First Bobcat

[Deleted member 48126]

Went hunting on a family friends property in Georgia this evening on a power line clearing. My brother in law and I were deer hunting. The woods were crawling with wildlife. I saw two small does at 3:15 pm and decided to pass them up for management purposes and because I had a feeling we would see something later in the evening. My brother in law texted me and said he saw a bobcat by his stand, but he really wanted to shoot a deer. Well at 5 pm I look behind me in the small food plot off of the stand and a bobcat was walking through. It was huge! first time I have ever seen one hunting. So, I took the shot. It was a broadside shot at 60 yards. It hit low in the chest and I had to track it about 50 yards in thick Georgia brush, but I got him. I used my S&W MP15 in .223/5.56. It has a free floated rail, magpul grip, and MRS stock. It has a millet one piece scope base and a Nikon P223 3x9x40. I used federal premium 55 grain v shock. The bobcat weighed 25 pounds and was 34.5 inches long. Getting it mounted and the wait time is about 6 months. gun)

 

[HARPERC]

Congratulations! Still looking for mine.

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

Great looking bob! Well done man.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Thanks gents. I was shocked at how far he ran considering the shot. The bullet completely tore up his rib cage with about a coffee lid sized hole at the base of its chest. Tough animals.

 

[stacy]

GOOD HUNT I'M STILL HUNTING MY FRIST ONEgun)

 

[FatBoy...]

Took my first one last month. Called him in over a dog I just took. The first one I have ever seen live in the woods.

20# cat. Having a "head in" rug made.

 

[FatBoy...]

It occurred to me I should not have posted my pic in your thread but I can't figure out how to delete it. If a moderator can pull my post down I'd appreciate it.

Thank you for your service.

Chris

 

[Deleted member 48126]

No, no worries, it's all good man. Thanks for sharing. That's the point of the forum. Yeah it's exciting seeing them come out. I've never seen one before and let a lone have the opportunity to shoot one! I'm definitely grateful. What rifle, caliber, scope did you use? How far was the shot? The southeast is where it's at BTW!

 

[FatBoy...]

Rifle is my father's old Remington 788 in 243. Load is a 95gr Nosler BT over 33gr Varget. I put the rifle together about 16 years ago when I didn't have a pot to **** in or a window to throw it out, so scope and mounts leaves a lot to desired. Scope is a 3x9x40 Swift wide angle on a set of windage adjustable rings on weaver front and rear mounts. Plan this spring is to hunt with one of my SPRs with a 3.5x10 Leupold M3 and a mk12 suppressor while we refinish and seal the stock, pillar and skim bed the action (leaving the barrel on the stocks "barrel pad") switch to a single 20moa rail, some aluminum TPS rings and put either a 1x4x24 Leupold or a 2.5x10x32 Nightforce.


The dogs came in about 100-110 yards from a bedding area I was hunting deer over. Five dogs came in and busted me the second they came out of the pine. Lead dog stopped and cut to itself left, slowly sneaking up the hill and watching me. Other dogs followed further back. It got about 90 yards away when it went behind a couple trees large enough for me to get the rifle out the window of the box. He stopped to take a look and I put one through his briscuit and rolled him down the hill 10 yards. I had the crosshairs on another small dog that stopped long enough for me to get him in the scope but the brush was so think I decided to pass on the shot.

LTE wasn't working on my phone so it took me some time to download a rabbit in distress call, which I hit twice hoping to bring a dog back. When that didn't work after 10 minutes I downloaded a pup in distress and hit it twice in a row.

At that point about 20 minutes had gone by since I shot the coyote and I hear what I thought was a deer coming from the opposite side of the valley (valley is about 300-350 yards wide and covered in hardwoods). I bring the rifle back up and start scanning and I see this Bobcat running full speed down lower section of the hill on the far side of the valley. He is heading strait for the dog. Cat got 30 yards from the dog and hit the brakes and started sneaking. He climbed to the top of a log that was raised on one end and as he stopped 20 yards from the dog I shot him behind the right shoulder, exiting strait out the chest plate. (Pretty good angle from where the hunting box is).

As I was waiting to hopefully get a shot on something else I saw movement at the dog and thought I had another one coming in but it turns out the one I took was still alive and could only move its head. I can't let an animal suffer so I ended the hunt, put one through his ear when he lifted his head and came out of the box to police them up.

That was the extend if the day. My hunting buddy took two medium bodied spikes (2.5-3 year olds) about 500 yards away in his section of the lease. (I was his guest and asked to shoot predators on site) I was out to put meat in the freezer but this was a good day and has me motivated to go back out for dogs through maybe April, when I start prepping my section with food plots, clearing brush, etc. There are at least three packs of them out there.

Both were taken at the bottom of this valley off to the right. Panoramic has the view distorted but you get the idea of what I was seeing while trying to place a 243 bullet on target without catching a branch.

 

[WildRose]

Went hunting on a family friends property in Georgia this evening on a power line clearing. My brother in law and I were deer hunting. The woods were crawling with wildlife. I saw two small does at 3:15 pm and decided to pass them up for management purposes and because I had a feeling we would see something later in the evening. My brother in law texted me and said he saw a bobcat by his stand, but he really wanted to shoot a deer. Well at 5 pm I look behind me in the small food plot off of the stand and a bobcat was walking through. It was huge! first time I have ever seen one hunting. So, I took the shot. It was a broadside shot at 60 yards. It hit low in the chest and I had to track it about 50 yards in thick Georgia brush, but I got him. I used my S&W MP15 in .223/5.56. It has a free floated rail, magpul grip, and MRS stock. It has a millet one piece scope base and a Nikon P223 3x9x40. I used federal premium 55 grain v shock. The bobcat weighed 25 pounds and was 34.5 inches long. Getting it mounted and the wait time is about 6 months. gun)

Nice little kitty cat!

I have the same exact rifle too and carry it as my standard varmint rifle in one of my trucks. It will definitely get the job done.

 

[newmexkid]

Nice bobcat. I got my only one in 1978. It had a beautiful full winter coat and it was mine. I was happy for getting it because there were about 3 other guys hunting for it also. I had a wall mount done. I will BLAST all the coyotes I see but, will never shoot another cat. One is enough.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Yeah I agree. This is my first and last bobcat. The mount is finally finished! Once I pick it up from the taxidermist I will post pics. The taxidermist gave it as a gift since I'm in the Army. I guess a support the troops gesture. I don't like handouts, but I am grateful none the less. The guy does amazing work so hopefully my photos will catch the detail. I should pick it up by the end of May when I get back to GA.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Got the bobcat back from the taxidermist today!

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Photos are sideways and it only lets me post one at a time....