Im outta here....

[SuperDan]

Had a little time at lunch to finish up this day so....

 

Ok, where were we? Oh yeah

 

I cocked the hammer and suddenly he took a quick step forward "SONOFABITCH!” I whispered to myself, “good kitty, easy boy….” I was startled and lost the cat in my scope for a few seconds, I peered over the top of my rifle to see he was still standing there, then took aim again.

I was a lot more focused at this point, and decided that something needed to be done, we were at a standoff and neither one of us was backing down.

I did a quick assessment of the situation and determined that one of us had to leave the area.

 

Understand that I had no wish to kill this animal unless it was absolutely necessary, a decision that would later still makes me nauseas every time I think about it (I am actually shaking typing this).

I quickly determined that I did not have the option of leaving the area, there was no way in hell I was going to turn my back on this cat nor was I going to give up the advantage I had with him square in my sights, HE HAD TO LEAVE one way or the other.

 

I continued to look at him through my scope and noticed a cantaloupe size (granite I think) size rock about 3 feet in front of him… “Hmmm…” I thought back to when a buddy of mine and I use to go shooting out in the desert years ago, one of the “fun” things we would do is bring out some old sheets of plywood and stand them up on end, then place softball size rocks a few feet in front of them and shoot them with my .308 or his 300 Win Mag.

 

Anyone who has done something similar can confirm the effects this can have on a sheet of plywood, the rock (depending on it composition) in general will vaporize send pea to marble size projectiles into the plywood embedding themselves about a ¼ inch into the wood, sometimes blowing completely thru it.

 

“Give kitty a little swat on the nose” hopefully not enough to kill him, just get his attention and scare the crap out of him.

I made my decision in an instant; I knelled down on one knee, removed my knife and stuck it in the soft sand next to me, pulled the spare cartridge from my mouth and cupped it in my hand under the rifles forearm.

 

I took aim, my best guess was about 4 inches under the rock, the cat was still, not moving at all, just staring at me.

 

Isn’t it weird what will flash through your mind at a time like this? Visions of my wife and my 15 year daughter and the little boy named Andrew who just had his first birthday the Tuesday before I left. Second thought, “just drop his *** were he stands, no questions or regrets, just 100% assurance that he will not be able to attack.”

 

I squeezed the trigger, BOOOOM!, over the top of the scope I see a gray dust cloud form, and hear the sound of small rocks crashing through the brush.

I look quickly for any sign of the cat and verify that he is gone, then a voice from the movie Independence Day echo’s in my head, “…negative…. target remains”

 

I see the cat make a small circle then he rushes towards me, ears down a teeth showing “oh my god… oh my GOD!, this is it, ah ****, what have I done!” I yelled in a broken high pitch voice, I look down at my rifle, focused and alert I cracked the breach, tossed the spent casing to the side and shoved another round into the chamber, “it’s too late, IT’S TOO LATE!, he is has to be on top of me by now… don’t look up!, it will be over soon”

I raise my head, simultaneously bringing my rifle up “Oh GOD!..” he was in a dead run towards me less than 10 yards away, “too late… it’s too late!” wondering to myself if it was going to hurt a lot, I closed my eyes, “boom!!!” a shot rang out, I slowly opened my eyes to see a gray dust ball in front of me, the cat was nose down in the soft sand and slowly rolled to it’s side.

 

I quickly looked around to see what had happened, to my left and above me I see the dark silhouette of a man still shouldering a rifle, dawn breaking behind he slowly lowered his gun and in a familiar voice, calm and comforting I heard him say “Danny…, you ok son?”

SUCKERS!!! Ok, that’s the campfire version!

What really happened.

I squeezed the trigger, BOOOOM!, over the top of the scope I see a gray dust cloud form, and hear the sound of small rocks crashing through the brush.

I look quickly for any sign of the cat and verify that he is gone, nope no kitty and whatever it was he had at his feet was gone also, It looked like a jackrabbit or maybe a small javalina, not sure.

I reloaded my gun, gathered my thoughts and continued on ever so cautiously until I found a small wash intersecting the one I was in about 100 yards up the way.

 

I meet up with my dad a few minutes later, “hey, did you get one?... I heard a shot coming from down in that wash you were in” he asked, “nope dad, I missed” I told him. We had a long talk later about how I no longer like his hunting technique.

 

My cousin did take a nice little forky that morning and after a 3 hour drag we got back to camp and planed for our last hunt in the morning.

[johnc]

Ok, that’s the campfire version!

What really happened.

 

Didn't fool me... I was expecting to read a line like:

 

"I closed my eyes, “boom!!!” a shot rang out, I slowly opened my eyes to see a gray dust ball in front of me, the cat was nose down in the soft sand and slowly rolled to it’s side. Then there was a knocking on the door and I heard my wife's voice ask, "Dan, are you going to be sitting on the toilet all day?"

 

Great story!

[SuperDan]

Dan, are you going to be sitting on the toilet all day?"

[Mikelly]

 

I like John's version much better... Closer to reality in my household!

 

Mike

[jt1]

Great, great story!!!! I'm glad it turned out OK- I would have hated to shot the cat too.

 

I guess I need to revise my probability of negotiating a deal......

 

jt

[Mike C]

First classs job of entertainment Dan!

[spotfitz]

OK Dan,

I think you have us hanging enough. My bride to be was wondering what ever happened to the rest of the story. I had to do a search to bring it back up.

NOW. Please finish the story. Pretty please.