First Lion on My Own
Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:32 pm
On Saturday I headed out to a canyon a few miles from the house to walk. I drive a '93 Maxima, so I unless I go with buddies, I have to walk to cut tracks. I got about 500 yards in and my younger bluetick winded something and started to go up the hill to my left. She didn't open up but just started going after waving her nose in the air a few seconds. I called her back because although I haven't had a trash race yet, I know she would run a deer given the chance. Then my older walker dog did the same thing so I just let them go. I walked a ways up the trail while they hunted and saw where a lion had jumped off a steep side hill right into the road. As I was inspecting the track, my dogs bailed off the side hill into the good snow where the track was and opened up hard. I was watching them work their way through the river bottom when I out of my peripheral I caught movement and then saw the lion climb up a tree. I started hooting and hollering like a drunkard I was so excited. My two dogs didn't see her climb but I got to watch them locate which was cool. My older dog went past the tree about 40-50 yards to a huge cedar and started treeing hard. I looked for bit trying to find something light brown but never saw another lion. Eventually he started going back and forth between trees and i encouraged him to stay with the lion I could see, a big female. I built a fire and called a few friends to come and see the cat because it was a short hike from the road.
After everyone left I went home for lunch and a rest and then came back a couple hours later to run her again. When I turned out some of the mystery began to unfold. She had two young (probably 50 pounds or so) with her. I think they were in that big cedar but I couldn't see them. My dogs took the track through the river bottom and then treed about 2 miles from where I turned them out. It was an enormous pine tree and I found the mom, but couldn't see the kittens even though their tracks went right up to the tree.The first catch was sort of a weird deal, but I was still pretty excited. The second time I felt even better because they trailed a while before catching it. They had both been on bears and caught lions with help, but this was my first one on my own. I'm trying to get the pics up, but I don't know if I can figure it out or not. (Why can't we just attach a picture file and have it show up?)
After everyone left I went home for lunch and a rest and then came back a couple hours later to run her again. When I turned out some of the mystery began to unfold. She had two young (probably 50 pounds or so) with her. I think they were in that big cedar but I couldn't see them. My dogs took the track through the river bottom and then treed about 2 miles from where I turned them out. It was an enormous pine tree and I found the mom, but couldn't see the kittens even though their tracks went right up to the tree.The first catch was sort of a weird deal, but I was still pretty excited. The second time I felt even better because they trailed a while before catching it. They had both been on bears and caught lions with help, but this was my first one on my own. I'm trying to get the pics up, but I don't know if I can figure it out or not. (Why can't we just attach a picture file and have it show up?)
Nice pics. Thanks for sharing the clicks.
