1/21/2008 7:25:00 PM Huge lion is subject of Internet speculation
Courtesy
Jason Ellico poses with a large mountain lion that Marshall and Barbara Rader’s truck hit north of Williams about a month ago. Photos of the lion are popular on hunting blogs and local e-mails lately.
A gigantic mountain lion that a truck hit in northern Arizona has become an Internet legend of sorts.
Photos of the lion have been quite a hit this month on several hunting blogs.
The blogs generally tell two different stories about the two photos of a man holding the lion, including a close-up of the huge paw.
Pat and P.C. Potter of Prescott received an e-mail containing one of the stories with the photos on Saturday, and forwarded it to The Daily Courier.
"It was just such an astounding picture, we thought maybe the paper could use it," Pat Potter said.
When Pat was talking to a friend at the YMCA Monday, the friend said she also happened to receive the same e-mail from someone else on Sunday.
"This lion was hit between Prescott and Ash Fork, Ariz., by a car," the e-mail to the Potters from a Sedona friend said. "Game and Fish had to come and put him down. He charged at the Fish and Game guy in the process. Look at his PAWS!"
That story is incorrect, but the other one in blogs appears to be true.
Marshall and Barbara Rader said that on a dark night in early December, they were driving north on Highway 64 about halfway between Williams and Valle when a huge cougar leapt in front of their Ford F350 truck.
Marshall - who hunts lions and displays mounted game animals at his Double Eagle Trading Co. in Valle - knew right off it was unusually large.
"His head was at the right front headlight, and his tail was in the other lane," Marshall said.
He had no chance to brake. The truck ran over the lion.
The couple pulled over and found the lion under a tree, alive but unable to get up. It still was able to put off a serious growl, but it clearly was beyond rehabilitation.
When they called 9-1-1 for help, the dispatcher said they couldn't put the animal down. They had to wait for a Department of Public Safety officer to arrive.
DPS officer Jason Ellico just happened to be a local Boy Scout leader who taught youngsters about hunting and processing game, so the Raders agreed to let him skin the lion as a demonstration for the boys.
It is Ellico who is posing with the lion in the photos all over the Internet, the Raders said.
Barbara Rader said people have told her the photos are making the Internet rounds, but she hasn't seen them.
"He's beautiful," she said. "He's absolutely huge.
"Fish and Game told us it's the biggest mountain lion they'd ever seen in this area."
While the Raders didn't weigh the catamount, it took three men to lift it and everyone who saw it estimated it weighed 200-220 pounds, Marshall Rader said. Its paw was about 8 inches across, and it was more than 7 feet long from head to tail. He could see its head over the hood of his truck.
"If he'd been killed with a gun, he'd probably would have been an SCI (Safari Club International) record," Rader said.
Once the mounting is done in about a year, Marshall hopes to display it at an SCI convention. SCI measures records by the size of the lion's head.
While The Courier couldn't reach the Game and Fish officer on the scene Monday, the paper e-mailed the photos to other Game and Fish officials.
"It is a very large lion," said Zen Mocarski, public information officer in the Kingman office. He and others who viewed the photos were impressed.
The Game and Fish Web site says male lions in Arizona generally weigh 80-150 pounds.
By the way, another blogger rumor that Game and Fish is going to display the cat in one of its offices is not true.
The only question in Marshall's mind is whether to display it at his store or his home.
Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, November 08, 2009
Article comment by:
Debra
Terry, Many people hunt to survive still to this day! I will laugh like crazy when one day you have the choice kill a animal to survive or die. I am a mother of three - two boys and a girl - and even my daughter is taught how to really survive, she hunts fishes everything and yes she knows how to skin a deer and clean a fish by the way my daughter is a happy intelligent 9 year old girl. So be it if others enjoy life to the fullest if you dont like that kiss this redneck Arkansans (expletive). My children will be eating long after yours!
Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Article comment by:
stinalee
This is not a hoax..............you people sound so ignorant. why do people insist on talking about sunbjects they know NOTHING about. My father has killed several mountain lions that are bigger than the one in this picture. when i saw it i laughed....its not even that big. It probably wouldnt even make the Boone and Crockett list. if you would like to see pictures of a big mountain lion email me at kristinas2009@live.com
Posted: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Article comment by:
Calidris
"If he'd been killed with a gun, he'd probably would have been an SCI (Safari Club International) record," Rader said. It WAS killed with a gun, wasn't it?
EDITOR'S NOTE – It (the Lion) was hit by a car.
Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Article comment by:
cdfromwv
look at all the elk and muke deer antlers in the back room over the guys right shoulder. Still think it was killed in wv?
Posted: Monday, March 03, 2008
Article comment by:
12stars
I for one think it was a dirty trick to post false information like that when people aound the areas have live stock to worry about.
Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Article comment by:
Ms. Helen
I recieved the pictures of the beautiful lion,here in Farmville,Va.
Was told it happened in West Va.No matter where it was,it was beautiful!!
Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Article comment by:
Dave Payne Sr.
This is Dave Payne with the Parkersburg News, working on a lion story. I've gotten tons of e-mail about this lion, our messages say it was killed between grantsville and Walker, WV.
My initial reaction was
A) we don't have mountain lions here.
B) The guy sure had a lot of mule deer and elk antlers for somebody in West Virginia, where no mule deer or elk live.
I've gotten a good laugh out of this.
Posted: Friday, February 01, 2008
Article comment by:
drdovermd
To all those people that put in the reader comments - Go back to your tree hunging lives! Your heritage hunted and killed, and skinned animals of all kinds to survive!! If you all think about that is just what they did to survive. AND WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE???? GOD??? Go back to your hippie, tree hugging lives!!!! I am very glad that Marshall was the next person that came along! Or that poor lion who have suffered for days! Have you thought about that? I am glad that this story was shared with all us that really care!! Thank you!
Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2008
Article comment by:
maidu maiden
Hey Terry...perhaps you should try rehabilitating that last hamburger you ate. How stupid do you think kids are anyway? Hope you stay in the city and don't move where people with common sense live...I here housing prices in CA have dropped...GIMME A FREAKIN BREAK!
Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2008
Article comment by:
Jack
Terry is another Timothy Treadwell. The extremist who lived with grizzlies and was finally eaten by one. just ignore "Terry" as they are nothing but enviro-extremist. Remember, it is a religion, it is a worship of earth and its creatures.
Posted: Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Article comment by:
MLZLTMLZRT
It sounds like Terry wants to poney up the cash for road kill rehabilitation, very proud of him. oh and might i suggest you and your young son continue to reside where you'll have the protection of the multitudes, it will be safer for you!
Posted: Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Article comment by:
Terry
"but it clearly was beyond rehabilitation"
What veterinary training do these people have to make this determination? Broken bones are repairable as are other types of injuries, wildlife rehabs are available. The hunter mentality must not think of those options before pulling the trigger. And I know I wouldn't be allowing my young son to attend the de-skinning of such a magnificent animal. Our children are already too desenitized and what if some of those impressionable minds decide to try that on their own with pet cats in their neighborhoods? Has anyone really thought this through?
Posted: Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Article comment by:
mommiestar3
I also got this email and was wondering if it was true. Thats for the story!
