BigGameHoundsmen.com

Last nite i took my to lion dogs out for a run. Just roading them for exercise. About five miles from house I was going down a little two track road. I live in Northern NM and the country here is rolling hills of pinion, juniper, scrub oak and ponderosa and sage. Well back to the story anyways I was roading the dogs and when we got near a spring they struck a track and started working it pretty fast. I hurried and caught up with them but I could not find a track to confirm what they were trailing. I had the training collar on them so I bumped them once but they would not come off of it. Well about 6 miles and 3 hours later I can hear them treed up on a ridge about a half mile from me. The only problem then was that it was 10pm and I didn't have my pistol or a flashlite. I waited there for awhile and whatever they had jumped the tree and the race was on again. I gave up and decided to go back this morning. When I got almost back to the highway one of my dogs was there waiting but he was acting really strange. He just laid there shaking and I had to pick him up and carry him to the truck. He had no injury that I could see. So this morning I go back to look for my other dog. With my radio tracker I finally find him but he was dead and eaten. Only his head and skeleton were left. I back tracked but could not find any tracks as to what animal could have done this. I found where he had been drug about 200 yds off the hill to the arroyo where I found him and I could see where the attack had happened It looked like it was a fight that ended quickly as there was alot of blood all in one spot. I just wanted to know if anyone can make heads or tails of this. I am pretty sure they were on a lion last nite but they could have been trashing on a bear considering how fast they moved the track. Any opinions are welcome it has been a tough morning.

Never heard of a bear or lion eating a dog like that. Sounds like the wolf attacks from up north. I know there are a few wolves around here but not many.

Lion no doubt IMO.

briarpatch

Dean was reading my mind. Lion dogs with any experience at all wouldn't get that shook up over a confrontation, whether or not any other dogs were killed. Wolves are so vicious that they instill fear into thier "enemies". Just because there might not be advertised wolves in the area doesn't mean that the country is wolf free. Wolves travel long distances and don't follow "the rules".
I have known of lions killing dogs, and even hounds, but to shake up your other dog to that degree is not normal.

I have heard of a lion doing it. The dog was buried like any other cougar kill. I do not think it happens often and when strange things happen you may never know exactly what occurred. It is a bummer you were unable to find tracks, that would be about the only way to know for sure.

I am sorry to hear about your loss.

George

the one dog that is acting strange get him checked out for rabies.

Thanks for all your opinions so far. I am going back out there this afternoon and do some more in depth ivestigating it just hard to look at im sure you can all understand.
The wolf attack photos I have looked at were all head and neck injuries that is what has me baffled. The dog looked untouched on the head it looked like he was was attacked in the flank and hin quarters but its hard to tell cause nothings left. The pictures I saw of wolf attacks they didn't seem to eat the dog. This dog was completely pick clean. I have never heard of coyotes taking down a hound but you never know.

A cougar will clean up a dog in a night if hungry enough. I have seen it happen to one of my hounds. They treat the dog like any other kill and will be close by in most cases. The wolf kills I have been involved with the dogs were not eaten but torn in two. But a hungry wolf may have come to the cougar tree? Sorry for your loss, I know what it feels like.

That happen to a friend of mine last winter. lots to dogs. know it was a lion because tryed to eat my friend too. Similer story treed a cat close to dark could not get there till after dark.(Cats get braver after dark) Came out of the tree killed two dogs and was feeding on them when my buddy got there cat came after him and he killed it.

Crazy stuff...Like others said, sorry for your loss, I'm sure it's not easy...And, like Mike said, if it's a lion, he's spoiled and smart...be ready to shoot next round

A couple friends of mine had treed a tom lion in the Book Cliffs years ago and only had a bitch and her pup under the tree. The owner of those hounds left the tree to join his friend and return to kill it but did not make it back before dark, and found the pup on the road later that night or the next morning. They backtrailed the pup toward the tree and found the female dead along the way out, and all that was left of her was the head and hide............

ike

I have heard of spoiled lions, just never seen the damage go beyond killing a dog. I guess I'll just keep hunting 8 - 12 dogs at a time. And salty ones at that!

Sorry to hear about the loss of a dog. I know it's tuff.

The next time your out with the scared dog, he will tell you exactly what killed the other one....After my dog was killed by wolves last winter I finally got the urge to go out again a week or two later and had my female with me that was also there when the other dog got killed. I was hiking along and the dog was out hunting along 50 yards away or so and all the sudden dropped her tail and came right back to me and huddled by my leg. I went over and looked where she was and saw a set of fresh wolf tracks. Like I said, the scared dog will tell you.

Sorry again for your loss,

Scott

Hounds that quit barking while treed, if only for a little while can quickly become the hunted by the lion. Perhaps your dog quit barking for a while? Then again, it may have been just a ornery lion intent on killing any hound.

The wolves here are more inclined to kill the hound and then move on, not eating it.

Sorry for your loss.

Fortunately I've dodged both these scenarios but I can tell you in the words of someone who hasnt "cats are like a 4 legged edward scissor hands in the dark"

Guaranteed it was a cat. Check for a broken neck or crushed skull, it wont be gory and obvious and they're going to eat it the same way they would any other prey IF they're hungry when they kill it.
I've found numerous kills left untouched that the cat didnt come back to til the next night and a couple times, 2 days later.
Cats are different creatures at night, no hound has any real business being behind or under one at night and a well rested cat thats been treed for any amount of time has no qualms with coming down and dealing with our "annoyances" who are booger barking or resting below.

Anybody that knows anything about wolves knows right away that wolves dont drag their prey. It wasnt a wolf.
As for any kind of "rules" as to what wolves/cats do or don't do, if you've been out there enough you'll see there are no rules and thats why nobody has everything figured out yet.

Sorry about your dog, I'd get that other one on something that will give a confidence boost asap instead of letting him think about it in a kennel (not saying he is)
Things are always darkest right before light, it'll get better.