On December 1st, 2025, I put my foot within the stirrup of a white mule named Snowy River and threw my leg over the saddle. Over the following 5 days, he’d carry me 80 miles via among the roughest floor in Southwest Utah seeking a mountain lion. Snowy River belongs to McClain and Hunter Mecham, a father and son workforce native to Utah, each lifelong mountain lion hunters and mule males. Additionally accompanying us on the hunt can be nationally identified mule coach and clinician Ty Evans of TS Mules. The next 5 days would take me on the roughest and longest mule journey I’ve ever been on.
McClain is a fourth-generation houndsman and identified for having among the finest canines within the nation. He’s thought of a dry-ground hunter, which means more often than not he tracks lions with out snow, on naked dust. In lots of locations, snow makes monitoring lions simpler and sooner, however within the arid Southwest, usually it’s chilly and snowless.
Monitoring them on dry floor is far tougher and takes a canine with a unique ability set than most hounds. Unimaginable stamina, prey drive, and an other-worldly nostril are the hallmarks of a great dry-ground hound. Like many hunters within the West, he hunts mixed-bred hounds with Walker, English, and bluetick blended in. Their hounds are often known as among the finest within the West.
On the second day of the hunt we treed our first lion, a sub-adult male. We adopted the canines step-for-step and trailed the lion at least six miles earlier than they treed him. The cat seemingly weighed between 110 and 120 kilos, a totally authorized cat. Nevertheless, we determined to go on him.
Utah has liberalized lion searching in efforts to assist mule deer and elk populations, a lot to the chagrin of many lion hunters. Presently the lion season is open one year a 12 months, with no annual bag limits, and also you don’t even want a tag—only a searching license.
I’m assured the wildlife companies have a bonafide motive for this, however in line with McClain, “Utah would not have the numbers of massive lions we used to have.” The theme of our dialog over the following few days would revolve round lion administration in Utah. Paradoxically, McClain and Hunter are additionally elk and mule deer outfitters, so that they’re invested in wholesome cervid numbers however don’t suppose killing all of the lions can have that a lot influence. Some disagree, however I feel it’s attention-grabbing that the lion hunters are those advocating for extra conservative lion searching seasons.
By the tip of the journey, we treed three lions—two younger males and a feminine. We selected to let all of them go despite the fact that they have been all authorized. I’d have been pleased with both of the males, however whenever you’re the visitor of males as educated because the Mecham’s, you are taking the cues from them. In the end, I opted to go them.
Maybe some would possibly suppose we must always have killed all three, however I’m glad I made the selection I did. I hope to return and eventually get to see a giant mature tom bayed on a rock cliff in Utah. This was a singular expertise with among the finest lion hunters in North America. And in addition, I realized lots about trusting my mule from Ty Evans. You possibly can watch this episode of Meateater’s 12 in 26 movie sequence proper right here.
