I left the house in harrisburg around 4:30 friday morning with the snow still falling (not the best when looking for a fresh track). I meet up with my father in law and one of his buddies at around 6am in Mclure. We where hunting a pretty large area in behind Jacks mountain in balled eagle (bear gap area for any of you familiar with that neck of the woods). it was about 9am before we cut a fresh track that was just starting to drift shut. the track had a stride of about 16'' and some steps looked like cat others like coyot, but we figured it was a coyote based on stride alone. we cut the dogs loose and within about 5min they had the critter jumped and he was running a tight circle above a rocky area. we caught a glimpse of the him bouncing around about 90yds above us in the rocks with the dogs right on his tail. it was at that time we realized we where chasing a big bobcat. Well.. my ticker was pounding pretty good hoping that one of the next circles he made would bring him a little closer to my position. i shoot a sbe2 with a dead coyote choke and dead coyote T shot. so im pretty comfortable with a 50 or 60 yard shot, 90yds is kinda pushing it. as usual.. my hopes didn't come true and the dogs ran the cat about 600yds in the opposite direction i was watching. Then all of the sudden the dogs mad a small circle and stared back right on the same path. My heart that had started to sink was pounding again and before i had time to get myself together the cat was 30yds and running like hell past me. He went through a small creek and i whacked him on the run as he was coming up out of the water. tumbled to a stop then lifted his head once then dropped it. I contemplated giving him another shot but decided he was on his last leg. (mistake #1) the dogs at this time where getting close and we oped to catch them so they didnt tear up the fur. Im watching my father in law grab one of the dogs, and out of the corner of my eye i see my trophy bobcat on his feet and running away. I swing back around and fire another shot tumbling him again, i can see that he is still breathing but not moving any other part of his body i opt not to fire a third shot. (mistake #2) out of nowhere he crawls about 2ft to a conveniently placed hole under a large rock. luckily the hole was shallow and he could not get turned fully around in it. I retrieved a .22 pistol and managed to get a bullet in behind his shoulder angled into his chest cavity. It is now officially a done deal. (except for a small argument that i lost over who was gonna reach in and get him) haha
the cat weight in right at 35lbs. everyone that got to see him said it was the biggest they had ever saw.
thanks for reading the story hope i manage to post the pics correctly. please disregard the idiot with his eyes closed hes still in shock..