Hunting in Many Lands 



of the unwonted craftiness and ferocity of the 

 cougar, and I suppose I could fill a couple 

 of chapters of this volume by recounting 

 yarns that have been told me during my 

 Western life. 



Between ourselves, I do not think hunting 

 the cougar ir very much sport. It is an in- 

 structive experience, and one, I think, every 

 hunter of big game should have; but, at the 

 same time, in my opinion it does not afford 

 the sport of still-hunting deer, antelope, elk, 

 moose or bears. In the first place, there is 

 really no time you can still-hunt the cougar 

 except in winter, when there is a light snow on 

 the ground, and at all times it is most difficult, 

 because you are dealing with an animal that 

 embodies the very quintessence of wariness, 

 and is ever on the lookout for prey and en- 

 emies. You have to deal with an animal that 

 knows every crevice and hole of the mountain 

 side, that moves by night in preference to day, 

 and rarely travels in the open ; whose great 

 velvety paws enable it to sneak about abso- 

 lutely unheard, and that will crouch in its lair 

 while you pass, perhaps within a dozen feet. 



Yet there are only two ways of really hunt- 

 ing the mountain lion — by still-hunting and by 



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