Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-06-21
BIG GAME IN MEXICO.
AnteIopes. Wild Bears, Mountain
Lions, Wild Dogs and Wild Burros.


Lions, Wild Dogs and Wild Burros.
A civil engineer recently returned
from the hacienda of Jimulco, in Goa
huilt, an immense property contain
ing over 1000 square kilometers, tells
some stirring tales of shooting wild
game. Antelopes abound, but great
care is necessary in approaching these
willy creatures, owing to their habit
of always placing one or two on guard
while the rest of the herd is feeding.
The sentinels, faithful to their duty,
remain with head erect, peering and
shifting to the four points of the COM
pass and give a swift alarm the mo-
ment an enemy appears in sight.
Not long since party of young men
were hunting the javali, or wild hog,
and, coming up with a number, one of
the hunters succeeded in killing one
and dismounted to secure it. AS he
approached his prey a dozen or more
javali that were hiding in the tall
grass attacked him ferociously, and
one fastened his tusks in the hunters
heel, hanging on like grim death. The
others came to their companions as
sistance and the brute was killed, but
the tusks were sunk so deep into the
heel that the hogs jaws had to be
pried apart with gun barrel before
the man was freed. Strange as this
may seem, the wound closed quickly
and with no serious results.
On this same hacienda are both wild
dogs and wild burros, the latter being
remarkably swift and hard to take.
The dogs are said to be large and very
savage, with ugly countenances and
extremely long, coarse hair. Some
time ago pup was caught and tanned,
developing into a fine watch dog, but
though every effort was made to Sc
cure a mate for him it has not been
possible.
It is not generally realized that the
mountain lions Of Mexico will attack
a man, but several recent encounters
show them to be as dangerous for men
as for beasts One of the mozos in
a recent hunting party had but one
hand, the stump of his left arm bear
ing witness to terrible struggle with
a lion he had shot and then approach
ed, thinking the brute was dead. A
gentleman who has hunted in the
State of Sonora tells of certain
spring where two men have been kill
ed by lions while camping there for
the night These brutes follow man
for miles. like the panther, lured on
by the human scent and hopes of find
ing an opportunity to spring on the
traveller. A mountain lion was recent
" killed in Michoacan that measured
three meters from tip to tip.
Mexico possesses many intrepid
hunters. especially among military
men, but their deeds of prOwess are
rarely related, this being rather for
eign to the Mexican character, which
does not lend itself to anything ap-
preaching boastfulness. The writer
knows of an ardent sportsman, gem
eral, who had one room entirely adorn-
ed with firearms and furnished with
trophies of the chase The furniture
was covered with skins, the feet OF the
chairs being of deers' horns. The
arms, dating from the conquest to the
present time, were valued at over $780,
600. So far did this general carry his
fad for shooting implements that he
had a cigarette case made IN the shape
of a pistol, and in offering his guests
"cigarros" pulled real trigger and
shot the tobacco missiles in their di-
| rection.