Two jinxes and a lion double(almost)

Lazerus

New member
Anybody else have a jinxed rifle or scope?

I have a scope which has been on 3 separate rifles that has been nothing but bad luck. I missed more animals and have had more mishaps when this scope was mounted than I have with all my other rifles combined (stop laughing Troy!).

I am CONVINCED this scope is jinxed. So convinced that I replaced it one more time and retired it to my safe where it can do no more harm.

And now the rest of the story…

My buddy “Brad”, who has NEVER HUNTED before, asked me to take him out “varmint calling”. So I get my “regular” hunting buddy (worst hunter in the world) and his son and we take the circus out to the desert to indoctrinate the new guy.

The morning started off as most do; called in a coyote and got busted so no joy. A few blank stands and then the weather picks up and the wind starts to blow. We decide to switch our efforts from coyotes to fox and bobcats and hit the washes.

We head to a new spot I know where there is a long wide wash backed up by a couple rolling hills and a few other washes. It is a fairly thick and congested wash but has pockets of open space. We head in from the east to the hill on the west where we set up. As we head in, the wind shifts and now is blowing directly behind us out into the wash. So now we have the wind at our backs blowing straight across the wash. We came into the wash upwind and set up downwind. Pretty much a crap stand at this point but it “looked” really nice, so we tried anyway.

“Mike” and his son set up over the caller for overwatch and “Brad” and I moved down wind about 80 yds and set up over the wash in what we “hoped” would be the approach. I told “Brad” to keep watch downwind as that is likely where something might come from.

About 4 minutes in “Brad” whispers “right there!” and points to the hill directly across the wash 15o yds heading straight for the caller. I look over and see two flashes of fur and turn to get ready. I whisper “coyotes!” as they were bounding and coming in FAST. Just then they stopped. I said “dangit! They are dead downwind! They are going to wind Mike!”. I told Brad to get ready and try to pick one off as they turn tail back up the hill.

They didn’t turn. They started coming forward and that’s when I saw the ears of the first one. "CAT!" I whispered “Bobcat!….BIG bobcat. Get ready Brad we have cats!”

Brad is a well-fed fellow and was having problems turning and couldn’t get his backside and shooting sticks re-situated. He just about tipped over and rolled down the hill trying to turn to the targets.

Then the heavens opened and the light shown down and I saw the most glorious sight known to predator hunters:

LION! Not just lion, but TWO lions!

At this point I lost all my senses and became a little girl in a doll shop. I am pretty sure I peed myself a bit as well.

Brad was now LITERALLY right in front of me flopping around in his stadium chair trying to turn(visualize turtle on it's back). I (too loudly) said “DUCK, JUST DUCK!” as I was desperately trying to get in position. I then abandoned all protocol and stood up and took bead on the opening right in front of the call and waited for the cats to re-appear from the trees. They “say” I actually kicked Brad in the back to “help” him get out of the way, but there is no “proof” on that one…

All this while I am frantically waiting for Mike(worst hunter in the world) to start blasting away and scare them both off. Luckily for us all Mike was true to form and was “asleep” on stand.

So the first cat FINALLY steps out right in front of the call(30 yds in front of Mike, right under his nose). Without thought I aim and pull the trigger. Cat jumps and stumbles. Cat hit. Cat starts trotting of and I shoot again. Cat hit.

About now all [beeep] breaks loose and it turns into the wild wild west. EVERYONE unleashes on the cats(thank goodness for Mike’s son who had a 17hmr and certainly delivered the kill shot). BANG BANG BOOM plink BOOM BANG plink......

When the dust finally clears we see one cat stumble into a thicket and the other is gone.

I head down to locate the first cat and finish her off in a tree.

Lion tag filled.

FINALLY.

I had mixed emotions as we had a chance for a double lion(never even HEARD of a double lion called in) and because I was so impatient we only got one. BUT, it is still a lion.

After all the lions I have called in and all the ridiculous mishaps and misses, I will take it. Lion jinx gone!

And the second jinx? I was using my 300 blk which up until the day before had the jinxed scope. This was the first animal I shot at with my new scope. New scope is now 1 for 1 ( and a LION!!!!!!). Scope jinx gone!

2 jinxes gone and one lion tag filled.

Best day ever! (sort of)


Beautiful cat
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Ugly bunch of degenerates
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This post is nominated for Hunter of the Month. Sorry, the nifty little .gif isn't rotating, so all you see is "Nominated" for now.
 
What pity, another calf killin' kitty


Might burn that scope, but at least get it out of the safe before it infects the herd!
 
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Sounds like a riot. HOM material for sure!

Not allowed to shoot any lion accompanied by young here in Utah, even with tag in pocket. So I'd have had to sit there and just watch them. Still would have been neat!

I have called in a few over the years, on accident. Have never had a tag.

- DAA
 
Thanks guys

Originally Posted By: MasterBlasterGreat story would have loved to seen that. Congratulations on your cat!
MB

Ironically I did get it on video, but true to form the video file came out corrupt. Tactacam sucks! About 20% of the videos fail. About 80% fail when there is a shot taken.
 
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