Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-01
STORY OF A
LION HUNT
Hunters Go After Pair of Lions
and Cub-Capture
the Cub
By S. 70. Doerins.)


Early one December we received
word of three mountain lions that,
travelling always together, were doing
great damage to game and cattle and
horses.
Taking our brace of fox-hounds.
spot" and Duke, and a. small shep-
, herd dog, Sam, who possessed al
most human intelligence, we struck
into the heart of the lion range about
noon of cold, cloudy day that pres
aged storm.
Tho trio proved to be pair of lions
with their kitten. We picked up their
trail Immediately after noon. and be-
fore night-fall one of them had fallen
to the prowess of Duke and Spot. The
big male had defended his mate and
Offspring by following in their wake
until they had made good their es-
cape; consequently, he fell An easy
prey, being ''treed' before having
Travelled two miles. A well directed 30
30 ended his murderous career by
scattering his brains a distance OF
thirty feet over the forest floor. He
was powerful fellow Weighing around
$50 pounds and being almost nine feet
from nose to tip of tail.
Early next morning we picked UP the
trail of the female and her kitten.
They struck straight line north
thru rugged canyons and dense thick
| cts never pausing in their travel,
| which indicated very plainly that they
had started on long journey to avoid
our dogs. Tho dogs had bawled 90
| necessarily the day before in freeing
tho male that the female had taken
| tho proper cue and intended leaving
| the country-and leave it she did; II
there is anything that a lion fears II Is
| q baying dog.
| Truo to prophecy. 1t had snowed the
night before, and tho weather was
! breaking away still and cold, leading
us to.believo that we might have sew
| cral days of good hunting.
| All day long, thru biting cold We
| bucked snow that grew ever deeper a.
tho lions Travelled toward higher
mountain ranges. At night We gave UP
| the chase for tho day: 1t had been
| wholly fruitless day and. realizing that
we had long chase ahead. turned In
| to the nearest ranch house to give our
| horses all the rest possible.
| Tho third day out at O'Clock in the
| morning. We came upon the first game
| kill of the female and her kitten. They
| had killed full grown doe and after
| eating only a little OF tho hot flesh
pressed on, following closely the trail
| OF two Gawns which had been rendered
orphans by their kill. We knew that
we would not travel far before coming
| to their next kill, so closely did they
f, cling to the trail OF tho fawns. At .
| o'clock we came suddenly upon one OF
the fawns lying twisted in the snow.
its back broken, its CUTS torn out and
! thrown about. over tho snow, and Its
throat slashcd almost from ear TO car.
| A little reconnoitre proved that the she
| lion. by dctour. had come out at the
| edge of a clearing ahead of the fawns
| where she easily killed one by leap.nT
| to its back from n nearby overhanc-
| ing limb. Tho baby lion had shrewdly
l fol- f,, hp yv.. nff fhc
| til its mother had completed her as
sumed task
The pair did not pause at this kill
| except long enough to lap some hot
! blood, but continued following tho sec
ond fawn and We knew well that II
would be killed before night, and that
! We stood "A mighty chance of taking
| both the renegadcs since they would
| doubtless stop to feed and rest during
the night.
Near 4 O'Clock, Sam. travelling a
short distance ahead. stopped dead In
his tracks. posing much as a pointer
something had crossed his wind
| Spot and Duke were instantly released
from their chain and responded with
/ deep throated bays as their slim
bodies settled TO the snow in long. eager
strides. In ten minutes their cianor-
| ous baying announced that they had
| "trced' and VIC spurrcd our tired
u.
tined to disappointment for We found
that our dogs had bayod the fawn who
was lying down in the snow entirely
exhausted, and further careless that
its life might be taken. Evidently,
from tracks which we deciphcrcd. We
had interrupted the lions in their very
act of killing. Upon hearing the dogs
they had taken flight. leaving the deer
to our more tender mercics.
1t was too near night to set the dogs
again on the trail and, after taking a
picture OF the deer. We turned camp
ward" quite crestfallen. We knew tho
deer to be none tho worse for wear.
| neither dog nor lion having done him
physical injury; as soon as rested h
would be UP and away, mucn the wiser
for his experience.
Five long DAYS We followed the she
lion and her kitten. -Four consecutive
days she had outwitted us and the dogs
by taking to barren glide rock and
doubling back on hec trail
Coming out ON n sharp promontory,
late in afternoon OF the fifth day. I
came plainly in view Of the lioness and
her kitten climbing tho opposite wall
OF tho canyon. In my five days travel
I had come to think of this baby lion
as Tad. He was So small that,
| many times, he was forced to make
detours around some shelving rock that
his mother readily climbed. Straight
| tor barren slide, tho big she-c was
| heading-Spot and Duke had lost tho
| trail and We're circling widely, giving
| vent to deep chested clamorings In
vain attempt and disappointment.
Tad was very. very tired. lie wps
| lying down in the snow only little
way from the barren slide where ha
| mother might again outwit tho dogs
nd