Has anyone ever had a hunt interrupted by a predator?

[K-man]

I'm not sure how I'd have taken that situation. Most likely not take him out again, but maybe. At least he's good for rear security!

I don't think I ever hunted with him again. Not directly as a result, but that was a factor. Sometimes good friends aren't the best hunting partners.

 

[Buff-Buster]

Was hunting a particular 140"+ ten point years ago in West Texas. Knew his route from chasing the girls at night back to his bedroom. I set up my youngest son in a blind to try and entercept him at daylight. I also set up a doe decoy to try and temp him to come out in a little open area on his way back. Right at daylight a huge bobcat came up out of a dry creek bed and started stalking the doe decoy. Hunter said it slowly belly crawled to within twenty yds then rushed the decoy! When it didn't move he stopped ten feet from it and just sat on his haunches and stared at it for five minutes then slowly turned and walk back to the creek, turning and looking back every ten feet or so. Hunter wanted the ten point so bad he didn't shoot the bobcat for fear of scaring the buck off of his routine. The next morning we found a dead doe in the creek bed, not ten yards from my blind, that was killed and covered up that night. Never saw the bobcat again. Never did get that buck either.

 

[kgesch]

I was working a tom on opening day of turkey season - I could hear him spit and drum behind me. In front of me came a red fox, stalking my decoys. I was trying to wave off the fox without scaring the tom. Scared the fox and the tom away. [I got the tom the next day.]

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Was hunting a particular 140"+ ten point years ago in West Texas. Knew his route from chasing the girls at night back to his bedroom. I set up my youngest son in a blind to try and entercept him at daylight. I also set up a doe decoy to try and temp him to come out in a little open area on his way back. Right at daylight a huge bobcat came up out of a dry creek bed and started stalking the doe decoy. Hunter said it slowly belly crawled to within twenty yds then rushed the decoy! When it didn't move he stopped ten feet from it and just sat on his haunches and stared at it for five minutes then slowly turned and walk back to the creek, turning and looking back every ten feet or so. Hunter wanted the ten point so bad he didn't shoot the bobcat for fear of scaring the buck off of his routine. The next morning we found a dead doe in the creek bed, not ten yards from my blind, that was killed and covered up that night. Never saw the bobcat again. Never did get that buck either.

Ha! Makes me think of when dogs chase my truck and I stop. They always look at me like, "wtf just happened?" Then walk away sadly

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Was fall turkey hunting many years ago and took a friend I had not hunted with much. We set up about 40 yards apart, and I began calling. No response, kept after it for about 20 minutes, still nothing. All of a sudden, a shotgun blast almost gave me a concussion. I jumped up and was ready to tear him a new one when he said, "Wait, look behind where you were sitting." I turned around and saw the bobcat he had shot 4yds behind me. He has a bobcat mount now. Not exactly a predator interruption, but close.

I'll bet your shorts were interrupted!

 

[akeate]

Was hunting wolves in Idaho when it was legal. Found some elk in a ravine between two fingers. Decent herd of 50 or so elk. They all come to attention and then bolt down the ravine. Thinking I might get a wolf that scared them off I set up. About 10 minutes later a mountain lion walks by at 100 yards down the finger, right out in the open. It was really cool till the outfitter turned to me and said, "do you have a mountain lion tag?" Uh, no....... "Mind if I borrow your rifle?"...... WTF? Needless to say, a 7 day hunt turned into 5 days and drove back home.

 

[Jono Joseph]

I will share a story.

Stalking a Cape Buffalo Herd we had walk some distance to get the wind in our faces.
My tracker was in the front and we were moving along quietly and undetected, our party was 4 people.
The Bush was very thick and it opened into small clearings about 5m X 5m every here and there.

We were about 100m from the buff and moving slowly when we walked right into the rear end of 2 female Lions.
They had the same idea as us and i think all our ideas were perfect hunting strategies.

Coming right in almost on top of them the lions spooked and moved off i also spooked and am glad they left first.
When your so engrossed in a stalk the fright from all parties ( mine included) was immense, we all stay quite enough for the buff not to hear us though.
We got the buff out that herd about an hour later how ever all our eyes scanned the bush a much more carefully there after.

Shot Shot

 

[tay50]

I shot an elk during the early Colorado muzzleloader season, turned to my buddy and asked, do you think I should reload the gun, he said yes we might see a bear. After pictures we decide to eat our lunch before starting the quartering and skinning of the elk, sure enough a bear came walking by us, but never smelled us or seen us. As usual I shot the elk and he ran down hill away from where we parked, so we carried the 4 quarters back up to the top of the mountain and hide them up in a deadfall. The next morning we went back up to the deadfall no elk quarters, found some fresh turned over dirt uncovered both hind quarters, never found the front shoulders. So I split my elk with the bear, I hope it helped him get fatten up for the winter.

 

[Nyati]

I was in a blind in the Limpopo, close to a waterhole, waiting for a warthog or jackal to show up. All types of animals approached, but left suddenly, without drinking, and it wasn´t us, as the wind was right.

Then just for second, a head appeared between the bushes, and then disappeared. It was a hyena that was scaring away all the others.