The persecution of hunters however always
tends to drive it into the most thickly wooded and broken fastnesses of
the mountains. The she has from one to three kittens, brought forth in a
cave or a secluded lair, under a dead log or in very thick brush. It
is said that the old he's kill the small male kittens when they get
a chance. They certainly at times during the breeding season fight
desperately among themselves. Cougars are very solitary beasts; it is
rare to see more than one at a time, and then only a mother and young,
or a mated male and female. While she has kittens, the mother is doubly
destructive to game. The young begin to kill for themselves very early.
The first fall, after they are born, they attack large game, and from
ignorance are bolder in making their attacks than their parents; but
they are clumsy and often let the prey escape. Like all cats, cougars
are comparatively easy to trap, much more so than beasts of the dog
kind, such as the fox and wolf.
They are silent animals; but old hunters say that at mating time the
males call loudly, while the females have a very distinct answer.
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