JJHACK
New member
As some of you might recall my recent lion problems. Here is the rest of the story.
Well I guess there are two kinds of people who use pack goats, and live in the wilderness. Those who have had a
goat killed by a lion, and those who will. I never thought it would happen to me, but I lost a goat on Saturday night. I
thought he somehow escaped and did not come back. That is unlikely, as you might know. Goats never leave the
herd for long without coming home due to their strong herding instincts. I walked the perimeter of the pasture and
saw nothing unusual however I continued a more detailed search when it became obvious he was not coming back. I
knew in my heart what had happened, I just did not want to accept it. There is no way a single goat vanishes
without a trace! If a lion killed him and carried him off, there would be some evidence someplace. My challenge would
be finding it in time to save the others.
The past several days my daughter and I spent packed into the Alpine Lakes wilderness fishing. We covered about 20
miles and used four of my six goats on this trip. Two were left home with my wife who chose to stay home with them
during this extended trip. The two that were left behind were each 16 months old. They were 1/2 brothers, one is a
pure Oberhasli, the other one is half Tonnenburg, half Ober. He was big and was able to pack and climb as well as I
hoped for at his age. He was about 100+ pounds. Normal at this age would be about 80lbs so I figured he would have
a great future with me ending up somewhere around 200 pounds full grown at 4 years old. He would likely be packing
55-60 pounds of Gear or meat for us. He was also unfortunately the goat that vanished.
When I came home Sunday Afternoon, Tatia was in tears not knowing what had happened to him, it was also her
favorite "boy" in the herd. My daughter unloaded the goats and cleaned up the gear while I took a slow walk around
the pasture fence and looked for a way he might have gotten out. After the first lap around the pasture I changed
my "mindset" from looking for a goat or a place he could escape to looking for evidence of a Lion attack. I saw a
section of fence bent but nothing really significant. In another place I noticed the flora was very slightly disturbed, a
few blades of grass laid down and two small fox glove plants broken. As if something had stepped on the grass and
plants there. Not significant but strange considering there is no walking path here. My extensive training on animal
tracking when I was in Professional Hunting School in Africa was valuable but I never thought it would be used in my
own back yard! I took a few steps up the creek bed and saw that a couple of the various plants were laid down. I
saw a rock that had been pulled over leaving it's indentation in the ground from the time water was flowing here and
allowed it to slightly sink into the soft wet silt. The part that peaked my interest was that it was laid down in the
direction against the natural flow of the water. I stopped here and just studied the situation for a moment. The area
is very dark even during the day. There is a cliff, which is part of the mountain going straight up about 60 feet on my
left, and on the right side all the trees are all very large cedar, maple, and fir. The ground here is often cool and
damp, as it never gets any sunlight. You would actually benefit from a flashlight in this creek bed during the day if
you were looking for something small. Because of this there are very few plants. Mostly various mosses, sallal and
ferns. With a multitude of dried brush and branches tangled into the tree roots where the high waterline is at when
the creek is fully flowing.
About 60 yards up this creek following the insignificant sign I came to some nettles (a thorny vine), which were also
pushed away going against the natural flow of the creek. There I noticed a few strands of hair on the thorns, I
stopped to study the earth and look for hoof prints....……. nothing. I made my way over the thorns and saw a tuft of
two-tone brown hair. My stomach sunk, it was the same color as the goat and no hoof tracks in the dirt. I saw a
spot where the few plants in the area were all pressed down in about a 5-foot circle; this indicated something big
was lying down here. I skirted that spot and went about another 30 yards and saw the dirt badly disturbed and lots
of goat hair in a small pile of sticks and maple leaves which were scratched up from around the area.
Now I'm sure what I'm up against but continue to follow the track. I would need to locate the remains to set up an
attempt at shooting or somehow catching this lion. I did not go far before I saw a clear set of lion tracks in the dirt.
Another few steps, and there up against
the cliff wall I see a big pile of debris about the size of a muskrat den. It is so dark and damp in this spot I really must
strain my eyes to see details and tracks in the low light, yet it is a hot and sunny day of 80 deg and it is about 3PM.
I looked at it carefully while pulling it apart and there is the blaze orange collar still on the goat's neck. Most of the
internal organs were eaten and much of the inner thighs were gone. I took the collar and covered the remains back
up. I did a quick look around and saw several good places I could sit and wait for the lions return tonight. If I could
not remove this lion in a hurry I could be out of the goat packing business. I live on the edge of an enormous
wilderness area, which is completely road-less. The road in front of the house is a main access road. This makes the
use of hounds difficult but as a last resort I will have to try to get a hound permit from F&W to use them.
In retracing the events it appears he was killed in the barn and dragged to the fence. Then the lion must have
jumped the 5-foot fence while holding the 100 plus pound goat in its mouth. The other 16-month-old goat will not go
into, or even near the barn now!
My daughter and I have packed many overnights since I came home from Africa this year, about 180 miles total
packing. Not nearly as much as last season at this time but we have such great goats now that the plans for our
summer were really coming together for several extended trips in August, and during the deer and bear season. This
episode really deflated me and without a
Quick solution to this I'm in serious trouble being able to keep my goats safe. Fortunately the Lion hunting season had
just started in Washington State, and I already had the license and tag I needed to legally kill this lion.
On Sunday Afternoon I went to visit a few neighbors down the road to warn them of this lion and attempt a bit of
"sweet talking" to get them to allow me access to their property to track and remove this stock killer. When I spoke
to the first neighbors, they were so worried and concerned about the safety of their two children who are 3 and 5
years old. They allowed me full access to the property and said I should not worry about shooting my rifle any time of
day or night. They know I am a Professional hunter because they visited my house in the past and saw my trophies
and know of my work in both the USA and in Africa, so far so good. One neighbor down and 2 to go, I went down the
road with Tatia to see the next neighbor and he was also surprised because his horse was seriously bruised and
limping last week and he could not tell why? The vet he called to look at the horse said it looked like he fell or
crashed into the fence or a tree while running. The owner said it must have been the fence because he found it was
broken in the corner closest to his house the previous morning, he also remembered hearing the horses running around
quite a bit that night. He mentioned that the man down the road from him has 4 calves of about 450 pounds each.
They crashed through the split rail fenced the previous weekend and two of them had broken or otherwise hurt their
legs, which required them to be put down, and prematurely butchered. There is nobody east of this landowner for a
long way so I stopped there and had the full permission and co-operation to do what ever I wanted to take out the
lion from everyone involved. These property owners had no idea what had caused the problems for their livestock but
were beginning to think the lion prowling around the area was the cause of the fright in these animals, I had to agree.
On Sunday night I set out a spring loaded animal control snare, which I used during my Bear management work on the
tree farm. They were a bit big for a lion's foot but I felt it was worth the risk to increase my odds of catching it. I
connected it to a concrete pier block which are commonly used to hold up decks and porches. The blocks weigh
about 80 pounds each. I locked the goats out of the corral and set the snare inside the barn door at the entry. I
checked the snare at 10 PM before I went to bed and there was nothing in it. I locked the goats out of the corral and
they slept in the pasture that night. The lion would have to cross the snare to get in the barn or the corral. On
Monday morning I walked over to the corral and saw it was quiet. I decided to see if there was a miss or if the goat
carcass was disturbed again. When I walked to the pasture gate separating it from the corral I realized the concrete
block was gone!
I froze, stunned that I was so close to ground zero and could not see the block. I do not think that any lion alive
could jump the fence with the block attached to its foot. While standing frozen and very concerned that this lion was
laying still waiting to pounce on me I realized the drag marks from the block on the ground were going right past my
feet behind me. I slowly turned around and saw the block with the empty snare and the cable loop with lion hairs in
it! I cannot believe I walked past this snare, although the block was hidden in the long grass and since it was so quiet
in the corral I never thought anything was in there. I'm sure if the lion was in the snare it would have been bouncing
and struggling to escape while I was approaching, I would like to think so anyway. These cable snares are commonly
used for capture and relocation of large predators. The cable will not harm their feet any more the handcuffs would
on a criminal. They will also not hold a hoofed animal because the loop will slide right off of a smooth leg. I have
extensive experience with them on bears, and other furbearers. I knew this one had cable that may have been to big
but I was in a panic to solve this and thought it was worth the try to get him if he went into my barn. It was my only
option with this short notice problem.
I was devastated and heart broken I had this devil in the snare and he was able to pull his foot out of the cable loop.
I decided he would probably not come back this way again with the scare of the concrete block attached to his foot,
at least for a while. I had in effect made my situation worse with this missed opportunity. Now the real work would
begin in tracking this lion to his bed and shooting him as he jumped and ran or with a little luck as he slept. I snuck
into the dark old growth forest to see how much of our goat Bevis was left. I saw it was not touched and worried
that he would leave the area and come back when I was no longer expecting predator trouble. That would make for
an awful next few months of sleep for me, the neighbors, and all of our livestock.
I met up with one of the neighbors in town that afternoon, and she told me the lady across the road was looking for
both her cats. They had not come home in two nights and were always around their house. My neighbor did not say a
word about the lion because of our pact to keep this under wraps until we sorted it out. Should the Fish and Game
department be involved the dogs they use would likely run the lion out of this road-less and very steep area without
being caught and then the lion would come back at his will to take another goat. None of us really cared too much
about the ladies free roaming house cats anyway; they were a pest to me always making a mess around the house. I
set myself up on the cliff behind my house on Tuesday night and had a great view of the pile where Bevis was buried.
I had no clear indication of which direction the lion would come from, if he were to show up. I could however see
quite well from this high vantage point. I also had a nearly full moon to assist with the night shooting. I waited till
dark expecting at any moment for him to show up. Nothing but relentless insects. Your senses seem to become as
sharp as a razor in total darkness when you're all alone hunting for the largest most successful predator in North
America.
I heard, and could actually focus on Mice and other small critters I assume to be shrews. Human night vision is
actually very good when correctly adjusted to the dark. The forest comes alive at night when you're sitting quietly. I
saw a few bats and other small nocturnal birds I could not identify flying around the forest floor. I waited, and
waited, falling asleep and waking up to shift my sore behind and swat away bugs for what seemed like an eternity. I
was getting depressed with the whole nights events until about 3:30 AM when I heard the lion down there about 60
yards away and nearly straight below me. I could barely see him with the dark background of the forest floor. I could
make out the shape but had no way of knowing what was between he and I. If I were to shoot like this would I hit a
branch that I could not see between the me and the lion? It was too risky to shoot without 100% success for me.
Not shooting could be accepted as the lion not returning to continue eating on Bevis, that would be understood.
However shooting and missing or wounding it would be a real slap in the face to my credibility, and to responsibly take
care of this problem. I have hunted 17 Mt. Lions to this date and never had a miss. Sitting and waiting all this time
was wearing on my patience. I felt like I had two opinions speaking to me one in each ear. On my other shoulder
whispering in my ear was a voice that said this may be your only chance, gut shoot him if you have to just put a
bullet in him someplace for what he did to Bevis and he will eventually die. I had to use my strongest will power to
hold back from taking this shot.
All during this period the lion sounds were getting quieter or further away, or so it seemed. Daylight finally arrived and
I was now so dejected I felt like I was going to lose this battle for the first time. I had him in a snare and I had him in
my rifle sights and I still did not have him dead! I tried to get an hour or two of sleep because I had a class to teach
this afternoon for my job. When I arrived home that late afternoon I slept for a while and went out to check on
Bevis's remains. They were moved and I had to track a little way to relocate them again. I eventually located the
body and it was in a difficult and very thick bushy area. Once it was located I was careful not to touch anything. I
snuck back out trying not to disturb the plants or ground in the area. I would have to be very close to get a shot if
that lion was going to come back and finish this meal. I searched for a likely spot and made a little clearing so that I
could shoot without deflection of the bullet. I also cleared the area I was to sit of all leaves, twigs and branches so
as not to make any sounds while sitting there tonight. I also knew the direction he would come from now and had a
very safe, and much brighter backdrop to hopefully see a bit better in the dark.
I ate dinner and had nothing to drink even though it was really hot and I was very thirsty. There is no option for using
a "bathroom" when seated 40 feet from the goat's body and having to be still enough to not alert the incoming lion. I
waited there all night again falling in and out of sleep. I realized this was wrong on so many levels. Not only was my
acute attention to every sound and movement making me crazy, but also the bugs being this close to the goats
remains were much worse, I also had no protection from behind. It was a horrible paradox to hear things behind me
but not want to turn and see what it was for the fear I would spook the lion away, yet It might be me he was about
to pounce on for the perception I was stealing his meal.
If I were in my bed I would be lying awake, tossing and turning and worried. Sitting here in the bush with all the bugs
and possible threats I could not seem to stay awake. That will be one of the strangest things to ever occur to me in
my life. I was having visions about when this lion was going to show up, from what direction, and what it would look
like when I saw him, would I hear him first? I was wishing for him to just come already. I have been wrapped up like a
spring for way to long and I cannot remain under this much tension without exploding. It was only midnight and I
know he came at 3:30 yesterday night. How in the world can I manage three and a half more hours of this stress,
and at nearly point blank range?
Nothing happened over the next four hours which seemed like much longer to me. My back was killing me and I found
I could not sit still no matter how much I tried. I sat quietly with my legs folded under me, and thought to myself, this
is where the real discipline will make or break this. This is where I will make a mistake and lose concentration for just
a moment, and allow the lion to detect my presence and sneak away. I kept thinking that while I'm sitting here in the
dark I will hear the goats in the pasture go crazy when the lion sneaks into kill another one. I have been in this exact
position before many times both doing hunts and for damage control for other predators. I knew that the mental
weakness to give up is the main reason for almost all failures. The next 2 hours will likely decide who wins this, the
lion or me. I re-focused my attention and said to myself I could give it my best shot for two more hours until daylight
comes. Over the next 30 minutes I tried to be strong and sit still, the longer this took the more likely I would be the
one who would break down and made the mistake. It would only take a sneeze, clearing my throat, a cough, a casual
look around, shifting my weight, any little movement would catch the attention of the lions fantastic night vision, I
would be busted and the lion would be gone!
I heard some birds rustling and even a few Robins were calling and I wondered why they were up so early. They
usually wake us up in the morning with our windows open this time of the year, but that comes about 5AM or a bit
later. It is only a little after four in the morning, and they are flying about in the near darkness of this black section of
forest. Maybe it was a weasel or an owl trying to grab one from its roost? I thought for a moment that they might
have been awakened or spooked out of their "roost" by the lions approach? A moment later I heard what sounded like
my stomach growling from hunger but it was not my stomach, it was a very loud purring sound! All the bird movement
was precisely from the lions approach. The lion was there on the remains of the goat and I never heard as much as a
crunched leaf or shuffled twig on the ground. How was it possible for me to be this close to the lion in this jungle
thick bush and not hear a sound? My shock was momentarily overwhelming; it was difficult to refocus my attention on
what I was here for. That lion was much closer then I thought it would be. I needed to shoot now and quick, I was
way to close to it and afraid to even move. I was so close I knew that lion could hear my heart beat and for sure the
safety catch on my rifle going off. The first light of morning was breaking through and I could see him clearly without
the riflescope. It was 4:30 AM and although not bright, it was plenty light enough to see clearly for my shot. My
effort to clear the area for a proper shooting lane looked like it was going to pay off now. I checked the scope power
setting by feel without taking my eyes off the lion to be certain it was at its lowest level. I did this for about the
thousandth time in the last eight hours. I also slowly moved off the safety catch to the fire position and that was
done by feel without blinking while keeping my eyes and attention focused on the lion. It sounded like a loud click to
me but the lion only looked my direction briefly and seemed not to take much notice.
I had to wait until the lion was in a position with his head down or looking away to raise the rifle to my shoulder. I
was way closer then I intended, or at least in this low level of light and thick bush it seemed that way. It was peeling
off the hair and skin along the ribs to get at the meat. When it finished eating off of the exposed side of the goat it
started to pull over the body. I thought it might try to drag it to another location and started to panic. The lion
moved into a position that allowed me to raise the rifle and get in position to shoot, but the lion was now behind just
enough brush to prevent a perfect shot. With thoughts racing through my mind now worrying about the likely hood I
would not get a shot for another night I was stressed to the point of losing my mind. I had sit still for so long now in
the same position my legs were numb. I think they could have been amputated and I would not have felt a thing.
They were so far beyond the tingling sensation now that I really could no longer feel that I had feet. Even with the
intensity of the moment I had a thought flash through my mind that I may have actually damaged the nerves or
circulation in my legs by sitting this way for so long.
The lion wrestled with the body for just a short time exposing its ribs and chest but my arms were now shaking
slightly from holding this rifle up and studying the situation through the rifle scope for so long. It was probably about
90 seconds or so but the 8 pound 30/06 rifle was moving a bit too much from my trembling. That was caused from
either exhaustion, or anxiety or both. At about the instant I was going to have to lower the gun down and try to
regain my composure the lion stepped out of the bush, the rifle fired! It was as if somebody else had pulled the
trigger. This must have happened on some kind of mental hunting autopilot in my mind. It actually shocked me when
the rifle fired. I normally like that feeling because it is a guarantee of a solid aim and no "flinching" at the shot. I was
under way too much stress to appreciate this "perfect shot" at the moment. The lion sprung up into the air, spun
around which at the time reminded me of the high dive at the Olympics when they do that twisting move as they dive
into the pool. I tried to stand but my legs were worthless and dead. I could not get up very easy. I managed to
struggle to my knees and saw the lion alive but unable to move, or so I hoped! It turned and laid its ears back giving
me the most evil snarl you could ever have imagined. The head and neck were going limp but springing back up and
then falling limp again. The life was draining from it and I was about to shoot again when it fell still for the last time.
My eyes were watering from straining my vision, and I stood in shock that all this effort and all the stress was
relieved in the very instant I pulled the trigger. My feet were beginning to get some feeling back and I walked over to
inspect the dead lion. It was smaller then I thought it was when I first saw it. It was also a female with no cubs; She
had huge paws and a thick healthy coat. I looked it over amazed at how quickly this was over, and then realized I
just woke up every one of my neighbors.
What a relief that I got this lion and did not have to explain a missed shot or worse a wounded lion! I heard my wife's
voice yell to me from the pasture about 80 yards away "are you OK" I yelled back that I was and that the lion was
dead. I have done this kind of hunting for 20 plus years and have killed a lot of lions and bears for people who have
had predation problems.
<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 30 August 2001 14:41: Message edited by: JJHACK ]</font>
Well I guess there are two kinds of people who use pack goats, and live in the wilderness. Those who have had a
goat killed by a lion, and those who will. I never thought it would happen to me, but I lost a goat on Saturday night. I
thought he somehow escaped and did not come back. That is unlikely, as you might know. Goats never leave the
herd for long without coming home due to their strong herding instincts. I walked the perimeter of the pasture and
saw nothing unusual however I continued a more detailed search when it became obvious he was not coming back. I
knew in my heart what had happened, I just did not want to accept it. There is no way a single goat vanishes
without a trace! If a lion killed him and carried him off, there would be some evidence someplace. My challenge would
be finding it in time to save the others.
The past several days my daughter and I spent packed into the Alpine Lakes wilderness fishing. We covered about 20
miles and used four of my six goats on this trip. Two were left home with my wife who chose to stay home with them
during this extended trip. The two that were left behind were each 16 months old. They were 1/2 brothers, one is a
pure Oberhasli, the other one is half Tonnenburg, half Ober. He was big and was able to pack and climb as well as I
hoped for at his age. He was about 100+ pounds. Normal at this age would be about 80lbs so I figured he would have
a great future with me ending up somewhere around 200 pounds full grown at 4 years old. He would likely be packing
55-60 pounds of Gear or meat for us. He was also unfortunately the goat that vanished.
When I came home Sunday Afternoon, Tatia was in tears not knowing what had happened to him, it was also her
favorite "boy" in the herd. My daughter unloaded the goats and cleaned up the gear while I took a slow walk around
the pasture fence and looked for a way he might have gotten out. After the first lap around the pasture I changed
my "mindset" from looking for a goat or a place he could escape to looking for evidence of a Lion attack. I saw a
section of fence bent but nothing really significant. In another place I noticed the flora was very slightly disturbed, a
few blades of grass laid down and two small fox glove plants broken. As if something had stepped on the grass and
plants there. Not significant but strange considering there is no walking path here. My extensive training on animal
tracking when I was in Professional Hunting School in Africa was valuable but I never thought it would be used in my
own back yard! I took a few steps up the creek bed and saw that a couple of the various plants were laid down. I
saw a rock that had been pulled over leaving it's indentation in the ground from the time water was flowing here and
allowed it to slightly sink into the soft wet silt. The part that peaked my interest was that it was laid down in the
direction against the natural flow of the water. I stopped here and just studied the situation for a moment. The area
is very dark even during the day. There is a cliff, which is part of the mountain going straight up about 60 feet on my
left, and on the right side all the trees are all very large cedar, maple, and fir. The ground here is often cool and
damp, as it never gets any sunlight. You would actually benefit from a flashlight in this creek bed during the day if
you were looking for something small. Because of this there are very few plants. Mostly various mosses, sallal and
ferns. With a multitude of dried brush and branches tangled into the tree roots where the high waterline is at when
the creek is fully flowing.
About 60 yards up this creek following the insignificant sign I came to some nettles (a thorny vine), which were also
pushed away going against the natural flow of the creek. There I noticed a few strands of hair on the thorns, I
stopped to study the earth and look for hoof prints....……. nothing. I made my way over the thorns and saw a tuft of
two-tone brown hair. My stomach sunk, it was the same color as the goat and no hoof tracks in the dirt. I saw a
spot where the few plants in the area were all pressed down in about a 5-foot circle; this indicated something big
was lying down here. I skirted that spot and went about another 30 yards and saw the dirt badly disturbed and lots
of goat hair in a small pile of sticks and maple leaves which were scratched up from around the area.
Now I'm sure what I'm up against but continue to follow the track. I would need to locate the remains to set up an
attempt at shooting or somehow catching this lion. I did not go far before I saw a clear set of lion tracks in the dirt.
Another few steps, and there up against
the cliff wall I see a big pile of debris about the size of a muskrat den. It is so dark and damp in this spot I really must
strain my eyes to see details and tracks in the low light, yet it is a hot and sunny day of 80 deg and it is about 3PM.
I looked at it carefully while pulling it apart and there is the blaze orange collar still on the goat's neck. Most of the
internal organs were eaten and much of the inner thighs were gone. I took the collar and covered the remains back
up. I did a quick look around and saw several good places I could sit and wait for the lions return tonight. If I could
not remove this lion in a hurry I could be out of the goat packing business. I live on the edge of an enormous
wilderness area, which is completely road-less. The road in front of the house is a main access road. This makes the
use of hounds difficult but as a last resort I will have to try to get a hound permit from F&W to use them.
In retracing the events it appears he was killed in the barn and dragged to the fence. Then the lion must have
jumped the 5-foot fence while holding the 100 plus pound goat in its mouth. The other 16-month-old goat will not go
into, or even near the barn now!
My daughter and I have packed many overnights since I came home from Africa this year, about 180 miles total
packing. Not nearly as much as last season at this time but we have such great goats now that the plans for our
summer were really coming together for several extended trips in August, and during the deer and bear season. This
episode really deflated me and without a
Quick solution to this I'm in serious trouble being able to keep my goats safe. Fortunately the Lion hunting season had
just started in Washington State, and I already had the license and tag I needed to legally kill this lion.
On Sunday Afternoon I went to visit a few neighbors down the road to warn them of this lion and attempt a bit of
"sweet talking" to get them to allow me access to their property to track and remove this stock killer. When I spoke
to the first neighbors, they were so worried and concerned about the safety of their two children who are 3 and 5
years old. They allowed me full access to the property and said I should not worry about shooting my rifle any time of
day or night. They know I am a Professional hunter because they visited my house in the past and saw my trophies
and know of my work in both the USA and in Africa, so far so good. One neighbor down and 2 to go, I went down the
road with Tatia to see the next neighbor and he was also surprised because his horse was seriously bruised and
limping last week and he could not tell why? The vet he called to look at the horse said it looked like he fell or
crashed into the fence or a tree while running. The owner said it must have been the fence because he found it was
broken in the corner closest to his house the previous morning, he also remembered hearing the horses running around
quite a bit that night. He mentioned that the man down the road from him has 4 calves of about 450 pounds each.
They crashed through the split rail fenced the previous weekend and two of them had broken or otherwise hurt their
legs, which required them to be put down, and prematurely butchered. There is nobody east of this landowner for a
long way so I stopped there and had the full permission and co-operation to do what ever I wanted to take out the
lion from everyone involved. These property owners had no idea what had caused the problems for their livestock but
were beginning to think the lion prowling around the area was the cause of the fright in these animals, I had to agree.
On Sunday night I set out a spring loaded animal control snare, which I used during my Bear management work on the
tree farm. They were a bit big for a lion's foot but I felt it was worth the risk to increase my odds of catching it. I
connected it to a concrete pier block which are commonly used to hold up decks and porches. The blocks weigh
about 80 pounds each. I locked the goats out of the corral and set the snare inside the barn door at the entry. I
checked the snare at 10 PM before I went to bed and there was nothing in it. I locked the goats out of the corral and
they slept in the pasture that night. The lion would have to cross the snare to get in the barn or the corral. On
Monday morning I walked over to the corral and saw it was quiet. I decided to see if there was a miss or if the goat
carcass was disturbed again. When I walked to the pasture gate separating it from the corral I realized the concrete
block was gone!
I froze, stunned that I was so close to ground zero and could not see the block. I do not think that any lion alive
could jump the fence with the block attached to its foot. While standing frozen and very concerned that this lion was
laying still waiting to pounce on me I realized the drag marks from the block on the ground were going right past my
feet behind me. I slowly turned around and saw the block with the empty snare and the cable loop with lion hairs in
it! I cannot believe I walked past this snare, although the block was hidden in the long grass and since it was so quiet
in the corral I never thought anything was in there. I'm sure if the lion was in the snare it would have been bouncing
and struggling to escape while I was approaching, I would like to think so anyway. These cable snares are commonly
used for capture and relocation of large predators. The cable will not harm their feet any more the handcuffs would
on a criminal. They will also not hold a hoofed animal because the loop will slide right off of a smooth leg. I have
extensive experience with them on bears, and other furbearers. I knew this one had cable that may have been to big
but I was in a panic to solve this and thought it was worth the try to get him if he went into my barn. It was my only
option with this short notice problem.
I was devastated and heart broken I had this devil in the snare and he was able to pull his foot out of the cable loop.
I decided he would probably not come back this way again with the scare of the concrete block attached to his foot,
at least for a while. I had in effect made my situation worse with this missed opportunity. Now the real work would
begin in tracking this lion to his bed and shooting him as he jumped and ran or with a little luck as he slept. I snuck
into the dark old growth forest to see how much of our goat Bevis was left. I saw it was not touched and worried
that he would leave the area and come back when I was no longer expecting predator trouble. That would make for
an awful next few months of sleep for me, the neighbors, and all of our livestock.
I met up with one of the neighbors in town that afternoon, and she told me the lady across the road was looking for
both her cats. They had not come home in two nights and were always around their house. My neighbor did not say a
word about the lion because of our pact to keep this under wraps until we sorted it out. Should the Fish and Game
department be involved the dogs they use would likely run the lion out of this road-less and very steep area without
being caught and then the lion would come back at his will to take another goat. None of us really cared too much
about the ladies free roaming house cats anyway; they were a pest to me always making a mess around the house. I
set myself up on the cliff behind my house on Tuesday night and had a great view of the pile where Bevis was buried.
I had no clear indication of which direction the lion would come from, if he were to show up. I could however see
quite well from this high vantage point. I also had a nearly full moon to assist with the night shooting. I waited till
dark expecting at any moment for him to show up. Nothing but relentless insects. Your senses seem to become as
sharp as a razor in total darkness when you're all alone hunting for the largest most successful predator in North
America.
I heard, and could actually focus on Mice and other small critters I assume to be shrews. Human night vision is
actually very good when correctly adjusted to the dark. The forest comes alive at night when you're sitting quietly. I
saw a few bats and other small nocturnal birds I could not identify flying around the forest floor. I waited, and
waited, falling asleep and waking up to shift my sore behind and swat away bugs for what seemed like an eternity. I
was getting depressed with the whole nights events until about 3:30 AM when I heard the lion down there about 60
yards away and nearly straight below me. I could barely see him with the dark background of the forest floor. I could
make out the shape but had no way of knowing what was between he and I. If I were to shoot like this would I hit a
branch that I could not see between the me and the lion? It was too risky to shoot without 100% success for me.
Not shooting could be accepted as the lion not returning to continue eating on Bevis, that would be understood.
However shooting and missing or wounding it would be a real slap in the face to my credibility, and to responsibly take
care of this problem. I have hunted 17 Mt. Lions to this date and never had a miss. Sitting and waiting all this time
was wearing on my patience. I felt like I had two opinions speaking to me one in each ear. On my other shoulder
whispering in my ear was a voice that said this may be your only chance, gut shoot him if you have to just put a
bullet in him someplace for what he did to Bevis and he will eventually die. I had to use my strongest will power to
hold back from taking this shot.
All during this period the lion sounds were getting quieter or further away, or so it seemed. Daylight finally arrived and
I was now so dejected I felt like I was going to lose this battle for the first time. I had him in a snare and I had him in
my rifle sights and I still did not have him dead! I tried to get an hour or two of sleep because I had a class to teach
this afternoon for my job. When I arrived home that late afternoon I slept for a while and went out to check on
Bevis's remains. They were moved and I had to track a little way to relocate them again. I eventually located the
body and it was in a difficult and very thick bushy area. Once it was located I was careful not to touch anything. I
snuck back out trying not to disturb the plants or ground in the area. I would have to be very close to get a shot if
that lion was going to come back and finish this meal. I searched for a likely spot and made a little clearing so that I
could shoot without deflection of the bullet. I also cleared the area I was to sit of all leaves, twigs and branches so
as not to make any sounds while sitting there tonight. I also knew the direction he would come from now and had a
very safe, and much brighter backdrop to hopefully see a bit better in the dark.
I ate dinner and had nothing to drink even though it was really hot and I was very thirsty. There is no option for using
a "bathroom" when seated 40 feet from the goat's body and having to be still enough to not alert the incoming lion. I
waited there all night again falling in and out of sleep. I realized this was wrong on so many levels. Not only was my
acute attention to every sound and movement making me crazy, but also the bugs being this close to the goats
remains were much worse, I also had no protection from behind. It was a horrible paradox to hear things behind me
but not want to turn and see what it was for the fear I would spook the lion away, yet It might be me he was about
to pounce on for the perception I was stealing his meal.
If I were in my bed I would be lying awake, tossing and turning and worried. Sitting here in the bush with all the bugs
and possible threats I could not seem to stay awake. That will be one of the strangest things to ever occur to me in
my life. I was having visions about when this lion was going to show up, from what direction, and what it would look
like when I saw him, would I hear him first? I was wishing for him to just come already. I have been wrapped up like a
spring for way to long and I cannot remain under this much tension without exploding. It was only midnight and I
know he came at 3:30 yesterday night. How in the world can I manage three and a half more hours of this stress,
and at nearly point blank range?
Nothing happened over the next four hours which seemed like much longer to me. My back was killing me and I found
I could not sit still no matter how much I tried. I sat quietly with my legs folded under me, and thought to myself, this
is where the real discipline will make or break this. This is where I will make a mistake and lose concentration for just
a moment, and allow the lion to detect my presence and sneak away. I kept thinking that while I'm sitting here in the
dark I will hear the goats in the pasture go crazy when the lion sneaks into kill another one. I have been in this exact
position before many times both doing hunts and for damage control for other predators. I knew that the mental
weakness to give up is the main reason for almost all failures. The next 2 hours will likely decide who wins this, the
lion or me. I re-focused my attention and said to myself I could give it my best shot for two more hours until daylight
comes. Over the next 30 minutes I tried to be strong and sit still, the longer this took the more likely I would be the
one who would break down and made the mistake. It would only take a sneeze, clearing my throat, a cough, a casual
look around, shifting my weight, any little movement would catch the attention of the lions fantastic night vision, I
would be busted and the lion would be gone!
I heard some birds rustling and even a few Robins were calling and I wondered why they were up so early. They
usually wake us up in the morning with our windows open this time of the year, but that comes about 5AM or a bit
later. It is only a little after four in the morning, and they are flying about in the near darkness of this black section of
forest. Maybe it was a weasel or an owl trying to grab one from its roost? I thought for a moment that they might
have been awakened or spooked out of their "roost" by the lions approach? A moment later I heard what sounded like
my stomach growling from hunger but it was not my stomach, it was a very loud purring sound! All the bird movement
was precisely from the lions approach. The lion was there on the remains of the goat and I never heard as much as a
crunched leaf or shuffled twig on the ground. How was it possible for me to be this close to the lion in this jungle
thick bush and not hear a sound? My shock was momentarily overwhelming; it was difficult to refocus my attention on
what I was here for. That lion was much closer then I thought it would be. I needed to shoot now and quick, I was
way to close to it and afraid to even move. I was so close I knew that lion could hear my heart beat and for sure the
safety catch on my rifle going off. The first light of morning was breaking through and I could see him clearly without
the riflescope. It was 4:30 AM and although not bright, it was plenty light enough to see clearly for my shot. My
effort to clear the area for a proper shooting lane looked like it was going to pay off now. I checked the scope power
setting by feel without taking my eyes off the lion to be certain it was at its lowest level. I did this for about the
thousandth time in the last eight hours. I also slowly moved off the safety catch to the fire position and that was
done by feel without blinking while keeping my eyes and attention focused on the lion. It sounded like a loud click to
me but the lion only looked my direction briefly and seemed not to take much notice.
I had to wait until the lion was in a position with his head down or looking away to raise the rifle to my shoulder. I
was way closer then I intended, or at least in this low level of light and thick bush it seemed that way. It was peeling
off the hair and skin along the ribs to get at the meat. When it finished eating off of the exposed side of the goat it
started to pull over the body. I thought it might try to drag it to another location and started to panic. The lion
moved into a position that allowed me to raise the rifle and get in position to shoot, but the lion was now behind just
enough brush to prevent a perfect shot. With thoughts racing through my mind now worrying about the likely hood I
would not get a shot for another night I was stressed to the point of losing my mind. I had sit still for so long now in
the same position my legs were numb. I think they could have been amputated and I would not have felt a thing.
They were so far beyond the tingling sensation now that I really could no longer feel that I had feet. Even with the
intensity of the moment I had a thought flash through my mind that I may have actually damaged the nerves or
circulation in my legs by sitting this way for so long.
The lion wrestled with the body for just a short time exposing its ribs and chest but my arms were now shaking
slightly from holding this rifle up and studying the situation through the rifle scope for so long. It was probably about
90 seconds or so but the 8 pound 30/06 rifle was moving a bit too much from my trembling. That was caused from
either exhaustion, or anxiety or both. At about the instant I was going to have to lower the gun down and try to
regain my composure the lion stepped out of the bush, the rifle fired! It was as if somebody else had pulled the
trigger. This must have happened on some kind of mental hunting autopilot in my mind. It actually shocked me when
the rifle fired. I normally like that feeling because it is a guarantee of a solid aim and no "flinching" at the shot. I was
under way too much stress to appreciate this "perfect shot" at the moment. The lion sprung up into the air, spun
around which at the time reminded me of the high dive at the Olympics when they do that twisting move as they dive
into the pool. I tried to stand but my legs were worthless and dead. I could not get up very easy. I managed to
struggle to my knees and saw the lion alive but unable to move, or so I hoped! It turned and laid its ears back giving
me the most evil snarl you could ever have imagined. The head and neck were going limp but springing back up and
then falling limp again. The life was draining from it and I was about to shoot again when it fell still for the last time.
My eyes were watering from straining my vision, and I stood in shock that all this effort and all the stress was
relieved in the very instant I pulled the trigger. My feet were beginning to get some feeling back and I walked over to
inspect the dead lion. It was smaller then I thought it was when I first saw it. It was also a female with no cubs; She
had huge paws and a thick healthy coat. I looked it over amazed at how quickly this was over, and then realized I
just woke up every one of my neighbors.
What a relief that I got this lion and did not have to explain a missed shot or worse a wounded lion! I heard my wife's
voice yell to me from the pasture about 80 yards away "are you OK" I yelled back that I was and that the lion was
dead. I have done this kind of hunting for 20 plus years and have killed a lot of lions and bears for people who have
had predation problems.
<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 30 August 2001 14:41: Message edited by: JJHACK ]</font>
