The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-11-26
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Tales From Vancouver Island;
cougar Smith,"


| AFTER hearing all sorts OF
L n thrilling stories about Cecil
Smith, employed by the govern
ment of British Columbia to keep
down vital statistics among the
cougars of Vancouver island, | de-
liberately went upon his trail.
1t was like tracking a man-eating
Bengal-tiger; the nearer 1 got to
him, the more formidable he be-
came until at last / visualized him
as something between Tarzan the
tree top tourist and Frank Buck
who cleans out jungles with his max
ed hands.
Well, nothing could be further
from the truth, as discovered
when at last l found him seated
on the veranda of his snug little
cottage in the midst of his family,
surrounded by an old fashioned gar
den, under the shade of whispering
pines. For certainty, he does not
look the part of a varmint slayer,
ySI LllC IlOlllDSl VI SOoSdlS, oSoN-
lest enemies to the domestic live
stock and deer of Vancouver island,
that have fallen to his gun during
the last 80 years, is well nigh be-
yond calculation. A milder man.
nered, gentler soul than Cougar
Smith" never strolled through for
est; or ran marauding cougar to
his doom.
whenever the critters go too far
Staying sheep, calves, barnyard
fowl and the like" said he, cit is
my business to do whatever cougar
killing seems necessary. I am SUBJ
ject to call at any hour of the day
or night, same as doctor. A sum-
mons for me and the dogs means
action. Oh, yes, it keeps us NOV
ing, but like the Royal Mounted who
always get their man, we are ex-
pected to get our cougar. And do,
knowing their habits. Really, my
friend, in spite of the cougars mar
velous intelligence, he hasn't
chance"
What did Cougar Smith" mean
by intelligence? Would he mind Civ
ing me some particulars?
"Glad to-" he said, somewhat re-
heved that I had shifted from him
to his victims. "All the family from
wild lions to alley cats have the best
brains in the animal kingdom. The
lynx, the leopard, the panther, the
cougar, all possess reasoning pow
er, particularly when called upon
to protect their own. At least, so far
as the female is concerned, that has
been my observation. A cougar with
a litter is harder to run down than
one without. Her performances are
uncanny, and she will deliberately
sacrifice herself if in so doing she
can save her young. When the cou-
gar litters she becomes the head of
the family, the male deferring to
her superior wisdom. And so it
remains until they get their growth
and the family disbands, each for
himself alone. A litter of three is
the average. For the first few
months they are kept under the eye
of the mother, who holds herself
responsible as the food purveyor,
the male being occupied with feed
ing himself.
Father Not Important.
''Do you mean to say that the
male cougar is not looked upon as
a good provider?"
eyes and no. Any voluntary con-
tribution is appreciated, but if he
were to be removed altogether, the
female would carry on without him
and make no complaint. There is
another popularity about the cou-
gar mother; she is a gypsy. While
the cubs are growing, she wanders
from place to place, making an
abode wherever the fancy takes pos
session of her. Nothing could be
more systematic than the program
under which the young are brought
up. When the female decides that it
is time to move, she goes on the
trail, four, five or six miles from
home, makes a kill and covers the
carcass with a mound of leaves,
rubble and turf. Without pausing
even for refreshments she returns
to her family, breaks up housekeep-
ing and under cover of night, es-
corts the cubs and the male to the
new home site, already stocked with
provender."
Cougars Like Spring Lamb.
''What is the preferential diet of
a COUGAR"
Spring lamb, and plenty of it.
Mature mutton isn't good enough;
too strong. A cougar will kill a
sheep only for the blood. I know of
an instance where single cougar
in one night killed Is ewes and
sucked the blood from their clawed
necks. Lamb is different. A terrier
in rat pit is less destructive than
a cougar in a drove of sheep.
Weight? I've known them to tip the
beam at 200 pounds; the average is
about 100 for a full grown. They
will tackle a deer on the run and
break his neck. never saw one in
the act, but have come upon many
venison brought down by cougars,
and in every instance the verte-
brae was broken just below the
horns back of the ears. Frankly, I
would like to know just how they &C
complish this terrible result. There
is much yet to be learned about
cougars"
@-WNU Service.