BigGameHoundsmen.com

This is the one going around the internet taken in Arizona. Fish and Game say its a bogus story.

As so often happens with viral images, the photos above — which date from December 2007 and are authentic — have attained urban-legendary status thanks to folks making up stories about them before passing them along.

The true facts are these. The cougar, estimated at 200 to 220 pounds and over 7 feet in length, was run over when it leapt in front of a pickup truck driven by Arizona resident Marshall Rader on Highway 64 between Williams and Valle, Arizona. It was still alive but mortally injured when Rader and his wife got out to examine it, so they dialed 9-1-1 and waited for someone from the Arizona Department of Public Safety to arrive and put it down. The man posing with the carcass is DPS officer Jason Ellico, who dispatched the animal on the scene and later skinned it as a demonstration for local Boy Scouts.

Someone, presumably Mr. or Mrs. Rader, emailed the pictures to friends, who emailed them to their friends, etc., and an urban legend was born. The first fabrication appended to the photos was the claim that the accident had occurred elsewhere in Arizona — between Prescott and Ash Fork, to be exact, roughly 60 miles or so from the true location.

By early March 2008, the story had changed yet again such that the cougar was said to have been killed southeast of Parkersburg, West Virginia between Grantsville and Walker. West Virginia game officials were quick to label the revised message a hoax, noting that the accident had also been falsely reported to have occurred in Arkansas.

That is the email I thought of when I heard the story, thanks for the facts. one fact that can't be danced around is that even though this cat aint no 17er he sure would have been a trophy to a hunter!

Yes I have seen this one and even heard it was run over near Abilene , Texas one time. LOL! No the other lion I saw the photo of looked much larger than even this toad. Slow and Easy may be able to shed some light he has caught a ton of monster lions.

I am almost willing to bet that the biggest Tom ever caught was done by some old timmer that got it because that was what he was hired to do. It was turned in and the talk of the small town coffee shop guys and that was all the further it made it. Just like alot of great game harvested out there. It would be nice to see some of the monsters around that the "old timers" have gotten. No Mike even the guys older then you, LOL.

I want to see the picture that Mike Leonard has seen, especially if it still looks like a monster next to that other picture.

The cat that im talking about is weldon hopman's cat he has a dvd that said there is a 240lb cat with a 17 in skull I found it in the nov. 15th 2009 issue of full cry pg. 86. Mike you should know who he is he is from prescott, AZ. Im gonna call on it and probably order the DVD.

somebody needs to tell the guy that measured that scull that it has to be skinned and fleshed before you measure.

Ive seen a couple pics of lions that mike has caught and they are unreal. Looked every bit as big as the lion hit in Arizona. Lets see'em eh mike

Well they ain't anywhere near 16 or 17.

And you are correct on the name in Arizona. He is on the forum occasionaly but he may be away at his winter hunting camp right now in Utah.All I saw was a photo and never saw the Full Cry deal but I would like to see that video. some of these things are hard to beleive but I have been to some of the carnival sideshows and traveling deals with banners ( World's Largest Horse or World's Largest Steer), I don't know if they were the largest but I know the few I looked at blew my mind realizing that giants among the species occasional crop up.


I remember a lot of years ago there was this certain tom that would cross this country road and he had a track on him that was just unreal, we dubbed him big foot. Well we were all trying to get on him and catch him so Chaser and I would check on him and Van would check on him and Colorado Buck would check on him but never got him right until one day lady luck fell in our favor. I truely beleive that was the easiest lion I ever caught. The track was fresh turned out old John and one guy went after him and we drove around the head of the canyon the way the track was going. He had a radio and it wasn't five minutes and he yells in the radio. Here comes the lion! Then here comes Big John! Then Treed! I mean Boom! Well we almost ran to the tree wanting to see this lion that left these huge tracks. Well we were not totaly disappointed he was a toad 180 # class tom whose head did surpass the 15" minumum for all time, and the man that shot him was thrilled his first and only lion. But I guess we were thinking we might have that 240 # 17" giant becasue of those huge feet but then again I guess nobody ever did say big feet big head , did they. LOL!

Thats a good story, Mike about big foot, I have my own bigfoot who comes through once a winter, You really burst my imaginary bubble that had the tom wieghing #240 plus and a 17 inch skull. One day I hope to catch ol Big Foot, I let you know if it happens.

you know what they say..big hands, big feet,........ two outta three aint bad! Were not allowed to "pursue" lion here in california due to the overwhelming majority of people who live in southern california. Has anybody hunted in western nevada for lion? season starts over again i think in feb., and i have not yet taken advantage of that but is a dream of mine. Does anybody that does hunt nevada have any advise? happy hunting

Some years back an American bought an outfit around Williams lake and put out a brochure with a picture of a treed cat. It went on to explain how Dan Lay was his dogman and he had treed some impressive number of cats and bears. He actually gave some numbers like 1,842 lions and 2,461 bears. Then it told of this lion in the tree that scored 17 and change. Well I guess things never really worked out between the American and Dan. It may be possible that Dan was not even aware of the ad. I remember asking Al Hochsteiner if he new how many bears or lions he had treed and he told me, " if you can keep track of all the critters youv'e caught, well, you ain't caught sh*#%. That was about 15 years ago, and that's when I quit keeping track.

Yaak,

I'll have to ask old Dan about that next time we talk, knowing him I doubt he even knew. He has caught quite a few cougars and bears in his life but I am sure he has
no idea how many. He has also eliminated a lot of wolves in his day because he lives in wolf country, but I can't for the life of me understand why he has never lost a hound to wolves, but he says he hasn't.


My guess if a 17" lion ever shows up it will most likely come from BC or Alberta.

I got that email with that cat and that email said the cat was hit in Wisconsin of all places. Thought it was a farse rite away seeing the mule deer horns and everything.

Mike Leonard wrote:Yaak,

I'll have to ask old Dan about that next time we talk, knowing him I doubt he even knew. He has caught quite a few cougars and bears in his life but I am sure he has
no idea how many. He has also eliminated a lot of wolves in his day because he lives in wolf country, but I can't for the life of me understand why he has never lost a hound to wolves, but he says he hasn't.


My guess if a 17" lion ever shows up it will most likely come from BC or Alberta.

Mike
I'll put my nickel on BC...Bart Lancaster just took a lion 16" green score,