RECREATION 



Volume XVII. 



JULY, 1902. 

 G. 0. SHIELDS (COQUINA), Editor and Manager 



Number J. 



TRAPPING A MOUNTAIN LION. 



CHAS. A. FRIEDEL. 



In Southern Colorado, a branch of 

 the Purgatory river known as the 

 North Fork Uas its source high up in 

 the Sangre De Christa range of moun- 

 tains. Along this stream and several 

 of its small branches, I was prospect- 

 ing for gold. 



One day, as I was returning down 

 the mountain to my camp, 3 deer sud- 

 denly sprang from out the brush, 

 dashed across the path in front of me, 

 and bounded up the side of the moun- 

 tain. For a second or so I was at a 

 loss what to do, and could but stand 

 and admire their graceful movements. 

 After going 200 yards they separated, 

 the doe and the fawn going to the 

 right, while the other, a large buck, 

 came to a stand beyond a boulder, 

 with only his head visible above its top. 



Though not in urgent need of veni- 

 son, the temptation to see if I could hit 

 the buck's head at that distance was so 

 great I could not resist it. I raised 

 my rifle, made a slight allowance for 

 the drop of the bullet, and pressed 

 the trigger with a "don't care if I do 

 miss" sort of a pull. The bullet en- 

 tered the deer's head below the ear, 

 killing him almost instantly. 



The rock was 10 feet across at the 

 base and about 5 feet high, with a 

 flat top. The side on which the deer 

 lay was sloping, and the sun being al- 

 most down, I thought I could do no 

 better than to draw the deer up on 

 the rock and leave him there until 

 morning. That, with some difficulty, 

 I did; then, rapidly descending, I 

 soon reached the trail at the bottom of 

 the canyon and in about an hour ar- 

 rived at camp. 



Early the next morning I was up, 

 and after a hearty breakfast I buckled 

 the pack saddle on one of my best 

 burros and returned to the rock to get 

 my deer. Arriving there, I found 

 someone had been before me and had 

 carried, or rather dragged, him away. 

 The thief had been unable to shoulder 

 the carcass, and a broad trail lay be- 

 fore me, down the mountain. This I 

 followed, but found nothing by which 

 I could identify the robber until I 

 came near the creek. He had pulled 

 the deer while walking backward, 

 and in that way had covered his own 

 tracks. Near the creek, however, he 

 had met an obstacle in the shape of a 

 fallen pine. There, it appeared, he 

 had a great deal of trouble, and in his 

 efforts to get the deer over the log he 

 had left his own footprints. The 

 thief was a large mountain lion. 



The creek being but a few yards 

 away, I began to be on my guard. I 

 was certain he had not been able to 

 draw the carcass across the stream. 

 Pushing through the thick under- 

 brush and aspen trees that lined the 

 stream, I came on the remains of 

 my deer. The lion 'had feasted to his 

 heart's content. After devouring all 

 of one hind quarter, and part of the 

 back, he had covered the remainder 

 with some sticks and leaves. Being 

 well acquainted with the habits of the 

 beast, I was sure he would return to 

 renew his repast. I therefore made 

 preparations for his capture. 



After removing the hide, I cut up 

 the best portion of what meat was left 

 and tied it up in the skin. Then, 

 making a hole in one of the deer's 



