GHOST IN THE DARKNESS
Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 11:50 pm
Not sure how man y of you saw the movie a few years back that was a true tale of building the railroads across portions of Africa. This depicted the maneating lions of Tsavo, and how they would carry their victums off and stash them in a big cave full of human bones.
Well if you have also read John Kiblers book( Lion Tales) you will recall Mr. Kibler talking about finding a cavern in Sowats Canyon on the north rim country Kaibab Plateau. He said finding it by chance trailing an old tom it was full of deer carcasses many of which were very large antelred trophy type deer. This seemed a little wild to think that a lion would select large bucks and then go to the effort of taking them to a place where they could be dropped into a cavern where he could store their bones like a graveyard treasure.
Well yesterday I had the pleasure of spending some time with a man who hunted and trapped west Texas for many years and grew up under the direction of some very famous lion hunters. He is known to be absolutley honest in his records and dealing. He had never read or even heard of John Kibler, but he told me of a partial of mountains that he had hunted and trapped for some years. He had observed many trophy type deer that would be seen and observed for several years and then just show up missing like they were snatched away by aliens. He said there was no hunting to speak of right in there and very little poaching because these private lands were patrolled on a regular basis. They couldn't figure where those big bucks would just get up to a certain size and then disappear and they never even found the antlers or bones.
Well he said one day while trailing a mountain lion with another man they got in some rugged bluffs and ledges. They felt they had the lion jumped but most of the dogs were bluffed up on top but they heard one dog get out and go below and he decided to go to him. He said it took a lot of effort to get down there and he had to use his saddle rope but finally made it. He said as he worked along below that bluff he found the dog barking into a large crack in the rocks that ran all the way up to the top ledge. He pushed his way in and found himself in a room like cavern that was littered with bones. He said he was shocked to see the skulls and antlers of no less that five very large bucks. He said several were 30" wide or more. He said one deer in particular he rememberd due to some odd non-typical type formations. He said there were several dark caverns back behind the main one and he did not have a light and with only one dog he was hesitant to go in and find the lion. He got out and got his other friend to come around and lead the dogs and they got to the cavern and built a brush fire and went in and killed a lion that was very old and weighed about 120 pounds. Maybe this was his hangout for many years. A very strange tale and although bizarre I don't doubt his story he was still amazed himself and this had been some year.
I guess it goes to show you never really can figure out what they might do.
Well if you have also read John Kiblers book( Lion Tales) you will recall Mr. Kibler talking about finding a cavern in Sowats Canyon on the north rim country Kaibab Plateau. He said finding it by chance trailing an old tom it was full of deer carcasses many of which were very large antelred trophy type deer. This seemed a little wild to think that a lion would select large bucks and then go to the effort of taking them to a place where they could be dropped into a cavern where he could store their bones like a graveyard treasure.
Well yesterday I had the pleasure of spending some time with a man who hunted and trapped west Texas for many years and grew up under the direction of some very famous lion hunters. He is known to be absolutley honest in his records and dealing. He had never read or even heard of John Kibler, but he told me of a partial of mountains that he had hunted and trapped for some years. He had observed many trophy type deer that would be seen and observed for several years and then just show up missing like they were snatched away by aliens. He said there was no hunting to speak of right in there and very little poaching because these private lands were patrolled on a regular basis. They couldn't figure where those big bucks would just get up to a certain size and then disappear and they never even found the antlers or bones.
Well he said one day while trailing a mountain lion with another man they got in some rugged bluffs and ledges. They felt they had the lion jumped but most of the dogs were bluffed up on top but they heard one dog get out and go below and he decided to go to him. He said it took a lot of effort to get down there and he had to use his saddle rope but finally made it. He said as he worked along below that bluff he found the dog barking into a large crack in the rocks that ran all the way up to the top ledge. He pushed his way in and found himself in a room like cavern that was littered with bones. He said he was shocked to see the skulls and antlers of no less that five very large bucks. He said several were 30" wide or more. He said one deer in particular he rememberd due to some odd non-typical type formations. He said there were several dark caverns back behind the main one and he did not have a light and with only one dog he was hesitant to go in and find the lion. He got out and got his other friend to come around and lead the dogs and they got to the cavern and built a brush fire and went in and killed a lion that was very old and weighed about 120 pounds. Maybe this was his hangout for many years. A very strange tale and although bizarre I don't doubt his story he was still amazed himself and this had been some year.
I guess it goes to show you never really can figure out what they might do.