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6-17-32 



up trying to raise colts where there are mountain lions, 



Moimtoin lions raost often live in the rougher, rjore inaccessihle 

 r-reas of nountnin canyons. .'They find not only their prey in such places 

 hut olso places to live and breed with least disturbance. One of the most 

 striking things about these oninals is the distance they vdll go to get 

 their prey. Mr. Yoimg estinates that they often travel 20 to 25 r.dles a 

 niglit, and nany have been Icnown to travel further than that without resting 

 for any appreciable length of tine. 



Their remarkable endurance nalces hunting then an activity that talces 

 stanina and strength. One of the Biological Survey hunters recently started 

 on the fresli track of a mountain lion at 7 o*clock in the morning, and pushed 

 on until 5 o*clock that afternoon before he caught up and treed the big cat, 



Kentucky fox hounds and a breed that is a cross between the Uallcer 

 hound and the bloodliound have been found most satisfactory for hunting moun- 

 tain lions. However, any good dog may tree one of these biggest of cats. 

 If the mountain lion doesnH tree, the hunter better not be fax behind his 

 dogs or he stands a chance of losing some of them. TThen a mo\intain lion 

 chooses to fight, he can use those terrible weapons of his in a telling way. 



As we mentioned awaliile ago, the favorite food that the mountain lion 

 gets in the wild is deer, and its favorite diet among domestic animals is 

 young colts. But these are not the only kinds of animals on which the big 

 cats prey. They are among the most destructive of the Id. Her of the wilds. 

 TJhen venison, or mountain sheep, is not to be had, they readily turn their 

 attention to horses, cattle, and domestic sheep; not only young colts but full 

 grown horses and cows are killed ajid dragged away. That is not eaten imme- 

 diately is often partly covered with litter, to be returned to and eaten later. 



But these big, powerful cats we call mo-untain lions are not the only 

 predatory wildcats. Others also cause so r.uch dar.age, it often becomes 

 necessary to ld.ll some of them off to give other lands of wild life and do- 

 mestic livestock a chance, 



For instance, there is the mountain lion*s smaller cousin, the bobcat. 

 It is mch smaller and has somewhat different habits, A bobcat canH keep 

 up a long fast flight like that of the mountain lion, but for short distances 

 he can show considerable speed. You can distinguish its bobbing motion for 

 sor.e distance as it goes bounding away almost like a rabbit. 



Mr, Young sajs that a bobcat is really timid, but like other cats, when 

 forced to fight, it can give a good accomit of itself. However, a bobcat is 

 li^tly built and hasn't much strength and a good dog of its own size can 

 '.d.11 it. One big dog or two or tliroc smaller dogs can dispatch one of these 

 wild cats without much trouble. 



But don't get the idea that a bobcat isn't a dangerous killer. On its 

 wild ranges, the bobcat feeds largely on rabbits and other small rodents 

 such as wood rats, and kangaroo rats, and pocket gophers, ground squirrels, 

 cMprjunlrs, and a great variety of mice^ It also talces a number of game birds, 

 as many as it can catch. Often it Id Us the young, sometimes even the ac3ults- 

 01 such larger animals as deer, and mountain sheep, and antelope. 



