The Portland daily press., 1898-06-25
BATTLED WITH A COUGAR.
Old Hunter ViejO's Struggle That
Ended In Death.

Ended In Death.
The Wild Animals That Prey Upon the
Live Stock of the Ranches Near the
Santa Rosa Mountains and the Excite
msnt of Hunting Them-Recent Fatal
Hunt.
Eagle Pass, Tex. June IO.-Sixty five
milas northwest of here, on the Mexican
side OF the river, lies the Santa Rosa
Mountains, whose only Inhabitants are
scattered American ranohmen, Mexican
vaqueros, pastores or sheep herders, and
wild game. Yesterday two men who
came down to buy supplies for the
Rincon ranch brought news of cougar
chase with fatal ending. Pablo Con-
zales, an old bunter and horse tanner,
known as "Viejo," was killed, along
with three of his dogs, and other dogs
were badly wounded. The beast which
did the damage was a male cougar,
measuring nearly six feet from nose to
root of tail, and of massive build, show
ing extraordinary strength. His light
coat told that he had reached great age,
though his teeth and claws. which were
long and sharp beyond the common, were
in perfect condition. He was not
weighed, but the ranchmen believe that
he would have gone over 200 pounds His
pelt, which was in excellent keeping, was
30 mauled by the dogs that it was not
worth saving. The head. however. was
preserved and will be mounted for Mr..
Charles Maurice, manager of the Rincon,
who was very fond of the dead 'Viejo."
During the fall, winter and spring the
Santa Rosa ranchmen have been much
annoyed by predatory wild beasts. which
have become numerous and daring. The
removal of former Governor Romualdo
Pacheco and the death of Mr.. Charles
0rseff, two of the most noted sportsmen
Of the region. seemed to take the heart
out of their associates and for five years
little hunting has been done. The result
beasts Of prey and consequent damage to
the herds. 1t is impossible to estimate
the amount of loss inflicted in the past
year. Cougars, timber wolves and even
an occasional 5aguar have slain calves
end colts by the score. Many grown
animals have fallen victims. Under the
present Mexican tariff cow is accounted
to be worth nearly $50 and each dead calf
is loss of IS. Some effort has been made
to trap or poison the wolves, but it has
amounted to nothing. The timber wolves
of this section has grown too wise for the
trap or bait. Numerous trials to still
hunt the cougars and wolves have proved
Of little avail, and it was decided that
they must be run down and exterminated
with dogs.
The Rincon. Saaos, Salado, and Valen-
zuela ranches are joint owners of the
pack. Pablo Gonzales collected it and
travelled many hundred miles in doing
10. He cared nothing for the breeding of
dog. What he wanted was size, nose,
aud fght-particularly fight. When he
heard of a good dog anywhere in the
State Of Coahulla, he went after it and
S., which, for dog in Mexico, is tabu-
Ious price. His difficulty was increased
by the fact that he wanted hounds good
for both cougar and wolf. 1t is easy
enough to train dogs to run the cougar,
or any other member of the cat family,
gust when first laid on the trail of the
timber wolf. Finally the Mexican sue
ceeded in collecting remarkable pack.
1t numbers, or did number last week,
twenty-five males and females, young and
old, trained some for panthers and some
for wolves. and of a universally fierce
disposition. They were SO savage, in
fact that Pablo was the only ranch hand
who dared to go among them or attempt
to handle them. They were of all sorts
Of breeds, Newfoundland, bull, and mas
TIL crosses, and many Of them showed
the greyhound strain Of both the smooth
coated and rough Scotch variety. than
which, when properly seasoned, no Drawer
dog Is alive. The greyhound is much
esteemed by Santa Rosa hunters, not
only on account of his speed and bottom
but because he is not afraid when once he
has feshed his fangs, and the terrible
vnap Of his jaws is not surpassed in
power and effectiveness by that of the
wolf himself. The pride of the pack was
, dog from Torreon, an enormous, rangy,
powerful fellow, five years old, and yell
low in color, with black muzzle. He
was what is known locally as "beef
dog" that is, he had been trained to go
draighs at the most savage steer, catch
him by the nose, throw him, and hold
him. This dog weighed $50 pounds, and
the nose was the only hold he knew
After several preliminary runs, on
which the dog killed two wolves and one
lynx. following the animals with speed
and steadiness and making short work of
them when brought TO bay, the managers
OF the four ranches interested, accom-
panied by dozen of their cowhands,
Mexican and Texan, started after cou-
gar whose idepredatory work was well
known to them all, not only from the
frequency and value of his kills. but
from the fact that his proving had all