If the wind hadn't been blowing it never would have happened like it did. I went out to take pictures of a wood duck's eggs in one of our boxes, and I thought I would take our new digital camera, a cheapie but one that also makes video clips. Maybe if I was very very careful when I approached the creek I could capture the birds on 'film'. I had along my hiking buddies, my black cat and my old collie mix. Both are pretty mellow and well behaved, but the cat has an assortment of bells on his collar and the dog really stands out, being mostly snow white...both facts that add to the strangeness of this story. As I got to the creek, I immediately saw movement along one bank, down below us. It was a young coon. I pressed the video button and let it roll, saying nothing. After a moment or two the coon looked up and saw me, and probably the snow white dog lying in the bluebells behind me. It scrambled up the bank and through some more bluebells. When it was out of the frame I hit the stop button and was just lowering the camera when I became aware of more movement, an animal moving rapidly in the direction the coon had just gone. It was a bobcat, and it was most definitely after that coon, and most definitely NOT aware of the three other creatures just across the creek. I hit the record button again, and you can hear me hoarsely whisper, "a bobcat-right there!" It quickly closed in on the young coon, which immediately jumped into the creek and headed to the opposite shore. I was sweating it badly at this point, realizing what a rare thing this was and hoping that the images on my screen would be discernable once the clip was downloaded onto the computer. I'm not sure I was still breathing at all. It was all a gift, the events before me. I focused on the one spot where the cat was sitting for the longest time and then took on slight step to the right to move around a tree branch. Immediately there is a streaking bounding bobcat shooting off to the right of the screen and out of sight into the trees. Moments later there was the sound of snorting panicking deer to the south. ANd it was over.

How in the world does a lady in mud boots trailing a bell-wearing cat and an arthritic snow white dog get in that close to a bobcat without it seeing them?? I know two if its senses were down since the wind was blowing our smell away and covering the sound of our approach. Maybe the bobcat was sitting just right behind a tree or a log and simply not looking. As for bobcats eating coons...well, I don't know for certain about this. I am assuming that what the cat saw was a smallish creature bounding quickly through the brush and as cats do, instinctively gave chase. They were about the same size body wise, perhaps the coon was a bit smaller. I understand a full grown coon is a formidable creature when it's cornered...would a young one be a target for a bobcat?

I eagerly awaited the results on the big screen...and was very let down. There is obviously an animal chasing after the coon, and then streaking away, but it's impossible to tell what it is.

This will probably never happen again, when I have the camera and am already taking video when things get interesting.

Not as good as "Battle at Krueger" but still my own little fortuitous encounter...