Terror on Opening Day
| Firearms - Shotguns |
Opening day of deer hunting for firearms in Minnesota is a make it or break it day. Nearly half a million hunters are moving through the woods spooking all the deer or shooting them. By day two, the deer are hiding and hard to find. In 2006, my friend Terry, asked me to hunt with him on his 120 acres in Northfield, MN. That is an area that had only a four day firearms period. We scouted and had the deer movements patterned to perfection. I built a ground blind alongside some tall bushes next to a swamp that was a favorite deer entrance run, early in the morning. I always want to get the deer first thing on opener. At least that had been my history, always getting a deer within the first hour. In the dark, I sat well-hidden behind the woven limbs and camo burlap, waiting for the dawn action of opener. Behind me about 20 feet away in the marsh was a large tree with a thick limb that was about 8 ft over my head. Just as the pure black was turning into grey light, I heard an unfamiliar sound over my head; it was a very deep purring. With my shotgun gripped tightly, I turned my head upwards toward the sound. It continued deeper than any known cat that I had heard. I immediately flashed a recognition knowing that this was a Mountain Lion. My thoughts went from “How long has he been there...to …does he see me? Is he ready to pounce?” Not moving a muscle, I watched the limb for what seemed to be a painful length of time. I thought , “He was waiting for a deer on this run too; maybe he doesn’t see me or care. I am surely safe as long as he continues to purr.”
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| Compliments of Wyoming Fish and Game | Compliments of Wyoming Fish and Game |
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| Compliments of Wyoming Fish and Game | Compliments of Wyoming Fish and Game |
I turned my neck to survey where I expected a deer to come. That motion of turning my stiff neck caused an involuntary cough. The game was up. The purring stopped. I quickly grabbed for my flashlight in my coveralls and stood up. The light shined on the yellow piercing eyes of a large mountain lion. I put the shotgun bead on him giving me the decision in a matter of seconds whether I should shoot him. If I shoot and he draws his head back, he will surely jump on me. If I don’t shoot now…well, something is going to happen fast whatever it is. The mountain lion backed down the tree while popping his eyes around the tree glaring at me as he slid. I just couldn’t see enough of him to shoot, but I knew that when he landed at the bottom of the tree, he might jump on me. I took only two steps backward with my shotgun aimed at him and he was gone.
Then, he was in the swamp where I couldn’t see him at all, but I assumed he could see me. So I backed out of the blind and moved into the middle of the field. It was barely light, not light enough to walk to the truck without being ambushed. Mountain lions prefer ambushing prey from behind, while hidden in grasses or bushes. With the open field to my back and the swamp in front of me, I waited until the sun was fully up and I was sure I could make it to the truck. No deer were around anyway.
While I waited, I thought about Terry who was in a tree-stand on the other side of a large hill. He would be safer up in the tree-stand, than I was on the ground. When the sun was up, I walked a long ways through the open field distancing myself from any tall grasses or swamp where I might be ambushed.
It seemed like an eternity before I arrived at the truck. Now I had to drive over to Terry and warn him about the mountain lion. As I drove the truck across the land toward his position, I saw him backing out of the woods and walking quickly to my truck. He opened the truck door and he said “You won’t believe what I saw!” I quickly said, “I saw a mountain lion.” And he said “So did I.” He described to me that right after dawn, (probably after the lion climbed out of the tree) he suddenly saw the lion in some bushes below his tree-stand and it peered up at him. Twice it appeared to leave and then the lion’s head peered back from under the bushes up at him. Terry said he was afraid to come down out of the stand until he was sure it was gone. When it heard my truck coming, the lion ran away.
I said, “Well, that blew opening day for deer. No deer will be coming into this area with the mountain lion moving around.” The next day, we came in after it was light and sat in tree-stands. We didn’t see any signs of the lion moving around. But I did see a deer walk into some tall grasses and lay down about 1 pm. I climbed down out of the tree-stand and walked in a circle to avoid detection. Then I entered the grasses where I saw the deer at the closest entrance spot. That buck jumped straight up the air and I shot once and he was down.
The Dept of Natural Resources informed us that more and more mountain lions were coming into Minnesota from the Black Hills of Wyoming where they were overpopulated. This past winter (2009), a police squad car cam took movies of a large mountain lion walking through some residential yards of Minneapolis. Reports of sightings have continued to increase all over the state.
Then, he was in the swamp where I couldn’t see him at all, but I assumed he could see me. So I backed out of the blind and moved into the middle of the field. It was barely light, not light enough to walk to the truck without being ambushed. Mountain lions prefer ambushing prey from behind, while hidden in grasses or bushes. With the open field to my back and the swamp in front of me, I waited until the sun was fully up and I was sure I could make it to the truck. No deer were around anyway.
While I waited, I thought about Terry who was in a tree-stand on the other side of a large hill. He would be safer up in the tree-stand, than I was on the ground. When the sun was up, I walked a long ways through the open field distancing myself from any tall grasses or swamp where I might be ambushed.
It seemed like an eternity before I arrived at the truck. Now I had to drive over to Terry and warn him about the mountain lion. As I drove the truck across the land toward his position, I saw him backing out of the woods and walking quickly to my truck. He opened the truck door and he said “You won’t believe what I saw!” I quickly said, “I saw a mountain lion.” And he said “So did I.” He described to me that right after dawn, (probably after the lion climbed out of the tree) he suddenly saw the lion in some bushes below his tree-stand and it peered up at him. Twice it appeared to leave and then the lion’s head peered back from under the bushes up at him. Terry said he was afraid to come down out of the stand until he was sure it was gone. When it heard my truck coming, the lion ran away.
I said, “Well, that blew opening day for deer. No deer will be coming into this area with the mountain lion moving around.” The next day, we came in after it was light and sat in tree-stands. We didn’t see any signs of the lion moving around. But I did see a deer walk into some tall grasses and lay down about 1 pm. I climbed down out of the tree-stand and walked in a circle to avoid detection. Then I entered the grasses where I saw the deer at the closest entrance spot. That buck jumped straight up the air and I shot once and he was down.
The Dept of Natural Resources informed us that more and more mountain lions were coming into Minnesota from the Black Hills of Wyoming where they were overpopulated. This past winter (2009), a police squad car cam took movies of a large mountain lion walking through some residential yards of Minneapolis. Reports of sightings have continued to increase all over the state.
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| Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources |
Jake Schubitzke 2007.
Floodwood, Minnesota trail cam.
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| Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources. 2009 | Near Minnesota River. 2009. Star Tribune. |
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