Anybody out there or are you all hunting?

[Eric Mayer]

I got my Mule Deer this morning. Eastern Sierra area of California.

An early storm hit last night, so this morning consisted of glassing areas where the deer in the higher elevations migrate down to the valleys. At about 1:00PM we hit an area where we started seeing a lot of does the night before the storm hit. We were glassing when we saw even more does, but this time a nice sized, high racked, 3x3 popped his head up from a bush where he was feeding.

I made the stalk to get within 150 yards and took him with a shot through the neck, dropping him instantly. The drag-out was not bad, as it was mostly down-hill. The snow really started to come down right as we got him down the hill, so gutting him was a pita.

We are heading out tomorrow to see about getting my buddy his deer.





He was a big bodied deer, which is perfect. I've never been a rack hunter, so this one is perfect to me!

Eric

[72camaro]

That is nice!

[broper]

Are you sure they're not swimming skunks? What ever family they're in, they're bad. Don't understand why there's a season and bag limit on them. Should be treated as swimming vaemints!

[broper]

I was talking about coots in that last post, not Eris's deer, LOL. Nice deer Eric and congrats. I went out yesterday, opening day. Saw one nice big forky but he was in the middle of the road and jumped a fence onto private land about twenty feet from a no hunting sign. We also saw two coyotes, three wolves, and a buck antelope. Oh yeah, and a county mounty.

[cody6308]

Well sadly my hunting partner decided she did not want to go elk hunting since she shot hers on opening day. I guess I have a tag that will go in the garbage I have never been so therefore I wouldn't know where to go or what to do with it once I shot it. I am pretty bummed out but I guess that is life!

[Eric Mayer]

If I were you, I would go anyways. Some of the best hunts I've had have been by myself. It may take a few trips to get out the meat if you are successful, but it will be a hunt you will remember forever!

Eric

[cody6308]

I would but I have never hunted. Except for a couple of coyote trips. I wouldn't know where to go how to find an elk without walking around lost all day haha plus if I shot one I wouldn't know how to gut it.

[Eric Mayer]

Yesterday:

I headed out early this morning to the Eastern High Desert area of California looking to hunt some quail, but also hoping to run across some predators while out and about. Although I did well on quail with my airgun (Benjamin Discovery .22 caliber), I was also able to shoot a bobcat and a coyote with my Contender Carbine in .17 Winchester Super Magnum (20 grain).

The bobcat was relaxing in the shade underneath a bush when it was first spotted. I made a sneak and got within 100 yards. My first shot hit it solidly, sending the bobcat about 6' into the air. It only went a few feet and started to wobble. Right as it sat down, I shot it again in the neck, killing it instantly. After skinning the bobcat, I realized that my shot hit a bit back, taking out one lung and some other internal organs, before exiting forward the entrance on the opposite side. Although the shot was a bit back, it was a lethal shot. My second shot was probably not needed, as its chest cavity was filled with blood. It would have been only a matter of a few seconds more before the bobcat died.

Bobcat with some of the quail shot afterwards with my airgun:


Afterwards I went to pick-up my buddy, Tom, and we went after some quail with our airguns. I got a handful of males with my airgun, dropping almost all of them immediately with head/neck shots (see photo above).

When things began to slow down, we headed east again. First, stopping in town at a few gunshops, then Walmart for some necessities. We then headed east to the same general area as I shot my bobcat this morning. There are a few spots where I know of coyotes that roam the old farm fields looking for critters to eat. We hit one of the farms and jumped a coyote out of a thick area. He headed towards a small rise and I took the shot. He was moving from right to left and my first shot rolled him. The shot was 121 yards and off-hand. Again, my shot hit a bit farther back than I had hoped, so another quick shot into the coyote put him down for good. It was a good size coyote, whose belly was stuffed with various farm critters and vegies. I did not do any bullet performance checks on the coyote, because the first bullet broke its spine and the second shot was into its head. Again, this was with the .17 Winchester Super Magnum (20 grain bullet).



I am starting to believe that the .17 Winchester Super Magnum may, in fact, be enough for larger predators such as coyotes and bobcats. Although my shot on the bobcat was not ideal, the bullet did a lot of damage to the organs. One lung was completely liquified and the other was in pieces with some other organs having major damage. The coyote was hit while running and the .17WSM did enough damage to roll it and allow a very quick follow-up. Both the bobcat and the coyote had very little pelt damage, so that is very promising!

My plan is to set-up some actual stands and do some calling, but that won't take place until mid-November. Once I have an animal coming into a call, it will be much easier to place my shots and see the results.

This morning:
I got this guy early this morning at 154 yards (these are all confirmed with a rangefinder). He sat down in the field and I took him with a frontal shot dropping him instantly. Seconds after the "whomp", he just keeled over sideways like someone tipped him over (one of his back legs was still in the haunch position when we got to him), with not even a quiver! This was an opportunity to have perfect bullet placement and the little 20 grain WSM performed flawlessly.

How we found him after the shot:


Entrance wound:


I want to reiterate something that I was thinking about last night. Even though the 17WSM has shown to perform well in the one bobcat and two coyotes I have shot, please be very careful to place your shots well when using this, or any other small caliber on predators. Coyotes and Bobcat are tough animals, who will make every effort to escape if shot poorly. Take your time, make the proper shot and save yourself some heartache!

Eric

[broper]

Alright Eric, great shooting and sounds like lots of fun. Do you skin out those predators and sell the hides? I've always wanted to get a bobcat and have a rug made.

Bob

[72camaro]

Great story.

[Eric Mayer]

Thanks guys!

I used to have my trapper's license here in California, so I could sell furs. I let that drop a few years after they banned the use of foothold traps. On these guys, the only one I skinned was the bobcat. I also took the skull and claws. The coyotes were still a little unprime (too early in the year), with the second having a touch of mange. I mainly shot those because a farm in the area complained about them coming in and messing with their crops, etc.

I will be sending the bobcat to Moyle Tannery in Moscow when the season is done (I am hoping to add some more). I tubed it, so it will make a nice addition to my reloading room! Later in the year, after November 24th, is when I typically go after them and hang on to the fur. I have to pull out my electric winch, rope and baseball to handle the skinning at that point, if the coyotes cooperate!

Eric

[broper]

The coyotes here are just starting to fur out a little, a couple in the last tournament didn't look to bad. They'll be even better in another month though. I missed one real nice one that looked like he was furred out pretty good. I didn't realize you had to have a trapper's license to sell hides in Califony. I was at Rocky Mountain Fur one day last week and they were skinning skunks! You could smell them a quarter mile away. Don't know how those guys stand to do that.
Bob