OF all the predatory animals there is none 

 which in destructiveness equals or even 

 approaches the mountain lion; he, and 

 he only, is often the cause of unsatisfactory hunt- 

 ing trips into districts where other big game by 

 every reason ought to be abundant. A family of 

 these great beasts will, while the young ones are 

 growing up, deplete a region of almost every 

 other game animal. 



If a cougar kills a deer during the morning 

 hours, he seems to spend the day near it, as I 

 have again and again found freshly vacated beds 

 under nearby bushes or rocks. On these occa- 

 sions I was following the drag the " varmint " 

 had made with the carcass, and although I 

 kept a close watch on the surroundings, the lion 

 remained invisible ; yet I know that he was watch- 

 ing me, for in every instance I found that he 

 visited and examined the covered carcass during 

 the following night. 



92 



