The Night I Treed Four Cougars, and Nearly Died Chasing Them

This story, ‘Cougar Nightmare,” first appeared within the July 1963 problem of Outside Life. Whereas it’s a traditional instance of a predator hunt within the Nineteen Twenties and 30s, it additionally reveals how predator administration and searching ethics have modified over the many years.

I don’t know what number of occasions the cougar squalled earlier than I lastly awoke, however my awakening was definitely hastened by the conclusion that the cat was virtually in mattress with me. I sat up and stared vainly into the snow-filled ring of darkness surrounding my dying campfire. Someplace, simply outdoors that flitting black wall, an enormous cougar was watching me at a distance measured in toes. As knowledgeable bounty hunter with almost 40 cougar hides stretched out up to now few years, I felt no nice concern. My solely feelings have been a combined amazement and curiosity that one would come so near my fireplace. My one cougar canine, Spot, had been sleeping underneath a shelter of boughs. Now she sat peering quizzically towards the sound. I threw again the large packsack which served as my solely cowl and reached for my boots. Once more the heavy, guttural m-e-e-o-w rasped the night time. I’ve heard cougars scream solely twice, however I’ve heard them meow many occasions, typically after they have been searching collectively. 

I slipped on the boots and lit my small miners’ carbide lamp, my solely supply of sunshine. The flickering glow was almost ineffective within the snowstorm, however I walked towards the sound. I didn’t have far to go. Inside 30 toes of the hearth, I discovered massive pug marks. They have been virtually scorching when touched by the moist snow flakes. I walked again to the hearth and threw on an enormous provide of wooden. Then I strapped on my 7.63 mm Mauser pistol, a German weapon of World Battle I classic with a mixture holster and inventory, and untied Spot. If this cougar was going to be brazen sufficient to wake me up, I used to be going after it. I estimated the time at about 11 p.m. If the cat pulled out and the snowstorm continued, I may not discover its tracks by morning. I didn’t have any thought how I’d deal with the scenario if and after I treed the cat. I solely knew that I had climbed almost 15 miles up the facet of a ridge on the lookout for cat tracks. I wasn’t going to move up a chance like this, it doesn’t matter what I would run up towards. 

It gave me a variety of satisfaction to hunt these cats. I had hunted and trapped coyotes professionally for years, however paid little consideration to cougars. Then on December 17, 1924, James Fahlhaber, a 14-year-old orphan boy dwelling with one among our neighbors, was killed by a cougar. On the time, I used to be dwelling on my mom’s homestead within the Chiliwist Basin about 4 miles southwest of Malott, Washington. Jimmie, who lived with the Robert L. Nash household on an adjoining homestead, began on foot by way of a canyon to get a crew of mules from a neighboring homesteader. He by no means arrived. I used to be one of many first to achieve the grisly scene of his loss of life. What I noticed left me with an unquenched hatred for cougars and began me on a lifelong onslaught on all members of the breed. 

As far as I do know, this was one of many few authenticated instances of a cougar making an unprovoked assault on a human. I would ultimately have turn into reconciliated to this one case, however the a whole lot of battered deer carcasses I’ve seen whereas following cougars have solely heightened my hatred for them. I acquired Stub and Spot the identical winter Jimmie was killed, and I declared struggle on cougars. I killed almost 40 within the subsequent three years, and earned such a status as a cat hunter that in 1929 I acquired the invitation to hunt them in Canada. 

I had bedded down about 7 p.m. on a excessive ridge between Adams and Barriere Lakes in south-central British Columbia. It was December 22, 1929. 5 days earlier than I had entered Canada from the USA with Vernon Bawlf, a cousin who died in 1961. I had introduced Stub and Spot and sufficient provisions to remain about two months. The British Columbia Recreation Fee had requested me to hunt the cougars that have been inflicting severe depredations to deer and moose herds close to Adams Lake. They provided me a bounty of $40 for every cat. (Editor’s notice: That is the equal of about $670 in 2022.) As an added bonus, they gave me permission to shoot one deer for meat for each 10 cats I bagged. 

We arrange a base camp at Squim Bay, or Agate Bay as it’s now referred to as, about 10 miles above the decrease finish of Adams Lake. There was little or no snow, and I had taken a number of cat tracks solely to lose them on open floor. I made a decision to go greater the place there could be extra snow, so on December 22 I headed for the excessive ridge north of the lake. Vern stayed behind to have a tendency camp, since he had come alongside on this journey largely for the outing and to lure and poison coyotes and wolves alongside Adams Lake. I took one canine, Spot, and left Stub in camp. With a two-months hunt in prospect, I didn’t wish to put on out each canines. I crossed the highest of the ridge earlier than dusk and camped in a sheltered creek basin about six miles under the highest, close to Barriere Lakes. Simply earlier than darkish, I had discovered three freshly killed and partly eaten deer carcasses, all dragged collectively in a thick patch of timber. This was extremely uncommon, and I knew there have been loads of cats round. 

I carried no bedding, and depended upon a pile of boughs for a mattress and my packsack for a canopy. I additionally reduce an enormous pile of wooden so I might preserve a big fireplace going all night time. I will need to have been so drained that I didn’t get up when the snowstorm began and my fireplace died down. If that cougar had stored quiet, I’d have missed some of the wonderful and harmful adventures I used to be to expertise in over 30 years of trailing the large cats. 

Spot had no thought what had made that cry. I had used her on many cougars, however she had by no means heard one name. She walked beside me fully unconcerned till that sturdy cat scent rolled into her nostrils. Then she threw again her head and let go together with a bawl that shook snow from the bushes for 10 yards in each path. Then she was gone, her baying sound misplaced and lonely within the darkness. 

After I suppose again now, it appears unrealistic to place a canine on a sizzling cougar monitor at night time and in the midst of a snowstorm. However I used to be solely 37 years outdated then and within the peak of bodily situation. I’ve trailed cats underneath many antagonistic situations, however by no means something like that night time. I couldn’t see greater than two or three yards forward, and the snow was falling so quick it was overlaying Spot’s tracks nearly as quick as she made them. I might barely make out the large, spherical depressions within the snow the place the cat had walked away from the hearth. The cougar will need to have been too shocked to run. 

Inside three minutes, I might hear Spot telling me she had a cougar up a tree. I did one of the best I might, floundering alongside by way of the comb, virtually feeling my method with Spot’s bark as my solely landmark. I discovered her on the base of an enormous fir. I attempted to shine the little gentle up into the branches, but it surely was ineffective. Then I acquired an thought. A giant snag had damaged down about 20 yards away. The six-foot stump was arduous and lined with pitch. In about 20 minutes I had the world’s largest candle lighting the entire space. 

I regarded up into the tree and at last made out two massive glowing eyes. It was greater than eerie with that stump thundering flame, nice snowflakes flowing by way of the wavering gentle, and people massive yellow spots suspended within the depths of the tree. 

I fitted the Mauser to the inventory, aimed towards the eyes, and squeezed off 5 quick pictures. The cat tumbled out of the tree and lay the place it hit. After fastidiously protecting my distance for a couple of minutes, I walked up and nudged it with my foot. One of many slugs had discovered a deadly spot. The cat was an enormous feminine about 5 years outdated. A number of of my bullets had hit her within the neck and chest. 

It gave the impression to be snowing even tougher, and I had no thought the place my camp was. I knew the one method I used to be going to seek out it was to back-track if I might. I dragged the cougar underneath a tree the place I hoped I would discover it the following day, untied Spot, and began following the snow-filled impressions which I hoped have been the tracks I’d made coming to the cat. 

I hadn’t gone greater than 50 yards from the burning stump when Spot began appearing up. I lowered the carbide lamp and took a greater have a look at my tracks. As a substitute of rectangular impressions underneath the new-fallen snow, there have been clear reduce, spherical impressions blotting them out. One other cougar had adopted me proper as much as inside 50 yards of the treed cat. I had typically encountered cougars touring collectively, so it didn’t appear too uncommon to seek out this second monitor. My solely drawback was that if I didn’t discover my camp earlier than an excessive amount of longer I may not discover it in any respect. 

Spot quickly made up my thoughts for me. She started lunging and growling, and I might inform from her actions that the cougar was proper in entrance of us. This was greater than I had bargained for, however I let her go. Apparently she was nearly snapping on the cat’s tail as a result of inside 250 yards the cougar treed. 

As soon as once more I discovered myself virtually feeling my method by way of the night time guided solely by Spot’s bark. This time I discovered her leaping on the base of a bushy fir tree. I walked up and pushed the carbide gentle by way of the branches. 

It had climbed simply excessive sufficient to keep away from Spot’s snapping tooth and there it sat, an ideal tawny blob within the feeble gentle with eyes glowing like two yellow coals. I checked the Mauser to verify it was loaded. Then, holding the pistol in a single hand and the sunshine within the different, I lined up the sights on the cat. Had I recognized then what an opportunity I used to be taking I wouldn’t have been so daring, however I’d by no means had a treed cougar even act as if it would bounce me. I squeezed off three quick pictures and stepped again. The cat thrashed round within the tree a couple of minutes after which fell to the bottom, useless. 

I regarded over the second cougar and located it to be a big male. He apparently had been working with the feminine. Judging from the colour and size of the hair and the situation of the tooth, the cat was about 5 years outdated. A cougar appears to develop slowly by way of most of its life. Its hair steadily turns into shorter and a grayness develops across the head and neck. The tooth are one of the best indicators of age; they turn into badly worn and are sometimes cracked and damaged in a really outdated tom.

The snow hadn’t let up, and I nonetheless wished to seek out camp. I used to be dragging this cat underneath one other fir tree after I heard Spot bellow. I hadn’t realized she was gone, and it was even tougher to imagine that she was on the path of a 3rd cougar. This was much more than I had anticipated. I used to be getting moist and fully misplaced and had no thought the place camp was or the place I used to be. I had two useless cougars which I wasn’t certain I’d ever discover once more, and now my canine was trailing a 3rd. Little did I do know that I had simply acquired by way of one of the best a part of what was to be a protracted night time. 

SPOT SOON introduced that she had completed her job and was ready for me to get there and polish off one other pussycat. For the third time I groped alongside, making an attempt to protect my face from limbs that appeared bent and cocked, able to whip me as I handed. I floundered for no less than half a mile to achieve Spot’s third sufferer. This cat was additionally simply above the bottom, and I might see it faintly with the carbide gentle. I aimed the pistol proper between its eyes and squeezed the set off. Right away I knew I used to be in bother. On the crack of the shot, one massive yellow eye winked out. The cat jumped from the tree and was away in a flash. 

For the following hour or so I went by way of some of the nightmarish experiences of my whole searching profession. Spot would tree the wounded cat and I’d go crashing towards her, raked by hidden limbs and tripped by a whole lot of invisible snags. Then the cat would bounce the tree after I approached and the entire thing would begin over once more. 

Round and round and forwards and backwards I slogged. I didn’t know if I’d ever discover my camp and was reaching the purpose of not caring. I simply lunged on with a fanatical willpower to complete off that wounded cougar. Lastly, the cat stayed treed on a small leaning tree trunk. He was perched about 10 toes from the bottom, spitting and snarling at Spot. Below every other circumstances I’d have been way more cautious, realizing {that a} wounded cougar might simply show harmful. However I used to be too drained and exhausted to care. 

I walked proper up underneath the cat, shoved the pistol underneath its chin, and put a bullet by way of and out the highest of its head. It was one other massive male, about six years outdated. My first shot had hit him squarely within the eye. The bullet had been deflected by the arduous, bony shell round his mind, and had gone proper on by way of and out the facet of his head. 

Nearing exhaustion, I knew I needed to get again to camp and get dried out and a few grub in me as quickly as attainable. From my reminiscence of the lay of the land, I knew I used to be on the other facet of the basin from camp. I threw the cat underneath a tree and began off within the path I hoped would possibly lead me to my campfire. Spot adopted behind me. 

With out her barking, the night time would have been an entire void. I might have been on a moist, chilly, lightless planet. My world was wrapped round me within the faint, flickering circle of sunshine forged by the carbide. By a tremendous streak of fine luck, I hit a few of the tracks I made earlier within the night and in some way discovered my technique to camp.

Someday throughout my wanderings, Spot disappeared. If I hadn’t been so depressing, I’d have been certain I used to be dreaming after I heard her pontificate on one other sizzling monitor. Someplace she had discovered the tracks of a fourth cougar. By this time I didn’t care if she treed that cat on my shoulder. I simply stored going till I discovered camp. I constructed up an enormous fireplace, dried my clothes one of the best I might, and ate some meals. 

Spot had treed her fourth cougar a few mile up the canyon. I might hear her faint tree bark bucking the sodden darkness. I might visualize her, leaping and yapping on the base of a tree, happy with herself for such an impressive efficiency. I hated to fail her, however I simply didn’t have the energy to get there. 

The snowstorm by no means let up. I acquired as dry as attainable, brushed the snow away from my bough mattress, and lay down, getting as a lot cowl as I might from my packsack. I used to be so drained I might have slept hanging over a tree limb. It will need to have been about 9 o’clock after I lastly awoke. My fireplace had died and I had almost 10 inches of moist snow piled on high of me. If it had been chilly I’d have almost frozen to loss of life. However all that snow on high of my heavy wool clothes had supplied a variety of heat. Spot had lastly given up and are available again. 

After an enormous breakfast, I went looking for my three cougars. It had snowed almost 16 inches in all, and I might discover completely no hint of my tracks made throughout the nightmarish chase.

I HAD NEARLY given up after I hit a recent cat monitor. I used to be nearly sure it had been made by the fourth cougar trying to find its companions. I made a decision to observe. 

Earlier than the day was over, I used to be to bear a second expertise that stands out as some of the uncommon throughout a lifetime of cougar searching. That cat had searched till it discovered every of its three useless companions. Then it had pawed the snow away from their our bodies and had lain on high of the carcasses, I had solely to observe the wandering tracks till all three useless cougars had been situated. I’ve no clarification for this apart from that the cat was lonely and confused by the sudden disappearance of its comrades.

I spent the complete day skinning the three cats and packing the hides and my grub again to a campsite on the high of the ridge in an outdated burn. It was almost six miles however I took the entire works in a single load, making it simply earlier than darkish. I hung two of the skins on a low snag and used the third for a mattress. 

I slept lengthy and properly that night time. I awoke early and acquired up with the intention of going again down the mountain to see if I would nonetheless discover the fourth cougar. It had snowed about half an inch throughout the night time, and I knew I wouldn’t have any bother choose ing up the freshest tracks if the cougar was nonetheless there. I ate an enormous breakfast and loaded sufficient grub in my packsack for one more meal. Then I began again down the mountain. 

I hadn’t walked greater than 40 yards after I got here to an enormous burned log mendacity flat on the bottom. There, in a straight line main out throughout the highest of the ridge, have been a set of pug marks on high of the recent snow. The cat had adopted me to the highest of the mountain and had slept alongside the log all night time. I’m certain it had watched me for some time at daylight, after which walked away in plain sight with out my noticing it. 

I’M CERTAIN none of those cougars had I ever seen man or canine and had completely no concern of us. It was solely Spot’s baying that put them to rout after I set her on their tracks. The fourth cat had gone north till it reached a strip of inexperienced timber about 50 yards vast. This timber adopted a shallow draw and had in some way escaped the outdated forest fireplace. The cougar had walked to the sting and had then turned downhill following parallel with the close to facet. 

I had simply tracked it to the purpose the place it turned after I heard a terrific commotion under me and throughout the draw. There have been sounds of limbs cracking after which a sound as if somebody have been beating dried brush to items with a heavy membership. I sneaked alongside, following the tracks about 200 yards. 

The cat had turned down into the draw. The inexperienced bushes have been closely loaded with moist snow, and the cougar had crossed by way of them and out into the burn on the opposite facet. It had circled a small knoll and had crept to inside 50 yards of a five-point mule deer that was consuming some inexperienced alders. The buck had been going through downhill, and the cat had taken about 5 lengthy jumps and landed squarely on his again, knocking him down. The noise I had heard had been the buck kicking and thrashing within the alders whereas the cougar held him by the again of the neck. 

The cat had then dragged the buck again by way of the burn and down into the strip of inexperienced timber. I’m certain it let me strategy to inside 50 yards earlier than it abandoned the buck and walked into the comb. This was the primary and final time I used to be ever inside listening to distance of a cougar making a kill, however there was one factor about it that intrigued me much more. 

In getting ready to eat a few of the buck, the cat had fully sheared a 16 inch circle of hair away from the left facet of the carcass. The hair had been clipped as neatly and as carefully as any pair of barber shears might have completed. As well as, the cat had piled the hair in a pleasant little stack off to at least one facet. A cougar’s entrance tooth match completely and the perimeters are razor sharp. Apparently, it had nipped this hair away in little tufts with these sharp clippers. I adopted the tracks a brief distance to get Spot away from the deer, after which I set her on the monitor. 

I didn’t wish to battle my method by way of the snow-laden bushes, so I crossed the draw and had simply reached he burned space after I heard Spot bark treed. I adopted alongside the inexperienced timber for a few quarter of a mile till I reached a place reverse her homing sign coming from the draw. 

There was the cougar standing on a leaning windfall some 15 toes above the bottom. Though it was about 60 yards away, I made a decision to take a shot from the place I used to be since I used to be afraid it would bounce if I attempted to get to a degree underneath it. 

I put the Mauser pistol on the inventory and took cautious goal. When the shot cracked I noticed the hair puff on the cat’s ribs, however slightly too far again. Right away the cat was gone, and I might solely observe the bellowing chase with my ears. 

In about 60 yards Spot treed once more. As soon as extra the cat had climbed up a low, slanting windfall, and I knew after I walked as much as the scene that I had a really indignant feminine cougar to take care of. She was solely about 10 toes from the bottom, and an image of absolute rage-eyes glowing, ears laid flat, lips rolled again from lengthy, polished tooth. 

Spot was doing her greatest to get a piece of cougar between her tooth, and the cat was spitting vehemently, whereas taking vicious uppercuts in her path. I walked as much as inside 15 toes and drew the handgun out of the holster, elevating it at arms size with the barrel nearly straight up. 

In that immediate, destiny determined to throw within the closing chilling contact to my biggest cougar-hunting journey. An enormous mass of moist snow dropped from instantly above me and landed squarely on the upended barrel. I ought to have recognized higher than to take my eyes from the cat, however I by no means thought she would possibly bounce me. I reached down, broke off a small twig, and inserted it into the pistol barrel. I used to be figuring out the snow when a sudden motion caught my eye and triggered me to search for. The cougar had crouched and was already in the midst of an open-jawed, death-dealing spring.

She got here crusing at me as if she’d been shot from a circus cannon — a heart-stopping imaginative and prescient of hate-filled eyes, white tooth, and hook-rimmed paws. In a single instinctive lunge, I threw myself down and to at least one facet. The cat sailed by, virtually combing my whiskers with a vicious hooking swipe as she handed. If she’d ever landed on naked floor I wouldn’t be telling this story. However when she hit that deep, moist snow and tried to show, she momentarily misplaced her footing. Within the additional second it took her to get her toes gathered, I had time to half roll and twist to face her cost. 

There was no time to fret about snow within the barrel. I thrust the pistol in her face and felt, greater than heard, the staccato hammering as I ran a full journal of slugs into her oncoming head and physique. She died in midstride, falling inside inches of my outstretched leg.

It could be silly to say I wasn’t scared, however at a time like that the desire to outlive overcomes all concern. I used to be fully conscious that I had come inside a hairbreadth of vanishing within the Canadian wilds. Apparently, all of the indignities I had inflicted upon this cougar have been simply an excessive amount of. I had set my canine on her, killed her companions, taken a deer away from her, after which adopted all this up by wounding her. Although I killed 10 extra cougars on that one journey, and dozens extra within the subsequent 28 years, I by no means once more had a cougar attempt to bounce me.

I loaded the 4 skins and packed them all the way down to Adams Lake that very same day. It wasn’t till I reached the ranch of a household named Todd that I spotted it was Christmas Eve. I spent the night time there and returned to my very own camp to hitch Vern on Christmas Day. 

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I nonetheless hunt lots, however I haven’t hunted the large cats since 1957. It will need to have been yet another quirk of destiny to decree that I ought to get my final two close to the pinnacle of Adams Lake that yr after I was 65 years outdated. If I by no means take the paths once more, I’ve a variety of thrilling recollections, and this nice expertise sits proper on the high.

This textual content has been minimally edited to satisfy modern requirements.