154 Hunting the Grisly 



not at times assail and master. It readily 

 snaps up grisly cubs or buffalo calves; and in 

 at least one instance, I have known of it 

 springing on, slaying, and eating a full-grown 

 wolf. I presume the latter was taken by 

 surprise. On the other hand, the cougar it 

 self has to fear the big timber wolves when 

 maddened by the winter hunger and gath 

 ered in small parties; while a large grisly 

 would of course be an overmatch for it twice 

 over, though its superior agility puts it be 

 yond the grisly s power to harm it, unless by 

 some unlucky chance taken in a cave. Nor 

 could a cougar overcome a bull moose, or a 

 bull elk either, if the latter s horns were 

 grown, save by taking it unawares. l By choice, 

 with such big game, its victims are the cows 

 and young. The prong-horn rarely comes 

 within reach of its spring; but it is the 

 dreaded enemy of big-horn, white goat, and 

 every kind of deer, while it also preys on all 

 the smaller beasts, such as foxes, coons, rab 

 bits, beavers, and even gophers, rats, and 

 mice. It sometimes makes a thorny meal of 

 the porcupine, and if sufficiently hungry at 

 tacks and eats its smaller cousin the lynx. 

 It is not a brave animal; nor does it run its 

 prey down in open chase. It always makes 



