gamestalker
member
This got closed for being off topic in "General Gun Discussion", so I though I would post it here, being this deals with animals, not guns specifically.
Anyway, while golfing with one of my Son's yesterday, BTW, we were at the Quarry Pines, which is where Obama and Tiger Woods played last year.
So, on the 10th hole I had just made a fairway shot and my ball landed about 20 yds. short of the green, my Son followed with a similar shot. While we were riding the cart down the path we noticed something dart across the fairway, both of us knew exactly what it was. Having seen, and had many bizarre encounters with wild life at this course in the past, we weren't as shocked to see wild life, but more so the fact that it was a bob cat. A very large, very healthy looking cat that was now crouched down waiting patiently for a little prairie dog to pop it's head up next to the sand hazard. So not wanting to mis the show, we stopped the cart about 50 yds. from him and watched. the little critter finally popped it's head out, and then, smack, the cat had it! Thinking it was over and he was going to just take his meal and go, he instead laid down about 5' from my ball. So I grabbed my .357 and told my Son to watch my back while I pitched my ball onto the green. As I approached my ball, I found myself no more than 5' from this cat eating, and appearing to be playing with his meal. He looked up at me for a brief moment, and then went back to consuming his meal. He would lay on his back and toss it into the air, then pounce on it, acting really care free. Then I kept the gun at the ready for my Son while he took his next shot. We stayed and continued to watch him as he stretched, yawned, and appeared to fall asleep. Then along came another player who freaked out, started throwing rocks and yelling, waving his arms at it, it woke up long enough to gaze at him, and then got up and began hunting some rabbits and quail walking by. All we could think was, why didn't we bring a video camera.
But this and another course have been very entertaining with wild life, and on a regular basis. I have taken shots in which I was concerned about accidentally striking a coyote due to him being so close to my ball / me. There is this one public course about 5 miles from this course, in which there is a regular coyote, he is always there, and he could care less about people. This particular coyote once walked over to my ball when he saw it bouncing by him, crouched down, as if to stock it. When it didn't move again, he just laid down within a several feet of it, and wouldn't move, so I had to take my shot with him a few feet from me. Kind of spooky really
We have been privileged to see hawks taking game and fish from the water hazards also. just so amazing to see that kind of wild life activity.
A couple years ago during mule deer hunt, I was glassing a hill and spotted a mountain lion laying on a rock out cropping. Within a couple of moments I noticed it was a female with cubs, and she was hunting a herd of deer. I watched her as she made the stock and tried to take down a yearling deer. She failed, but it was still a rare and cool moment.
I once had a covey of quail fly across the road, and since I had my window down, one accidentally flew right into my car, hit me in the side of the head, almost caused me to loose control. The quail, a large male, just sat on my lap, completely stunned, much like me, and so I pulled over to gather myself. And as I opened the door he just jumped off my lap and flew off. Had the same thing happen to me out by Carlsbad Caverns years ago, but it was a crow. That crow didn't make it out alive though, he hit the door jam and died on impact, then fell on my lap.
GS
Anyway, while golfing with one of my Son's yesterday, BTW, we were at the Quarry Pines, which is where Obama and Tiger Woods played last year.
So, on the 10th hole I had just made a fairway shot and my ball landed about 20 yds. short of the green, my Son followed with a similar shot. While we were riding the cart down the path we noticed something dart across the fairway, both of us knew exactly what it was. Having seen, and had many bizarre encounters with wild life at this course in the past, we weren't as shocked to see wild life, but more so the fact that it was a bob cat. A very large, very healthy looking cat that was now crouched down waiting patiently for a little prairie dog to pop it's head up next to the sand hazard. So not wanting to mis the show, we stopped the cart about 50 yds. from him and watched. the little critter finally popped it's head out, and then, smack, the cat had it! Thinking it was over and he was going to just take his meal and go, he instead laid down about 5' from my ball. So I grabbed my .357 and told my Son to watch my back while I pitched my ball onto the green. As I approached my ball, I found myself no more than 5' from this cat eating, and appearing to be playing with his meal. He looked up at me for a brief moment, and then went back to consuming his meal. He would lay on his back and toss it into the air, then pounce on it, acting really care free. Then I kept the gun at the ready for my Son while he took his next shot. We stayed and continued to watch him as he stretched, yawned, and appeared to fall asleep. Then along came another player who freaked out, started throwing rocks and yelling, waving his arms at it, it woke up long enough to gaze at him, and then got up and began hunting some rabbits and quail walking by. All we could think was, why didn't we bring a video camera.
But this and another course have been very entertaining with wild life, and on a regular basis. I have taken shots in which I was concerned about accidentally striking a coyote due to him being so close to my ball / me. There is this one public course about 5 miles from this course, in which there is a regular coyote, he is always there, and he could care less about people. This particular coyote once walked over to my ball when he saw it bouncing by him, crouched down, as if to stock it. When it didn't move again, he just laid down within a several feet of it, and wouldn't move, so I had to take my shot with him a few feet from me. Kind of spooky really
We have been privileged to see hawks taking game and fish from the water hazards also. just so amazing to see that kind of wild life activity.
A couple years ago during mule deer hunt, I was glassing a hill and spotted a mountain lion laying on a rock out cropping. Within a couple of moments I noticed it was a female with cubs, and she was hunting a herd of deer. I watched her as she made the stock and tried to take down a yearling deer. She failed, but it was still a rare and cool moment.
I once had a covey of quail fly across the road, and since I had my window down, one accidentally flew right into my car, hit me in the side of the head, almost caused me to loose control. The quail, a large male, just sat on my lap, completely stunned, much like me, and so I pulled over to gather myself. And as I opened the door he just jumped off my lap and flew off. Had the same thing happen to me out by Carlsbad Caverns years ago, but it was a crow. That crow didn't make it out alive though, he hit the door jam and died on impact, then fell on my lap.
GS
