West Texas Lion Hunt, June 2000

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Several months ago, my good friend, Peter Feain told me that he and his wife, Saskia, were coming for a holiday to California from their home in Hong Kong.  Saskia wanted to visit friends in California.  Peter asked me to arrange a hunt for the two of us.   He wanted a hunt that we had not done before.  Due to his limited time, we needed to do it in under a week.  Peter and I had hunted together in Alaska, western U. S. and southern Africa, so it would be a chore to come up with something new and interesting.

I contacted Gary Strasser of Northwood’s Adventures, with whom we have previously hunted.  I asked him if he could come up with something new and exciting.  No sooner than I asked the question, he said, “Do a west Texas lion hunt with Jim Moore.”  I was told that we could do the hunt in a week or less and that it was something that we had not done before.  I was ready, as I have wanted to hunt lion for a long time.  I emailed Saskia and Peter in Hong Kong to see how they felt about the hunt and received an instant reply. “Yes.”

We were going to Texas in 2000.         

With the deposits mailed off, all we had to do was wait.  Peter and I wanted to do the hunt with pistols.  Jim Moore, the rancher/outfitter, thought that was a good idea.  Jim has hunted lion in Texas for over twenty years.  During that time, he has taking over five hundred lions.  Jim has taken hunters out with rifles, pistols, and bows.  No one has tried knives yet.

Gary Strasser took care of the arrangements for the air travel, lodgings, and car rental.  Again, all we needed to do was wait. 

All of a sudden, it was time to leave. 

As you might think, there is not much hunting going on in Hong Kong. 

Peter needed to sight in his guns.  While he is very good with his .44 Remington, he took a M94 Winchester 30-30 along to round out his options.  His .44 was an open sighted Ruger.  I took my M629 S-W topped with a two-power scope.

At last, our departure day was here.  Peter and I met at the San Jose International Airport, checked in, and then took off for Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.  That’s when our problems started.  Texas was having really bad weather.  The entire state was under clouds.  It was raining heavily, and the winds were very high.  No flights were leaving the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.  We were delayed a day and a half.  When we were finally booked, our flight came in late.  All of our delays were forgotten, when we arrived at our destination, Balmorea State Park.  The “motel” was a re-built, twelve-unit, mission style motel from the “30’s.”  A small stream flowed by our front doors.  Once the ranger station closed for the day, there were no phones within ten miles.  The park’s main feature is a 38-foot deep, two-and-one-half acre, spring-fed swimming pool.  The rangers and staff at the park were great.  They provided us with local folklore, and when were not hunting, we were on the road seeing the history of west Texas and Arizona.

Jim Moore, our guide and outfitter, was what we expected.  He was a native Texan, with a tremendous knowledge of the country.  The rains had been bad, and he could not get the mules and dogs out.  He invited us to try to take a javelina.  Sorry to say, all we did was get his dune buggy stuck in the mud. 

Jim told us that if the weather held, he would bring out the dogs in the morning.  Then, we could walk a canyon for lion.  He was sorry, but it was just to muddy too bring out the mules. 

Jim met us at the motel at 4:30 a.m.  We jumped in his truck and were off.  We were going to an area called by the locals, “Million dollar canyon.”  Part of the government spending in west Texas.  Lions were known to be in the area. 

Peter and I had decided that he would take the first shot.  This was a guaranteed hunt, so we could return at no additional cost if we were not successful.  It would be harder for him to return than me.

We arrived at the canyon before first light.   As the sun rose on our back, we were able to see the canyon.  I could see why lions could be there.  It was one rugged place.  The bottom of the canyon was the only level area where you could walk.  The walls of the canyon were nearly vertical and towered above us by several hundred feet.  I had asked Jim how would you get a lion if the dogs treed one on the canyon walls.  His answer, “Climb.”  Silly question!

With the dogs at our side, we started up the canyon.  Within several hundred yards, they melted into the brush.  We had no idea if they were one hundred feet or a quarter mile away.  Jim told us that his “Lion dogs” use sight and scent for finding a lion.  Until they pick up the scent or spot a lion, they do not bark.  They run the lion for several hundred yards, and once the lion is winded, bring it to bay.  At that time, we will be able to approach the lion, photograph it then decide if we are going to take him.  This is a mature lion hunt only. 

After walking the canyon for a half hour, we heard the dogs barking.  They sounded a long way off, and Jim had Peter and me hot-footing it up the canyon in the direction of the barking.  A short time later found the three of us in the bottom of a flowing creek bed looking at a large west Texas mountain lion.  The dogs had the lion’s attention, and we were able to get some photos. When Peter took his shot, the lion jumped, and then took off with the dogs right on his tail.  The lion ran passed Peter.  For a second I thought it was going to run up his leg.  The lion then turned and ran right over the large boulder that I was using as a rest while videotaping.  Needless to say, that was the end of the movie.  The lion fell just in front of me and died. 

One very exciting hunt was over.  The next shot was mine. 

Early the next morning, Jim picked us up.  As we drove out to the ranch that we would hunt today a light rain was falling.  Yes, the dogs and mules were with us.  It was the hunt that I had been looking forward to for the past six months.  Once we reached the ranch, we made the mules ready, and then hit the trail.  Again, the dogs stayed with us for a few hundred yards, then melted into the brush.  We stayed on a well-marked trail.  Jim had told me that I was riding a mule named Old Redbird.  I found out that he also answered to “Mr. President.”

We rode along at a comfortable pace; with the dogs somewhere out in front of us.  Jim had us stop and dismount so he could check the cinches.  Needed to make sure they had not become loose.  We were in the bottom of a draw checking the cinches, when I thought I heard the dogs barking and told Jim.  Jim looked at Peter and asked him if he had heard anything.  Peter replied that he thought he had.  Everyone mounted up and rode to the top of the draw.  There was no question that the dogs had something.  The sound of the barking was bouncing off the steep hills behind us.  It took a few minutes for us to find what direction to go.  Once we got our bearings, we were off.  As we rode to a rise, Jim pointed the dogs out.  We could look into the brush in the bottom of a canyon and see the dogs, but nothing else.  As we rode the mules closer, there he was.  What we saw was a large, mature male lion.  His color was very dark.  While we dismounted, I mentioned this to Jim.  I was told that he was just wet, as it had rained most of the night.  We followed Jim around the rocks and brush, getting into position.  I wanted to photograph the lion, before I took my shot.  Jim was concerned with his dogs as well as I.  No one wanted a dog shot.  When Jim gave me the go-ahead I took my shot.  The lion jumped, ran about ten feet then collapsed.  Our west Texas lion hunt was over and all was as promised.

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