Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-14
SNOW,VALLEY
lion HUNTER,
TALKS SHOP
Willacy Sheriff Who
Captures Mountain
Lions With Ropes
Tells of Beasts


HAfMONDVlLLL, Jan. 1i.-R--
A deer killing mountain lien will
kill approximately two deer per
week, or about one hundred per year.
IN the opinion of Luther d. Snow,
sheriff Of Willacy county, who
probably knows as much about noun
tain lions as any other living per-
son. As 20 whether mountain lions
kill more deer than hunters, as has
been asserted, Sheriff Snow thinks
II is doubtful, on account OF the
decreasing number = those animals.
However. Sheriff Snow Is Of the
opinion thst predatory animals TAX
len in the aggregate Kill more deer
than all hunters combined.
Besides mountain lions, coyotss
and bobcats are the greatest enemies
70 the deer family. These animals
are smaller than lions. and prey
on young deer altogether.
Practically speaking. all mountain
lions kill deer. but some become
confirmed deer killers, and depend
for their chief food supply upon
these animals. This class Of lion Is
very destructive to deer. and slaugh-
tiers them in great numbers. A
lion does not run down n deer and
catch him. as some people might
suppose, but creeps upon his prey
much in TIE same manner as = house
Get upon a mouse or small bird.
When he gets within leaping dis
lance, he springs upon his prey and
grabs him by the neck. after which
he kills and devours him.
Feed on Jsvelinas
The chief source of food for
mountain lions il the isvelina, or
wild hog, which IL a species Of
peccsry. These animals used TO
roam the prairies OF southwest Tex
az in great herds. but like most 9TH
er animals. they have largely de-
creased in numbers. They are still
plentiful in some sections. however.
They are beautiful and easily tanned,
making delightful pets.
According 10 Sheriff Luther Snow.
deer give birth TO young for a per-
iod Of only about three weeks. which
starts in the latter part cf June and
continues into July. Bobcats and
coyotes. more numerous than noun
tain lions. kill large numbers of
young deer.
There are at present a compare
lively small number Of mountain
lions in Texas, according 10 Sheriff
Snow and his brother, Deputy Game
Commissioner Robert Snow. A few
are still found in Kennedy county
and further west in Starr and Zap
alta counties, but their numbers arc
on the decline. due mainly 20 hunt
ers like the Snow brothers, and
ranchmen. Sheriff Snow alone has
killed thirty-six Of these beasts, a
few of which he has lsssoed and
taken alive. He has stated that he
gets n much greater thrill out of
capturing a mountain lion than by
shooting him.
His pack Of trained lion dogs Is
probably kesnest Of any in the coun-
ty, and one Of the greatest treats in
store for any person visiting the
Lower Flo Grande Valley is to 60
on a lion hunt with Sheriff Snow.
Crosses Rio Grande
With such hunters on their trail. 4
is NOT surprising that the mountain
lion is rapidly approaching extinc-
ton. Still his ranks are constantly
augmented on this side Of the Rio
Grande by lions coming over the
river from Mexico~ This is espe-
cially common when the water is at
q low stage.
BesidtS the bobcat and mountain
lion, which Is the eommon name for
the puma. there is another very
pretty animal Of the cat species
found in the Valley, the o%celot. or
leopard cat. This little animal at
tsins 9 length Of two or three feet.
with markings like the leopard. and
does not depredate upon young deer.
A much more powerful animal
than the mountain lion is the jsgusr,
found south Of here in the ~jungles
Of Mexico. This animal is a dan
gerous antagonist not only for
grow stock, but also for man. un-
less he Is an experienced hunter.
The jaguar. however, rarely invades
any portion Of Texas, but remains
N his own side Of the Rio Bravo.