Skylinewatcher
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2010
- Messages
- 886
- Reaction score
- 4
I remembered a small tale from a few years ago, or a friend remembered for me. I was trapping in Fayette County, Alabama and had my sets laid for beaver and raccoon. Early one morning I ran across Bobcat sign. I had not laid a set for bobcat in a long time so the next day a brought along three traps that would hold a bobcat.
I found a blow down that was still hung in some other tress. I crawled as far I could up this blow down and made a snare set saving the traps for the ground. I made this set with bait drippings and a turkey feather. I tied the feather to a limb in a manner that the wind would make it flutter. I then found three large stumps to set the other three traps along with bait and feathers.
I cleaned out the rest of my traps pulling some and resetting others with a content feeling. Those four sets were going to bring me a nice cat for the selling. However, I ended up moving the all of the sets except the snare. I was sure I would get either that cat or a fox in that snare.
I reset the three traps setting two at stump locales and one just under a blow down that was fully on the ground except right at the stump. This particular set I used a drag. The power company had been down through here sawing back vegetation for the power line right away that ran through this area. They left stubs everywhere and you had to walk carefully. Nothing short of an elephant could pull a drag grapnel through that mess.
I think it was the fourth or fifth check, that I noticed the drag chain going over behind the blow down. As usual, I had my .50 cal rifle with me to hunt deer while I ran my line. I have killed more deer this way than any other.
I remember thinking I was glad I brought it along just in case I needed it to hold a cat down to use my little .22 on him. I am bad to use the butt on my catches so I can place a good shot on them without damage to the pelt. This day was different. It was already trying to come a tornado and had come one several miles south of me in Tuscaloosa, AL. and this was December.
I stood for a while studying the chain waiting for it to move, but it never did. Anybody who traps knows that a coyote will just rather lay there even when you walk right up to it. A fox on the other hand will be going ballistic from the moment he knows your coming. This day it was quiet except for the thunder.
I made up my mine to see what I had and waded right on in. I stopped just at the old tree to reposition my rifle so the barrel would cause the cat to back away from the tree until I could dispatch him. Nothing. No movement no noise, no nothing. I knew then what had happen, he chewed his foot off or I only got a toehold and he escaped.
I sighed and got the grapnel loose and just as I threw my foot over the log to take a seat”¦.WHHHHHHHAAAAAARRRRRRREEEEEEWWWW. Over the blow down that cat came and backwards I went off the log. My rifle went into the slough with me right behind it screaming cat and all. Those cut stobs were digging in real good, and were hurting very bad until I found I was tangled in the drag chain. Now, I have been in some sticky situations while trapping, but until that time, I have never found myself tied to a very angry 20 pound bobcat. He was half crazy with fright and anger. He would scream and I would scream all the time entangling ourselves more and more. The slough was not deep enough to drown him and I didn’t have the time to untangle it or me from each other. I had an idea to just crawl out of the water and drag that mad cat with me. So, on I went crawling and a thought occurred to me, what was I going to do when that cat hit dry land with nothing but my butt in front of it. Well, I was going one way and it was trying to go the other. Let me tell you, when my elbows first hit that bank, parts of my anatomy where very puckered. I was thinking about that cat chewing its way from my backside all the way to the back of my head the whole way. I turned and found where the drag grapnel was hung up in my overall suspenders, untangling it I gave a might heave and threw cat, trap, and all into the near by brush.
I was able to get that cat down after a little scuffling. I found my rifle in the muck of which I thought it would never be cleaned. I thought about my new lesson I learned that day. I still carry that lesson to this day. If I should ever forget it, there are plenty of people I know who chomp at the bits to remind me. This brings me to another lesson. Always get gas before going afield, because you never know what will happen. If something does happen, you won’t have to stop at the gas station only to have to explain to everybody why you clothes are muddy and ripped nearly off.
I found a blow down that was still hung in some other tress. I crawled as far I could up this blow down and made a snare set saving the traps for the ground. I made this set with bait drippings and a turkey feather. I tied the feather to a limb in a manner that the wind would make it flutter. I then found three large stumps to set the other three traps along with bait and feathers.
I cleaned out the rest of my traps pulling some and resetting others with a content feeling. Those four sets were going to bring me a nice cat for the selling. However, I ended up moving the all of the sets except the snare. I was sure I would get either that cat or a fox in that snare.
I reset the three traps setting two at stump locales and one just under a blow down that was fully on the ground except right at the stump. This particular set I used a drag. The power company had been down through here sawing back vegetation for the power line right away that ran through this area. They left stubs everywhere and you had to walk carefully. Nothing short of an elephant could pull a drag grapnel through that mess.
I think it was the fourth or fifth check, that I noticed the drag chain going over behind the blow down. As usual, I had my .50 cal rifle with me to hunt deer while I ran my line. I have killed more deer this way than any other.
I remember thinking I was glad I brought it along just in case I needed it to hold a cat down to use my little .22 on him. I am bad to use the butt on my catches so I can place a good shot on them without damage to the pelt. This day was different. It was already trying to come a tornado and had come one several miles south of me in Tuscaloosa, AL. and this was December.
I stood for a while studying the chain waiting for it to move, but it never did. Anybody who traps knows that a coyote will just rather lay there even when you walk right up to it. A fox on the other hand will be going ballistic from the moment he knows your coming. This day it was quiet except for the thunder.
I made up my mine to see what I had and waded right on in. I stopped just at the old tree to reposition my rifle so the barrel would cause the cat to back away from the tree until I could dispatch him. Nothing. No movement no noise, no nothing. I knew then what had happen, he chewed his foot off or I only got a toehold and he escaped.
I sighed and got the grapnel loose and just as I threw my foot over the log to take a seat”¦.WHHHHHHHAAAAAARRRRRRREEEEEEWWWW. Over the blow down that cat came and backwards I went off the log. My rifle went into the slough with me right behind it screaming cat and all. Those cut stobs were digging in real good, and were hurting very bad until I found I was tangled in the drag chain. Now, I have been in some sticky situations while trapping, but until that time, I have never found myself tied to a very angry 20 pound bobcat. He was half crazy with fright and anger. He would scream and I would scream all the time entangling ourselves more and more. The slough was not deep enough to drown him and I didn’t have the time to untangle it or me from each other. I had an idea to just crawl out of the water and drag that mad cat with me. So, on I went crawling and a thought occurred to me, what was I going to do when that cat hit dry land with nothing but my butt in front of it. Well, I was going one way and it was trying to go the other. Let me tell you, when my elbows first hit that bank, parts of my anatomy where very puckered. I was thinking about that cat chewing its way from my backside all the way to the back of my head the whole way. I turned and found where the drag grapnel was hung up in my overall suspenders, untangling it I gave a might heave and threw cat, trap, and all into the near by brush.
I was able to get that cat down after a little scuffling. I found my rifle in the muck of which I thought it would never be cleaned. I thought about my new lesson I learned that day. I still carry that lesson to this day. If I should ever forget it, there are plenty of people I know who chomp at the bits to remind me. This brings me to another lesson. Always get gas before going afield, because you never know what will happen. If something does happen, you won’t have to stop at the gas station only to have to explain to everybody why you clothes are muddy and ripped nearly off.
