Bobcat

I was walking very slowly through a pasture a couple of days ago and

stopped when I heard an unfamiliar animal noise. I looked up and saw

a bobcat running away, but the steady unpaused noise remained. I

looked about 30 feet in front of me and directly into the morning sun

and there was another cat sitting out in the open staring at me making

the noise. I placed my rifle down and swung my camera around that was

hanging on my back. I must have accidentally knocked the dial on my

camera earlier to manual....think I might go ahead now and buy the

upgrade for my 7D to be able to lock that dial. I only got off a

couple of shots and they were way overexposed and I also had my lens

locked up too tight on my 100-400mm and was unable to instantly zoom

in. I always just snug it so it doesn't creep out while walking, but

not too tight that I can't push it out quickly if needed, so I totally

messed that shot up. I started walking again, mad at myself because

of the wasted opportunity, and spotted it again about 100 yards from

the previous spot and again it was just sitting and staring at me, so

I started walking towards it. I wish I would have walked even closer

to it, because I'm fairly sure now I could have ended up at least

coming close to filling the frame with it while shooting vertically,

but I just kept feeling like I was pressing my luck with every step I

took towards it. It eventually became relaxed and was looking behind

and to the side as much as directly at me. I think it was probably

waiting and looking for its friend. Judging by the exif data, the

whole second shoot lasted 13 minutes before it walked off.

Scott...  An excellent shot (and story) of this very elusive cat... Mike

Good story, and one of the best Bobcat shots I've seen.  With the interest this cat is taking in you, I hope you kept the rifle nearby :^)  

Thanks guys.  Dominick, at first I picked up the rifle every time I moved forward because I did have some concerns, being that bobcats aren't supposed to act this way and I didn't know what the noise it was making earlier was all about.  But I felt like it was hampering me, so I finally just left it on the ground.  I got about 20 feet away from the rifle and started feeling really naked, if you know what I mean, so I went back and got it and returned to my spot.

Scott,

  Wow...wonderful image with great colors & details.  Thanks for sharing.  Take care, Patsy

Fantastic shot Scott!  Great perseverance.

-Dave

Nice work...

gotta get lucky sometimes right? nice job man.

We can appreciate it so much more knowing the story behind it.  What a thrill this must have been!  I saw a bobcat in the wild once......in my back yard, believe it or not.  I was driving into my driveway late at night.  He stopped dead in his tracks and stayed that way for a long time.  I stopped the car with my lights shining upon him.  He finally ran off.  The next day I called the DNR to report it, and they told me 'I must have been mistaken....there are no bobcats in central Indiana'.  Well, lo and behold, about 6 months later I heard on the news that they had confirmed several bobcat sightings.  You can't mistake a bobcat.....they're so muscular and not easily mistaken for any other kind of cat.