The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-11-14
LIONS in
PARADISE HILLS
KILL SHEEP AND DRIVE
m A WOOD CHOPPER OUT
Posse Of Farmers is to be Organized
for the Purpose Of Hunting Down
He and Killing the Beasts

and Killing the Beasts
In the mountains at the northwest
of Paradise Valley there are at least
two, perhaps several of the species
known as the mountain lion, or the
Oregon cougar. These animals, it is
believed, have come from Southern
Oregon or from northern California,
and their presence in the Paradise
hills has been noted occasionally for
some time past by sheep herders,
wood choppers and others who fire.
quent the mountain Businesses.
The lair or den of the lions is in
. Mulinex canyon and it is believed
cub are roaming the vicinity there
at this time
Although the existence of species
of the mountain lion has been known
to exist in the Paradise hills for some
time, their presence has never ocea-
stoned much concern until this fall,
since they have never before made
very serious depredations on sheep
and calves. This fall, however, many
sheep have been killed, and the nature
of the killing and the tracks indicat
ed plainly that it was the lions that
were responsible They have also been
seen frequently this fall, and on one
occasional wood chopper by the name
of William Mclean was frightened
from his work by the presence of
these beasts. One late afternoon
while he was at work he happened to
turn around and saw behind him in a
thick tangle of underbrush two sharp
and piercing eyes fixed upon him.
Gazing closer he beheld the crouching
form of lion. Going hastily to his
tent, he secured shotgun, and on his
return to the spot, the lion had backed
up somewhat in the underbrush, but
could yet be seen. Mclean fired at
the animal, but did not kill it. The
lion retreated further into the under
brush and, lashing its tail, emitted
| deep growls of anger.
Mclean did not sleep in the can
yon that night, and afterwards slept
at a nerby ranch, going to the canyon
in the day time only to do his wood
cutting. After that also while at
work he always had his big rifle
\ handy.
On one occasion one of the lions be-
! came accidentally caught in a trap
! that had been set for coyotes. The
trap was not strong enough to hold
this king of beasts and he escaped.
The lion had been led into the trap
! in an endeavor to kill and eat two
coyotes that, had been captured there.
When the trappers visited their traps
in the morning, they found the two
coyotes held fast by the traps. Both
of them were dead, and one was part
iy eaten up. A third trap had been
sprung. and the ground about was
torn up with great claws and foot
prints, showing plainly that it was a
lion that had been in the trap.
The killing of sheep has been very
frequent this fall, and there are also
many carcasses of calves in the Mul-
linex canyon to attest to the ferocity
and unappeased appetite of the lions
Sheep men are almost afraid to take
their sheep into the canyon because
of the lions.
A strange feature of the matter is
the fact that the lions make but little
noise indicating their presence, and
but few men have ever heard them
scream at night. This may be because
there are only two or three of them,
and their isolation from compan-
ionship has caused them to be partic-
ularly careful of being discovered.
One of these lions has been known to
have lived in the canyon for many
years. and the fact is remarked that
Is years ago a lion was seen in the
Mollinex canyon. Whether this lion
has been joined by mate and lit
ter has been the result, is a matter of
coniecture; at any rate there are now
two or more lions in the canyon, and
one of them is young lion.
Alarmed by the depredations of the
lions, the stockmen and farmers of
the valley are preparing to hunt and
kill them.
H. A. Bradshaw, one of the fore
most hunters of the valley, states
that he believes he knows where the
lion s den is situated, and he proposes
to have a systematic hunt and capture
the lion in its den by means of traps
A. Schneider, of the valley, a man par
ticularly adept with frearm, prefers,
however, to send the lions to the hap
Ply hunting ground by means of a
lcaden pill What kind of a hunt will
be instituted has not yet been def
nitelv decided upon, but that one must
be started in order to protect the
lives Of many stock, and possibly of
human beings, is recognized by all.