WITH THE COUGAR HOUNDS 29 



which we came across were living exclusively upon deer, 

 and their stomachs were filled with nothing else; much 

 hair being mixed with the meat. In each case the deer 

 was caught by stalking and not by lying in wait, and 

 the cougar never went up a tree except to get rid of the 

 dogs. In the day-time it retired to a ledge, or ravine, or 

 dense thicket, starting to prowl as the dark came on. So 

 far as I could see the deer in each case was killed by a 

 bite in the throat or neck. The cougar simply rambled 

 around in likely grounds until it saw or smelled its 

 quarry, and then crept up stealthily until with one or 

 two tremendous bounds it was able to seize its prey. 

 If, as frequently happened, the deer took alarm in 

 time to avoid the first few bounds, it always got away, 

 for though the cougar is very fast for a short distance, 

 it has no wind whatever. It cannot pursue a deer for 

 any length of time, nor run before a dog for more than 

 a few hundred yards, if the dog is close up at the start. 

 I was informed by the ranchmen that when in May the 

 deer leave the country, the cougars turn their attention 

 to the stock, and are very destructive. They have a special 

 fondness for horseflesh and kill almost every colt where 

 they are plentiful, while the big males work havoc with 

 the saddle bands on the ranches, as well as among the 

 brood mares. Except in the case of a female with young 

 they are roving, wandering beasts, and roam great dis- 

 tances. After leaving their day lairs, on a ledge, or in 

 a gorge or thicket, they spend the night travelling across 

 the flats, along the ridges, over the spurs. When they 

 kill a deer they usually lie not very far away, and do 



