362 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LOCTT. 28, 1898. 



EXPERIENCE WITH PANTHERS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have had some experience with panthers or cougars, 

 and submit a few of them. 



In 1868, in company with two partners, I wintered on 

 our mining claim on the South Fork of the Clear Water, 

 Idaho, fifteen miles from the nearest settlement. There 

 was quite a number of beaver along the river near our 

 claim. I had a No. 4 trap, and one night 1 set it about a 

 half mile below the house, just at the edge of a thicket of 

 thorn briers and swamp dogwood. The next morning 

 after breakfast I set out to take a look at the ti-ap; and 

 went up on the high bank, not wishing to go near the 

 trap on the shore. I found that the ti-ap was gone. I 

 could see blood on the ice. I went down, and there lay 

 my trap with a beaver's foot in it; and from the way 

 things looked there had been a terrible struggle. I thought 

 I could see other tracks, and concluded that a wolverine 

 had found the trap. I started to go around the thicket 

 to examine for tracks, and had gone not more than 10yds. 

 when I saw some black object moving in the brush to 

 my left. I thought it was the bimch of black feathers on 

 the neck of the ruffed grouse, for those birds were very 

 plentiful along the thickets. But in less than ten feet I 

 came out face to face with a very large panther. He was 

 crouched down flat, and I thought was just in the act of 

 springing on to me. It was the black tip on the end of 

 his tail that I had seen as he moved it from side to side. 

 I stopped, looked him in the e^e, slowly drew my re- 

 volver, raised it and fired, but shot a little too high. The 

 ball struck just above and between the eyes and glanced 

 out between his ears. At the crack of the revolver he 

 sprang high in the air and floundered back into the 

 thicket. I ran out on to open ground and hollered for 

 my dog, which for some cause had not followed me. He 

 came running; and so did the boys, thinking I had caught 

 a beaver. 



I took the dog to where I had shot the panther and told 

 him to catch him. He ran through the thicket and 

 crossed the ice about 100yds. below, ran through a small 

 thicket on the other side and up on to a small bench, where 

 he treed the panther and began bai-king. We ran over to 

 where he was; and there, in a small pine not more than 

 10ft. from the ground, lay the panther, an immense fel- 

 low, watching the dog. The boys wanted to go and get 

 my rifle, but I told them no, I would take my revenge out 

 of him with my revolver. I told them to hold the dog; 

 and then I went up within about 10yds. and shot him in 

 the eye. He roUed out dead. It was the largest panther 

 I ever saw, and measured 9ft. llin. from tip to tip; and 

 although very poor weighed ISOlbs. His neck was one 

 mass of scars, his tusks were worn down fully one-half, 

 and from all appearances it must have been very old. 



The next time I met a panther was in that fall, when a 

 party of four of us were up on the mountain back of the 

 house. EoU Brown and I were together. Eoll was then 

 only fourteen years old, but a good shot. He and I started 

 three deer, and as the snow was about 4in. deep it was 

 nice tracking. We followed them to a white fir thicket. 

 Here they had done some tremendous bounding around; 

 and upon examing closely we found wliere a panther had 

 made a spiing from the root of an old upturned pine. But 

 he had missed and had given chase. 



I had a young dog, one that had never been after any 

 varmints, but was fond of running deer or elk. We fol- 

 lowed, and coming in about 200yds. to where the panther 

 had given up the chase and turned quartering down 

 toward the river, we put the dog on the track as soon as 

 we got a little way from the deer tracks. Away he went 

 and we after him as fast as Eoll could go. 



Pretty soon back came the dog. We kept on to where 

 the panther had been treed, but ^N^hen the dog had left 

 him he had come down and kept on. I urged the dog on 

 again and soon we came to where the brush was not so 

 thick. Then we saw the dog trotting around as if hunt- 

 ing for a track. We went down and after looking around 

 for a few minutes I told EoU I would go back about 

 100yds. to where I had seen the track last, and follow the 

 track. As I was starting back the dog reared up on to a 

 small fir, and on looking up it we saw our animal lying on 

 the limbs near the top. I went around to where I could 

 get a good view, and saw it was a cougar instead of a 

 panther, as we had supposed. I called the dog away 

 from the tree and told Eoll to shoot the cougar in the eye 

 or head. He did not want to shoot, but I insisted, and 

 told liim if he missed I would shoot. He raised his i-ifle 

 and fired, when out rolled the cougar, and when it quit 

 wiggling its tail I let the dog go, and he was very fiei'ce 

 and fought it as long as we would let him. It was not 

 more than two years old, and was not very large. 



I was once up on Canvas Prairie and stopped at my 

 friend Henry Johnson's. I was in a hurry, but nothing 

 would do but I must go down into Eocky (3aiion and take 

 a Thanksgiving hunt with him, as a band of deer had 

 been seen down there a number of times lately. So 

 Thanksgiving morning we got in the buggy and drove 

 down about three miles, unhitched our horses and tied 

 them up, and I started down a small canon that puts into 

 the main caiion. I had gone but a short distance when I 

 noticed quite a number of deer tracks, which had been 

 made that night. Henry kept around to the right higher 

 up. When I saw the tracks I motioned to him and he 

 motioned back that they had been around where he was. 

 I kept on down around, crossed a ridge to another small 

 caiion and saw six black-tail deer run out of a small bunch 

 of brush about one-half mile below me. They had got 

 scent of me, but could not tell where I was. I slipped 

 over a small ridge and ran down about half way to where 

 they were. They wheeled around and tried to run back 

 over the ridge I had just passed. As they were climbing 

 a very steep hill I opened fire on them; I fired twelve 

 shots, killed three dead and badly wounded two bucks. 

 One was a fine fellow and had a splendid pair or horns, 

 the other being small. One got away unhiu-t. I dressed 

 the three I had killed and went up on to the ridge, when 

 I saw the big buck lie down. I got within less than 30yds. 

 of him, when he jumped up and passed out of sight 

 before I could shoot. I saw the well one and I tried to 

 get a shot at it. I kept following it until nearly back to 

 the wagon. The time was then getting late, and I let the 

 deer go and went to the buggj^ when I fovmd Henry 

 waiting for me. When I told him my luck he said, 

 "Good for you. We will go back home, and to-morrow 

 we will come and get your wounded ones and pack the 

 others in." 



The next morning bright and early we were on the 

 road to where we l^adjeft the buggy the day before, We 



had brought along a saddle so we could pack om- deer up 

 out of the canon; after we unhitched Henry insisted on 

 our hunting a little while before we went to packing out 

 the deer. He said he wanted to go down to his left. I 

 told hirn I would go and follow up my wounded ones as I 

 wanted their horns and hide, even should the meat be 

 spoiled. So I went down to where I had jumped the big 

 buck, and followed his track. He had made straight for 

 a cliff about 20ft. perpendicular, and looking over I saw 

 him lying on the rocks below. He must have been dead 

 when he struck the bottom. Looking up to my right I 

 saw the other buck lying near the caiion; and almost 

 straight down, about 150yds., I saw an animal lying 

 down, but I could not tell what it was. It was too red for 

 a deer when they are red, but as deer were all in the short 

 blue I could not teU what kind of animal it was. While 

 I was sitting watching it, I saw two small animals playing 

 about 50ft. from the mysterious creature in the canon. 

 They were about as tall as coons. I had never seen such 

 playful things. They were spotted, the spots more 

 square than round. I watched for a while, then I slipped 

 back out of sight, made a detour and came up on the 

 other side of the cafion, and about 50yds. from the two 

 small animals. I crawled up carefully to the crest of the 

 ridge, and had a splendid view of them as they were still 

 playing. 



I must have watched them for half an hour, and yet I 

 could not make out what they were. Finally they stopped. 

 I raised my riiie, fired and killed one. The other started 

 to run in to the brush. I shot and wounded it, and it 

 gave a little holler. When it hollered I saw the mysteri- 

 ous animal I had seen lying in the cafion rise out and jump 

 up on to a large boulder. As soon as I got a look at her 

 in her new position I knew it was a panther and that 

 these were her kittens. I raised my rifle and intended to 

 break her neck, but I shot her fair on the point of the 

 shoulder, the ball smashing the bone all to pieces. She 

 fell back off fi-om the boulder and disappeared in the 

 thicket, which was about 150yds. long. I ran out and 

 around to head her off from the main canon, but as she 

 did not leave the thicket I went clean around it once, and 

 threw rocks in and hollered, to try and get her to come 

 out, but this was of no use. So I went down to the lower 

 end and started through up imder the brush keeping my 

 rifle ready. I had gone up about 50yds. when I came to 

 where some one had cut a small cottonwood which had 

 fallen across the canon and smashed down the brush, I 

 crawled through up on to the tree, and just as I straight- 

 ened up I saw, not more than loft, away, a panther rise 

 up and growl. I raised my rifle very carefully and taking 

 pains drew a bead on one eye and pressed the triger. The 

 panther rolled back under the brusii and kept up a big 

 threshing aroimd for a little while, then all was quiet. 



I tramped around on the brush, and made as much noise 

 as I could, for I could not tell but what there was a pair, 

 and one might still be unhurt. Finally I tore away the 

 brush and there was her den. The dead panther was the 

 one I had wounded. I dragged her out and skinned her, 

 threw the skin on to the cottonwood log, crawled on up 

 through the brush and found the woimded kitten, killed 

 it, dragged them both to one place, skinned them, went 

 and got the old one's hide, went to the buggy, got a horse, 

 packed out two deer and was after the third one when 

 Henry came back. 



The two bucks were both spoiled. On Henry's coming 

 up he said: "Well, Lew, what luck to-day?" I told him I 

 had got my two wounded deer. "What luck did you 

 have?" "Bad," he said, "I wounded a big black-tailed 

 doe, but she got to Salmon Eiver and I cotfld not get her." 

 "Well," said I, "how many deer are equivalent to a 

 panther." "Oh, five." "Well then, give me credit for 

 fifteen." "Have you killed three panthers to-day?" I 

 told him of my fun. "WeU," said he, "I am worse beat 

 than ever." On examining the bed where the kitten had 

 been playing, I saw a deer's foot sticking out from under 

 some grass. On pulling it out, there was a yearling doe, 

 and not a mark on it, except on its neck, and only a little 

 had been eaten out of the back of that. Such was the 

 last Thanksgiving hunt I have had with that prince of 

 hunters, H. C. Johnson. Lew Wu^mot. 



[What is a cougar as distinguished from a panther in 

 the Northwest?] 



A Washin^on Cougar Hunt. 



Tacoma, Wash., Oct. 12. — Below please find account of 

 cougar hunt taken from this morning's Ledger. The 

 four cougars are displayed at McNaughton Gun Co.'s 

 store. I learn that two were killed with No. 7 shot, being- 

 hit from below between the forelegs. The animals mak- 

 ing the hardest fight were shot with buckshot, but not 

 so well placed as the light ones. Then- stomachs contained 

 a quantity of meat, tallow and deer hair. G. H. G. 



John Northover and George Crate, a neighbor of his, 

 killed four cougars last Sunday in the woods not far from 

 the former's house. They were all of good size, but not 

 as large as are sometimes found. Northover and Crate 

 were hunting bear, three of which had been located by 

 Crate in a densely wooded valley. On the way there their 

 dogs crossed the cougars' trails and soon had three of them 

 treed. Northover shot the first one, the cougar jumping 

 20ft. to the ground beloAv. A lively scuffle ' between the 

 beast and the dogs ensued, during which one of the dogs 

 was badly used up. The cougar crouched once to spring 

 at Crate. He fired at it but missed the animal, when an 

 opportime shot from Northover killed the beast. The 

 other two animals were found in trees near by and soon 

 kiUed. As the hunters were returning in the evening 

 from a friutless bear hunt, the dogs started another 

 cougar at the same place and ran it up a tree. It was a 

 cedar tree and the cougar was about 35ft. up from the 

 ground. The animal was springing from limb to limb in 

 excitement and rage, and several times appeared to be on 

 the point of springing on the dogs. Crate shot it in the 

 breast. The cougar sprang up in the air from the Hmb- it 

 was on and came wliirling over and over to the ground. 

 The four dogs jumped on it. The cougar clutched one of 

 these and was killing it when Northover shot the animal 

 again and it loosened its hold and sprang on another dog. 

 It was shot four times before it would yield to its fate. 

 One of the animals, when shot, fell straight to the ground, 

 grabbing its own foot as it landed and neai'ly biting it off" 

 in the agony of death. This is said to be the best day's 

 record for cougar hunting that has ever been made in 

 ' this section, Mr. Northover said that he had never heard 

 I of that many being kiUed by any hunter in a day's time 

 before. The anima.ls were kUled about twenty-five miles 

 pouth of Tacoma. 



A BAY DUCK SHOOT. 



The black duck are beginning to come into the bay 

 again, and good shooting is anticipated this fall. 



Of course this "reminds" us of a shoot we took a couple 

 of yeai-s ago. It was later in the fall, rather cold, and 

 the ducks were pretty wild, having been shot at consider- 

 ably. But Dan W., that famous Maine bear and lady 

 killer, came into the office three times a day and teased so 

 hard that Ave finally agreed to go. 



"There is a fellow up the Seekonk who has the slickest 

 little steam launch you ever laid eyes on, and we can get 

 him to go easily enough, because he is a thoroughbred." 



"Thoroughbred" was one of Dan's pet terms, and ap- 

 plied to anything that pleased him, be it dog, gun or man. 

 We let hirn arrange matters. We vrere to be on hand at 

 the wharf next to Washington Bridge early the next ' 



morning. The launch was to come from P . When 



we reached the wharf with guns and duflie we foimd the 

 blustering Daniel pacing up and down like one of those 

 famous admirals we used to study about in school. Dan 

 was taking the inivt well. No launch was in sight. 



We won't attempt to describe the cold, crisp morning. 

 Such was too true to be enchanting. We danced around 

 and boxed until the bridge policeman woke up; and his 

 sleepy eyes probably thought we had be^n up all night. 

 But the launch at last "hove in sight," as Daniel said. 

 She had been detained by high tide and a long smoke 

 stack, which somehow couldn't agree, and tlie draw ten- 

 der wouldn't open the draw for the launch, and she had 

 to wait until the tide and smoke stack came to an imder- 

 standing so she could come through. Such was the ex- 

 planation of the "thoroughbred." 



So we got under way, steamed swiftly down the river 

 and out into the bay. The big red ,sun, just showing • 

 above the fog banks, gave promise of a good day, and like 

 all outings of this kind, the little discomforts of the morn- 

 ing gave way to the pleasant anticipations of the day before 

 us. A couple of big white gulls skimmed lazily across our 

 bow, and one of us coifldn't help reaching for the neat 

 little 12-gauge that has done its work well beside its larger 

 brothers. But we were after duck, and the challenge of ' 

 the gulls passed unanswered. It gave us warning to lim- 

 ber up, however; and it wasn't long before the stubby 

 Parker and the boasted slayer of countless bags, Dan's ^ 

 ponderous 10-bore English side-snap, with both hammers 

 that drop when the uninitiated pull the wrong trigger, 

 were ready with the 12-gauge. 



"Now, John," began Daniel, "you are the biggest in 

 the crowd, and the bow isn't big enough for two, you , 

 just situate yourself up there and keep your eye peeled 

 for a flock. We wiU. stay down here and take anything 

 that comes our way, and , sonny (to the writer), don't ' 

 you on your life fire across me." 



Now, it happened that Dan was lazy and wanted me to 

 load his shells the night before. His special request was 

 that I put in plenty of powder, but it wasn't until I had 

 loaded a half dozen that I remembered he said nothing 

 about ramming down the shot. We did not tag these 

 special shells either. 



"Mark right," came from the bow, and a couple of 

 ducks whistled past. Dan turned and fired the 10-gauge, 

 or plainly speaking the gun fired him. There was a 

 confused mass of gim and Dahiel in the stem, and the 

 "thoroughbred" forgot his engine and indulged in a sort 

 of hilarious encore, till the laimch ran her nose into a; 

 big wave, and caused John to imitate Daniel in speech, . 

 and the rest of us to attend more to business. 



"Just as soon as I get home you can bet I'll have that 

 lock fixed so both hammers won't shp," was Daniel's 

 quiet remark, as he righted himself, and without con-i 

 descending to face his appreciative audience "situated" 

 himself for a chance shot, for we were nearly to Pi-udence 

 now, a good place, with its little coves, for a flock to be 

 found. 



"There's a flock," came from the bow, "start us for the 

 middle and then shut off the racket." 



Our launch was a neat little 25-footer, fitted with the 

 kerosene oil apparatus for making steam, and the racket 

 she would make when the power was on was enough to 

 frighten the bravest duck that ever came into the bay; ■ 

 but give her a good start, shut off steam and she would 

 glide upon a flock in good shape. Five hundred yards to 

 the right and front was a goodly sized flock and for them 

 we headed. We were nearly upon them when Dan 

 opened the ball, and up they got, making tbe air whistle. . 

 We tiled to drop more as they rushed past, but if any of ' 

 the readers have tried duck shooting from a little narrow 

 launch in a heavy sea, they probably know why we didn't, 

 get more the first rise. 



John brought his gun to bear on a loon that was coming 

 down like a fire engine to join the flock, but he joined the 

 dead instead, and Dan in his eagerness to secure the 

 ducks, nearly capsized the whole outfit. 



Like a slim black cloud the ducks rose and feU, headed 

 for some of the little coves off Barrington; .and then wc 

 started slowly around the island. Three rnore got up near 

 by on Dan's side. He banged away and never stirred a 

 feather; and as tliey came past the stern, the little 12- 

 gauge spoke and one dropped, badly crippled. A shot 

 with the left and he was picked up. 



Dan was beaten in the boat, and suggested we go ashore 

 and work around the shallows. We went, Dan to the 

 point and the rest in various directions. After bagging a 

 few we returned to where we had heard Dan cannonad- 

 ing. Not a duck did he have, but a loon, bobbing up at a 

 short distance from the shore, seemed to be the especial 

 object of his attention. "I've shot at him a dozen times, 

 but he only 'tmughoos,' dives and comes up again. There 

 he is now, right by that rock," and Dan slips a couple of 

 shells into the big gun, wades into the water and takes up 

 his position on the rock. 



With a loud, mocking cry, the loon sj-trings up not 15ft.' 

 from the frightened Daniel, who half by instinct draws 

 on him and falls off the rock and picks up the floating 

 debris of the departed loon. "There, I've got all there id 

 good of your carcass, anyway. You ought to be ashamed! 

 of yom-self a-scaring gentlemen in that way. Any of 

 you feUows ever see a loon?" he inquired, holding the 

 mass up by the remaining leg. 



"We're glad you know what it is," we rephed, and it 

 wasn't untU we had gone down in Maine and seen Safford 

 shoot spruce partridge with a 10-gauge, distance 10ft., 

 that Dan could say he wasn't the only one who liked short- 

 distance shooting. 



"It shows the killing power of this gun, just as hard," 

 was the retort, as he tenderly laid the Dftttered specimen 



