The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-12
THE MOUNTAIN LION.
Stirring Stories Of Adventure
Among the Rockies"
a War of Observation-Disclosures a
Monster from HOrseback-A Young
Nimrod's Feat-A Huntsman's
Justifiable Faint.

BfdN-A 1uHLs1.lGnS >
Justifiable Faint.
Some pretty big stories come from
California of some pretty big mountain
lions they have on the Pacific coast, bat
think we have here in Montana larger
and more ferocious specimens of this
feline species than Californians ever
heard or dreamed Of Certainly they
are found in great numbers ali through
this Northwestern belt of country and
their ravages extend so far as to attack
not only weak calves and yearlings on
the ranges, but also sheep, goats and
full-grown steers.
The natural home of the mountain
lion is in the Northwest and the fathers
of the species live here in Montana
among the foothills of the Rocky noun
tains. Since the disappearance of the
vast herds of bison that once roamed
over the prairies of Montana. Idaho and
Wyoming the plains and hills of the
Northwest have become infested with
all sorts of wild animals. Wolves and
coyotes are, of course, the most de-
structive, but this is owing rather to
their astonishing numbers than any
thing else. Mountain lions come next
and are almost as numerous rs their
cousins, the coyotes and wolves. Close
after the lions follow the bears. of which
there are several varieties in the Rocky
foir c.r.l a., h1,,l-
brown, silver tip and the true grizzly,
found far up among the peaks, near the
perpetual snow-line.
But mountain lions, owing to their
ferocity and great numbers, must be
considered the most dangerous and
most destructive wild animal we have.
SO bold have they become of late that
cattlemen and the Territorial authori-
ties too have been compelled to give
attention to the ravageS committed by
these beasts among the flOckS and
herds. A lively war OF eXtermina-
tiOn has been going on against them
for some time. The Territory offer
premium of IS on every scalp brought
in to be punched and some of the
counties add to the inducement by
offering on their own accounts nice
little sum in addition to the Territorial
bounty. The cowboys, with lots of
spare time on their hands during the
winter months, gain handsome
largess for themselves (not to speak of
the fun and sport they have) by hunt
ing and killing mountain lions from
November to March. The cow
puncher, with an eye to business, first
draws on the Territorial Treasurer for
tsS; he then hands bill to the county
for something more, and finally sells
the hide to furricr for what it is
worth. There We're IA mountain
lions killed and paid for in Montana in
1884; 16l in 1885, for which 81, 2SS
came ont of the Territorial Treasury,
and this year the figures promise to
run up to POO or thereabouts.
Mountain lions in this section attain
prodigious size. Specimens are often
killed measuring . feet from tip to tip
and weighing not far from 250 to 800
pounds Many more measuring from
10 to IL feet are frequently bagged, and
occasionally monster reaching Il
feet in the clear and perhaps longer is
brought down by some lucky and
daring hunter. The hide of this ami
NAL makes an excellent rug. Scarcely
a ranch in the whole Rocky Mountain
region is without a mountain lion skin
on the floor. One cattle ranch on
Powder river has every room in the
house carpeted with handsome skins of
this animal. The hide is a bright
brown on the back and rump, but fades
away into a soft white brown towards
The sides and becomes almost pure
white under the belly. The tail is
tipped with white and the head, eyes.
ears, nose and features are an exact re-
production of the domestic cat on
larger scale. The feet and claws are
also like those of Tom and Maria.
While l am penning these lines word
comes from a roundup party near here,
busily at work rounding up cattle and
branding calves, that Red Carbon, a
cowboy with the outfit and an expert
with the lariat, accomplished the re-
markable feat of roping mountain
lion alive from horseback. The fore
man and three boys of the Green Noun
tain Land and Cattle Company were
riding along the banks of Emmel's S
creek, near the foothills of Wolf noun
tains, two of them being about a quarter
of mile in the lead and the other pair
following leisurely along in the rear.
The former were seen by their COM
panions in the rear to start off hur-
riedly as if chasing something, and
spurred by curiosity the four men were
soon hot on the heels of four powerful
mountain lions. Three of the big
fellows got away, but the fourth
was wounded in the shoulder and
brought to bay. Red Carbon took
down his lariat and, riding as close as
safety would admit, succeeded in set
Ting the moose snugly around the neck
of the beast. The cast was long one,
but the expert accomplished the feat
with neatneSs and dispatch. His horse
was very fractious and the others had
to go to their comrades assistance be-
fore the fierce brute was made sure
captive. But now that they had him
the BOYS did not know what to do with
their elephant. He was finally dis
patched with six-shoeters from safe
distance.