This old photo was given to my wife by a family member. Taken Somewhere in the Lebanon Oregon area back in the day by an unknown hound hunter with close ties to her family because it was kept for years in her family. I first thought of an old friend who has been out of hounds for many years by the name of Bill Paetsch to help me identify the houndsmen.
Bill was an early pioneer bobcat and lion hunter who hunted on foot prior to our current road system even being thought of.....I spent the afternoon with Bill and asked him if he recognized the picture. Bill figured it was of an old Montana Cowboy by the name of John Fox that moved to Oregon decades ago (not pictured). Bill said he remembered meeting and finding out about John in his early youth. According to Bill, now 86 years young, told me John caught dozens of lion annually in a time when lions were considered scarce to Western Oregon. Now with the web, I'm hoping to positively identify the houndsmen not pictured that treed and killed these lions.
Bill told of another early pioneer lion hunter by the name of Joe Dougie (last name spelled correctly?) anyone with any information about either guy? I would be glad to find out and welcome. Bill indicated Joe Dougie was crippled up but walked miles on foot hunting lions and he and his hunting companion had several cabins between Mt Hood and the Southern Oregon border to stop over and rest dogs and hunters while pursuing lion. Just a thought if nothing else comes of this old photo...Go back and label your hunting pictures along with names, location, hounds and year for those who will inherit them when we are gone. It sure would have been nice to have this information and be able to share the complete story.
Thanks for reading!
Mike
