This is a story of dogs and cats. For centuries man has domesticated the dog to be his hunting partner, and today that bond is as strong as ever.
Whether it was saber-toothed tigers being chased by our ancestors, lions and leopards hunted by Zulu warriors of Africa with their spears and dogs, or cougar and jaguar hunting dogs of the Americas, man has relied on the canine instincts in his pursuit of wild game.
Retrievers and pointers, such as the Labradors, Weimaraners and spaniels are at the pinnacle of the dog/human hunting partnership. They have created a special bond with upland game and waterfowl hunters.
But, the most courageous are our hunting hounds that risk injury and death to hunt the big cats. Historically, men like Ben Lilly, who with his well-trained dogs, often hunted cougar with our patron saint of outdoor sports, Teddy Roosevelt.
Cougar Annie of Canadian fame was also proud of her legendary hounds as she hunted the dangerous Vancouver Island felines which even today regularly prey on humans, mostly the young.
In Nevada, we have a family who has carried on the tradition: the Marques brothers of Ely. They hunt and chase many cougars each year. Some they harvest, while many are released. As always, and especially when hunting with any type of dog, it's the chase, not the kill that revives our primal instincts.
It's the sound of the dog's baying while on the chase, and the ability to hear whether they are on tracks, chasing or coming into close contact that sets hounds apart from other breeds.
On a recent hunt in Ely, Chuck Marques guided Bert Woywood, the well-known sportsman and owner of the Historic Nevada Hotel, on one of these adventures.
It started with a call from Chuck who was scouting in the Shelborn Range of Northern Nevada and said, "I found some promising tracks." Bert replied, "I'm ready, let's go."
Snow was on the ground, the tracks were found, the dogs were let loose and were gone. They could be heard, and by their distinct barks the hunters knew they were on the track and the hunters headed in the direction of the sounds. There was lots of hiking, running and climbing in tough rock country, but the sounds kept getting farther away. It was clear that cat wasn't going to tree; it was a runner.
As they got into higher cliff areas, the hunters could hear by the unique baying, as if the dogs were saying to the hunters, "come quick we have him."
The cougar was at bay. As they got closer they found the cougar surrounded by the dogs. Bert, out of breath, had his cougar. It was just as old Teddy Roosevelt did with Ben Lilly. You can see Bert's cougar today above the elevator in his Hotel Nevada in Ely, as if ready to jump from its rocky perch.
And the dogs, I met and spoke with these beautiful and brave animals and look forward to hearing them on the hunt.
For more information, give Chuck Marques a call at 775-289-9325 or go to www.bullridge.com. Or, to visit the Historic Nevada Hotel and see why it's "the Hunter's Lodge," give Bert Woywood a call at 888-406-3055.
