Several Big Game Hunters I know were Hunting for Elk/Mule Deer recently in SW Montana. In fact it was opening morning of the Elk/Deer Rifle season and we had spread out north to south on a mountain range.
We were VERY high in this splendidly beautiful range of mountains. I in fact was above treeline and just 500 feet below a herd (flock?) of 17 Mt. Goats and had been glassing desperately for Elk all morning. All I saw that morning was the Mt. Goats, several Moose and about 20 Mule Deer none of which were of trophy caliber. At about 10:00 AM I heard two shots to the north of me.
It turned out that it was two of my friends that had also been on stand since before sunrise. They had both been hearing Coyotes howling for nearly an hour at the same location?
On their way back to their trailhead they came together and decided to investigate what the Coyotes were doing so long in one spot and what all the howling was about. They went toward the noise and were surprised to find 4 Coyotes circling an old dead but still standing evergreen tree. There was a large Bobcat perched near the top of the snaggy tree!
My friends killed one of the Coyotes and could only observe the Bobcat as it hunkered down there in the tree - the Bobcat season does not open until December 1st here!
Many Wolf tracks were observed in the high notch like pass I was in that seperated two alpine basins. I also observed Grizzly tracks in both the muddy wallowy places and in some shaded snow fields!
Not a hair of an Elk did I see!
The Hunter I was with came across the "mondo" size Grizzly spoor and track and decided there were better places for him to Hunt Elk than in that particular high "dog hair" thicket!
He was sitting in his vehicle when I got back to our trailhead!
He immediately informed me that no more leaving the vehicle before sunrise in the mornings.
I snickered a bit at that.
We drove the 17 miles back to our main camp and I killed several Jack Rabbits that made the mistake of showing themselves by running from our vehicle as we crossed several huge high plateaus. The Jacks usually sped off and stopped about 125 yards from our vehicle and that was easy pickins for my Ruger 77/17 V with Weaver KT 15 scope attached! The Remington ammo bowled them over easily at that range. The temps got to 71 degrees that day and the next two also!
I decided to switch gears and headed off to Powder River country, being disgusted with the dust and record setting temperatures!
I was helping another friend fill his Buck Antelope tag as he had been "gumboed" out on the October 13th opener and did not get to Hunt!
We soon got an EXCELLENT heavy horned buck Antelope that taped 14 1/2" in length! But its over all mass made me beg my friend to get it Taxidermied!
We had travelled the 500+ miles to Antelope country fully prepared to also Hunt Mule/Whitetailed Deer, Antelope, Prairie Dogs, Coyotes, Wild Turkey and Fox all of which were observed in great abundance while chasing the spooky mid-season Antelope! But the high temps and poor quality of taxidermy and butcher services in Miles City sent us scurrying back to SW Montana with the Antelope carcass filled with ice to have it butchered and worked on by the Taxidermy folks locally!
Oh well - I am heading back that way in a few weeks and will surely get into the Prairie Dogs, Turkeys and Deer then!

Anyone else ever see Coyotes "tree" a Bobcat?

Long live Wild Montana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

NO..But I saw'em tree a grey fox.