Another day of no Bambi sightings. Weather finally chilled off but 35, sprinkley, foggy and windy don't help...though makes flinting interesting! Spent all afternoon yesterday with nothing but a big, ole Bobcat(and I mean big-ole)showing up. Sat it out till about noon and figured I'd get warm, dry and fed. Went to place S.E. of Austin called "Wild Bubba's" where the burgers turn to elk, antelope, yak, buffalo, wild boar, venison, longhorn or angus for the faint-of-heart!
Back in the tree for the later afternoon and all I see after a couple hours is Bob again. I've seen Bobcats before but this guy is as big as Chow! Holy Cannoli, Batman, I'm talking 3 feet long(not counting tail) and probably 25 -30 pounds! According to my own "don't eat it/don't shoot it" rule, I'm sitting there going, "I've fixed muskrat and fox before..but Bobcat?" Then the fly fisherman part goes, "Look at that pelt, think what you could tie with those colors" The 'eat it' rule won out. He'd have made an interesting winter hat but I didn't even know if he fit in the 'shootable' category according to Texas rules...oh well, he's lived this long. Adios Bob!
An hour later I see movement and out steps this goofy, black & white, antelope looking critter with a big, dark pair of 'corkscrew' horns! I'm doing the up the tree 'what the mare's nest is that?' head shake. Suddenly, I recalled there's an exotic animal ranch about a mile or so away and figured he must be a fence jumper...considering the fence they have, not a bad jumper! He's munching the shrubbery and diddling around for about 30 minutes before wandering off. I know, I could have bagged him and kept quiet, but it just didn't seem right somehow.
About 5:15 I've had enough, seeing the whitetail are smart enough to stay in the brush where it's warmer and dryer...probably one watching me all the time and thinking, "Stupid two-legged owl hoot, wonder why he doesn't find a warm place?" I'm getting at the end of my patience anywho. There's a particularly irritating 'limb-chicken' that's been jumping around a nearby tree and chattering at me for some time and a .610" ball would have been a bit traumatic, leaving little but gray seasoning, had I been so inclined. I've been cussed out in duck before but hadn't been scolded that much in squirrel for many a year! Just to clear the gun, I waited till he ducked behind the tree trunk and let'er rip right about where I figure he's hiding on the off-side. Bushytail does his "Rocky the Flying Squirrel" impression off the back of the oak from about 15 feet up and goes blazing away in a rooster-tail of leaf debris!! Nearly wet myself on that one, absolutely hysterical! Long day but some of the kind of memories that'll stay with me a long time. Wish you all a fun day now and then.
Oh, by the way, stopped by the game ranch to tell them they had a critter out. Turns out he's a he and is a Blackbuck antelope, originally from India & Pakistan...also named "B.W."(black & white) and a frequent escapee who returns each night. One more fact for the "you're not believing this" file.
Back in the tree for the later afternoon and all I see after a couple hours is Bob again. I've seen Bobcats before but this guy is as big as Chow! Holy Cannoli, Batman, I'm talking 3 feet long(not counting tail) and probably 25 -30 pounds! According to my own "don't eat it/don't shoot it" rule, I'm sitting there going, "I've fixed muskrat and fox before..but Bobcat?" Then the fly fisherman part goes, "Look at that pelt, think what you could tie with those colors" The 'eat it' rule won out. He'd have made an interesting winter hat but I didn't even know if he fit in the 'shootable' category according to Texas rules...oh well, he's lived this long. Adios Bob!
An hour later I see movement and out steps this goofy, black & white, antelope looking critter with a big, dark pair of 'corkscrew' horns! I'm doing the up the tree 'what the mare's nest is that?' head shake. Suddenly, I recalled there's an exotic animal ranch about a mile or so away and figured he must be a fence jumper...considering the fence they have, not a bad jumper! He's munching the shrubbery and diddling around for about 30 minutes before wandering off. I know, I could have bagged him and kept quiet, but it just didn't seem right somehow.
About 5:15 I've had enough, seeing the whitetail are smart enough to stay in the brush where it's warmer and dryer...probably one watching me all the time and thinking, "Stupid two-legged owl hoot, wonder why he doesn't find a warm place?" I'm getting at the end of my patience anywho. There's a particularly irritating 'limb-chicken' that's been jumping around a nearby tree and chattering at me for some time and a .610" ball would have been a bit traumatic, leaving little but gray seasoning, had I been so inclined. I've been cussed out in duck before but hadn't been scolded that much in squirrel for many a year! Just to clear the gun, I waited till he ducked behind the tree trunk and let'er rip right about where I figure he's hiding on the off-side. Bushytail does his "Rocky the Flying Squirrel" impression off the back of the oak from about 15 feet up and goes blazing away in a rooster-tail of leaf debris!! Nearly wet myself on that one, absolutely hysterical! Long day but some of the kind of memories that'll stay with me a long time. Wish you all a fun day now and then.
Oh, by the way, stopped by the game ranch to tell them they had a critter out. Turns out he's a he and is a Blackbuck antelope, originally from India & Pakistan...also named "B.W."(black & white) and a frequent escapee who returns each night. One more fact for the "you're not believing this" file.
