Used to run them with a buddy who had dogs so I got to see a fair number of them up close and personal. They seem to be like most cats in that they have a lot of speed but not a whole lot of stamina. The dogs would usually tree them up pretty quickly unless the cat lost them using the terrain. One old tom went down a narrow ledge along a cliff face and the dogs followed. The Tom eventually turned around and killed two of the three dogs before being dispatched with a 357.
Another time we were running trap lines and found one in a set. You’ve never seen fury until you get a choke pole around one of those things neck! They’ve got the look of death in their eyes as they literally tear the hell out of anything within the radius of the chain. It’s Tasmanian devil a la bugs bunny cartoons until they choke down. You have about a minute to get them out of the trap and the choke pole off of them before they come to. I can somewhat imagine what that poor 21 YO and the 18 YO went through. What a horrible experience for them and their family! Our ancestors killed them for good reasons
