Drove in this morning a bit late. The whole time I’m wondering why I’m wasting my time to try and kill something that I’ve only seen 3 other times in the wild in my life. But if you don’t go you don’t know! I parked a half mile shy of the kill site. (The road goes 40yds from it) 10 degrees with a very slight wind in my face. (Convenient) It took me around 20 min to hike over there above the kill. Snow was about 10 inches deep in the bottom, a crunchy crust most of the way with 2 inches of powder on top wherever the wind didn’t reach. I opted to leave the snowshoes to stay as quiet as possible.
Before arriving I heard coyotes barking near the kill, and eventually I assumed they were barking at me, since I was in and out of their eye site. They were across the draw about 250 yds from the kill. I sat over the kill watching carefully for movement, about 100 yards above the site. It’s sparse sagebrush in the bottom with very few trees. If it was there and tried to escape, I’d at least see it and hopefully get a shot off. After 15 min or so of nothing going on except those 2 dumb coyotes barking at me now a mile away, I thought ‘what the heck’ and turned on the coyote caller to see if any other coyotes might come into range. 5 min later there was one across from me, sniffing at something near where I’m guessing the deer was originally killed. He was disinterested in the call, probably because he saw a big dumb human sitting next to it in the wide open. Still nothing happening below me, I drew my cross hairs on the dog, slightly to the right for windage which I found out I didn’t need to do. Bullet hit exactly 2 inches to the right of him, where I was aiming. (Thinking I should start shooting more to see how much wind actually affects a bullet in different calibres). Shot at him again on the run and missed again.
Then I watched below me again for a minute, nothing. So I packed up my gear and took 2 steps down hill in the crunchy snow and she appeared! Walking away from the kill with her ears on me, not in any big rush. I was in a rush though. In disbelief and in a panic I sat back down and flung my bipod out. The first opening she went through I let one fly and Hit her perfect behind the shoulder. At first I thought I gut shot her. She ran 30 yds then did a couple big crazy cat jumps, fell to the ground and didn’t get up. Shocked! Still can’t believe I killed a freaking lion today! Thanks for encouraging me to go! 100.3 lbs. biologist guessed 8.5 years old plus. Will find out in February. Sorry I was alone and didn’t get to have my pic with the lion till I got back today and a buddy took them close to town. She was all stiff and bloated by then. I left my sd card at home and only had an iPhone I use to phonescope.
Before arriving I heard coyotes barking near the kill, and eventually I assumed they were barking at me, since I was in and out of their eye site. They were across the draw about 250 yds from the kill. I sat over the kill watching carefully for movement, about 100 yards above the site. It’s sparse sagebrush in the bottom with very few trees. If it was there and tried to escape, I’d at least see it and hopefully get a shot off. After 15 min or so of nothing going on except those 2 dumb coyotes barking at me now a mile away, I thought ‘what the heck’ and turned on the coyote caller to see if any other coyotes might come into range. 5 min later there was one across from me, sniffing at something near where I’m guessing the deer was originally killed. He was disinterested in the call, probably because he saw a big dumb human sitting next to it in the wide open. Still nothing happening below me, I drew my cross hairs on the dog, slightly to the right for windage which I found out I didn’t need to do. Bullet hit exactly 2 inches to the right of him, where I was aiming. (Thinking I should start shooting more to see how much wind actually affects a bullet in different calibres). Shot at him again on the run and missed again.
Then I watched below me again for a minute, nothing. So I packed up my gear and took 2 steps down hill in the crunchy snow and she appeared! Walking away from the kill with her ears on me, not in any big rush. I was in a rush though. In disbelief and in a panic I sat back down and flung my bipod out. The first opening she went through I let one fly and Hit her perfect behind the shoulder. At first I thought I gut shot her. She ran 30 yds then did a couple big crazy cat jumps, fell to the ground and didn’t get up. Shocked! Still can’t believe I killed a freaking lion today! Thanks for encouraging me to go! 100.3 lbs. biologist guessed 8.5 years old plus. Will find out in February. Sorry I was alone and didn’t get to have my pic with the lion till I got back today and a buddy took them close to town. She was all stiff and bloated by then. I left my sd card at home and only had an iPhone I use to phonescope.
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