The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19
BATTLED WITH A COUGAR.
OLD HUNTER TIEJO'S STRUGGLE
THAT ENDED IN DEATH.


northwest of hero, ON the Mexican side Of tho
river, lie the Santa Rosa Mountains. whosc only
inhabitants are scattered American ranchmen,
Mexican vaquenos, pRstores or sheep herders,
and wild game. Yesterday two men who came
down TO buy supplies for the Rincon ranch
brought news Of a cougar chase with q fatal
ending. Pablo Gonzales, an old hunter and
horse tanner, known as "Vieio," was killed,
along with three Of hla dogs, and other doRs
wero badly wounded. Tho beast which aid tho
damage was o male cougar. measuring nearly
six feot from nose to root OF tail, and OF massive
build, showing extraordinary strength. His
light coat told that he had reached q great age,
though his tooth and claws. which were long
and sharp beyond the common. were in perfect
condition. Ho was not woi9hod. but tho ranch
men believe that he would have gone over 200
pounds. His polt, which was in excellent keep.
ing. was 30 mauled by the dogs that 1t was not
worth saving. Tho head, however. was pre-
served and will be mounted for Mr.. Charles
Maurice, manager Of tho Rincon, who was
very fond OF the dead "vicjo."
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 Greeff, two of the most noted
sportsmen of tho region, seemed to take tho
ANsAAS OAN VI fbOA 1ONA@AO INV III v JCaIo
little hunting has been done. The result has
been q steady and large increase in beasts Of
prey and a consequent damage to the herds. 1t
Ia impossible to estimate the amount of loss in
ficted in the past year. Cougars, timber
wolves and oven an occasional jaguar have
slain calves and colts by the score. Many
grown animals have fallen victims. Under the
present Mexican tariff q cow Is accounted to be
worth nearly $50 and each dead calf is q loss OF
0A W G~-.- to-. -
the wolves. but 1t has amounted to nothing.
Tho timber 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 it was decided that they must
be run down and exterminated with dogs.
The Rincon, Saaos, Salado, and Valeuzuela
ranches ..are joint owners Of tho pack. Pablo
Gonzales collected it and travelled many hun
dred miles In doing SO. lie cared nothing for
the breeding Of a dog. What he wanted was
size. nose, and INDEPENDENTLY fight. When
he heard of n good dog anywhere in the State
OF Coahuila, no went after It and bought it,
paying sometimes as much as IS, which, for a
dog In Mexico. is a fabulous price. His diff
Guilty 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. but even
tho best show both fear and disgust when first
laid on the trail OF the timber wolf.
Finally the old Mexican succeeded in col
lecting a remarkable pack. 1t numbers, or did
number last week, twenty-five males and fe.
males. young and old. trained some for pam
thers and some for wolves, and of n universally
ferce disposition. They were SO savage, in
fact, that Pablo was the only ranch hand
who dared to go among them or attempt to han
die them. They were of all sorts of breeds,
Newfoundland, bull, and mastir crosses. and
many of them sho wed the greyhound strain of
both the smooth coated and rough Scotch va.
ricty, 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 snap of his jaws is not
surpassed in power and effectiveness by that
Of the wolf himself. The pride of the pack
was a dog from Torreon, an enormous, rangy,
powerful fellow, five years old, and yellow in
color, with q black muzzle. He was what is
known locally as q beef dog" that is, he had
been trained to 20 straight at the most savage
steer, catch him by the nose, throw him., and
hold him. This dog weighed $50 pounds, and
the nose hold was the only hold he knew.
After several prelimin AIRY runs, on which
the dogs killed two wolves and one lynx, follow
ing tho animals with speed and steadiness and
making short work of them when brought to
hay, the managers Of the four ranches inter-
ested, accompanied by a dozen of their cow
hands. Mexican and Texan, started after a
cougar whose depredatory work was well
known to them all, not only from the frequency
and value of his kills, but from the fact that his
preying had all been done in one part of tho
country. The Rincon ranch had been the only
one, visited by him, and he had been killing two
steers or horses a week since early in the
snrinU MnuriCR astimatad thar tho haoat nod
eaten not less than $500 worth of Rincon horse
and COW flesh.
The habits of this animal differed from those
of his kind in many ways. Ordinarily the cou.
gar feeds at night and lies during the day
In any cave or tanGle of thicket cactus that
mails to still hunt, e. either sink Shaking T1s" away OF no das.
lessly when no detects the pursuit, or lying
perdp when the hunter is passing within ten
crctiyeness and so perfectly docs his dun hide
match with his surroundings that his killing by
stumbled upon, as will sometimes happen. is one
of the rarest of occurrences; he is cownrdly,
almost Invariably sill bunting it. or lying in
wait for It near the edge Of a pool, He is "A great
T TssP' ITS tF" sCmmen f soa% CONSISTS 1870 Of % FoRss, in 4as a
coon. rabbits, birds, and even mice. He will
s SRo ehrost, E1II 4 ISy y The he bsu SSiIO or his ds5 prey by y
the VOLTS habit. It is his custom NJ to 81 sIay a. the Ie
smaller things Of his larder young deer. sheep,
The paw used is always the right. There aie no
LEFT, cougars. The female has from ono
70 three kittens at a litter, and the father will
kill the young males unless fought of. They are
brought forth almost always in caves. though
sometimes the lying.in occurs under a dead
log in almost impossible chaparral. A mother
who has young TO care for becomes doubly de-
strncttve. The young begin killing early,
capturing large game for themselves in the fall
succeeding birth, but they are clumsy and fool
iRhly bold. More of them are slain at this axe
than at any other. Like all members of the cat
tribe. they are easily trapped.
individuals OF the cougar species differ great
ly in size, strength and ~feroclty, and the ono
slain last week was the chief OF his elan. lie
was a day feeder and did not seem To care par.
ticularly to hide himself, His kills we're made
IN the open valleys and he was seen probably a
dozen times. Whom interrupted in his work
he would retire at a slow trot, carrying his head
SIX inches lower than his shoulders, glancing
hack in anger and switching his long tail vic.
lently from side to side. More than once he
was followed for some miles by unhrmsd COW,
boys anxious, to lind his lair. In every in
stance when the pursuit ceased he would turr
in. his tracks and follow his pur5ucr back u
within a milo OF tho ranch. He would never
return to n carcass after making one meal. He