Southeast AZ lion neat color phase

[TomJr]

What do you think of this little guy?

[houndnem]

I think he looks real nice in a tree. good job and thanks for sharing.

[Benny G]

I don't have any experience in cooler climates, but in the hot desert climates, lions tend to get reddish in the summer time. I have always thought that the combination of the red color, with the short hair, summer lions were nicer looking lions. Good job.

[Mike Leonard]

The shaded or dark coloration in some lions can be a product of the area they inhabit. Natural coal seams come to the surface in many areas of the west and a lot of them can be found exposed in the bluffy ledges that lions like to lay up in. I have found many lion beds among this fine coal dust powder and having jumped some of these lions out of these areas found that they were stained or dyed if you will rather darkly especially on the white or lighter areas from the long term contact with the coal dust.

Benny I too really like to see them summer red lions and I still think one of the most impressive lions I ever saw I treed while bear hunting early in the high country. This old tom was a big one and he had plenty of battle scars but his coat was as red as a summer white tail deer and looking down out of that white aspen tree still with green leaves he was an awesome sight!

[desertdog]

Good job Tom, was it up in Miller canyon? Tell us some of the details..