# Another hunter in the woods



## LOVEMYLABXS (Dec 2, 2013)

Well took off on a good hike with the muzzleloader today and only got a quick look at a whitetail butt going away. I was almost back to the truck when I stopped and sat down to watch a draw. I hear a twig snap then nothing. I figure I must have busted another deer and with the wind swirling I thought it was gone but then I see movement. I get ready and as it hits an opening I see it ain't a deer but a cougar and he's coming my way so I get the camera ready. He gets about 10 yards from me and I mush a pic and I think he heard the click and turns and is gone just as quick as he showed up. Turned out to be pretty darn cool.

Mike


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## Crickett (Dec 2, 2013)

Wow! That's cool but scary!


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## cre8foru (Dec 2, 2013)

That is awesome. Cool shot


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## Nicodemus (Dec 2, 2013)

Great shots, Mike! The Holy Grail of wildlife pictures, in my opinion.


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## chadf (Dec 2, 2013)

That's awesome !
Nice pic, once again.

Btw, helps settle a lot of threads here. Lol


* too bad it's not black, I'd love to see nic eat it ! Probably try a backstrap myself.....


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## AbnormalEKG (Dec 2, 2013)

Thats a lot closer than I would ever like to get to one of those. Ive never seen one in the wild, but according to what Ive read on them, they can cover something like 35 feet in one leap at around 75 mph. So, at 10 yards, I think the camera would have been the very last thing I thought about grabbing. Awesome pics. You got more guts than me.


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## wareagle700 (Dec 2, 2013)

In Georgia those are known as house cats.

Nice shots. I would have left something next to that tree.


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## oops1 (Dec 2, 2013)

I would have crapped my pants! Nice shots


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## Hoss (Dec 2, 2013)

Awesome, Mike.  That's gotta be a once in a lifetime shot.  

Hoss


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## alligood729 (Dec 2, 2013)

Super pictures! That would make for a great hunting experience!


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## Miguel Cervantes (Dec 2, 2013)

LOVEMYLABXS said:


> Well took off on a good hike with the muzzleloader today and only got a quick look at a whitetail butt going away. I was almost back to the truck when I stopped and sat down to watch a draw. I hear a twig snap then nothing. I figure I must have busted another deer and with the wind swirling I thought it was gone but then I see movement. I get ready and as it hits an opening I see it ain't a deer but a cougar and he's coming my way so I get the camera ready. He gets about 10 yards from me and I mush a pic and I think he heard the click and turns and is gone just as quick as he showed up. Turned out to be pretty darn cool.
> 
> Mike


Great capture  I love the way she had her ears turned back your way as she was leaving. Just to make sure


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Dec 2, 2013)

I don't know about the rest of you on this site BUT if this had happened to me, well.............the pucker factor on a scale of 1-100 would have been somewhere around 6,892 !!!!  

Heart Failure is the first thing that comes to mind.

HOLY COW MIKE, WHAT A CAPTURE !!!!! You've got a real treasure with these photos.    

I bet my hemorrhoids would have been puckered up tight underneath my armpits for sure if I had met this cat face to face this close up.


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## Nugefan (Dec 3, 2013)

very nice capture and Thanks for sharin' it with us ..

very cool pix ...


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## marknga (Dec 3, 2013)

Awesome capture!


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## pnome (Dec 3, 2013)

Lucky to be in the right place at the right time for that.  Nice pic!


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## Farmer Black (Dec 3, 2013)

Do you think it was following you?


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## synack (Dec 3, 2013)

I would have been cleaning out my shorts.. Nice shot!


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## OVERULD (Dec 3, 2013)

Just for clarity - please confirm what state the photo was taken in.  The OP indicates his location is Davenport, WA so I am presuming that the photo was taken in Washington state, not Georgia?

Thanks


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## Shug (Dec 3, 2013)

Great pictures Mike, I would love to see something like that. Thank you for sharing


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## DLH_Woodstock (Dec 3, 2013)

*Where was this?*



LOVEMYLABXS said:


> Well took off on a good hike with the muzzleloader today and only got a quick look at a whitetail butt going away. I was almost back to the truck when I stopped and sat down to watch a draw. I hear a twig snap then nothing. I figure I must have busted another deer and with the wind swirling I thought it was gone but then I see movement. I get ready and as it hits an opening I see it ain't a deer but a cougar and he's coming my way so I get the camera ready. He gets about 10 yards from me and I mush a pic and I think he heard the click and turns and is gone just as quick as he showed up. Turned out to be pretty darn cool.
> 
> 
> 
> Mike



Great Picture but where was it taken? Thanks


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## tjwolfe (Dec 3, 2013)

Thats puuuuuurrrrrrrdy,Time to change the old undies!


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## LOVEMYLABXS (Dec 3, 2013)

Yes it's Washington state and yes sir the heart rate went up but the funny part is the "What ifs" never really entered my old mind till I was walkin out then my head was on a swivel lookin this way then that. I will say when I saw it coming I did lay the Hawkins in my lap close at hand as I took the shot with the Kodak. No it wasn't tracking me but I did have an elk hunt many years ago when I came across my tracks from earlier in the day and had a cat track following me now that will bring the hair up on the back of your neck. I killed a cow elk that day and I was by myself and from the time I got her till I got her 1/4rd,  packed and back to my truck ( got lucky and got my truck within a  1/2 mile of the site ) it only took me about 3 hrs but I was a lot younger and had a good reason to hurry I wasn't sharing with that cat...

I've been asked why I didn't shoot it?..  well mostly it was   because I didn't have a tag and there is no way I would have  shot her to let her rot. I couldn't afford to get the hide tanned plus you need a seal put on the hide and any resecptably taxi- person wouldn't touch it without it. To me the picture is a much better trophy and I don't have to look over my shoulder to see iffin I'll get caught......

By the way I've eaten cat and  they taste and look a lot like pork just not as much fat....


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## LOVEMYLABXS (Dec 3, 2013)

Farmer Black said:


> Do you think it was following you?



No it came from in front of me and to be honest I'm not sure which one of us was more startled me or her I was sure surprised she walked right into me but the look on her face when that camera clicked said she couldn't believe I was there


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## carver (Dec 5, 2013)

Fine capture Mike


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## BornToHuntAndFish (Dec 5, 2013)

Another great job on photo captures Mike, as usual, in the Great Northwest.  Had a blast with your hunting story adventures too.  Sure would get the heart rate up with intense risky close encounters like that. 

Reminds me of your report last year or 2 ago when your wife came home late one night after work to find a cougar chomping on your deer you were going to process the following cold day you had stored in your tractor's bucket that was raised to it's highest level. 

Folks down here in Georgia would've said that big cat was black, too. 

Thanks for posting.


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## papachaz (Dec 5, 2013)

great pics! what's the new dinosaur animated movie that's just come out? the trailer for it where the 3 small ones  say 'careful they can smell fear" and the other says 'sorry, that's not fear' and "I think I just stepped in some fear"

that came to mind immediately! LOL great pics though. 

Have a friend who used to go out to Idaho every year and hunt who shot one. The guide they were with said it apparently was stalking him as he made his way back down to camp.......yeah, I think I might step in some fear all right


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## mrs. hornet22 (Dec 5, 2013)

Wow. That is awesome. She's beautiful.


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (Dec 5, 2013)

Great pic.congrads


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## Gadget (Dec 6, 2013)

Walked up on a couple down in the everglades where I hunt, they don't seem to be too afraid of ppl, don't get hunted there.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Dec 6, 2013)

Nice kitty.  

That's an awesome pic, I've never seen one that close in the wild.


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## oldfella1962 (Dec 6, 2013)

Getting that close to a cougar is incredibly lucky - and getting a pic is even better. Awesome!


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## pdsniper (Dec 6, 2013)

Thats a onece in a life time shot, I had the same thing happent to me with a Florida Panther but I blew it and did not think to take a picture, I was just to awed in seening one because they are so rare


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## rip18 (Dec 8, 2013)

Awesome!  Absolutely awesome!  Thanks for sharing, LMLXS!


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