Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/575593
John Seerey-lester egends of the Hunt Theodore Roosevelt's resolve, his utterly fearless nature and unmatched determination were never more apparent than on this mountain lion hunt in Colorado. I n January, 1901, the year Theodore Roosevelt would become president, he embarked on a five-week hunt for cougar with hounds. He started out from Meeker in northwest Colorado in the company of Philip B. Stewart, Dr. Gerald Webb, and hunter John B. Goff, who brought along his pack of cougar hounds. The trip would turn out to be quite successful, accounting for 14 mountain lions, one of which weighed a record 227 pounds. TR regarded Goff as an excellent hunter and his pack of hounds as the best trained. When pursuing cougars, the hunter is only as good as his dogs. The big cats are usually plentiful wherever deer are plentiful. For that reason, the dogs have to be trained not to confuse the different game trails, as wolves were also abundant in the same area. Apparently, Goff would periodically introduce puppies to the pack so the more experienced dogs would help to train the young dogs. Each dog had after the third lion, followed by Goff. The light was fading as TR galloped off behind Goff, who was going hell-for-leather after his hounds. At one point TR's horse slipped while traversing a snow-clad hillside. After gathering his composure he resumed his headlong chase after Goff. Finally, they came to a long trail between two hills. The men stopped and listened for the dogs, which were now well ahead of them. As they started down the rough trail, they could hear the far-off clamoring sound of baying dogs. TR and Goff knew their quarry was at bay. The sun had been replaced by a full moon by the time the men caught up with the dogs at the edge of a cliff, where a male cougar had been brought to bay. The men dismounted, left their horses, and clambered on foot along the cliff face. It was difficult to make out the cat in the moonlight, but the dogs' frantic yapping helped guide them toward the lion. As TR drew nearer, he could just make out the shape of the big cat. Although the moonlight was bright, when he raised his rifle he found it difficult to see the sights on his rifle. He fired anyway, but the bullet hit far back. Though seriously wounded, the cat sprang away, disappearing around the cliff shoulder. L S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 5 7 its own personality, and each did the job in its own unique fashion. One of Goff's most aggressive fighters was a dog-called Jim, who was capable of keeping a cougar up a tree all night. Jim and another dog, Turk, were the pack bullies, but one of the most useful dogs was an old boxer. He was so tough that after being badly bitten in a hind leg by a lion, he continued on three legs for the remainder of the chase. Another important member of the pack was Tree'em. He could always be identified by his single bark, followed by several seconds of silence, while all the time staring at the treed cat. The pack included three bitches that were very tough and could hold their own among the male dogs. T he hunting party traveled through some spectacular winter scenery. The third day out dawned in brilliant splendor, and when the sun rose, all the land sparkled a dazzling white. The men had an early breakfast before spending the day going up and down hills and plowing through the snowdrifts. Just at sunset, the dogs jumped three cougars. When the cats separated, so did the pack. Tree'em and two other dogs went one way, while old Boxer went another. Jim and the bitches went a real Cliffhanger by john seerey-lester