Latest news with #ClaudeStrother
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hunter, 82, Mauled by Bobcat Says 'I'm Going Back' to the Same Spot to Hunt Again
An 82-year-old turkey hunter won't let a bobcat attack derail his hunting plans. On Friday, April 18, Claude Strother was feeling restless while his wife was out, so he decided to go out on his property in Wilcox County, Ala., and call for turkey. Instead, a bobcat attacked him from behind while he was sitting against two trees, Strother recounts in a now-viral Facebook video posted by his daughter, DeAnn Strother McGilberry. That evening, Claude was sitting between the two small trees, leaving his back and head exposed. After making a few turkey calls, Claude felt like he'd been hit with a baseball bat from behind. 'Knocked me forward, and I looked back – nothing,' he says in the video. 'Then I looked forward and there was this giant bobcat trotting off.' Related: 'Hero' Bystander Hailed a 'Lifesaver' After Leaping into Ocean to Save Woman Being Mauled by Shark Most of Claude's injuries were sustained to his head and face. 'My whole head is sore, finally quit hurting. His claws hit right in above my eyes, but not any real damage,' says Claude, who took photos of his face covered in blood after the incident. 'Lot of blood, but nothing serious.' He ended the video with a slight smile while sharing his plans for the next day. 'I'm going back, same spot, in the morning,' Claude says. While he did indeed go hunting the next day, Claude also made sure to go to the doctor, he told Fox affiliate WALA. The attack, which Claude described as a 'fluke deal," was the first he'd ever experienced in his nearly fifty years as a hunter. "I set the perfect storm for it," Claude told the outlet. "There I was, perfectly camouflaged in a gap, and all he could see was my head, and all of a sudden I was knocked over, and I turned and reached back." The hunter said he wasn't angry at the bobcat, which must have thought he was a turkey because of the call he was using. 'I don't blame him at all,' Claude told WALA. 'I have no grudge against that bobcat, I wouldn't have shot him if he let me.' Related: Virginia Woman Left 'Traumatized' After Finding a Snake in Her Margarita at a Mexican Restaurant Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Claude is a storied hunter, with four Royal Slams and eight Grand Slams to his name, according to his daughter's Facebook post. 'I love that he has kept Journals of every single hunt through the years,' DeAnn wrote, 'what a treasure these are.' She told the outlet that her dad has been navigating a cancer diagnosis. Reading the comments on social media in response to his experience has been a good distraction, as has his return to the hunt. 'Next morning, I went to the same spot,' Claude told WALA. This time, however, he sat by a big tree. 'I wasn't going to do that again,' he said with a laugh. Read the original article on People
USA Today
26-04-2025
- USA Today
Hunter, 82, mauled by bobcat while calling turkeys
Hunter, 82, mauled by bobcat while calling turkeys An 82-year-old hunter is recovering from a rare bobcat attack that occurred while he was calling turkeys on his property in Wilcox County, Alabama. Claude Strother, an avid hunter for 50 years, was left bloodied, with a bite to the back of his head and scratches to his face. But he felt good enough after the April 18 mauling to immortalize its aftermath with selfies before seeking medical attention. Those images, shared by his daughter to Facebook, reveal a dazed man who's fortunate to still have the use of both eyes. In a Facebook reel, Strother explained that he usually positions himself beside a large tree for cover while calling turkeys. ALSO: Alligator caught on porch cam trying to break into Florida home But this time he sat between two narrow trees, in camouflaged clothing, leaving his head and back exposed. The bobcat, most likely responding to his turkey calls, pounced at their source, striking Strother from behind. The force was so great that Strother thought somebody had struck him with a baseball bat. 'It hit behind my head,' he recalled. 'My whole head is sore. His claws hit right above my eyes. Not any real damage, although there was a lot of blood.' When Strother rose, he looked backward, then forward, and saw 'this giant bobcat trotting off.' Strother told Fox 10 News that the bobcat probably mistook him for a turkey. 'My yelping was real good,' he joked. It can be considered a freak accident, although hunters should always be wary when using calls that might attract predators. Strother's daughter, DeAnn Strother McGilberry, shared a bit of her dad's hunting prowess: '4 Royal slams, 8 Grand slams , 247 personal turkeys and 75 plus turkey kills for friends and family he has called up. And he keeps a journal of every hunt, what a treasure this will be for generations to come.'
