The bear found in Tahlequah Wednesday brought to mind an encounter my 3 older brothers had with a wild animal almost 70 years ago. The animal was not a bear. It was a mountain lion. My brothers, Stan, Thurman and Tracy, teenagers at the time, had ridden their horses one night to a get-together with their friends. On the way back home, they had an unforgettable adventure. Their homeward trek led them along a road through some thick woods. Tracy rode in front on a horse named Queenie. Stan came next, riding Tony and Thurman’s mount was named Gracie. It was dark and they and the horses were in no particular hurry. Without warning, a dark shape sprang from an overhanging tree branch and landed on the back of Stan’s horse. “Ride, boys!” Stan yelled. “A panther’s got Tony.”
A mountain lion had jumped on Tony, landing just behind Stan. It pulled the saddle blanket from under the saddle and took it with him to the ground. Later, Stan found a one-inch gash in his pant legs where the cougar’s claws had brushed him. Tony, terrified, started bucking but Stan stuck on him like a burr. Tracy’s horse Queenie ordinarily could outrun Tony, but not tonight. Tony streaked around Queenie while Thurman and Gracie brought up the rear, all of the horses running full throttle.
When they arrived home, they found Dad waiting for them. He had heard them racing up the hill and he wanted to know why. Before they left home that night, he had told them not to run the horses. Of course, when he heard the reason, he was just glad they were safe. He and the two older boys took their dog Smoky back down the road to see if Smoky would trail the big cat. But no, Smoky refused. He had a keen nose and was fearless when dealing with snakes or other wild animals but he had no desire to make the acquaintance of an angry mountain lion.
Several weeks later, Tracy was hunting when he saw what he thought were three brindle housecats padding through the leaves. These cats had exceptionally long tails. It was only later that he realized the long-tailed cats were probably mountain lion kittens, maybe the babies of the one who had jumped them and their horses. No one ever figured out why the cat had attacked Stan and his horse. It was unusual behavior for a mountain lion. Was she a mama who thought they had ventured too close to her babies? Was she hungry and thought a horse would make a good meal? Or was she just in a bad mood after a particularly trying day? Whatever the reason, she provided a memorable evening for the Day boys. In case anybody wonders if any relatives of this mountain lion still exist in the hills of Cherokee County, I would venture to say that they and many other wild animals most likely call those thickly wooded hills and hollows home.
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