The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-25
Old Hunter Viejo's Struggle That
Ended in Death.
IT WAS A FATAL HUN
Wild Animals That Prey Upon the Live
Stock OF the Ranches les the Santa
Rosa Mountains and the Excite
ment of Hunting Them.

whose only inhabitants are scattered
American ~ranchmen, Mexican vague
ros, pastores or sheep herders and wild
game. A few days ago, says the New
York sun, two men who came down to
buy supplies for the Rincon ranch
brought news Of a couga chase with
a fatal ending. Pablo Gonzales. an old
hunter and horse tanner, known as
"Niejo,' was killed, along with three
OF his dogs. and other dogs were badly
wounded. The beast which did the dam
age was a male cougar measuring
nearly six feet from nose TO root Of tail,
and of massive build, showing extraord-
mary strength. His light coat told that
he had reached a great age. though his
teeth and claws. which were long n
sharp beyond the common, were In
perfect condition. He was not weighed.
but the ranchmen believe that he would
have gone owe 200 pounds. His pelt,
which was in excellent keeping, was so
mauled by the dogs that it was not
worth saving. The head, however,
was preserved n will be mounted for
Charles Maurice, manager of the Rim
con, 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 ave become numerous and dar-
ing. The removal of former Governor
Romualdo Pacheco and the death of
Charles Greeff, 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 has been a
steady and large increase in beasts of
prey and a 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 jaguar have slain calves
and colts by the score. Many grown
animals have fallen victims. Under the
present Mexican tariff a COW Is count
ed TO be worth nearly $40 and each calf
is a loss of IS. Son effort has been
made to trap or poison the wolves, but
it has amounted to nothing. The tim
Der wolf 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
II was decided la they must be run
down and exterminated with dogs.
The Rincon, Saaos, Salado and Val
enzuela ranches are joint owners of
the pack. Pablo Gonzales collected ii
and Travelled many hundred miles in
doing so. He cared nothing for the
breeding of a dog. What he wanted
was size. nose and INDEPENDENTLY
fight. When he heard of a good dog
all FAiNAN IA Az ~ vi az
went after il and bought 1t, paying
sometimes as much as IS, which, for
a dog in Mexico, Is a fabulous price.
His difficulty wal increased by the fact
that he wanted hounds good for both
cougar and wolf. 1t is easy enough to
train dogs to run the ougar or any
other member of the cat family, but
wen the best show both fear and dis
gust when first laid on the trail OF the
timber wolf.
Finally the old Mexican succeeded in
collecting a remarkable pack. 1t num-
bers, or did number last week, % males
and females, old and young, trained
some for panthers and some for wolves.
and of a universally fierce disposition.
They were so avage 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. Newfoundlands, bull
and mastiff crosses, and many of them
showed the greyhound strain Of both
the smooth-coated and rough Scotch
variety, h which, when properly sea-
soned, 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 snap OF his
jaws is not surpassed i'm power and eff
ictllNtDtSS Dg mat u TIE NOil himself
The pride of the pack was a dog from
Torreon, an enormous, rangy, power.
full fellow, five years old, and yellow In
color, with a black muzzle. He was
what is known locally as a beef dog
that is, he had been trained TO &c
straight at the most savage steer, catch
him by the nose, throw him and hold
him down. This dog weighed 15t
pounds. and the nose hold was tht
only hold he knew
After several preliminary runs, OF
which the dogs killed two wolves and
one lynx, following the animals with
speed n steadiness and making shor
work of them when brought to bay
the managers of the four ranches in
terested, accompanied by a dozen o
their COW hands, Mexican and Texan
started after a cougar whose depreda
tory work was we'll known to then
all. not only from the frequency ant
value of his kills, but from the fac
that his preying had all been lone ii
one part Of the country. The Rincol
ranch had been the only ore visitet
by him. and he had been killing twl
steers or horses a week since early II
the spring. Maurice estimated that tn
beast had eaten not less than $50
worth of Rincon horse and COW flesh.
The habits OF the animal dffferel
from those of his kind in many ways
Ordinarily the cougar feeds at nigh
and lies during the day i'm any cav o
tangle of thicket cactus that come
handy. He is the most difficult Of ami
mails to still hunt. either slinkinI
away noiselessly when he detects IN
pursuit. or lying perdu when the hunt
er is passing within 10 yards OF hin
So great is his power of secretsvenes
? and so perfectly does his dun hid
match with his surroundings that hi
killing by man, unaided by dogs. ur
less he is accidentally stumbled upor
: as win sometimes happen. Is one q
the rarest Of occurrences. He is COW
ardly. and gets his game by attackin
It from behind. almost invariably sti
hunting II or by lying in wait for
near the edge Of a pool. He is a grea
roamer. travelling sometimes $50 mile
s I'm a week. His common food consist
I. | II E-n.- rann..n H.LL.E- hirA- -