Lion Hunting for Breakfast!!!! Oh, my! (04.25.2011)

And I am for real . . . I know we call the nervousness when deer hunting "buck fever". . .  what do you call the nervousness when hunting lion?  "Cat Fever?"  Yes, I am for real on safari in Deep East Texas!   And was up before daylight waiting. .  . .  When I heard the sounds the cat was making coming closer and closer. . . my heart went wild.  I really don't think I could have shot it at that point.  No kidding! 

What a way to start the week!  James got up at 4 a.m. yesterday to start smoking briskets and ribs for lunch. . . as we were having company.  About daylight, he started hearing the sound that they make. . .not the scream we have been told they make but something different. . . Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKw4OFAu1WM.  The dogs started acting like something was about and he came in about 7 a.m. to get a rifle and it woke me up.  I told him he was insane. . . and I went and listened.  Sure enough. . .  but I was still skeptical until I found that YouTube video.  Make the hair stand up on your neck when you know what it is.  I suppose James and my talking and smell ran it off because the noise started getting farther and farther away.  We think it was possibly after the goats.  Not good.  It was so hard for Jake and I both to go to sleep last night.  He ended up sleeping with me and I think he cried himself to sleep over his goats. . . I told him I was doing everything I could at the moment, I put all the dogs outside to help deter, alert us,  and I would be getting up before daylight to sit and wait and listen. 

To be honest, I am scared to death of mountain lions/pumas/cougars/whatever they are called.  When I heard that sound come in this morning and start getting closer. . .  my heart raced like it has never before done.  Kid you not.  The wind was constantly changing directions so I think it caught wind of me and started drifting off but then, it started back this way.  Up till about 7 a.m., the dogs acted like nothing was wrong with the world. . . all sacked out on what grass there is, snoozing.  But I think they had a long night.  Then, about seven, they got up and bolted to the north-west fenceline barking and carrying on. 

Then a few of them (the g. shepard/black mouth cur cross and my collie cross) started checking scent.  Don't know where Rambo, the bloodhound was but he usually is always in on the action.  I suppose the barking and all scared it away because I was still hearing sounds but it circled around to the north and east but was going away from the goats.  During all this, the yellow horse and the appy were acting a bit nervous.  .  Got to move the goat pen, again. . .  but I don't really know of any place that would be safe.

Why is it when you need a man the most. . . they are far away.  James is in Port Arthur, back to work.  He did call the sheriff who is a retired game warden and whom James has known for a very long time.  Since I have my hunting license, it is okay for me to kill it as it is non-game but I will need to call the game warden when I do.  Are they kidding me?  I want a man to come and kill this thing for me. 

I was about to have a heart attack this morning but I have to protect the kids animals, the kids, and hubby's grandmother.  James said he is going to have it stuffed if I kill it.  He's crazy!  He was telling me a 300 pounder was killed about two hours from here and I do know of a horse that was attacked in this county.  He did say that when he was back off work, he was going to find a rabbit or some vermin call and hunt it with his bow. 

Little Annie Oakely needs to get some more shells to practice with.

What a way to start a week off!  NOT  Hope you got a laugh out of my outrageous story.