Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-12-29

deer, yearling buck, which has been killed
by a cougar. When first found the wounds
on the carcass showed that the deer had
been killed by bite in the neck at the back
OF the head; but there were scratches on
the rump as j the panther had landed on its
back. One of the negro hunters, Brutus
Jackson, evidently a Trustworthy man. told
me that he had twice seen cougars, each
time under unexpected conditions Once
he saw bobcat race up tree, and riding
toward II saw q panther reared UP against
the trunk. The panther looked around at
him quite calmly and then retired in leis-
urely fashion.
Jackson Went off 10 get some hounds,
and when he returned two hours afterwarl
the bobcat was still up the tree, evidently SO
badly scared that he did not with to come
down. The hounds were unable to follow
the cougar. On another occasion he heard
tremendous scuffle and Immediately af-
terward saw big doe racing along with
small cougar literally riding it. The cougar
was biting the neck but low down near the
shoulders he was hanging ON with his front
paws, but was tearing away with his hind
claws 50 that the deer's hair appeared to fill
the air. AS soon as Jackson appeared the
panther left the deer He shot il, and the
doe galloped off apparently without serious
injury.
| wish those who see cougars xiii game
or who come on game that they have killed
would study and record the exact method
employed in killing Mr.. Hornaday sent
me photograph OF a cougar killing goat.
which he had seized high UP on the back of
the neck in his Jaws, not using his claws at
all once found where one had killed big
buck BY Selling him by the throat; the
claws also having evidently been used to
hold the buck in the struggle. Another
time | found colt which had been killed bv
a bite in the neck: and yet another time
young doe which had been killed by bite
in the head.
In most cases where came across the
carcasses OF deer which had been killed bv
cougars they had been partially eaten, and
it was not possible to find out exactly how
they had been slain. III one instance at
least the neck had been broken evidently in
the struggle; but ] could not tell whether
this had been done desgnedly, by the use
OF the forepaws. Twice hunters | have
known saw cougars seize mountain sheep,
in each case by the throat The information
furnished me inelnes me to believe that
most game is killed by cougars in this fash
ion. Most of the =earcasses of elk which had
been killed by cougars that have examined
showed fang marks round the throat and
neck; but one certainly did not though it IS
possible in this case that the elk died III some
other way and that the cougar had merely
been feeding on its dead body. But have
read Of cases III which elk and large deer
were slain where the carcasses were said to
have shown wounds only OH the flanks, and
where the writer's believed with how much
justification | cannot say-that the wounds
had been inflicted by the claws. | should be
surprised to find that suef=was the ordinary
method with cougars OF killing game Of any
kind but it is perhaps unsafe to deny the
possibility OF such an oeeurrence. without
more information than sat present avail
able especially i'll view OF the experience OF
Brutus Jackson.