The Forestry Forum

Feb. 23, 2006, 7:02PM
Lions must have seen him coming

By LEON HALE
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

AS I was telling you here in Wednesday's paper, I spent a couple of days in East Texas last week trying to see a mountain lion.

During that visit I met a couple of consulting foresters, professionals who manage timberland for landowner clients.

The one I spent the most time with is Don Staples, who operates out of Livingston. He's 65, and has spent 40 of those years in the woods of East Texas.


full article at: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/hale/3681514.html

WOW DON! Yer a Lion Hunter too?  Great Story. Thaks for letting us have a chance to read it. :)

Lions and bears - good stuff to keep the young 'uns near the house.

I'm so stinking close to the city some here have a mail box further away from them then the city is from me ( at  24901 Tom comes to mind  :) ) .

So about two maybe three years back many towns west of the city reported a mountain lion ambling through and along creeks/rivers in the area. No official sightings by a policeman or fireman - just your ordinary city/suburb folk swearing it wasn't a big house cat. Even had some one  claim to have pics . Good proof in my book as long as it came from here. The newspapers followed its sightings till eventually it wandered off into Delaware ( musta liked the easy pickins on the turkey farms ).

Not quite sure what I'd have done if I came across him - I don't think we have a hunting season on them and usually by the time I figure out what happened its already done happening.

There has been many cougar sightings near here as the game wardens have brought 250 in and placed them in the Porcupine Provincial Forest Reserve to control the awefully high whitetail deer populations.

Personally during deer season last fall While driving out to our farm for a hunt I saw one as I was driving up the hill.  I had noticed some of my chickens had been going missing a couple of days prior.  I had them out free ranging and had an area for them to roost safely at night.  While driving up the hill I had to take a second look as I saw something running accross the road about 300 yards ahead of me.  It was the cougar as I looked through my spotting scope.  It had a smaller chicken in its mouth.  I did what every farmer would do and shot it.  I had to call the warden in to come and get it as I was not legally able to keep it as they are protected in these parts.  I did though legally shoot it as I am a farmer protecting my livestock.
Brad.