When I was in my late teens I took my hunting game to the next level and went after my first
cougar. They weren't called that back in those days, but that didn't stop us "young bucks" from going after one of these prized specimens. It wasn't like we couldn't catch any of the young
foxes that were around our way, in fact, that was part of the reason guys like me went after the
cougars; everybody had a
fox.
Cougars on the other hand were prized possessions. They didn't frequent the low lying areas where the
foxes played. They lay among the tree tops where only the best skilled hunters were capable of taking them alive.
Cougars knew their way around the
bush so they weren't falling for the tricks that the
foxes fell for. In order to catch one of these beauties you had better learn the art of casting your net proper the first time, because that was the only way you would come up big. You learned early on that catching a
cougar was a novelty, and not anything to be taken lightly.
Since my youth, a lot has changed.
Cougars are rising in numbers, they are no longer an endangered species. They are well represented within the jungle. Because of their numbers, hunters today don't seem to value their hides as we once did. Nowadays you can find their carcasses laying on the side of the road, covered in flies. It's heartbreaking to witness. I guess we should have seen this day coming since many of these cougars weren't raised in their natural habitat. They are a different breed which makes me wonder if this breed of
cougar can make the transition from domestic feline to hunted prey. I sure hope so for their sake or we may have to start taking donations to create urban reservations for them. Either that or we'll have
pussy cats running all over the place and we can't have that, now can we?
About the host:Rich Fitzgerald is the author of the short story "One to Remember" featured in Love and Redemption (Bloggers' Delight Vol. 1), a collection of short stories by authors who blog. To read excerpts or to order a copy of the title, visit i-Lit. The book is also available on Amazon.
