Copyri g ht 1 909

I UB RDING P . C By A. R. HA 0 .

4 9 2 t TABL OF CONTENTS E .

CHAPTER

Th m er Wo f I . e Ti b l

The o ote II . C y

‘ K n f Sto and G me b Wo es III . illi g o ck a y lv

Bou-n ies IV. t

H nt n Yo n Wo es and Co otes V . u i g u g lv y

I H nt n Wo es t Do s V . u i g lv wi h g

I S H nt n Wo es and Co otes V I. till u i g lv y

o son n Wo es VIII . P i i g lv

Tr n Wo es IX . appi g lv

S ents and B ts X . c ai

! I S en Met o s . c t h d

it Met o s for Wo es XII . % h d lv

So t ern B t Metho s for o o es XIII . u h ai d C y t

N orth ern Bait Meth od s for Coyotes ‘

! B n Se Met o s V . li d t h d

Sno Set Met o s ! VI. w h d

Some R es and T n s to Remem er XV II . ul hi g b Th XVIII . e Treach erou s Grey Wol f

XIX . Wol f Catching

XX . With the Coyotes

o f T XXI . W l rapping an Art 5

LIST OF I LLUSTRATIONS .

MapShowi ng the Range o f the Timb er Wol f

‘ Western Grey Wol f i n a. l rap

Track o f the Grey Wol f

Coyote and Badger Kill ed in Tex a s

A Trapped Coyote

Track o f the Coyote

Wolv es Killi ng a Deer

Remai ns of Deer Kill ed by Wolves

Grey Wol f

Diagrams showi ng Di fference in Siz e of Wolves and

Coyotes

A Wyomi ng Wol f Den

A N ea r V i ew o f the Den

Y oung Wolv es at Entranc e o f Den

’ The Hunter s Outfit

An Oklahoma Hunter wi th Young Coyotes

Catch of a Canadian Hu nter

A Still Hunter and His Outfit

Killed by the Still Hunt

Meth od of P repa ri ng P oi son Baits

The N ewhou se Wol f Trap 8 T F T T LIS O ILLUS RA IONS.

The Tw o—P ronged Drag

Method o f Attachi ng an Obl ong Stone

Meth od o f Attaching aTria ngula r Stone

Iron Stakes for Trap s

Trap Set and Ready for Cov ering

Wyoming Wol f Trapp er

Caught in a Sc ent Set

Trail Bait Set

The Sq ua re Setting

Coyote Caught at a Ba nk Set

Wol f Water Set

A Trapp ed Wol f

A Trapp ed Tex a s Coyote

A N orth ern Coyote

An Idah o Coyote

r A T ail Set .

Trap s Set at Badger Den

A Good Catch

A Snow Set

A La rge Wi sc onsin Wol f

D s he Bi o f S ns Mr. avi with t g W l ki

A Tex a s Sp ecimen

Caught at La st

A N orth ern Wol f

INTRODUCTION .

There are certain wild animals which when hard pressed by severe cold ilLrai and hunger , w d the farmers and ’ ranchmen s yards , killing fowls and

. e stock There how ver , are no animals that destroy so much stock as wolves and coyotes as they largely live upon of the property farmers , settlers and ranchmen to which they add game as they can get it .

While these animals are trapped, shot , poisoned , hunted with dogs , etc . , e to their numbers , in some states , s em be on the increase rather than the de crease in fac e of the fact that heavy f bounties are o fered . The fact that wolf and coyote scalps command a bounty, in many are states , and in addition their pelts valuable , makes the hunting and trap ping of these animals of no little im portance . One thing that has helped to keep “ the members of these bowlers so nu 1 1 T D T O IN RO UC I N . merous is the fact that they are among i a Th the shrewdest animal in Amer c . e of is no day their extermination , doubt far in the distance . This book contains much of value to those who expect to follow the bu si of ness catching wolves and coyotes . A great deal of the habits and many of the methods were written by Mr . E . K reps , who has had experience with h these animals upon t e Western Plains , h t . in Canada , and e South Additional information has been secured from Gov ernment Bulletins and experienced

‘ “wolfers” from various parts of Amer i ca.

H D . R. A . AR ING

WOLF ANDCOYOTETRAPPING

CHAPTER I .

E F TH TIMBER WOL .

OLV E S of all species belong to that class of animals known as the dog the b family, mem ers of which are considered to be th e most intelli of gent brute animals . They are in or found , one species another, in e of almost ev ry part the world . They are strictly ca rnivorous and are beyond all h f t e o . . doubt most destructive all wild animals In general appearanc e the wolf resembles a do large g having erect ears , elongated muzzle , y long heav fur and bushy tail . The size and color varies considerably as there are many

Varieties . The wolves of North America may be divided

into two distinct groups , namely, the large or s timber wolves , and the prairie wolves coyote ’ ki - ( y6te) . Of the timber wolves there are a of for is number varieties , perhaps species , there f r i For considerable di fe ence in s ze and color. instance there is the small black wolf which is

still found in Florida , and the large Arctic wolf which is found in far Northern Canada and Alaska the colo r of which is a pure white with a 1 5 AND T T 1 6 WOLF COYO E RAPPING .

Then‘ there is black tip to the tail . that inter mediate variety known as the Grey Wolf, also ” “ ” “ ” “ VVOlf called Timber , Lobo and Wolf, the latter indefinite nam e being used throughout the West to distinguish the animal from the i prairie spec es . It is the most common of the m a of A eric n wolves , the numbers this variety Of th being in excess all Of e others combined . In n e e additio to thos mentioned , there are oth rs such as the Red Wolf Of Texas and the Brindled

W -lf of Of O . Mexico All these, however , belong to the group known to naturalists as the Timber o Wolves . Just h w many species and how many e distinct varieties ther are is not known . o As a rule, the largest wolves are f und in the North ; the Gray VVOIVGS of the western plains being slightly smaller than the White and

Dusky Wolves of Northern Canada and Alaska, of is specimens which , it said , sometimes weigh as as on much e hundred and fifty pounds . Again the wolves Of the Southern part of the United States and Of Mexico are smaller than the gray variety . The average full grown wolf will measure o t ab ut five feet in leng h , from the end Of the to Of nose the tip the tail , and Will weigh from one s eighty to hundred pounds , but Specimen have been killed which far exceeded these fig

u s. o re The prevailing c lor is gray, being darkest

- ~ O AND CO OT T N W LF Y E RAPPI G .

/ on the back and dusky on the Shoulders and hI S The is r and o f p . tail ve y bushy the fur the body is long and Shaggy . The ears are erect and th e pointed, muzzle long and heavy , the eyes st brown and considering the fierce , bloodthir y t a na ure Of the animal , h ve a very gentle expres sion . In early days wolve s were found in all parts of the country but they have been exterminated or driven out of the thickly settled portions and their present distribution in the United States h is Shown by t e accompanying map . As will be noted they are found in only a small portion

Of Nevada and none are found in California , but they are to be met with in all other states west s Of the Missouri and the lower Mississippi , al o the o of e all Of m st southern tier stat s , as well as those parts bordering on Lake Superior . A few are yet found in the Smokev Mountains Of

North Carolina and Tennessee . They are prob ably most abundant in Northern Michigan and “T omin Northern Minnesota , Western y g,

Montana and New Mexico . Wyoming is the center of the wolf infested country and they are found in greatest numbers On of e in that state , the headwaters the Gre n R t iver . As to the numbers s ill found the report

- - of . the Biological Survey for the years 1 895 to 1 9 1 898 06, inclusive, but not including the year ,

2 0 W AND T TR OLF COYO E APPING .

In the North ern State-s and throughout Canada s e on they subsist almo t ntirely Wild game . Wolves den in the ground or rocks in natural a dens if such can be found, but in case natur l excavations are rare as in northern portions of

Western Grey Wol f in a Trap the the country , they appropriate and enlarge homes Of other animal s. In the heavily timbered i country they sometimes den n hollow l ogs . a The wolf is both cowardly and cour geous , depending on circumstances . When found s e the is ingly, and esp cially in daylight animal THE TI W 2 1 MBER OLF . as much of a coward as any creature could pos i l s b . y be, and especially does it fear man But when suffering from the pangs of hunger and do when traveling in bands as they usually , they

are t . bold , fierce and bloodthirsty crea ures In s such ca es they have been known to attack man .

‘ huntin lar e s a When g g game , wolve alw ys go in bands , usually Of three to five but Often a m a larger nu ber . They invariably kill anim ls by springing on from behind and hamstringing the victim . Small game is hunted by lone animals . The great lo sses su ffered by stockmen in the e led W st the Biological Survey, in connection with the Forest Service Of the Department. Of st Agriculture , to make a special inve igation , and later a general campaign against the wolves t a a Of the Na ional Forests beg n . During the ye r 1 907 a large number of wolves and coyotes were captured in and near the f orest reserves : the number from the various states being as follows :

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 O AND O OT T W LF C Y E RAPPING .

WOL ES V .

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 22 528

Many Of these animals w ere captured by the forest guards but in addition the government e of e employed a numb r exp rt trappers . On the Gila National Forest 36 wolves and 30 b one a who coyotes were killed y forest gu rd, sent the skulls to the Bi ological Survey for fi i n of 9 identi cat o , as well as the skulls bears ,

7 1 7 46 o s. mountain lions, bobcats , and grey f xe One den Of 8 very young wolf pups w as taken 1 March 3 . These statistics are from Circular i e A ri ul 63 . c , ssued by the U S . Departm nt Of g ture . V V Olves are e a great rambl rs, traveling over of e large section country . Lik almost all other a e nimals Of rambling habits , they have th ir reg

a . ul r routes Of travel By this , we mean they fol h low t e e . Same valleys , passes, water cours s , etc , but when in pursuit of gamie they sometimes ou stray quite a long distance t Of their course . The track of the wolf resembles that Of a do is to g, but a trifle narrower in proportion its f e length . The di ference is in the two middl

t are me . ou oes, which so what longer , the wolf,

AND OT T 24 WOLF COY E RAPPING .

o f is so h wever, the di ference slight that it could a u easily p ss unnoticed . When the wolf is r nning of these toes are spread well apart . The length step when the animal is walking will be from 1 8 to 2 4 and inches , the average footprint will measure about 2 %or 3 inches in width by about

- 35 Or 4 inches in length . Ernest Thompson i Seton , the natural st claims that he can judge with fair accuracy, the weight Of a wolf by the of r He for size the t ack . allows twenty pounds f r n o . each inch in le gth , the foot p int 2 CHAPTER .

THE T COYO E .

N the western parts Of the United

- is States , the coyote far more abund Or ant than the grey , timber wolf, but its range is more limited as it is found only in those parts lying west of the Mississippi River and in the western por As tion Of the Dominion of Canada . there are so is a number Of varieties Of the timber wolf, it with the coyote, but naturalists have never yet been able to agree on the number of types and their distribution . In the Southwest , it appears e con there are s veral distinct varieties , showing i l s derab e difference in Size and color . Mr . Vasma Brown , a noted coyote trapper Of Texas has the following to say on the subject “ I have lived in Texas nineteen years and have had some years Of experience with the coy a otes , coons and cats . Some coyotes are Of

- S . ilver grey color , others are dark brown The ends Of their hair are jet black and it makes r them look b own . Some have black tips on the the tail and some white . The dark variety are ” most vicious Of the two . 25 2 6 O AND O OT T W LF C Y E RAPPING.

With the exception of the southwestern sec

‘ i or t on , it is probable that the coyotes Of all p tions Of the Great Plains and the country to the he westward are Of t same variety , and a description Of this, the most common type will or answer for the Species . In Size, the coyote prairie wolf is considerably smaller than the of timber wolf, the largest specimens the former being about equal in Size to the smallest adult te wolves . The average coyo will measure about _ thirty - Six or thirty - eight inches from the end of t the nose to the base Of the tail , which is abou sixteen inches additional length . The fur is of about the same texture as that Of the grey fox is and the general color fulvous, black and white i a i ha rs being mingled in p rts , g ving a grizzled appearance . The ears are larger , comparatively e is than those Of the gr y wolf, and the muzzle

. - more pointed . All through the animal appears to be Of more delicate build . A larger form Of the coyote is found in Minnesota and the adjoining territory and is commonly known as “ ” the brush wolf . Whether this is a distinct no n variety is t k own . Coyotes are intelligent and cunning animal s and theirhabits and general appearance sugges t the fox rather than the wolf . While they are e a a gre dy, bloodthirsty cre tures , they are sne k ing and cowardly and never kill animals larger

THE T COYO E . 2 9

the “ Bad Lands” Of the West and the foot hills

Of the mountain ranges , wind worn holes in the

rim- rock and buttes are quite commonand the

animals have no trouble in securing a good den . in Naturally, they select the most secluded and

accessible places for their dens . The food Of the o as c yote consists Of small game, such hares dO s and grouse, prairie g and any other small a e animals th t they can capture . In the sh ep raising districts of the Western States they are very destructive to sheep and in those parts it is probable that their food consists mostly of on a mutton . They feed carrion and have par icul r t a liking for horse flesh . They also kill bad gers and when conditions are very favorable

may kill an occasional deer or antelope . They

also sometimes kill calves and hogs . Speaking Of conditions in Oregon and other

' one of Our parts Of the Northwest, friends writes : “ The prairie wolf or coyote in the Western states are becoming so numerous that it looks as though the sheep industry in Idaho and East of th t ern Oregon would soon be a thing e pas , if something it not done to lesson the number Of s the de tructive coyotes . “ Twenty years ago there were a great many in th a e coyotes Oregon , but e black tail r bbits wer 3 SO numerous then that the coyote contented him ’ 30 WO F AND CO OTE T P L Y RA PING. self with them and did not molest the sheep to t any great ex ent . Idaho and Oregon both put on a bounty rabbits , which soon caused them to a become sc rce, then the coyotes began their depredations among the sheep . The wool grow ers supplied themselves with plenty Of strych nine and kept th e coyote reduced to quite an ex

' tent . O f late years it seems that poison will not As o as ff kill a coyote . so n he feels the e ect of the poison he throws up the bait he has just s eaten , and in a few minutes he i all right .

' The only w ay to kill coyotes these days is or with the gun , the trap with dogs . They are SO thick here now that hounds would not be as much good, the coyotes would change at any ’ time and run them down . I don t think there was a band of sheep anywhere in this country but what suffered more or less from coyotes last for winter . I trapped some last winter the Munz saw 48 Brothers , and I where Sheep had been killed at one camp . They had been camped there is about ten days . This about an average killing i if the weather s stormy . “In Southeastern Oregon there is a desert on r or about e hundred miles squa e, and thirty forty bands Of sheep feed there every winter . They run from tw o to three thousand sh eep in a e on a t band . The sh ep men this desert l st win er, paid per month and board for THE T COYO E . 3 1

h a r r trappers to trap coyotes, and t e tr ppe s we e to of allowed keep the furs they caught . Some them made very large wages . is It said that when hunting rabbits, two coy otes will j oin forces and in this way one animal will drive the game to within reach Of the d other, thus avoiding the fatigue cause by run d m Natfiralists a ning own ga e . also cl im that the adult animals will sometimes drive the game to SO close the den , that the young coyotes may o fr have the opp rtunity Of killing it . They e quently pick up scraps about the camps , and if of undisturbed , will in a short time , lose much their timidity ” Old camping places are always inspected in the hopes Of finding some morsel of one a food, and can always find coyote tr cks n i the ashes of the campfire . Though th e coyote belongs to the flesh eat in of carnivor g class animals , it is not strictly ous . In late summer when th e wild rose tips its are red and sweet and berries are plentiful , flesh eating propensities forsake it in part and “ ” of it adds fruit to its bill fare . Whether this is or a e caused by hunger change Of app tite, or

Whether the fruit acts as a tonic and the animal , n i stinctively , realizes that it must tone up its not system in preparation for the long winter, is k nown . Coyotes have a more regular breeding season 32 WO F AND C T TR PP L OYO E A ING .

for than the timber wolves , practically all Of the young make their appearance in the months of The April and May . number Of young varies from five to twelve . The young animals are of a yellowish grey color with brown ears and black r A o . S tail , muzzle tawny yellowish brown they

A Tr e o ote app d C y . become Older they take on a lighter shade and o the tail changes t greyish with a black tip . Both wolves and coyotes pair for the breed ing season and the males stay with the females during the summer and help take care of the young . It is probable that they do not breed of AS until tw o years age . soon as the young are strong enough , and their eyes are open they THE T 3 COYO E . 3 commence to play about the mouth of the den and later on the mother leads them to the nearest water and finally allows them to ac on e company her hunting excursions . In lat he summer t v start out to shift for themselves . AS y before mentioned , the co ote is a wary and cunning animal, especially in the more set tled portions Of its range ; w here man is not too

e are . much in evidence , th y far less wary Again the fact that the-re are several varieties may ac count for the di fference in the nature Of the ani a e i n of mals of the v rious s ct ons , a yway those the southern part of the range are less wary

e . than those of th North The trappers Of Texas , Arizona and New Mexico claim that the coyote is a fool and is easily caught while those Of the North and Northwest find them exceedingly onl does th an] cunning and intelligent . Not y e ‘ mal appear to know when you are armed but it also seems to know something Of the range of the w a o eapon and will sneak long prov kingly close, “T d but just out Of re ach . hen one is unarme they appear to be more bold and will loaf around in the most unconcerned manner imaginable . n g u I intelli ence and c nning, we . consider the northern coyote the equal Of the eastern red

. fox While the , western trappers make very a Of large c tches coyotes , we believe that if foxes were found in equal numbers the catches Of those

CHAPTER II I .

OF T AND KILLING S OCK GAME BY WOLVES .

NDOUBTEDLY the wolve s and coyotes Of the United S tates and

Canada destroy m ore: stock and game than all other predato ry an imals h combined . In t e Western part Of our c ountry where stock raising is one Of the principal in dustries the ranchmen suffer great losses from da h the depre tion Of t ese animals , and in other sections the wolves destroy large quantitie s Of more destruc game . The reason that wolves are tive than other s Of the carnivora is that when t e hey have the opportunity, they kill far mor f r than they can consume o food . Often they onlv tear a mouthful of flesh from the body Of the i r victim ; sometimes they do not even kill the animal but leave it to suffer a slow and pain t are ful death . The animals tha only slightly ac bitten are sure to die from blood poisoning, th cording to e western ranchmen . ’ of The wolf s method attack is from the rear, spri ngi ng on its victim and hamstringing it and literallv eating it alive . The bite Of the wolf is Of a e is a succession quick , s vage snaps and ther

WO AND O OT T 3 8 LF C Y E RAPPING . no salvation for the creature that has no m eans

Of defense from a rear attack . This peculiar method Of killing prey can not be practic ed suc cessfull on i y horses , ow ng to the fact that they bv for can defend themselves kicking, but all Of a t th t, a considerable number Of col s and a few ar For full grown horses e killed . this reason ff r e cattle su er mo e than hors s , but while the is to x horse , a certain e tent, exempt from attack by wolves , they are frequently killed by moun h tain lions , because their met od Of attack , a spring at the head and throat is more successful A e e. s with th se animals than with cattl food, is to bee however, horse flesh preferred f by both Of these animals . One of the western trapper s writes “ Many times in the past thirty years I have is watched wolves catch cows . The wolf by na a not a ture coward and will , singly , att ck a co grown w , though he will by himself kill a pig,

or e . chicken , calf, goat sh ep “ O ran es where o n th e g , , the st ckmen and set tlements o are far apart , wolves g in bunches , r or e f om three to ten even mor , and when very hungry a bunch of them will attack a . grown bull . They frighten him by snapping and play on ing around him till they get him the run , when the bunch give full chase and stay close I OF T AND K LLING S OCK GAME . 39

at his heels . While he is running in this way, one or more Of them will grab him by the ham Th strings j ust above the hock joint . e bull f e makes , Of course , a vigorous e fort to fr e him W he do SO the self from the olf, but before can , sharp teeth of the latter have cut or partially

~ on cut the ham string . They keep him the run till they finally cut him down in both ham strings and then he cannot go further or fight the hungry wolves Off . “ TIE whole bunch then eat his hams out while i the bull is st ll alive , and after they get their full to they let him rest . When they want fill up eat fin again , they return and him till he dies , i hin f o s g the carcass as they require b d. I have seen horses and cattle killed by wolves in this Way live for several days with th eir hams and e his eaten out , have never se n the wolf make or attack give chase in any oth er way. Being cowardly, he always follows behind and keeps ’ ” out Of all danger from the bull s hoofs .

- . s Of cattle, calve and yearlings are generally e d fl er sel cte , partly because the esh Of the young animals is more to the wolf’ s liking and partly bcause they cannot defend themselves as readily as are full grown animals , but full grown steers e also killed at times . Far mor cattle are killed than are eaten . The wolf prefers fresh food A 40 WOLF ND COYOTE TRAPPING . always and in summer wh en their resources are unlimited th ey seldom return to the carcass for a second meal . “ In Bulleti n 7 issued by the United States f — O t . Department Agriculture, the au hor, M r V o sa on ernon B ailey , has the f llowing to y the subject : “ The actual number Of cattle killed by wolves an can not be determined . Comparatively few imals e i are found by cattlemen and hunt rs , when freshl l t o a v kil ed, wi h w lf tr cks around them and on with wolf marks them . Not all of the adult cattlemissing from a herd ca n surely be charged e of l the depr dations wolves , while missing ca ves a may h ve been taken by wolves , by mountain ‘ r r lions , or by ustle s Nevertheless there are data enough from which to draw fairly reliable conclusions . In the e e 2 1 906 Gre n Riv r Basin , Wyoming, on April , , a 4 Mr . Ch rles Budd had 8 yearling calves and colts killed in his pa stu re by wolves within Six a Of e Weeks . At Big Piney number cattl and a few horse s had b een killed around the s ettle

“ ment during the previous fall and winter . At ’ of stock men s as Pinedale, members th e local sociation counted 30 head of cattle killed in the o a 1 905 be valley ar und Cora and Pined le in , a out tween April , when the c ttle were turned on and e 30 n the range , Jun , whe they w ere driven ‘ F TOCK AND AME KILLING O S G . 41

1 06 to . 9 s the mountains In , wolve were said to have c ome into the pastures near Cora and Pine

‘ dale and begun killing cattle in January on ‘ “ ” an the feed grounds , d Mr . George Glover counted up 2 2 head Of cattle killed by them up 1 0. to April Just north Of Cora , Mr . Alexander, a well known ranchman, told me that the wolves his 1 904 killed near place in June, , a large three a 3 o year Old steer, cow , yearlings and a h rse . th e, Re On G O S Ranch , in the Gila Forest 1 1 30 1 906 serve in New Mexico , May to , , the cow bovs on the round - up reported finding calves or yearlings killed by wolves almost daily, and Of Mr . Victor Culberson , president the company , estimated the loss by wolves on the ranch at 1 0 f h o e . per cent . t cattle a e to In lett r the Biological Survey , under 1 3 896 . . . a date Of April , , Mr R M Allen , gener l Of t manager the S andard Cattle Company, with headquarters at Ames , Neb . , and ranches in both n t 1 894 Wyoming and Mo tana , states tha in his company paid a bounty at their Wyoming a ranch on almost exactly 5 00 wolves . The tot l loss to Wyoming through the depredati ons. of e a at wolv s Mr . Allen estim ted a million dollars a year . In an address before theNational Live Stock COL 2 5 1 899 Association at Denver, , January , , “ e : Mr . A . J . Bothw ll said In central Wyoming N T T 42 WOLF A D COYO E RAPPING . my experienc e has been that these wolves kill of from 1 0 to 2 0 per cent . the annual increase

f. O the herds . M a e . . . Li ut E L unson , Of Choute u County, “ t Recreation : Mon , writing in , says It is said that in this country the loss from wolves and i 1 coyotes s about 5 per cent . Wolves in as this vicinity seldom kill sheep , the latt er are o too carefully herded . They get a go d many u young colts , but prey especially on yo ng cattle .

Mr . J . B . Jennett , of Stanford , Montana , “ says in Recreation : A family Of wolves will destroy about worth of stock per annum . The loss caused by wolves and coyotes in ’ W o re Big Horn County , y , is estimated at th e I has hundr ed thousand dollars per year . t been variouslv estimated that each grey wolf costs the stockmen from two hundred and fifty to one thousand d ollars annually . r d Sheep, for some reason , are seldom t ouble f con by timber wolves in the West , but su fer siderabl he t y from t a tacks Of coyot es ; in fact,

' the loss occasioned the sheep men of Wyoming n i a sum and Monta a in th s w v is enormous . In mer when the sheep are driven up into the mountains , the coyotes migrate to those sections and kill sh eep when ever the Opportunity is pre l sented . In the fa l when the sheep are brought

i -s are to down nto the foothills , the coyote also

4 W AND O T TR 4 OLF C YO E APPING . part Of Canada large numbers of deer and other game animals fall victims to these fierce crea t the of on h ures . Regarding killing game t e h s western cattle range, Mr . Bailey a the follow ing to say “ W At Big Piney, yoming, I examined wolf dung in probably fi fty places around dens and

- Of along wolf trails . In about nine tenths the ca ses it was composed mainlv or entirely of cat or one of tle horse hair ; in all other cases but , s one s rabbit fur and bone , and in this ca e mainly of antelope hai r. A herd of 2 0 or 30 antelope d 5 6 wintere about or miles from this den , and the Old wolves frequently visited the herd, but I could find no other evidence that th ey de s stroyed antelope , though I followed wolf track for many miles among the antelope tracks on s e the snow . Jack rabbit were killed and aten along the trails or brought to th e den and l eaten near it a most every night , and a half eaten cottontail was found in the den with the a little pups . While wolves are usu lly found a e around ntelope herds , they are probably abl The to o . kill only the sick , crippled and y ung following note from Wyoming appeared in the P inedale Roundu 4 1 906 p Of July , Whil e riding on the outside circle with the

- u or ensen to see a late round p, Nelse J g chanced He wolf making away with a fawn antelope . KILLING OF STOCK AND GAME 45

e a e a it gav ch s to the anim l , but succeeded in a e e on getting way, nev r l tting loose its catch . ar the About a den ne Cora , numerous depos its Of wolf dung on the crest of the ridge not far away were found to be compo sed Of horse and a a c ttle h ir, though fresh elk tracks were abun n e s on all S of da t over the Sid hill ides the den , While cattle and horses were then to be found nl l a 8 a . e e O y in the v l ey, miles dist nt S v ral a t j ack r bbits had been brough in and eaten , and the Old wolf on her w av to the den had d t laid down her loa , evidently a jack rabbi , gone

e . 2 0 and t f asid some feet caugh a ru fed grouse, e e on e at n it the spot , and then resum d her load th a One and her journey to e w iting pups . small carpal bone in this den may have been from a dee or a ra e of a r sm ll elk , but no other t c g me was found . Talking with hunters and trappers who spend much time in the mountains when the snow is on the ground brought little positive information r f r on the dest uction o elk o deer by wolves . a e t Mr . George Glover, for s ranger long familiar with the Wind River Mountains in both winter d a a and summer, said that he had foun l rge h a blacktail buck w ich the wolves had e ten , but he suspected that it had been p reviously shot In of by hunt ers . many winters trapping where M has elk . were abundant, r Glover never found AN t RAP IN 46 WOLF D COYOTE T P G.

any evidence that elk had been killed by wolves . the elk Coyotes constantly follow herds , espe iall c y in Spring when the calves are being born , and probably destroy many Of the young, but wolves apparently do not Share this habit . It in e seems probably, however, that summ r the young of both elk and deer su ffer to some extent while the wolves are among them in the moun ” tains . of In the Northern Peninsula Michigan , wolves are very plentiful and large numbers Of e n deer are kill ed during the wint r mo ths , the s u remain being fo nd later by hunters , trappers , n a d lumbermen . The same conditions exist in

ort r M VV-isconsin a o i N he n innesota and , ls n parts Of Ontario , Canada . In the Rainy River a District , wolves have alw ys been abundant and a much game has been killed by them . F rther e s ast , they are ju t making their appearance of

‘ late years having followed the deer which are coming into the country from some other sec r e n Of tion . Farthe east , in the east rn portio s New Ontario and in some parts Of ! uebec wolves of our are also numerous . One friends from Northern Wisconsin writes as follows : “ I have trapped and caught five Old female ! wolves since I came to Iron County, Wisconsin six TWO of years ago . them I got in Michigan

Gogebic County, as I live almost on the line . OF T AND KILLING S OCK GAME . 47

There are times when you can see six or eight wolf tracks all going down the river or coming Y ou a up at the same time . can go ag in for a a week and never see a tr ck . I have followed w w them for a eek , in deep snow on sno shoes , and on e s and never left their track , in e w ek I et

Rem ns of D r K b es ai ee ill ed y Wolv .

50 ff traps at di erent deer that wolves had killed . I might have gotten a few more wolves but the “ ” and . fox , mink , cats , skunk , owls porkys ( por cu ines set p ) were bound to butt in . At one I ot 3 1 1 1 0 g a wolf, foxes , skunk , mink and

porkys till June. Two wolves caught a buck that would weigh 1 50 u 1 0 rods one po nds, within of my camp W AND O T T 48 OLF C YO E RAPPING .

xt mornin ' there as one night . The ne g w not pound of meat left on the bones . I had a tent and one shanty in Gogebic

County last winter, and I know the l 0 wo ves killed 5 0 deer on the snow . How many fawns and does did they kill in summer time when you cannot see their tracks ? The wild cats not so or are bad , a fawn , rabbit partridge makes for a meal them .

' In the far north where the barren ground is h caribou the principal game animal , and w ere wolves are plentiful , there can be no doubt that they kill large numbers Of those animals . Musk o oxen are also killed, and farther south the mo se is b killed y wolves, but it is our belief that the number is comparatively small . The moose is/ such a large and powerful animal that even a band Of half starved wolves will, as a rule , pass ' it but there of a by , can be no doubt the f ct that o they d kill them on rare occasions . The elk is a great enemv Of the wolf and it appears that they are seldom molested . Beyond all doubt the dee r is the principal prey Of the timber wol f CHAPTER IV

T S BOUN IE .

OR many years the state govern ments Of the wolf infested coun try have been paying bounties on

“ e wolves and coyot s , to encourage the hunting and trapping Of these is animals . It doubtful , however, whether the bounties Offered are sufficient to eh courage any , other than the regular trappers , to certainl v hunt wolves , and if they are, it has he an had no definite results , for t wolves d coy the are e otes , taken over whole country, pra tically as plentiful as ever . Realizing that the state bounties were not a

‘ f tO tra ers of su ficient inducement pp , certain the counties Of those states where wolves are most ff h a . e abundant , O er addition l bounty This has t effect Of thinning the wolves out Of that countv o alone, but they immediately become more pl n tiful in the adjoining portions of the country . n In some Of the Western S tates , the stockme a Od ered p y a bounty , in addition to that by the f f a state . Some o them even O fer speci l induce to ments , in addition the bounties paid on the men captured animals, and among them may be 4 49 0 WO AND O T T 5 LF C YO E RAPPING . tioned , board and lodging for the trapper , bait for the trap -s and the use of saddle and pack horses . Such special Offers to trappers have the effect Of stimulating the hunting and trapping Of noxious animals in that immediate vicinity is out and the result , a thinning Of the animals ‘ ra er drif for the time being . Usually the t pp s t into those sections where the animals are most is plentiful and the bounty highest . of the Government bulletins has the ' One following to say regarding the bounty question “ Bounti es, even when excessively high , have d f w th prove inef ective in keeping do n e wolves , and the more intelligent ranchmen are question s ing whether the bounty systempay . In the past ten years Wyoming has paid out in State boun t a ies Over on wolves lone, and on t t e wolves , coyo es and mountain lions ogeth r, and to this must be added still larger sums in ” n o n local and cou ty bounties the same animals . “ In many cases three bounties are paid on R each wolf . In the upper Green iver Valley ’ the local stockmen s association pays a bounty of 1 on 20 on row nf ’ do $ 0 each wolf pup , $ each g g

40 on a . wolf, and $ e ch bitch with pup Fremont s 3 of t e County add $ to each hese, and the Stat a of Of Wyoming $3 more . M ny the large ranch

' ers paya private bounty Of $1 0 to $2 0 inaddition

B T E OUN I S . 53

The failure Of bounties to accomplish their proposed obj ect w as clearly shown by Dr . T . S . 1 6 “ 89 . Palmer in Under the heading, What

” : have bounties accomplished , he says “ Advocates Of the bounty system seem to think that almost any species can be extermi nated in a short timeif the premiums are only

e . not high nough Extermination , however, is a of is mis question months, but Of years , and it a take to suppose that it can be accomplished rap a a idly except under extraordin ry circumst nces , s Of a in the case the buffalo and the fur seal .

Theoretically, a bounty Should be high enough to insure the destruction of at least a majority of it the individuals during the first season , but has already been shown that scarcely a single State has been able to maintain a high rate for and more than a few months , it is evident that e da of the higher the rate, the great r the nger the fraud . Although Virginia has encouraged killing of wolves almost from the first settle of a ment the colony, and has sometimes p id as

' hi h as 2 5 g $ apiece for their scalps , wolves were not exterminated until about the middle Of this the or had e ( past ) century, until the rewards be n in force for more than two hundred years . Nor did they become extinct in England until the of beginning the sixteenth century, although

‘ efi orts toward their extermination had b een be AND C T TR P WOLF OYO E A PING. gun in the reign of King Edgar ( 959 has on F rance, which maintained bounties th ese animals for h neces more t an a century, found it ‘ sary to increase the rewards to $30 and $40 in 1 882 no a , and in twelve years expended less th n ” for nearly wolves . The larger animals are gradually becoming not be rare, particularly in the East, but it can said that bounties have brought about the ex ” a Of termin tion a Single species in any State . “ New Hampshire has been paying for bears a 1 894 a about as long as M ine, but in the St te treasurer called attention to the large number or of reported by four five the towns , and added that should the other 234 towns ‘be equally suc cessful in breeding wild animal s for the Stat e tax market, in proportion to their levy, it would require a State tax l evy of nearly to i ’ Y pay the bounty cla ms . Even New ork with

- d on be 1 895 not. e rew the rewards ars in , becaus a but the they had become unnecess ry , because numbero f animals killed increased steadily each ” year . “ f WOlf skins are Often ruined by the require of the h ad ments bounty laws , especially when e , ff I o e or ar O . f et , ears e cut The mp rtance Of preserving the Skins in condition to bring the highest market price is as great as that of mak OU T B N IES. 5 5 m o to t ’ g it imp ssible collect boun ies twice . A Slit III the Skin can be sewed up so that it will on ca not on never show the fur side, but n be c l cea ed on the inside . A single longitudinal or or s 4 vertical Slit , double or cross lits inches is long, in the center where the fur longest, would serve every purpose of the law without

' seriously impairing the market value Of the ” skin . One thing that is detrimental to the success of “ the bounty system , is the invariable red tape connected with such laws . In some states the bounty regulations are so complicated and so s no o exacting, that trapper do t care t follow “ ” w olfing because of the trouble in securing the bounty money .

It would be impossible , in a work Of this to i s of f e kind , g ve the bounty law the di fer nt as so states , also they are repealed frequently, detailed information on that subject would be of little value to the prospective hunter or trap W i f . e o per g ve, however, an outline the regu lations s -s in ome Of the principal wolf state . The State of Wyoming pays a bountyof five dollars each on timber wolves and mountain

on a - fi e s for lions , and e doll r and twenty v cent ea to ch coyote . In addition this , there are both ’ county and stockmen s bounties in certain parts 5 6 W AND OT T OLF COY E RAPPING .

f r Of the state . Some ranchmen o fe as much as

- fiv d a for forty e ollars e ch , grey wolves caught o n their ranches . the on In order to secure state bounty, e must s to n or pre ent the entire skin the Cou ty Clerk, of the Notary Public , county in which the ani as f mal w killed, and accompanied by a fidavit to the effect that the animal was killed in that l o Skin on county, by the pers n presenting the , l 1 9 o st 09 . r after March , The Skin must have or the feet and upper j aw head, with both upper h be and lower lips a ttac ed . The head will then Off f l cut and destroyed by the county O ficia .

Applicants for bounty must be identified . to on With regard private bounties , e should t f n consult the coun y o ficials, but these , and i a as that c se, the state bounty also , are a rule, paid by the treasurer Of the association Offer ing the bounty . Wisconsin pays twenty dollars on Old wolv e s n and eight dollars each o pups . Half Of this bounty money is paid by the state and the other o . t half by the county . In order secure it , the trapper must take the carcass Of the animal to the Town Chairman and remove the scalp in e to ef his presence . He giv s a certificate that feet and the bounty claimant presents the scalp and certificate to the County Clerk , who destroys the scalp and gives an order to the County Treas U T E BO N I S . 5 7

- urer for one half of the bounty . The County Clerk also sends an affidavit to the State Treas urer , stating that you have presented the scalp and it has been destroyed and the claimant then receives the balance Of the bounty money from h t e state . In the State Of Washington the bounty is fif teen dollars on timber wolves and one dollar on coyotes . The method of procuring the bounty as given here is copied direct from the game law pamphlet : “ Upon the production to the county auditor Of any county of the entire hide or pelt and right fore leg to the knee joint intact of any cou k gar, lynx , wild cat , coyote or timber wolf, illed or l in such county , each of which hides pe ts of shall show two ears , eye holes , skin to tip

' knee oin nose, and right fore leg to the j intact , the county auditor shall require satisfactory proof that such animal w as killed in such county . When the county auditor is satisfied th at such a a as he nim l w killed in his county, shall cut from such h ide or pelt the bone Of the right fore leg to the knee as aforesaid which shall be burned in the presence of such auditor and one ' Oflicial certifv to other county , who shall the ” date and place Of such burning . Utah pays a bounty Of ten dollars on grey wolves and two dollars and fifty cents on coyotes . W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

The entire skin , with tail , feet and the bones Of le to to the g , the knee, must be presented the County Clerk within sixty days of the date on which said animal w as killed . The County Clerk must then remove and destroy the bones of the legs and the applicant will Sign an affidavit t the s ating that animal was killed by himself, in that county and within Sixty days prior to th at d ate . The county Official will then send a certified statement to the State Auditor, along with the other papers , who , after same have been exam ined , will transmit the bounty money to the claimant . NO bounty w ill be paid on the skin of a grey wolf until it ‘ has been seen and passed upon by the board of county commissioners at their first regular meeting . Bounty claimants must be identified by a reputable citizen and tax payer of the county . In Minnesota the bounty on grown wolves is seven dollars and fifty cents and one dollar for wolf pups . The bounty regulations are pra e tically the same as in the otherstates ; the entire skin “ with head and ears intact must be presented to the Town Clerk within thirty days and the applicant must take affidavit as to the date and place Of the killing . is cor In other states , if our information

AND O OTE T 60 WOLF C Y RAPPING .

W T IN OU T T AS E B N Y PAYMEN S. The bounty system has everywhere proved an to a a incentive fr ud , and thous nds of dollars are wasted annually in paying bounties on coy ote f of scalps O fered in place wolves, and on the of an scalps dogs , foxes , coons , badgers , d even catS - Off for n , which are palmed wolves a d coy otes . If in all state s having the bounty system e t whol skins, including nose, ears , fee , and tail

Of both adult and young animals, were required as for os valid evidence bounty payments , the p ; sibility Of deception would be reduced to a mini i mum . The common practice O paying bounty on or e a scalps alone, in som cases merely the e rs, is d n angerous , as even an expert can ot always t satisfac posi ively identify such fragments . A tory way of marking Skins on which the bounty has been paid is by a slit 4 to 6 inches long he a between t e rs . This does not injure the skins

- e for subsequent use. If all bounty paying stat s W t of ould adopt such a system , the possibili y collecting more than one bounty on the same ” Skin in different. states would be avoided . “ The following direction s h ave been prepared as an aid to county and state Ofli cers in identi f in Of y g scalps , skins , and Skulls wolves and

-S s coyote , the pups Of wolve , coyotes, red, grey,

bob- s and kit foxes, and young cats, coon and badgers ? T BOUN IES . 6 1

The variation in dogs is so great that no one set of characters Wi ll always distinguish them or t from wolves coyo es , but when there is reason to suspect that dogs are being presented for bounties , their skins and skulls Should be sent to the Survey for positive identifi ! Biological It cation . goes without saying that anyone de tected in such fraud should be prosecuted with a view to the suppression of these dishonest ” practices .

K EY T D T W V AND T O A UL OL ES COYO ES .

W LF Y T O . CO E O .

‘ Width of nose pad Ii to It inches i to 1 i nch W i d t h of h eel pad of

front foot H; to 2 inch es 1 i nch Upp er canine tooth g reatest diameter at ba se to i nch to inch

These characters will not always hold in Oklahoma and Texas east and south of the a W is a Staked Pl ins, here there small wolf in

“ size between the C oyote and Lobo or Plains wolf .

“ KEY TO W C‘ T AND FO! OLF , OYO E PUPS.

WOLF PU S P .

M z e s at rt f n in mont o u zl blacki h bi h , adi g a h r 6 w eeks to re g yi sh .

He re s in e e ontr st to b of n n ad g yi h d cid d c a lack back , ose a d

ears. D es of ose Hee P s and C n ne Teet ifference in Siz N s, l ad a i h

s n o otes of Wolv e a d C y . 62 T BOUN IES . 63

f n to re in m n r e t s s o t o 6 e . Ea rs black at ip , adi g g yi h a h w ks i T f n to re t t . ail black , adi g g y wi h black p

YOTE’ S CO P UP .

n or e o s ro n e om n mor s Muzzl e taw y, y ll wi h b w , b c i g e yell owi h

with age.

o r no stron ntr s e r of Head yell wi sh g ey, t gly c o a t d with est o b dy. n Ea rs da rk b rown at tip s and back , soon fadi g to yell owi sh b rown i f n re t . Tail black , adi g to g y wi h black t p

ED Fox P U S R P .

Muzzl e blacki sh . of f t e o Head du sky with sid e ac e ligh y ll wi sh .

r ne h o of e r r Ea rs la ge , a rly t e wh l e back a s b ight black at al l

ages. Eyes and ea rs rela tiv ely la rger and nose pad small er than in

or o f coyote w l .

T s ti te at s e . ail du ky, p whi all ag

REY Fox P U S G P .

Muzzl e blacki sh .

He re s f e or e e s r e er and re ad g yi h , ac back y s ha ply p pp salt g y.

E rs r e of e r s at ti f o s at se a la g , back a s du ky p, ulv u ba .

E es an n m y d ose pad s all . T t ti a ail wi h p black t all ages.

KIT Fox PUPS.

Mu le t s c n zz wi h blacki h pat h o each sid e.

He and fa e ta n r e o ro n ad c w y o y ll wi sh b w .

E rs t n o a c r t a aw y with u t bl ck ba k s o ip s.

E es r er and no ma e n y la g se pad s ll r tha in young coyote. Tail with tip black at all ages AND O T T WOLF C YO E RAPPING .

K EY TO YOUNG T COONS AND D CA S, BA GERS .

n o t are m str an s te o n f Y ou g b bca s uch ip ed d p ot d . Y u g cats o any kind can be di stingui sh ed by the sh ort nose and

ro n u d h ead . Y oung c oons hav e a b road black band ac ross the fac e and

e es or ere o e b n y b d d ab v y a ligh t ba d .

o n ers e te str e et een he e s Y u g badg hav a whi ip b w t ye .

The bounty laws have always been a good thing for the trapper as they have helped much a lucrative one towards making his occupation , , is o has but, as before explained , it d ubtful if it ever , in any marked degree, tended to decrease the numbers of predatory animals . It is true that continued trapping w ill cause of the numbers wolves and coyotes to diminish , but would not the trapping be prosecuted prac ? tically the same, even if there were no bounties the We believe that it would , for if bounty f o f ered were any great incentive, there would be more trapping done during the summer when f the furs w ere o no account . Neither do we believe that it ever i nduces others , not trappers , to kill these animals , for they will kill them on every opportunity , bounty o a ’ for r no bounty . It is m n s nature to kill , he is the enemy of all animal life . H TER C AP V .

Y NG E AND T S HUNTING OU WOLV S COYO E .

F THE ' many methods of hunting and otherwise capturing wolves and em the coyotes, ployed by profession “ ” al wolfers o f the west, none is more remunerative than the hunt ing of the young animals during the Spring season. While the fur of the adult animals is of little value at that time and that of the young is not h worth saving, the bounty whic is usually paid for wolf and covote pups will fully compen sate for all loss from that source . At that tim e of r is r year ( March , April and May ) the e ve y it fur an to e l tle of y value , b had but the wolf hunter can combine w olf trapping and the hunt of of the ing the parent animals with . the killing youn by g, and the large bounties paid many of the states and the various provinces of Can e one o ada , will alon enable to d a profitable business . In those parts of our country where the ex

- - termination of the w olves a nd c oyo tes - is- meces l sary for the protection of stock and game and the authorities and stockmen co- operate for the 5 65

68 W AND C T T OLF OYO E RAPPING .

of d y the t destruction pre ator animals , hun ing of the young animals dur i ng the breeding season should be especially encouraged . In no other way canthe number of wolves be so surely reduced . To those who are well acquainted with of of th e habits the wolf, their time breeding and s e of the mo t favor d breeding grounds , this mode m hunting is ver y si ple . Wolves breed much earlier than is commonly

' e supposed , even by stockmen who have resid d for a considerable length of time in the wolf country The majority of y oung wolves are born i n March in the IVestern States and the young of the coyote make their appearance main l i of y in Apr l , but occasional litters both will a appe r in May , and grey wolves may be born h at any time during t e summer . of On th e western cattle range , the dens the wolf and coyote are located mainly in the val levs among the foothills of the mountain ranges lo a t and among the w mountains , but seldom f hill or l . o any great e evation The steep side a t canyon facing the south is the most favored lo o cation , and the r ugher and more broken and brushy the ground , the better it suits the wolves for denning purposes . They especially like

. knolls , strewn with large boulders , from which the male parent can watch for the approach of enemies. T E AND T HUN ING YOUNG WOLV S COYO ES . 69

A the is s before mentioned , mode Of hunting l is very simp e . All that necessary is to look carefully over the breeding grounds until tracks are found and these should be followed to the i a . s t den It s fe to say that at tha time Of year, out o a nine Of every ten tracks will lead t den . e a On the north rn portions Of the r nge , there is almost certain to be good tracking snow during a the e the e rly part Of breeding s ason , but even if the ground is bare it is not generally a dif l h ficu t matter to trail the animals to t e den . A track that has been made in the evening should be followed backwards and one made in the as morning should be followed forwards , the wolves do most Of their hunting at night and h return to the den In the early morning. W en one the track can not be followed , if can get the o Of a eu general c urse it , the lay Of the l nd will h one ou o to a t e . able , many ccasions , loc te den r s or Whenever the hunte hears Of wolve , their a signs h ving been seen frequently , he should As make a diligent search for the den . the Old mother wolf always goes to the nearest water to a a e drink , the number Of tr cks at wat ring place will Often be a dead give - away and a careful search Of the locality will u su ally result in the den discovery Of the den . As th e is approached , a r the tr cks w ill become more numerous , and nea b y there will be well beaten trails . Where tracks AND O T T 70 WOLF C YO E RAPPING . are numerous one should keep watch for the as he w on male, sentinel wolf, ill always be the lookout somewhere near the den and his position one As will enable to locate it more readily . one a approaches , the male anim l will howl and , endeavor to draw the hunter Off in pursuit and n thus prevent the finding Of the de . Their tricks On such occasions show considerable intelligence. d on When looking for ens bare ground, a i do a s . g, if he underst nds the work very useful fox is on fox is ood A hound that well trained g , for i but if trained this style Of hunting espec ally, to s on will be found be better . Unles the trail Of a bachelor wolf, which by the way are occasion i do ally found dur ng the breeding season , the g is will readily trail the wolf to the den . It best to go early in the morning as the trail will be fresh er at that time and the dog is more apt to i follow a fresh trail , therefore , more certa n one of Of locating the den . In all probability, the Old wolves will attempt to draw the dog Off for or t o i a mile w , but n that case the mother will n r h r e e deavor to eturn to e young . Sometim s they find it necessary to fight the dogs and try to keep them from approaching too near the a den . An yw y the actions Of the animals will show when they are in the vicinity Of the den, which may then be readily located . One hunter who uses a dog for this styl e

2 WO AND OT T 7 LF COY E RAPPING .

“ h : The kind of a do Of unting says , g needed goOd cold trailer and an

everlasting stayer . Then if he will only run a short distance after starting the wolf and c ome back and hunt the pups and then bark at them ou do when found , y have a good g that is worth l a arge price . There are plenty Of dogs that will t W hunt and rail olves all right, but very few ‘ th that will hunt e pups .

T he den i s usuallya. natural one ; a hole worn

‘ fin the b the or rocks y elements , in washed out

a . c vities in the hard , ground Of the bad lands

' Down in the valleys they sometimles den in the ‘

r w . a or g ound, enlarging the burro Of a b dger o The is as . a ther animal Opening , rul e, large enough to allow one to enter and secure the o s pups, but s metime it will be necessary to dig ! 3 ‘ For o . the den pen dens in the rocks , which are

oo - to l o e to the t small a low n enter, hunter should hOO on a provide a k, something the order Of

gafi hook such . as is used by fisherm en . The k h b of hoo s ould e fair size , very sharp , and ‘ should be attached to a handle about three or

‘ ‘ fOll I feet in leng th . A famous western wolf a hunter in speaking of his outfit says “ I will say to the boys who intend to hunt or pups , get two three strong fish hooks and a You strong cord and carry them in your pocket . can usually find a small stick or pole of some HU TI G YOU G W V AND O OT N N N OL ES C Y ES. 7 3

on kind . When you find a den, tie your hooks s a co-rd e end Of tick , wr pping v ry tight . If you on on a o e s . use tw hooks , put e ch side Of tick if Shove your stick . the den among the pups and turn or twist it and you will soon have a pup hooked . This works the best Of anything I have h r a e . ever tried . w ere pups small I have gotten of many a bunch pups this way, when my pick i i or shovel would be f ve or s x miles away.

’ The H nter s O tfi u u t.

Wheh the pups get too large and strong to

i u out ut on the stick p ll alive , I p a candle , shove on it into the den and lav my stomach . With a 22 rifile I shoot the pups in the head and then l out they are easily pul ed with the fish hooks . foi out I mean this dens that cannot be dug , as there are many Of them in rock ledges and in i Of s holes in the sol d rock . Instead the candle b this to use mentioned y hunter, som e prefer a “ ”

o e . lantern and n wolfer uses a hunting lamp,

I CHAPTER V .

HU TI G E W TH DO N N WOLV S I GS .

EYOND all doubt wolf chasing as it is practiced in some parts Of the country I s one Of the most fascinating Of Sports and in a place where the ah imals are fairly plentiful and the surface Of the country is not too t rough , is also profitable . In par s Of i the states Of Minnesota , Wisconsin and Mich r use igan , some Of the professional wolfe s this ‘ method Of s ecuring th eir game and in the states lying west Of the Mississippi River and east Of o the Rocky M untains , also in Western Canada , ‘ wolf hunting is a very popular sport among the a m r nch en . Among the dogs that are most approved Of ma by the wolf and coyote hunters , y be men tioned x the fo hound , the greyhounds , and stag , of bounds various varieties , the bloodhound and cro sses Of these dogs . The grey hounds are the Swiftest of dogs and a pair Of them are inva

. he riablV to b e found in a pack , t balance being do the some heavier and fiercer breed Of g, such as

’

fox or crOSS . blood hound , hound a Of the two It is the grey hounds that run the game down 76 H T VE TH D UN ING WOL S WI OGS . 77 and hold it until the arrival Of the balance Of the

c . pa k , the heavier dogs doing the actual fighting One who has follow ed wolf bunting extensively gi ves the following Short but interesting descrip “ t r : ion Of the spo t On the Open plains Of the west, wolves are Often hunted with large swift running s o a or s or dog , grey h unds, st g wolf hound their on the crosses . The hunters go horseback and wolves are usuallv rou sed out Of some coulee or draw . Sometimes trail hounds are used to on be start the game, breaking from cover and i f i h i ng s g ted by the running dogs the race s on. W and olf , dogs horsemen; rac e across the Often rough and dangerous ground at breakneck speed . he or T wolf, manoeuvering to gain the coulee cover Of som e sort and get out Of Sight Of th e dogs ( the running dogs have only Slight scent ing, powers and depend entirely On their Sight ) . The and lighter swifter grey hounds, as a rule, are the first to overtake the wolf and by coming a up alongside and sn pping at his flanks , force e him to turn and fac them , thus giving the heavIer and fi ercer wolf hounds a chanc e to close in and grapple with and kill the wolf . Unless a e th e dogs are well trained and very cour g ous , a large timber wolf Often proves more than a ” for match the bunch Of four or five dogs . NO matter what kind Of dogs are used, they

-rs must be good tongue and good fighters, and WO F AND CO OTE TR P G 78 L Y AP IN . must have an abundanc e Of strength and endur ‘ ance . It is needless to say that the dog must be e a e trained and this must be done at an arly g . do o e for The young g Sh uld never be run alon , the wolf is likely to fight it Off and once the young dog is driven back it will be Spoiled for e hunting purpos s . One Of our Kansas friends in speaking Of “ wolf dogs says : I Ve have plenty Of wolves ( coyotes ) and have had for the twenty years w e a AS to w e h ve kept dogs . breeding, used an E ng e c e a lish gr yhound bitch with ourage , spe d and special hatred for a wolf, crossed with an Eng fox s lish hound with all the qualitie necessary, except the speed . We then picked the bitch With the most good qualities and crossed her with an ere other fox hound whose ancestry is perfect . H we get the dog we are using now and with which r e we have made the most satisfacto y Of catch s . We seldom have a run lasting more than three an not hours d catch many, when vegetation is n n too o e o e . high , in from to and a half hours Where thi s dog has the advantage over the fox hound is in speed and the fact that it is ever on h the watch a ead for the game . Evidently the party w ho used this breed Of dog one e all has endeavored to instil into the typ , Of the good qualities Of the several breeds that go Of s It to make up the regulation pack wolf dog . HU T E W TH D 7 9 N ING WOLV S I OGS . is one Of o surmised , also , that the breed d g is I n a . Vester used alone , when ch sing wolves In is and Canada , wolf hunting a favorite Sport one of the hunters from that section in Speaking on this subj ect gives the following method Of hunting“ “ a the First , we put box on Sleigh big enough our the to hold dogs and n hook up a lively team , s ! and strike acros the country , leaving the dogs “l h n . e run along Side a wolf is Sighted , we get the dogs into the box and drive as close to the ’ wolf as we can— that s usually from three to five hundred yards —then turn the dogs loose and o cheer them to victory . The d gs usually run w a down the olf within mile, and we follow as fast as horse flesh can take us . When the lead in g dog gets alongside, the wolf stops , and in a second the dogs form a circle around him and he is a goner . Some hunters just turn the dogs loose , not knowing when they are ever going to T see them again . hat plan would not work with me . Good hounds are too expensive to monkey or with that way . I have found that letting one

’ a w olf a two dogs on trail spoils them , bec use one w w a olf ill give two dogs all they can h ndle , and sometimes a little bit more, especially if they are young dogs . It takes . two Old dogs at to on o least , handle e w lf, and I have seen them i The get the hard end Of t . wolf perhaps would

H T E TH DO UN ING WOLV S WI GS. 8 1 take to running int o the scrub and then it ’ wouldn t be long until a pair Of wolves would be ‘ ’ slashing your dogs or fleecing the stuffing out ” Of them . ho Those w make a business Of wolf hunting, r o in other words , those who hunt for profit, do not always allow the d ogs to fight and kill the

’ carr a on wolf, but y gun with them , all occa sions and if they have an opportunity to shorten h s the c ase by mean Of a well directed bullet ,

not do SO. r e do hesitate to _ A high powered ifl Should be used and one Should learn to handl e

- it in a business like way . In the Western States wh ere the large ranches are rapidly disappearing b and the farm , with the arbed wire fence is its o be a taking place, wolf hunting will so n K on th . e e e thing Of the past Mr . Jack ins y, Of e descri most noted wolfers Of the West, giv s a p n he tion Of an exciti g wolf chase, in which in illustrates this point, and we give th e story his ow n words : “ While I w as in Dakota last winter I had as two exciting wolf chases . I w stopping with

. . e Mr Wm Clanton , a cowman , living s ven miles . as his south Of Harding, S . D . One day I w in on Shop putting a coyote hide a stretcher, when one Of his neighbors drove up and asked Mr . a n a ‘Y es e Cl nto if he had a rifle . He s id , , ther 6 2 LE AND OO OTE TR 8 WO Y APPING .

‘ ’ ho has one his is a wolfer here w Why, friend ‘ t are said , here two big grey wolves just back i ” over that h ll . “ I waited for no more but ran for my horse n C saw to a d gun . lanton me going th e barn and his NO a told me to bring horse . W I w s not long in getting those horses and we were soon on i e the r trail . We followed th ir tracks about

n - o e and one half miles when we Sighted them . Picking out the largest Of the tw o w e both rode after him . The wolf started west towards some o bad lands , but Mr . Clanton was riding a g od o th young horse and he So n turned e wolf south , but now he w ash eaded straight for a wire fence . “ M r . Clanton would have succeeded in turn u Of ing him again , but he str ck a ditch full snow , SO the wolf got inside th e pasture but I was

- fixed for wire fenceS. I had my trapping axe on my saddle and soon made a gate that we did not or stop to fix up . We had run th e wolf five six our e miles by this time, and horses wer

! pretty well winded . SO we pulled them up and let them take a Slowergait until we got through the other Side Of the pasture . “ AS o I said before , Mr . Clant n was riding e SO W the best hors , he kept the outside hile I took advantage Of the cuts : Mr . Clanton was j ust far enough ahead Of me to make one throw at the

w . olf with his rope, but he missed him The wolf

4 W AND O T TR 8 OLF OYO E APPING .

a w as not a with Ike second, a s he s fast as

Lucy . “ Away we all go across the prairie with the team and buggy following the reservation fence th to keep e coyote away from the fence . It was a o a Short ch se , as Lucy soon had Mr . Coy te by the hind leg and turned him on hiS’ back quicker than it can be told , and Ike being close at hand SO e w e soon had him by the throat , by the tim could get out hors es stopped and turned Mr .

Coyote was no more. “ for After Skinning, we started the buggy N 2 and Sheldon reported coyote O. headed south a down the draw , and Earl went after him round o r the hill and drove him back u way . “A Shout from that direction and the dogs N 2 a i have discovered O. and we are aw y W th not be Lucy in the lead , and this time we are far SO ot e hind , that when the dogs g him we wer t not t SO right here, and the coyote much hur , he gets a rope halter and is stowed away alive under the buggy seat . “ The dogs are panting hard and are very thirsty, with no water closer than five miles , SO not on the we head for home, but far away hillside another one is seen and the buggy starts l to t toward the eft head him oward the ranch ,

' so the dogs will be running tow ard home when hi they jump m. T E W TH DO 8 5 HUN ING WOLV S I GS.

“ a Off This time Ike c tches Sight and is , and Off is Lucy cuts across to head him . It a Short for chase, Old Ike soon has his favorite hold and i all s over . “ After Skinning w e started for home and as ' ’ ’ I hadn t ridden much for over a year you can feelin rett gamble I was g \p y sore, for the pace ’ f boun s set a pack o d isn t Slow by a long shot . On driving into the yard the dogs were not Slow th o e about getting into e h us and lying down . “ to The live coyote we tied the buggy wheel , and whil e I w as gone after a strap and chain he ‘ ’ bit the rope Off and cut th e mustard for parts unknown with about a foot Of rope still hang to ing him . “ We have good hunting here in the Spring and and fall , plenty Of chickens , some ducks and geese, with lots Of jack rabbits and ( Flicker a e T ils ) , prairi e dogs, and their Sid partners, a owls and r ttlers . “ bar Our outfit is the circle outfit , O and I think our Holstein cattle are among the first h e s herds in t e state. Hav since thi hunt disposed Of my interest in the O but still have a bunch Of t the cat le at Presho, which supply town with ” milk . C HAPTER VI I .

T H T E AN D OOYOTES S ILL UN ING WOLV S .

s as UNTI N G wolve with dogs , de scribed in the preceding chapter is certainly exciting sport but it is ' doubtful if it is as remunerative as

- i still hunting, especially n the rough sections where hunting w ith Of dogs i s almost impracticabl e. In parts the l country where wolves and coyotes are plentifu , as they are in many Of the thinly settled por “T t tions Of the est , they may be s ill hunted at a all times of the ye r . In the heavily timbered is onlv parts Of the North , this method practical in winter .

The outfit that is needed for Still - hunting in the West is one or more good saddle horses and ow the necessary equipment and a good, high p ered rifle . A pair Of field glasses will also be useful , but some hunters equip their rifles with telescope Sights and thefield glass is unneces s f W sary . Hunter di fer in their Views , and ith a is reg rd to rifles especially , there a great dif One to be ference Of Opinion . What believes admir perfect, and which answers his purpose use for ably, another has no whatever . 86 H T W V AND O OT 8 STILL U N ING OL ES OY ES. 7

The arm selected should , however, have con r le Of side ab power, and the flight the bullet a o O n the should be rapid, with low traj ect ry , Western Plains the atmosphere is SO light and

is. e to transparent , and there such a samen ss Of one the surface , the country that may easily be deceived in distances and with the high pow ered long - ranged is less liability of as the t a is errors , accurate estima ing Of dist nces s not neces ary . A gun Of rapid action is also to be recom mended and beyond all doubt the automatic acting arms are superi or for shooting at running game . Personally , if the writer were selecting for an arm this kind Of hunting, a high pow it ered automatic rifle would be chosen , and would be fitted with a small bead front sight n a d hunting peep rear Sight . For use on horse to back the Shorter barrels are be preferred . In Speaking Of the outfit it is presumed that the wolf hunter would be a resident Of the west ern country and would be hunting from home or a a nyway , making his headquarters at some r nch s and hunting from there . If, however , he want out or to go into Virgin territory, if a stranger , he might find it necessary to camp out and in that case he would require a complete camping use outfit . Some Of the western wolfers covered wagons for camps and thi s style Of camp is very

H T O V S AND OT 8 9 STILL UN ING W L E OOY ES.

as the convenient it may be moved easily , but if is is surface Of the country very rough , this plan a not practical . In that c se a tent would be needed and the hunter would use a pack horse in moving camp .

Speaking Of saddle horses , in the more arid o is parts Of the wolf c untry , the vegetation scanty and horses require considerable time in For ie which to rustle food . that reason the san horse can not be used each day and one Should have several SO that each would have plenty of n a . o e time to recuperate, after use If can Obt in horses that will allow one to shoot from the

SO . NO saddle, much the better special knowl t is one edge Of hun ing required , but Should be use expert in the Of the rifle, and Should also ' i is be a good rider . All that s necessary to ride e over the rougher parts Of the country, wher wolves are most likely to be seen , and keep a f r sharp lookout o the game . It is always best to hunt to windward as one can approach cl oser o t the game . Where the bounty is sufficient to make sum mer hunting profitable, we would recommend a this style Of hunting at th t time Of year . In not summer, hunting with dogs is as Simple a matter as in winter and trapping is not as good as For co during the colder part of the year . y o n is tes, still hu ting a very successful method E AND O T T P 90 WOL OYO E RA PING . in parts Of the country w here the animals are plentiful and there is probably no place in which the method could be used t o better advantage than in the sheep - raising district Of Montana i and Wyoming . There coyotes may be S ghted every day and if the hunter would make a prac tice Of following up the large herds Of Sheep to Of the summer range, h e would always be sure an o abundance f game . One is most likely to Sight coyotes by rid ing along the coulees and over the rougher a ground . About pr irie dog towns are excellent n places , as there they will freque tly be found looking for the little inhabitants Of the burrows . t Other good places are the ragged , craggy par s of the Bad Lands and in the sage brush along the watercourses . In winter one may follow the tracks in the snow and will stand a better chance Of securing not the game . While still hunting alone might prove a very profitable method Of hunting if one for l were hunting bounty, it Shou d always be used in connection with trapping and den hunt AS ing . mentioned in a previous chapter one will Often get shots at the adult animals near the On Of den dens and if e knows Of the location a , et he may Often g a Shot by watching it . Any wa r b it y the ifle Should always e carried , and

92 WOLE AND OOYOTE TRAPPING .

O w s ing . n these trips over the trap line I al ay carried my 30- 30 carbine On the saddle and had surprised and shot three coyotes , besides Shoot

nt Kill ed by the Still Hu .

one i ng at several more , Of which was wounded but escaped by crawling into a deep hole in a

- B a men bad land butte. esides the three nimals T H T W V AND T 93 S ILL U N ING OL ES COYO ES . tioned , I had caught in my traps up to that time, some twenty more .

“ ‘ On this particular morning the Spirit of ’ the Wild called loudly , for as every hunter i n knows , there is something the air Of autumn ’ at r which gets into one s blood times , and the e

! ’ o‘ n is no remedy except t g o o a hunt . My trap SO line had been looked at the day before, I was r sod free for the day. Retu ning to the little ot house which I called my home, I g my rifle r as as and Six shooter, prepa ed a lunch and soon a the st ge had arrived , changed horses and de a for parted , I mounted my horse and hit the tr il the hills to the westward . “ The section Of the country to the west Of the

w as - a station Of the bad l nd type, groups Of n buttes and ridges , radiating in every directio , seamed and honey - combed by the rains Of cen turies. th c is While e ountry very dry, the rains do the are veritable deluges when they come, and ordinarily dry water courses become raging tor a rents . Along these creek beds , sage and gre se no ve e wood brush was abundant ; in the hills , g t ion as a at was to be found . It w at all times paradise for coyotes and occasionally a band of How grey wolves strayed through those parts . ever , the wolves had been rarely met with Since the stockmen had abandoned the cattle industry AND O OT T 94 WOLE C Y E RAPPING .

a t and gone to Sheep r ising, but the coyo es had increased in numbers . “ Of e be At this time the year, the Sheep w re ing driven down from the mountains into their winter range and in addition to the coyotes which remained , throughout the summer, in the

- a s u e bad l nd , the still larger n mber which mak a practice Of following up the great bands of on Sheep were also appearing the scene, and h t e day promised good sport . “ Riding westward about tw o and a half Of s e miles , I struck the bed a tr am and followed it up towards the hills . Here, I knew there were several prairie dog village s and about such one to SO places is almost certain find coyotes , I turned my horse that way in the hope Of get n r ting a shot at o e Of the w a v animals . My w on the fond hopes ere realized , for rounding hill at the edge Of the first village I Saw a large coyote Slinking guiltily over . the crest Of the no to a nearest ridge, but giving me chance dr w the gun before he passed out Of sight . Hastily to to saw n riding the p Of the ridge, I the a imal making his get - away down the draw at the other side and throwing my carbine to my shoulder, I caught a quick aim and fired just as he w as rounding a spur Of the ridge about a hundred

- f and fifty yards away . Snap Shooting rom horseback is uncertain at all times and on this T H T W V AND O T 95 S ILL UN ING OL ES OYO ES . occasion I had barely time to catch a hal f SO w as hearted aim , not very hopeful regarding u the res lts Of my Shot . “ Riding up to the spot, I dismounted and on w as looking the ground over , elated to find a t Splotch Of blood, but far her search revealed no

Of ames a other traces the g Natur lly, I supposed that the animal had gone on down the draw and mounting my horse I rode Slowly down the hol a low, keeping sharp lookout for the coyote . After looking the ground over for a quarter Of no the a mile or more, and finding Signs Of game, a a w as I decided that this anim l , nyway, lost and returned to the scene Of the shooting . Dis ng mounti once more, I took the rifle and climbed l to the top Of the ridge to see what ay beyond . Imagine my surprise and delight when on reach the w as low saw ing top , which at this point , I ’ n es the wou ded coyote , vainly endeavoring to cape at the bottom Of the depression on the other

Side . “ The first glance showed that the animal w as badly wounded and could not last long, but fear a ing that it would fall into hole , I took a hasty Shot and had the satisfaction Of seeing it crum

t . ple down , apparen ly lifeless On approaching, t however , I found that it still re ained enough a at life to make a vicious sn p my hand, missing A that member by only a few inches . s I 96 WO E AND O OT T L C Y E RAPPING .

e w to a watch d it , undecided hether Shoot it ag in or b its its leave it ide own time, it breathed s la t . “ It was a fine, large specimen and after Skin ning it, which required some twenty minutes Of a s my time, I looked it over and found th t my fir t a bullet had struck it in the right hip , bre king the bone and passing through the body diag

' onall t as y, emerging at the lef Shoulder . It w certainly a good Shot and had I been using soft point bullet cartridges instead Of full metal in patched, the animal would have been killed ntl sta . y I t is surprising, however, how tenaci r t ous of life these animals a e. The second Sho had passed through the Shoulders . “ I returned to the prairie dog villages but and saw no more coyotes . I did see a badger fired at it just as it was about to enter the bur

row s d the n a e . o , but mis e a im l entir ly G ing back to the creek bed I followed on up into the hills to a small alkali spring where I halted to eu eat my lunch . The water from this spring tirely disappears within tw o hundred yards of sun w as the place where it rise s. The shining h fiercely ot by this time, and after eating my lunch I made a cigarette and crawled into the grateful Shadow Of the bank where I rested for to e a full hour . I had intended make a larg circle but found now that I would not have the T H T AND S ILL UN ING WOLVES OOYOTES . 97 time that such a trip would necessitate and so decided to go On northward through this range of bills and return home over the trap line . “ At the edge Of the hills I found the traces Of a sheep outfit and on rounding a spur SO as e to Obtain a good View Of the little valley b yond, I saw the white topped wagon Of the herder

~ - Side but at the far , the sheep were farther down and the hollow . Here I expected to find coyotes on a I was not disappointed , for riding through a patch Of sage which covered several acres , coyote broke cover on the opposite Side Three

- Shots followed each other in rapid succession , throwing dirt and gravel over the fleeing animal but without harming him , and having no other o e ffect than to increase his Speed . I f llowed for some distance but failed to get another Shot Of at the coyote and soon lost sight it . Signs of coyotes were numerous here and about a mile farther I found the remains Of two Sheep which s had been killed and eaten by the animal . “ AS I rode over a small sag Of a ridge and saw entered the head Of a long narrow hollow , I a coyote trotting along down the draw about two t o hundred yards below me . The animal started run before I could catch aim and I emptied the magazine in short order the last Shot dropping w as not the, coyote, but it badly hurt and leaping Off How to its feet it made down the hollow . 9 WO AND OT T 8 LE COY E RAPPING .

‘ it enabled o ever, me t get quite close and putting to w spurs the horse, I follo ed the animal , firing with my revolver ; The third Shot rolled it over m k covotes out and a fourth finished it , a ing two of three shot at that day . “ Skinning the animal I mounted and hur ried on to look at the traps . There were Sixteen traps in the lin e and all but tw o Of them had as e . w been undisturb d Of these two , the bait taken from one but the wary animal had ap parently known just where the trap lay and u had avoided it, the other held a yo ng, female a c oyote . After looking at the tr ps , I returned home and dressed and stretched the Skins of the captured animals . “ The skin Of the coyote is Of no value as fur, at that time Of the year, but the combined state ’ and stockmen s bounties aggregated $4 on each ’ 1 2 f r SO a o . animal , th t I had $ my day s hunt During the fall and early winter I captured by a y me ns Of traps and gun , a hundred and thirt un three coyotes and four Wolves . All Of the prime skins taken that fall were tanned by mv ” self and made into robes .

1 00\ WO AND O OT T LE C Y E RAPPING .

e detect it as soon as the bai t touches the tongu . w but I n such cases , the drug is never swallo ed , may be dropped on the Spot or as is more Often a is the case, it may be carried a consider ble d a w it t nce a ay before is dropped . Again if the w w ma animal s allo s the poisoned bait , it y be some time before it dissolves in the wolf’ s stom ach and the poison begins to act , and if the wolf Of the it begins to feel the effects drug, may ff s start O on a run . In either ca e it is not likely to be found even if there is snow on the ground as the wind will soon obliterate the tracks .

In the government. pamph let before men i e sa t on d . , Mr Bailey has the following to y about poisoning : “ Many wolves are killed by poisoning, and more would be SO killed if the methods followed s were les crude . Strychnine is generally used i with nothing to disgu se its intense bitterness , the powder being either in serted in bits Of meat r o fat or merely spread on a fresh carcass. In most cases the wolf gets a taste Of the bitter l d drug and rej ects it, and if the dose is swa lowe it may be too small to be fatal or SO large as Old r to act as an emetic . An and expe ienced wolf will rarely touch bait poisoned in the ordi a w a a n ry y, but sometimes whole family Of young may be killed at. a carcass; Usually when V S 1 01 POISONING WOL E .

the o SO wolves are poisoned , yg far before they die that if found at all it is not until their TO Skins are Spoiled . encourage poisoning, it must be possible to secure the skins in good

' or at the t condition , least , to find animals ‘af er SO they are killed , that the ranchman may have the satisfaction Of knowing that he has accomp

’ lished something tow ard the protection Of his ” stock . “ In the use Of poison it is Of first importance to determine the amount that will kill with cer tainty in the Shortest possible time . According to German and French authorities on toxicology , the smallest dose Of strychnine that will kill a

25 pound dog is approximately one- fourth Of a 1 grain . ! uadruple this for a 00 pound wolf and 2 a . . S Of we have gr ins Mr . B R . RO S, the Hud ’ a t son s Bay Comp ny , found that this quanti y would kill a wolf quickly . Experiments by

a . Prof . D vid E Lantz , Of the Biological Survey, would indicate the best results from a still larger a 2 1 Sev dose . One grain killed pound dog in ent - fiv 2 40 y e minutes , while grains killed a

i n - e w pound dog n twe ty seven minut s , ithout F r 4 n . o acting as a emetic a wolf, therefore, grains Of pure sulphate Of strychnine would seem

‘ ” to be a proper dose . “ Tests on 40 pound dogs with 1 and 2 grain s Of cyanide of potassium in capsules caused the 2 WO AND T T A 1 0 LF COYO E R PPING .

to m dogs vomit in about fourteen inutes, a fter which they fully recovered . Other more deadly poisons can not be safely handled, and strych nine is the only practicable poison that can be ” recommended . “ 4 i of For wolves , place gra ns pulverized sulphate of strychnine in a 3 grain gelatin cap Off r Of sule, cap securely , and wipe every t ace the bitter drug . The capsules Should be in serted in a piece Of beef suet the SizeOf a wal to nut, and the cavity securely closed keep out f moisture . The juice O fresh meat will dissolve the gelatin capsule, hence only fat Should be used . The necessary number Of these poisoned baits may be prepared and carried in a tin can or h pail , but t ey Should not be touched with or naked hands . Old gloves forceps should be ma used to handle them . The baits y be dropped from horseback along a scented drag line made or or by dragging an Old bone piece of hide, on an may be placed , around , or partly under y or carcass On which the wolves are feeding, a along trails followed by the wolves . Parti l ’ concealment of the bait usually lessens the wolf s of or suspicion , while some kind scent near by ” along the trail insures its attention . “The gelatin capsule will dissolve in about ’ or a minute in the juices Of the mouth stomach . When the strychnine i s taken on an empty

1 04 WO AND OO TE TR LF YO APPING . entirely wrong as the wolf will taste the poison before it gets enough Of the drug to cause its a death . One party in Spe king Of the conditions n : in Northern O tario , says “ I think the wolf - poisoning business is being fin overdone . How would your readers like to d poisoned wolf bait within one hundred yards ei al l Of th r door, and some round their houses within a radius Of 300 yards ? This bait con

Met o f P r r n P o sonB ts h d o epa i g i ai .

sa Sists in many cases Of, y, half a deer . I think

is - it very wrong to allow strong, able bodied to the now men pollute country, in the spring

Of the year, with large pieces, or in many cases, a of whole carc sses deer . The wolf poisoner never stops to think what the result will be to his ’ neighbor s dogs or poul try and cattle from their leaving large pieces Of meat in an exposed po Off sition when the snow goes . In fact , the thing is being carried in this part SO far that neither W VE POISONING OL S . 1 05

fur - bearing animals nor fish w ill be procurable t at any cost in a Shor time . “ it ’ As is , the farmer s dogs have been suf f ri n n e a d ea . g, are n rly extinct here For the last few seasons it has been quite common to see large quantities of dead fish round the lak e after

meat ‘ oe un this poisoned g s into the water . I derstood that parties laying out poison had to ’ SO s Observe certain regulations , that no person t proper y would be endangered thereby , and if I i ’ am r ghtly informed , it must be some person s duty to stop the nuisance . NO doubt it is a ' Of good thing to get rid the wolves , but the poisoning ought to be prosecuted far enough ' from settlements and from public roads th at s tock and poultry will not be endangered by the bait . It is advisable when using poison to leave no human Odors on the bait and to prevent so

d - oing, some people prepare the baits without i touching them with the barehands . A S mpler method is to make up the baits several days in advance and place them in a clean vessel , out of Of reach all animals , and where they will be

-n exposed to the ope air . In this way , the human Od or n are will pass away, and whe they placed out for the wolves they Should not be touched with the hands . The poison Should not be placed in a capsule 1 06 WO AND O T T A P LF C YO E R P ING .

as a is too th t uncertain . There is very little a Of i an h d nger g ving overdose . The writer as seen strychnine used in large doses, consider a ably more th n four grains , and the results were a a far better th n when using sm ller doses . Strychnine is to be had in crystals or in or crushed powdered form . Both forms are i equally deadly, but some poisoners cla m that

‘ fol it will act more rapidly when crushed . The lowing article On poisoning is given by a Wy oming trapp er “ I have used strychnine and it is a poor idea for a trapper to use it as it destroys more fur than anything and also makes animals very Sh a i y about t king bait . The best way s to put str chnin in has i the y e lard which no salt in t. I take some lard and put on my gloves or mitts and go in the Shade or early in the morning is t SO where it almos at the freezing point, the Off on lard will stay hard . I pinch it in e inch

' m it chunks , take it between y hands and roll a a Or in round b lls , t ke a pocket knife stick and

it -n it drill a hole in . The fill with strych nine and close the opening up by mashing the f not an lard over the hole . Be care ul to get y strychnine on the outside as it has a bitter taste

“ and if he tastes it he is almost sure to spit it ut o .

‘ are must be taken not to touch the outside

A T TR 1 08 WOLF ND OOYO E APPING. get SO sick that they are very careful about h t t see touc ing the next bai hey , generally giving Of it a wide berth . Then there are lots birds, such as camprobbers and magpies that carry it a r n O Off and store it way, for ma te s r something h else to eat and get poisoned by . T ere was a to very large amount Of Skunk , but owing the fact that many people poison whole carcasses for

. a coyotes and wolves , they are rapidly dis ppear

. 37 ing Some people claim that the dog destroys a t more furs than nything, but I believe tha strychni ne i s a greater evil than a dog or at SO see a least in this county, you I h ve a good reason for advising a trapper not to use strych

I the as wa , nine . t is e iest y and the quickest Of an way to get a few furs, if in the hands r r experienced man , but the fu s are always a lowe grade because the poi son acts on the fur and there is always a hide now and then that the ” hunter will not find at once . “ The trapper will have the most furs and in the best condition at the end Of the season and generally a place to trap more at the next season . The strychnine hunter will have to hunt a dif f rent a i e place as what anim ls he failed to kill , w ll leave the country or become SO wary that they re will not touch bait . An animal which has a i r a t t covered from dose Of po son , car ies pel tha is Ofttimes w orthless . CHAPTE R IX .

T W V RAPPING OL ES .

FTER all Of the various methods Of hunting have been given a fair and i mpartiah t rial it will usually be found that trapping is the best means

Of capturing the wolf and coyote . Large numbers of traps may be set and attended - to and the chances Of making a h good catc are greatly increased by SO doing. one for If has a liking the work , makes a study i the Of the an mals and sets traps carefully, good s result are sure to follow . In all probability, four fifths Of the coy otes and w olves captured in the United States are taken in this way . I t is quite common for the professional trapper to a k one or m and t e hundred . ore coyotes wolves s in a eason . The trap that is recommended for the timber wolf and the only one that was ever designed “ ” for capturing that ahiinal is the Newhouse NO 4 r . 5. It is a la ge and powerful trap , having a spread Of j aws Of 8 inch es with the other parts properly proportion ed . It is furnished with a two pronged drag and a heavy steel a 2 000 chain , guarant eed to stand strain Of 1 09 WO AND O OT T LF C Y E RAPPING .

a c pounds . The tr p complete with hain and

drag weighs about 8 pounds . A Simpler and stronger chain fastening than that shown in the is now for the cut, used attaching the chain to trap .

NO 47 is m Although the . } the trap recom ended f r NO 4 o . timber wolves , the Newhouse is prob

e o se Wo f Tr N wh u l ap .

the e a e ably preferred by averag tr pper, b cause Of its lighter weight and its adaptability to t u catching coyo es, which are fo nd in greater a abund nce than wolves . The trap has a spread

a - Of 64 suffi Of j ws 2 inches , and its strength is o t cient for holding alm s any wolf, providing the

“ captured animal is not allowed to struggle too the is no or r long, and that trap t staked, othe

1 1 2 W AND T T OLE COYO E RAPPING .

’ a for u h the chain without the iron dr g, and s c r the drag will be omitted . Others prefe to use 4 a t 5 an the NO. tr p wi h a foot chain d a stone a wired securely to the end . This m ks a very i s good combinat on , but for ome sections is not “ ” practicable a s stones are few and far between .

Met o of Att n an on ton h d achi g Obl g S e.

Of Mr r On the subj ect fastening traps , . Ve non ‘ Bailey of the Biological Survey gives the fol lowi ng : “ Th e best anchor for a w olf trap is a stone a Of 30 40 dr g or pounds weight , to which the t trap is securely wired . A long oval s one is the S b best, but a triangular or quare stone can e T RAPPING WOLVES.

i securely W red . Ordinary galvanized fenc e wire or telegraph wire Should be fastened around the ends Of the stone and connected by a double of to loop the wire , then the trap chain fastened on the middle Of this loop . A jerk the trap tends

Met of A n Tr n r Stone h od ttachi g ia gula .

the Of to draw the bands together , and spring

‘ the connecting wire loop prevents a sudden j ar or that might break trap or chain . Twisted barbed fence wire may be used if sufficiently SO strong, but it is not easily handled . If no

8 W AND O TE TR PP OLF C YO A ING .

a i a or im stones are va l ble, if the trap must be be a movably fixed , it should f stened with a twisted iron stake that can be driven below e the surface Of the ground . Th se stakes Should be at least 1 8 inch es long and Of good iron straps three quarters Of an inch wide and three sixteenths of an inch thick . In light soil they 1 n 2 a d . Should be still longer . See figures If a ' ffi a picket pin su ciently strong, provided with

t e or r I ron S ak s f T aps.

in al l Swivel that will turn directions , can be the purchased at local hardware store, it may ” h in o not be necessary to ave a p made t order . It is our opinion that the twisted pin would not be as satisfactory as the plain one shown in an to 3 . d Fig . If the swivel should lock , fail a e out of work, the st ke might b twisted the a ground by the struggles Of the anim l . With 3 the heavy, square pin Shown in Fig . , this could

1 1 6 W AND C OT T OLF OY E RAPPING .

a Of e com att ined a high degree intelligenc , and arativel Of p y few that age are caught in traps . In some sections wolves are more wary than in f others and are more di ficult Of capture . This depends much on the abundance or scarcity of food and the amount Of hunting and trapping that has already been done in that section . Where w olves and coyotes have not been trapped sh uf much , they are less y but they are always s fi ciently w ary to make extreme care in setting the traps necessary for success . NO matter what method Of trapping may be o one empl yed , there is only satisfactory way Of

On . setting the trap , bare ground In a smooth , he sandy spot , dig out a hollow t same Shape as the set trap and of such a depth that when the trap is in place and covered with about 21 inch Of the n l sur dirt , coveri g wi l be flush with the f h r w rounding surface O t e ground . A na ro trench may then be made , to accommodate the

h . chain , and a hole in whic to bury the drag If a stake is used it may be driven under the trap e or ma and the trench will not b e ne ded , it y be driven at the Side according to the method Of setting but the stake must be n eatly covered in all cases . The trap is then placed in position , th e chain , drag and springs a re covered and the portion outside Of the jaws is filled with dirt, o NO leaving only the jaws and pan unc vered . W T V 1 1 7 RAPPING WOL ES . a Sheet Of clean paper should be placed over the j aws and pan and the whol e covei ed with 3 or — about I 8 inch of fine dirt , covering the edges of first and finishing with the center . A piece or on h canvas hide should be provided , whic to and place the dirt while setting th e traps , with which to carry away what is not needed for S covering. When the etting is finished every thing Should look as smooth and undisturbed as set as it did before the trap w .

Tr et and Re for Co er n ap S ady v i g .

In case the paper sags between the trap an Of r d ma jaws and the p , a few lumps g oun y be SO as placed to support it , but care must be so no used that dirt gets under the pan . In w e a freezing eath r, m ke the nest for th e trap somewhat deeper and line it well with sage or e leaves som other light material , also fill in cov around j aws and Springs with same, before

ering . This will prevent the trap from freezing DO down . not put cotton under the pan as some for it advise doing, if it gets wet will freeze and the interfere with the working Of the trap . If ma traps Spring too easily, they y be remedied W AND O OT T OLF C Y E RAPPING . by drilling a small hole through the edge Of the pan and inserting a tooth pick or small twig in a such a w y that it will support the pan . This will prevent birds and small animals from n m u Oh springi g the traps . The sa e res lt may be “ ” tained by bending th e po i nt Of the dog or trigger of the trap upward and thereby causing to the trap spring harder . s t o Always before placing the trap in po i i n, turn the springs towards the j aw that is held down by th e trigger . This will allow the loose jaw to drop down to a level and let the trap solidl its e rest more v in nest . Wh n adjusting an a the p , lways work from under the loose j aw , to a avoid ccidents .

Many trappers advise wearing gloves . when n or t w the to setti g o her ise handling traps , pre o r vent leaving human Scent . It is u opinion that this is not only unnecessary but also use Oddr less, as the human will pass through a d and S0 19 leather glove rea ily, even through the f o a heavy shoe . While there is no doubt that the scent of man will put any wary animal on its no to i a guard , there is way avoid leav ng this s me scent about the setting . This , however , will pass away after three or fo ur days and it is after the traps have been set for Some time that most

d . Of the wolves and coyotes. are capture Although the traps may be handled with

r t e Wyoming Wol f Trapp er Driving the T ap S ak . T W V 1 2 1 RAPPING OL ES .

The same result may be Obtained by covering the traps with hair from the animal used for f o th . bait , or with the contents e paunch When e nesting the traps in sage l aves , as advised else the where , the Odor Of trap w ill be greatly neutralized by the leaves, as they have a power o ful Odor . In trail sets n the cattle and sheep - T ma he e range , the traps y cover d with the drop f h pings O t e animals . All Of these methods have of the same result , namely, that smothering the ’ Odor Of the trap and allaying the anim'als sus i i n p c o s. Just what will be needed for trapping wolve s and coyotes will depend entirely on circum on how stances , but mainly just much Of a busi on The or ness e wishes to make Of it . abundance scarcity Of the game , the nature Of the country , the proximity to civilization and many other For th r matters must also be considered . e ave age professional trapper Of the western cattle o range, we believe the f llowing will be about right : In the country lying just east Of the R R e ocky Mountain ange, v getation is rather scanty and as horses must pick their own living for so they must have plenty Of time doing ,

be . therefore , several saddle horses will needed In that way the trapper can change horses daily and give them a chance to rest and rustle For n food. transporting the outfit a d string 2 2 W AND OYOTE T 1 OLF O RAPPING .

Out s ing the traps , pack horses mu t be employed . ou Old , worn t horses will answer for packing and after the traps are once strung out , they may d or Of one be kille for bait otherwise disposa , as Of the saddle horses may be used for what little

! e packing is needed . The equipm nt should con

i Of s r - s st a good ea y saddle, b idle, pack saddles , a lI ObbleS p ck sacks , saddle blankets, , picket one is out ropes, etc . If camping a good camping an fit will be necessary . Such outfit would consist l Of a tent , b ankets , cooking utensils , axe and r some toilet articles . The ave age trapper would 1 00 s easily handle traps, some trapper have many more, and the proper Sizes and number Of each Size would depend on the proportionate number Of Wolves and coyotes found in that t locality . The trapper mus also have wire for

n a o . faste ing traps, stakes , p per for c vering, a file he xe for Sharpening t a and repairing traps, a W e t a hetston , a pair Of cu ting pliers , high pow er e a ed rifl and plenty Of ammunition , s ddle t a scabbard , gun Oil , hun ing knife , axe she th , fi etc . Such an out t is costly , and is only useful e a e len to the professional trapp r, but if g m is p i t . tiful , will soon pay for itself a m e For the r nch an , She p herder or average rn all weste trapper , that need b e purchased is an outfit Of trap s Of a number which m ay be ammuni conveniently handled , and a rifle with

CHAPTER X .

T AND BAITS SCEN S .

CE NT S for attracting animals to traps have been employed for many t f years, but rappers di fer greatly in its their views regarding value . use he Some scent only , to attract t a and anim ls , make good catches ; others use bait alone and condemn anything in n n the li e Of scent . Some use neither scent or “ ” bait but depend entirely on blind sets The value Of scent for trapping w olves and coyotes depends on the kind that is used and sex the method employed , the time Of year, the of is the animal , whether trapping prosecuted a the extensively, etc . We h ve no doubt that if right scent is employed and used in the proper s way that it will be productive Of good re ults . In all probability those who are SO ready to condemn scents have never used the right kind , i or having tried the proper kind , have not used t in the right way . If one will stop to consider just what scent is , and the Obj ect in using it , he must readily perceive its value, if the right kind is used . Scents are Of various kinds and are expected to 124 SOENTS AND TS BAI . 1 2 5

f I Vhen appeal to the animal in di ferent ways .

on Of . e uses bait, it is the Odor same that attracts the animal from a distance, why then will not a scent which suggests their favorite food also prove attractive ? All animals Of the dog fam ily are very su sceptible to food Odors and the same scents will attract both the wolf and coy ote are a . Then there other scents which appe l ’ s ss s e de to th e animal pa ion . Th se will be in es scribed the following pages . They are pecially attractive to the wolf during the mat “ m ing season , but are also good at other ti es, i and should be used without ba t . The habit Of depositing urine on the same

' a for a is spot used by nother th t purpose, char h acteristic Of all animals Of t e dog family . This m is so etimes taken advantage Of by the trapper, and the wolf urine is used in that way . In some parts Of the country it is probable th at one would be more successful by using bait alone ; in other places blind sets would be bette r. For manv is use d localities it best to a goo scent, SO For and especially at certain seasons . trap in s a ping grey wolves summer, it is e peci lly valuable as at that time meat baits soon become tainted and are not attractive to the animals . The United States Biological Survey have made exhaustive tests with scents and the re sult is given in the following 1 2 6 W AND O T T OLF OYO E RAPPING .

Success in trapping depends mainly Onthe use Of scents that w ill attract the wolves to the neighborhood Of a trap and keep them tramping

. i and pawing until caught . Meat bait alone s Of use for as little , a rule the wolves kill an ample Of supply for themselves . Many tests scents, a both prep red baits and various animal musks , have been made with wolves in the field and ! P in the National oological ark . While some have given a fair degree Of success, others have proved worthless and no one Odor has proved entirely satisfactory . Experiments are being ” continued , however, and new Odors tried . “ B eaver musk ( castoreum ) and the commer cial perfumery sold as musk have proved effec tive in many cases by causing the wolf to turn aside to follow the scented cross line and SO walk into the trap . Siberian musk ( from the Siberian musk deer ) is very attractive to wolves ! n Oil in the OO. Oil Of a ise and Of rhodium to for e seem have no attraction wild wolv s, and are scarcely noticed by those in confinement . Assafoetida is mildly attractive to wolves and ! OO is coyotes at the , but used alone very to on Slightly, if at all, attractive those the range ”

' Wolf urine takenfrom the bladder is used a d a s by some trappers , n is s id to be very succes k i ful . It is bottled and ept unt l rancid and

2 O AND O OT TR 1 8 W LF C Y E APPING . ized beaver castor or oneounce Of the common musk sold for perfumery . Mix thoroughly and bottle securely until used . The government has introduced this scent into Northern Michigan where it has been used ' a s are successfully . Other very simil r decoy used extensively by Western trappers . is e and is A scent which highly recommend d, used successfully by Some Wyoming wolf and coyote trappers is made by chopping fine, equal portions Of raw beef and fish and allowing same to t is decay in a covered vessel . Af er it thor add oughly decomposed, an ounce Of assafoetida dissolved in alcohol to each pound Of the decoy Animal matter Of any kind should never be to as allowed decay in a tightly closed vessel , to the gases may cause it burst , but it must be covered SO as to exclude the flies . The above scent is claimed to be very attractive to both wolves and coyotes and we know that the trap ho i on pers w used t made large catches , e Of them having captured over 2 00 coyotes in a Single sea son a th . This tr pper states that if e perfume e Of the skunk is added to the decoy, its attra tive properties are greatly increased . This scent be or may used in connection with bait, with out , as preferred . One Of the northern trappers recomm ends a s ra cent made by chopping fine , equal parts Of b SOENTS AND T BAI S . 1 2 9

n and bit, sku k muskrat flesh , with a couple of a wild mice dded , and allow to decay in a jar . The jar should be about full and after it is decomposed a half ounce Oil of anise and a quan is tity of Skunk scent added , and the jar filled h oil as wit goose . This is the recipe given but

an no - i o t we c t guarantee t t be attrac ive . Many of the Old time trappers claim to have scents which will draw a wolf or coyote a half

or . mile, more, to the trap Those who make such statem ents Should always be regarded with distrust for the chances are that they only wish to sell the scent or the formula In nine cases out of ten it will be found that the scents are our W worthless . One Of Old time friends rote as follows : “ I have tried several so- called patent decoys t with very indifferent results . The only scen I care to use is the urine from a female wolf or coyote killed in running season ; Sprinkle a drop or on or two bush , stone ground near traps , but no on on t bait . After catching e coyote at a setting I never trouble to bait again as the urine and droppings will serve to attract other coyotes 6 set better than any bait . Have caught at one ti 5 Of a ng, them with no other b it than the smell of u efile the gro nd d d by previous coyotes . They will come a long way to scratch and urinate on 9 YOTE T G 1 30 WOLF AND OO RAPPIN .

me of same Spot, and seem to lose so their ” caution . Another successful trapper makes practically the same statements and his views are appended . “ After catching one wolf or coyote do not use more bait as the scent is strong enough to draw ot use all that comes near . I do n any patent or as decoy scents, I consider them useless for use is e any gam e. The only scent I what I mak myself and then only from February to April . In the summer I gather up four or five bitch dogs and as fast as they come in heat I kill them and take the Organs of generation and pickl e them in wide mouth bottles with alcohol enough a or to cover . I sprinkle few drops on a stone i use no bush , st ck in center between traps but

a . other bait . This is lso good for fox “The above method is the same as I learned it ’ ‘ Old P eirre Dev from an Hudson s Bay trapper, eran o 1 81 7 had all y, who was b rn in , and trapped thru the British possessions and the Rocky Mountains and with whom I trapped for several ” years . We find that many Of the professional trap d all h he pers con emn scents except t ose which t y, of themselves , use, but as there are a number successful ones using different scents it proves s t a h t there are numbers of good decoys . “ use s n a e bu i I ce t good d al, t make t my

1 32 AND T T WOLF COYO E RAPPING .

of They are very fond mutton , prairie dogs,

As ' badgers and sage hens . with the wolf, horse

flesh is a favorite food . One of the southwest f ern trappers claims that they like resh pork , in - his section , better than any other food . It will be an easy matter in almost any part of the country to keep the traps baited as the ranchmen and sheepmen are , as a rule, willing

for . to furnish animals bait As a general rule , we advise the use of scent sets and blind sets in spring and summer and bait sets in fall and winter . H ! I C APTER .

T TH D SCEN ME O S .

N sections where the wolves and coy an otes can obtain abundance of food , they do not care for meat bait and

. scent sets are recommended , especially for grey wolves . Such sets are also successful in ’ summer when meat baits soon be come tainted and lose all power of attraction .

There are many ways of using scent , depend on is ing much the kind that used, and also on of as other things . One the simplest as well one of the best is the following ' Having found the route of travel of a band of one wolves, may be certain that he has found l set the proper p ace to a number of traps , for the wolves are sure to come around that way again . A pass through the hills is an excellent place

‘ as h ame animals and cattle , s eep and g are almost certain to be traveling that way at certain sea one of t sons , is sure to find a trail some sor s traversing the pas . Having located such a trail , find a Spot where same is well defined and select one a place for the trap, several feet to side of e the trail , where it may be placed betw en

f or - ob bunches o brush , cactus , rocks any other 1 33 1 34 w ow AND T T COYO E RAPPING .

struction that will guide the wolf over the trap . The Obstruction must be a natural one as the w olf is certain to detect any artificial arrange ment , and avoid it .

The trap should be fastened to a . drag of some h kind , which s ould be buried and the trap must be set and covered as explained in another chap t . b ter In set ing, the chain should e stretched out to its full length so that the drag may be buried as far as possible from the trap , and the disturbance of the soil is less likely to be no ticed . The scent should be applied to the grass, set so weeds or ground at the back of the , and or placed that i n trying to reach it , the wolf coy

ote a . must w alk over the tr p . It should not be placed too near the trap as the first impulse of the animal is to r oll over the scent . for Mr . Vernon Bailey in his instructions trapping describes this set as follows : “

i e, The trap, cha n and ston drag should be of a buried out sight close to a runw y, where the w a or a olves follow trail road , cross narrow or s a pass , visit a carcas , with the trap ne rest the runway and flush with the surface of the ground ; to keep the earth from clogging under an the pan , the p and jaws should be covered w ith an oval piece of paper and over this should be sprinkled fine earth until the surface is smooth and all traces of paper and trap are concealed .

i n Caught n a Sc e t Set. T TH D SCEN ME O S . 1 37

a scent used to adv ntage, in fact many of the a decoys are to be used in that w y. Two brothers who trap in, partnership give the following meth od of trapping w ith scent and bait : This is one w av of catching coyotes : We

find all the horse meat we can , we even ask w people if they kno Of any dead horses , or sheep r But or o cattle . the h se flesh is the best bait for the s them , then comes heep, that they like almost as well . Rabbits are also excellent bait t for them , by pu ting a little pucky for scent of he along the side t rabbit bait . We also tell ‘ ’ how to make this pucky . “ Secure all the small fi sh you can from three i to four inches long . Trout s the best if you can of secure them , but other varieties fish will do ; a on clean but le ve the heads , because you will oil find more in the head than in any other part . Out them up so they will go into a bottl e ; stuff them in very tight , up to the neck of the bottle ; then put a thin cheese cl oth over the top of the r f r bottle and let it s tay the e o about two weeks . to It will begin work good about that time , n r few the co k it up tight , and in a days it is s ready for u e. “ No e a w , taking the hors me t , sheep or rab bits , you have for bait, find a good place to lay the bait so the coyotes cannot get to it from all sides . Never make your trap stationary O F AND OT T A G 1 38 W L COY E R PPIN .

o a of o but wire the chain t a sm ll log, a stick wo d e about four feet long and three inches thick , leav a few knots sticking out on the log, and they will h the e out i i in elp tire coyot , by d gg ng the he ground ; wire the chain about in t middle, a s h it will drag harder for t e coyote . “ - . th a e of Now dig a hole e s me shap your trap, h u to set t e . where yo want it , also bury clog Put

Tr s B t n S ent ap Set with ai a d c . your ' trap in its place and have it so it will be about one- fourth Of an inch below the surface of no an f the ground , t y lower . Put a piece o wool ’ under the pan so bi rds and rabbits w on t spring it ; then take a piece of paper big enough to cover of the r the jaws trap, take some dirt and put ove the paper until level with the surrounding e so ou place, if anything a little sunk n, j ust y

1 40 W AND T T G OLF COYO E RAPPIN .

e set e and at edg s , and several traps near the edg varying distances Use all possible care in set

o e. ting, f llowing th e instructions given elsewher It is best to leave the setting some threeor four days before placing the scent ; that will give f plenty o time for th e human and other scents , a f that h ve been le t there , to pass away and the ground which has been disturb ed , will have taken on a o smoother appearance by that time . Then g on horseback and saturating a lump of earth with of the decoy, drop it in the center the cactus bed . Do not dismount from the horse when

- o placing the de c v . This is an exceptionally good se t for coyotes . Whil e they can not reach the r scent , they will w alk all a ound the cactus bed

‘ and are almost certain to step - in one of the s trap . Another successful mode of setting is to plac e the t rap in a trail where it leads through a clump of sage or greas ew ood and put some decoy by the The side of the trail a rod or two away . bank set which is described in another chapter may also be used without bait by placing s ome scent on the edge of the bank . One of the Montana trappers uses this meth “ od Take your traps and boil th em in lye e water . Do not handle th em w ith your bar hands but be sure and use clean buckskin gloves , as d a and handle them little as possible. Fin T TH D 1 SCEN ME O S . 41

place where they run pretty regular , like an old a road that is not used or cow path or trail . a can and set Find place that is sandy if you , your traps lengthwise with the trail . Of course , ou m out w ut o y ust dig here you p y ur traps . “ Now cover your traps with a . piece of de

b u - odorized paper and a o t one half inch of sand . Get some water and sprinkle along the trail and i o Y ou over your traps to make t all lo k alike . must not leave a lot of loose and lumpy dirt lying

a . near your traps . Le ve as littleSign as possible two ou Wait days before y go there again , and ' then go with a saddle horse and drop six or eight s of o s drop g od scent bait between your trap , Off and await results . D o not get your horse ou I when y go to put out the scent bait , for know of no animal that is any more sly than the old grey wolf . “ Now I don ’ t claim that this will work in all e localities , but I hav had fairly good luck with

se I use -s this t . always two trap at a setting ” r r fo wolf o coyote. CHAPTER XII .

BAIT METHODS FOR WOLVES

ANY of the sets used for coyotes

are eq ually good for grey wolves , providing that one uses a trap suf fi ciently strong to hold them and almost any set that will catch the is for he wolf good also t coyote, but there are some which are espe cially good for the grey wolf and we give here some of these m ethods . One of the most successful is the follow ing ’ Somewhere on the wolf s route of travel find an unused trail and selecting a well defined tw o a portion , set tr ps close together as shown in the diagram . Have the jaws of the traps parallel with the trail so that there will be no ’ possibility Of the w olf s foot being thrown out so h by the rising jaws , and arrange t em that th e pans will be about twelve or fourteen inches of apart . The traps must be attached to drags ' t or iron ra s some sor , stones d g , which must be i bur ed , along with the traps . Great care should be used in setting so as to leave everything as nearly like it was before as possible . No l s i oo e dirt should be left ly ng about , and no 1 42

1 44 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

one on When looking at the traps , should go horseback and avoid dismounting near the traps or n . o e os bait In placing th e bait should , if p l on or sib e, go a wagon , if more convenient , on a h d t horse, and s ould rop the bait in place wi hout o stepping down n to the ground . If desired a single trapmay be used at each setting but as the length of step of the timber

- wolf is from eighteen to twenty four inches , it

- tw o is better to use traps , for the wolf is likely l Th to miss a SIng e trap . e method will be found to work well in all localitie s and is as good for o s coyotes as for w lve . Another very' popular mode of trapping the grey wolf is with what is known as the square setting . This set requires four traps and they of are arranged in the form a square . o o of On a sm oth sandy sp t ground , dig a hole about six inches deep and having attached th a of e ch ins all four traps to the stake , drive it in the hole until th e top is below the surface of the ground . The traps should have the regu lar short chains and they should be arranged in the form of a square each about twenty inches the st Th s from ake . e trap must be bedded down , h set or in other words , t ey should be in holes dug for the purpose as previously described and w should be neatly covered . A narro trench should be made for each chain and they must be H D F R V BAIT MET O S O WOL ES.

as . covered also , so to leave no sign The bait should be fastened with wire to the top of the trap stake and the hollow beneath it may be

filled with sand . The wire must not be visible t is and if a bird , rabbi or any small creature it ot used for bait , must n be skinned or muti b lated . When aiting with a piece of beef, mutton ,

horse - fl esh or the flesh of any large

animal , it is best also to leave th e

skin on , as a skin ned bait is likely to make the ani

mals suspicious . If the animal ’ s suspicions are not

aroused , it w i l l approach th e set 11 in l The S ar ett n 11 S 11 S ect q u e S i g . p g y a n d attempt to the raise bait , but when it finds it fast , it will step around som e and is almost certain to step I t i into a trap . w ll be very likely also to land in another trap after it commences to struggle, and there will be very little danger Of it es caping. Many of the trappers who use this method use only three traps at a setting and arrange 10 1 46 W F AND C TE T PP OL OYO RA ING.

of a i them in the form a tri ngle . This s good but we believe that the use of four traps will give better results . t his One trapper fas ened traps to iron pins , ' 1 0 about inches in length , and used this pin as a stake . Th e captured animal could easily pull up the stake but the entire bunch of traps would a and o act as drag, it could not g far through the sage brush without getting fastened up . of the best methods for both th e timber ‘ One wolf and the coyote is what is known to trap “ ” as th s t pers e cut bank et . All over the wes ern

- country , along the water courses and wash outs , will be found straight cut banks , sometimes 5 to 7 overhanging. Select such a bank from tw o of feet high , and if you can find bunches 1 6 or 1 a cactus , about 8 inches ap rt, on the top

of is set . the bank , this the place to the trap

If the cactus can not be found growing this way, it a place some there, being very careful to give so natural appearance , that it will look as if it had grown there . The trap should be staked the length of the of e chain from the edge the bank , and th e stak f Set 20 driven out o sight . the trap about for inches from the bank , if coyotes , and about 2 6 be inches , if wolves are expected, and directly the tween th e tw o bunches of cactus . Cover trap n e e nicely as per instructions o a prec ding pag ,

AND O T T 1 48 WOLF C YO E RAPPING .

on and fasten the bait between the cactus , the h W’ e of t e . very edge bank hen prop rly set , the aminal can ‘not reach the bait without stepping n n o the trap . Whe caught it immediately leaps can not over the bank , and as it get back , will be a ts un ble to make use of i strength in struggling, and w ill seldom escape . Another thing that speaks w ell for this method is the fact that the fur of the captured animal is always clean , which is more than can be said of those which are se caught in traps t and staked on level ground , where they can struggle and roll in the dirt for s hours , and sometime days .

IV . Mr . Ira Bull , official hunter for the U . S . e of u on D epartm nt Agric lture, and now located one Of e the Colorado forest res rves , writes as follows : “ It would be hard to make an estimate of of t the number coyo es and wolves in this section , es eciall are so a t e p v coyotes , a s there m ny of h m and they seem to be getting more numerous every

. are o year There not s many grey wolves , but ' do lot of still , enough to a mischief, as they on hardl k kill stock and move , v ever coming bac to the carcass for the second meal . “ My method of trapping varies according to conditions and time of year . When I set with

. t small baits , I first select a smoo h open place, and cut a hol e in the soil the size and shape of T TH D FOR V BAI ME O S WOL ES . 1 49

r set the t ap . I the trap in the hole and cover a carefully, fastening to a stake or toggle , conce l ' ith ir ing by covering w d t . I cut the bait in 40 50 small pieces , probably or in number, and n lOok scatter arou d the trap, leaving everything

s . \ a ing as natural as po sible Vith large bait, say the wh ole or half the carcass of a horse or a th other l rge animal , I set the trap in e same use 2 or 3 4 way, but or even traps at the one bait . “ An old tim e trapper writes as follows : Water sets are the best for wolves if the animals are cunning . The proper way to make th em is to take a boat — don ’ t walk along th e bank but l s simply oad your boat with lot of bait , such as a beef head , shanks , entrails , or sheep th t have e a died or hav been killed by wolves . St rt down or the stream , looking for small sand gravel bars lying j ust above the water and a few feet o long . When one of these is f und , run your boat up to it and leave a beef head , a quarter of or mutton such like , and then proceed on down ar a e to the next b and bait it in th e s m way, keeping on in that way until the bait is gone . hV a The wolf is very bait s . It will take b it that it finds along streams more readily than on In f l r land . a ew nights after p acing you bait , you will find that the wolves are working on it and have made trails down the bank of the T T WOLF AND COYO E RAPPING .

Y ou o stream to th e edge of the water . will h serve that they all take the water at th e same place . “ Now load your boat with plenty of bait as e a a before, but this time tak lso good supply of the r and traps , prope size for wolves , a sup ply of clogs similar to fence posts . When you come to the bar, supply it again with bait .

o f ter et W l Wa S .

to set at Fasten your trap a clog, the trap the edge of the water in the trail and all ow the li u of clog to e the f ll length the chain , down m in u strea the br sh . Splash water on th e clog

n . to wash it , and also o any brush you touch

Continue thus at the baited places , and you will be surprised at your catch , if you have never h trapped t at way . “ the e A s for wolves getting scare in W st, there are som e places where the large wolves

W AND C T T OLF OYO E RAPPING .

2 of 4 Newhouse otter traps . One these We set 3 e NO. t where the had b en , and the o her about i f s x o . o o rods west the gulley We set the tw N .

2%on S aturday morning . On S unday morning on our to an way church , we drove by the traps d No 2 fox found a wolf in the new . 4 and a red h h t eNo. 3 a in that I d moved up near the bait .

These two traps were not over ten feet apart . On skinning the fox we found marks as if he had been bitten . It weighed 8 pounds and the 4 wolf weighed 3 pounds .

The wolves kept coming every other day . The next Friday we found another wolf in the fox Fri sam e trap that the was caught in . On day Of the next week we had another wolf in 2 r o. the N trap . On the next Thursday the e o 2 e was a wolf caught in th e other N . 3; ott r trap w as six the which set rods from gulley, and that was the last one we c aught up to February 1 h ’ to e 5t . They don t seem come around her n ow . A Wyoming trapper submits the following “ - I send you herewith a photo of a. female grey wolf which I trapped in the spring of 1 908 ; this 2 u wolf weighed 6 po nds . I caught her in a NO 4 to . w trap, and when I got ithin thirty yards of her I shot her with my 33 Special

Winchester. “ i e i The grey wolf s a pow rful animal , and f T TH D FOR W V BAI ME O S OL ES . 1 5 3 aperson goes too near them when they are ina . are a t to t trap they p escape, and ano her thing, their feet are so large that a trap generally I n catches them by the toes . t is nothing u com mon for a single grey wolf to destroy n worth of stock in a year . This o e that I trapped

' would have in a few weeks produced 1 2 cubs ; j ust think of the damage which these thirteen wolves could have done . “ The grey wolf is hard to trap on account of being so pow erful ; they can kill a large steer or in of or other ranch stock , the shape horses

n ' th a d e s . cattle, y like their meat fre h I had fifty traps out and trapped 1 7 or 1 8 coyotes and s everal skunk while I w as trying to catch this wolf Here is the set I use : Find where the w l Or old o ves have killed something an carcass , or find a trail that they are in the habit of using, for it is the habit of wolves to smell around and anything they may find dead , scratch around the same . Dig hol es to fit the jaw s and Springs of vour traps , put a wad of paper or wool under of the pan trap , and cover the entire jaws of a e tr ps with a piece Of paper - then cover ov r the co trap and chain with fine dry horse or w nanure , so that the covering will b e level with the top of e as na the ground , and make ev rything look t ” as ural possible . W AND T T 1 54 OLF COYO E RAPPING .

“The accompanying photograph Shows a wolf that I caught a few years ago and this is ” of VViscon the way I caught it, writes one the “ s sin trappers . First , I took the inside and stu ff from a hog and placed it in a clover field NO 4 and set three . Hawley Norton traps

A Tr e o f app d W l . W around it, covering nicely ith clover leaves , f l chaf , etc . , but I guess I must have been a litt e a careless, as a hungry wolf came along, ate wh t he wanted and scattered the rest of it around Without Springing the traps ; so I thought I would hi o a an teach m h w to do th t trick over again , d

1 5 W AND T T 6 OLF COYO E RAPPING .

first desperate struggle to escape he will pull of the others out position . “ ‘ I suppose it will make some of the old w ar ’ horses laugh to see that it takes seven traps at one i bait to catch a wolf . This s the only time I have had as many as seven traps handy , so I thought I would fix him plenty . I generally use one from to three traps for each set , depend ” ing on surrounding conditions . In addition to the trapping methods given in r i t m t the p eced ng pages , h ere are any o hers used in the y arious sections of the country and all of them have some good points . set a All trappers make. it a point to number of traps about the carcass of any animal that has l a been kil ed by wolves , also anim ls that ” Th have met death through oth er sources . e trouble is that in Open ground it requires so m a any traps to guard a large b it , and also th e wolves become very wary and refuse to approach a large bait after one or two have been caught there . For these reasons some trappers set th eir s traps some distance away from the carcas , using so t small baits , and placing the rap among clumps of brush and other natural objects that the wolf can only reach th e bait by walking over the trap . Others set their traps without bait on any trai ls that may be found in the T TH DS FOR W V 1 5 7 BAI ME O OL ES .

Vicinity of the carcass, trusting that the animals t will follow these paths w hen visiting the bai . Some recommend dragging a large piece Of bloody meat by tying to the horn of the saddle with a rope and setting traps without bait in set the trail . Others th e traps in the same way ll and scatter small pieces of fresh bait a about . Another style of setting which is s ometimes used is to bury a good sized bait in a trail n th and set a trap o each side of e buried bait . All of these methods w ill give good results at times but one should never confine himself to m any one ethod , as the animal will soon learn his tricks and refuse to have his toes pinched . It is wise also when using baits or scents to lo cate the set to the w indward side of the animals probable course of travel as all animals can scent a bait at a much greater distance when ss pa ing to the leeward . NO matter what method is used , one must be

’ can a hustler and persevering . One not possibly make a great success of wolf trapping unless he uses a large number of traps , and keeps them d a in working or er and well b ited . I CHAPTER XI I .

T THOD FOR T SOU TH ERN BAI ME S COYO ES .

F there are many meth ods of trapping f or the wolf, there are still more a catching th e coyote , for it is far its more common animal , and whil e range is over a smaller area of coun

try, it is found in far greater num

‘ bers than the grey or timber w olf . f e t o If there is any di ference betwe n the w , the c oyote is more cunning and wary than the w w olf, but the fact that olves do not care for dead bait and the proportionat ely small number of the animals makes the capture of them more f di ficult and the catch very much lighter . All of the methods gi ven for the grey wolf are good the for the coyote, and in addition we give h ere of the methods of various others , from all parts

. Y Southwest . The first is from Mr asma Brown a noted coyote trapper of Texas . “ a 1 903 - 04 In the se son of , I commenced trap i 2 5th b t p ng about November , and stopped a ou l st NO 2 bu March . I used seven . Victor traps , t

4 - six consider No . a better size . In the ninety e 1 82 4 nights that I trapp d , I caught coyotes , 1 2 3 1 2 skunk , opossum , coons and cats . I only 1 58

1 60 WOLF AND COYOTE TRAPPING tirel For y concealing it . bait , I cut some littl e pieces of meat and put about six or eight around the trap and then went on and set my other. traps . I never failed to find tw o or three coy otes in my traps . My biggest catch in one night six one use was coyotes and coon . I never any

‘ scent . Fresh pork is the best scent that a per ti son can use. I e my traps to a log or a pi ece ” of brush . “ a In the spring of the year, I have m ny calves and some hogs killed and eaten by coy old otes . A calf about Six m onths , is the finest of kind bait for a coyote . A few years ago I saw as a coyote kill a calf and as soon I could , AS I put a 38 Winchester bullet through him . many coyotes as I have caught in steel traps , I have never had one dig up my trap . They are ” very easily caught . of 1 903 1 904 In the winter and , I raced with a friend of mine catching coyotes . Our trap ping places were about five miles apart , and there were just as many coyotes on his place as

NO 2 . mine . I used seven . and he used nine No

3 . traps . He also used and I used none ‘ scent When the day came to count and see who had the

' most b one most hides , I had the y hundred and

- three coyotes , besides twenty one other hides . He used scent and the animals were not very sus iciOus hungry . The scent they found on a p TH T TH D FOR O SOU ERN BAI ME O S COY TES . 1 61

a sh h pl ce, made them y, because t ey could not i ” see what t was . “ all If you will think about it, it is plain enough . If an animal is hungry and sees a bait he is going to eat it whether it looks suspicious or not ; and if not hungry and he sees a trap

- if has with bait , especially he ever been caught and gotten away, he will not bother it . The slyest of all animals have been caught in the set most simple way a trap could be , because n . a d they were hungry My brother I used to , and now the of a do , catch coyotes at carcass dead animal with our traps as unconcealed as “Te l a s ‘ you can set them . a w v have had good ‘ - h at success . We catch about one t ird of wh ” comes around . “ a of 1 895 In the f ll , my brother found the se NO 3 carcass of a dead horse. He t three .

Newhouse traps at the carcass , and when it

hir - i t tv s x . was all consumed , he had coyote hides

-A His traps were set on the ground . person could see them on the top of the ground at one hundred yards distance . The coyotes were very hungry and they cared for nothing but the flesh

f - o . the dead horse They stepped everywhere, in a and on and in evervth g . Hunger m kes an animal easy to capture . The ease with which the coyote of the South west may be captured only goes to prove our 11 2 W AND T T 1 6 OLF COYO E RAPPING .

a ha ter a is st tement in a previous p p , th t there a great difference in the nature of the animal s found in widely removed localities It is certain th at the coyotes of the Northw est could not be captured in uncovered traps . There is also , as w a re ill be noted , great diversity of opinion of garding the value scent . In parts of the coun a is try where the animals take b it well , scent seldom used and would not be as successful as in other parts . “ on a I trap a sm ll scale, but enjoy it more ” than any other occupation , writes a New Mex “ e ico trapper . I intend trapping on a large scal m bad next winter . It is ostly skunks, coyotes , ” f x ger and occasionally a o and coon . “ Some of the brother trappers compla i ned of -re wolves being hard to catch . The are very a t as few here, but I can catch coyote almos easy as a skunk . I have caught lots of them . The best place to set the traps is on loose plowed

or . r con ground a sand bed , or anywhe e you can ’ ceal the trap so another person couldn t locate

cow a . exactly where it is set . A tr il is good

S etting it in grass is no good . “ I dig out a place in the ground just the

of so an one- size the trap , and the p will be fourth ' an inch l in of below leve , then set trap , put of f not oo f place, take a piece sti f paper ( t sti f ) , large enough to cover jaws , and place over j aws;

1 4 AN T 6 WOLF D COYOTE RAPPING .

of one to another these districts , coyotes follow in the main , the same route, and the experienced eye can soon locate a good place for a trap bed . These spots may be far apart or they may be near each other . The past season I had two

. e to not mor than three yards apart . Failing

‘ get such a location , the trapper traps by chance c and atches by accident . After a rain the trap bed should be torn up and sunned awhile . F resh a bed Sign is suspicious . Four tr ps make a good , I u but seldom se more than two . Traps and chains mu st be well hidden and the ground left ” s l - a evel as would seem natural . “ If the traps are so fastened as to hold the ma t he is ani l to spot , that bed lost for that f season . I prefer small pieces o worn out

! or machinery, rusty iron , weighing ten fifteen pounds for clogs . Then comes the most impor of — tant matter all bait . In this I h ave deviated from anything I have ever noticed in fa us . t guides . I e unrendered beef fat Leaf is good , but I prefer what is commonly called u Off t . e g fat If taken without too much car , indefi it is best . Hung up and dried it lasts i el n t y. This dried article I cut up in pieces

‘ from the size of a pea to the Size of the end of my thumb , the smaller the better , and scatter

r 1 0 . around over the t ap bed , say , feet square is h i is If the bed in s ort grass , this ba ting T TH D F R O 1 5 SOUTHERN BAI ME O S O COY TES . 6

better . The bait must be carried in a bag for t be the purpose, and mus not touched , in any iVit s are . h w case, until the trap set traps ell disinfected this is the slickest cheat I have ever seen w orked on a coyote . Some of the northern trappers will probably set smile when they read of the following , but

' e the fact that it is used extensiv ly in the South , proves that it is a good one for that part It was contributed by one of the Arizona trappers . “ is so There plenty of small timber here , the first thing I do when I find a good brush to the cut wire bait to , is to a drag about three to four feet long and about three or four inches in ‘e th diam ter about the center of e drag . Cut a one Of notch on side and in the center the drag . Wire the ring of the trap chain securely to the drag in the notched place with about two lengths of the a on hay baling wire . Lay dr g the ground on one Side of the pen and cover with brush . The pen would be brushed up all around about 1 8 ” inches high , except the entrance . “ I make a ‘U ’ shaped enclosure about four feet long with bait wired to bush in the farther end . The pen should be about a foot wide inside en of the brush . Dig a hole just inside the of set trance the pen for the trap , which length

e . wise, and cover ven with the surface Also be an a cot sure d cover the trap chain . Inste d of AND T T 1 66 WOLF COYO E RAPPING .

an of ton under the p , I use a piece canvas that j ust fits inside of jaws and put over the pan and cover all with Sifted dirt from the hole until he level with the surface . Place a stick across t so entrance that when the coyote goes up, if he \ to wants to get the meat , he will have go over the stick . It should be about eight inches in front of the trap. This keeps him from digging in the trap . “ Now fill in on both sides of the trap between it and the side Of the pen with small brush or o i twigs so as to guide his f ot nto the trap . Do not put the twigs on the trap where you w ant

' him to step . I guide his feet right into mv w on traps that way . Al ays lay the bait the or ground in the pen , wired to the brush stake w in rear end , as coyotes ill not enter pen if bait is hung up . I use horse meat mostly, but and sometimes rabbits and beef . Hawks ravens on are bad rabbit baits , and cattle paw the traps if ’ ” up set with beef .

“ ' I set my traps from one - fourth to one- half us mile apart , and e a fresh rabbit or fresh piece of meat and drag from one trap to the other, when making my rounds . Also spoiled for n us e fish scent is good a trail . I ever e glov s to prevent human scent in setting traps , and o t I consider it n nsense . After the first nigh a set e O - has been out , almost any coyot will g into

T WOLF AND COYOTE RAPPING . s bad er of kunk and g k and it is good for all ” them . This is the mode of trapping employed by “ a party from Southern California : NOW a word about trapping those cute little coyotes . As every one has his way of trappin g for them so do I . The best w ay to catch anything that is walks on four legs to make a fool of them. ‘ is Some people may think that hot air , but I ol know better . The way to fool an d coyote is to a . t ke a fresh sheep skin and dra 2g” it, you riding on or so a horse, for a mile in the hills near h is of w ere your man in the habit going, ( now be w sure you do not touch it ith your hands ) , until n you find an ope hill not too high . Have a stake The there beforehand and have vour traps set. traps should be left lyi ng In the she ep pen for a week before setting . When you get to the on so stake, hang your pelt it , when the wind e blows the pelt will mov . “ f Mr . Coyote will be sure to ind the trail you have mad e and will follow it until he sees a the pelt , and then he will w lk around it for a or so night , but he will not get too near the r f r first night o o three or four nights , but he will be sure to get there after a while and try n to pull the ski down , and he will forget about be the traps and everything else, and he will ” taken in just like all the other suckers . CHAPTER ! IV

T TH D F T NORTHERN BAI ME O S OR COYO ES.

Y R. . C B . PE TON , who met such a

tragic end, while attempting to ar

a art of - rest i p y game law Violating a Indians last f ll , wrote the follow

- sev ing article on coyote trapping, “ u eral years ago . I herewith s b mit my method for trapping the of to covote , hoping it will be interest the readers . is as : My outfit follows Eighty steel traps , var 2 4 a ious sizes to 4, two s ddle horses , one short ’ a handle spade, one hunter s axe, piece of can Vas S 3 4 , ome wool : or pounds of Sheep or coy ’ one one ote wool is enough for day s setting,

30- 40 95 , Model Winchester . “ When there is a b 0unty I do not start trap ping until the frost is about all out in the Spring . I start some morning with as many traps as I

set to s can that day , four the setting, five setting is a fair day ’ s work if done right I never bait until I have my entire line set . “ I have used the following style of setting t se . with fair success , known as the square I no sod select a spot where there is sand or , 1 4 s cut a stake about inches long, take four trap , 1 69 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

a fasten chains to stake , drive st ke down until a ou about two inches below surface, pull tr ps t f 2 tw o t . about feet rom s ake, a No trap chain i s set . about right length , making a square Now a dig out bed for each trap , pl cing dirt removed r B on canvas o blanket . ed traps so there will be a half inch of dirt over them when covered ; place enough wool under pan of trap to keep dirt out and keep rabbits or birds from springi ng them ; leave a mark directly over st ake to tell you W to here place bait , when making your rounds i is t on with ba t sack . Carry what dirt lef canvas some distance, before dropping . “ for an old I prefer a fowl bait , such as dead or a i of hen , duck grouse ; pl ce ba t in center on i t a setting its s de, lif a wing and drive slender stake thru into the ground to anchor it and drop i the wing down on top of stake to conceal t . “ Now back away a few feet and throw a few handfuls of dry sand or dirt over you r has it tracks . If your work been well done, will be diffi cult to tell exactly where your traps r is a e hidden , if your setting properly located see Mr . Coyote will not be slow to or smell bait, as he is always on thelookout for handouts . He he will take careful note of surroundings , if at sees or smells nothing suspicious , he will tempt to remove bait to some less exposed place He and eat it or hide it for a future repast .

A ort ern o N h Coy te. TH T TH D FOR OT 1 NOR ERN BAI ME O S COY ES . 73

0 1 2 1 5 or inches long, or pounds of wool cotton 2 0 1 0 1 2 wool preferred, stakes or inches long . of eilcloth 3 A piece or canvas about feet square,

w a on nd 30- 30 a light g a team , a Savage rifle and i four stag hounds . The hounds are tra ned to o stay n the wagon until told to go , and will nearly always get ‘ a coyote when sent after ” him . “ In setting traps I choose a high knoll or a bare spot on the range and often the bed of a ' se “ lent of an dry creek, where I e p y signs d then proceed as follows : Stick one of the small stakes where I want the bait and from 2 0 to 2 4 inches from it , I lay a trap and stretch the chain i straight back , drive stake through chain r ng and drive down below the surface of the ground or tw o an inch more, then fix more traps the same way at the opposite points of a triangle, set your traps and place a good w ad of w ool under

‘ the pan so that rabbits and other small game bed s will not Spring it , then proceed to the trap . and chains , placing all the dirt on the canvas . Now place your bait ( I alw ays use live bait if weather is not too cold but have had good suc a cess with dead bait ) . Lay n old dead hen or other fowl in the center and drive small stakes t through i into the ground , firmly, cover the NOW end of stake with w ing or feath ers of bait . step back and take dirt from the canvas and cover 1 74 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

t to a ow n traps } 3 inches deep, lso cover your tracks and brush over w ell with a brush . If

set w to. tell traps are well , it ill be hard where r on they lay . All di t that is left canvas should ” be taken away some distance and dropped . “ w a In using live bait , proceed the same y with traps, only bait should be tied by the feet with a good , stout cord and place a can of corn and one of water w ithin reach of fowl, both cans to be set into the ground even with surface . Do not go nearer to traps than to see they are not Sprung and do not shoot or club game in traps but choke to death with a copper w ire on the end of a pole ; a good stout cord will answ er the iVi off same purpose . pe all blood traps before setting again and brush out your tracks as be ‘ ’ fore, and above all don t spit tobacco juice near ” your traps . Never set yOIIr trap by your bait ; the bait ” is there to attract the animal , says a Colo “ rado trapper . When setting traps at your bait you only catch two or three , and by this time all the coyotes in the country have seen their ’ at comrades doom this particular place, and ” will stay clear of the place in the future. “ Find where there is a dead horse or cow in ' a . draw , or some place where there are a number of trails leading toward it . Coyotes always travel on trails whenever they have the chance, in order

1 7 6 W AND O OT T OLF C Y E RAPPING . wolf tears the ground up so that others get sus i ci ou p s. If you have the chance to set traps o h rseback , take a hide and tie a rope on it , take n e this alo g, and when s tting traps , throw this on the ground and step Off on to the hide to

. n t . o set raps When thru , get your horse and pull the hide up w ith the rope . I learned this method from two of the best coyote and wolf ” trappers in Wyoming . w is e The follo ing from Joseph Casp r, an “ t a : lVe a Oregon r pper h ve here , the coyote, wild cat, lynx , mountain lion and bear , but no

. Cov otes y grey wolves are plentiful , and I ha e 6 or one seen as many as 8 at time . A good w ay to trap them is by draggi ng the carcass of a sheep or pig through shallow ponds and set o w the traps in the water . The c yotes will follo the trail and will wade around in the water , look ma s t ing for the bait . Traps y also be e by the side of some dead animal after the coyotes have or of a been eating at it , small pieces me t or lard cracklings may be scattered around the on a trap . When setting traps dry l nd , I would advise using some good wolf scent , to smother ' 3 e use . the human odor . I the No N ewhous

4 . and No. Hawley Norton traps s W . L . William on , a Montana trapper, in telling his experiences gives the foll ow ing “ or Take some rabbits , chickens other bait TH T TH D FOR OT NOR ERN BAI ME O S OOY ES . 1 77

and make a drag out of it ; draggi ng the bait b from the horn of the saddle, and a out every half 4 3 set . . mile, two No Victor or No Newhouse 6 traps in the trail and about inches apart . Have a sheep skin to stand on when setting n do ot . the traps , and step on the ground Place

' all loose dirt on the sheepskin and after the

’ An o o ote Idah C y .

are set on traps and covered , get your horse and s lift the kin by cords , attached to the corners . ” Carry the loose dirt away from the setting . This set is good for both grey wolves and coyotes : “ to ot One day I went the slaughter house, g a fresh cow head and took it about three miles

a . aw y , placing it in the center of a small flat I 1 2 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING . set several traps around it and the next morning ” I had a nice grey wolf, caught by two feet . “ When my father had his cattle down on our o a l wer ranch , the coyotes killed young calf one so s t morning, I took four Victor traps and e ’ 4 c s around it , and by o clo k , I had two coyote . I reset the traps and the next morning I had ” one another . The trapping methods given in the following pages are from expert trappers of all parts of the central and northernportions of the coyote range . “ We have a bounty on coyotes and on wolves in this state ( Wyoming ) besides a ’ stOckmen s in bounty certain districts , ranging on from to coyotes , and to

'

on wolves. I find the best way to find coyotes here is to go out in the open country where the sheep men run their sheep in winter, and when I can find a camp that has just been a of v cated by a band sheep , I always figure on on to ‘fi e on getting from e v coyotes that ground , as there is most always some dead carcasses left ”

a to set . behind , and good , dry place in “ of is My method setting this , I have all my traps with the chains cut off to about six inches on use and a swivel the end, and a long iron pin

m . about 3 inches in dia eter Usually, I take of on and so a part a sheep with the hide , place

IV OLF AND T T COYO E RAPPING .

c for trenches for the hains , then three holes the a nor tr ps , which must not be too deep too shal low . This requires practice and good judgment . They must be deep enough to allow the trap to be covered half an inch with dirt or sand, and still be even with the surrounding surface . Any deeper is too deep . of an Put a large piece wool under the p , all of and cover jaws , pan and with a piece e heavy paper or light cloth , to ke p the dirt from getting under the trap pan . Drive the stake w ith three traps attached until the top is tw o inches or more below the top of the ground ; put the chains in their trenches and the trap in the holes dug for them . Cover all over with fine dirt the sam e as it was before be ing disturbed . Then take a brush made from f or stif tough grass , a small brush the wing of a chicken or sage - hen and brush out all finger to of e marks, etc . , then drop the last bait on p stak and go away . The coyote or wolf will not com e close enough to get caught the first three or four ’ et nights , but don t g uneasy, they will get bold ’ too e to after awhile , if you don t go clos your trap when looking at it When one gets set caught in a trap this way, he pulls to the end of the chain and swings around so as to not Step into another trap, then there is much TH T TH D FOR OT 1 NOR ERN BAI ME O S COY ES . 8 1 danger of him breaking a chain or pulling up ” a stake .

In trapping the coyote or wolf I make a f or bed some three or four eet each way, nearly r round . I set the t aps after I swing the spring “ ” the to the dog side . Then place trap , say , i about ten inches from the outs de of the bed .

h - Cover t em with about three fourths inch of soil . I cover the pan with a piece of gunny sack so the sack will be inside of the jaws . I place the of — is pin in the middle the bed , everything covered . ‘ “ ‘ r I use bacon fo my bait . After I have the s bed all mooth and fine, I cut the bacon in m very s all pieces , then scatter them all over the

sa . bed , y some four inches apart Coyotes like to the bacon . They commence pick up the small pieces and the first thing t hey know t hey are t wo in trouble . I caugh in t nights with the ' i ” eight sets s x coyotes . “ I make my beds near the cow trails . I have had better success making my beds near a dead carcass than to set the traps by the carcass . Last October we had an old coyote and five pup pies that were killing sheep for one of our neigh set bors . I one trap where the herder gen l fi eral y saw them . I caught the ve young ones W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

the first five nights. The sixth morning I went to the traps and they were dug up and the bait t gone . I reset hem and they were in the same ‘ ha h n m ‘ “ s e t e . p ext orning I said to myself, Old ” f o girl , I will o l you . I made another bed some one set thirty feet from the old . I four traps in the new bed and fixed up the old one j ust the

had . same as I it before, only minus the traps

The next morning she was caught and l had three She at feet in the traps . e all the bait on the ” old place and had pawed up the ground . “ u I d ) not se scent . I have tried several kinds and consider them no good . I have trailed coyotes w here they have been trailing my tracks an a d found them caught in the traps . I h ve set tra ps in the evening and found coyotes in them the next morning . I have been trapping coyotes and wolves for some five years in mv o a on county ( Billings C . ) I am loc ted the Little Missouri River a short distance s outh of the old ranch that P resident Roosevelt used to ” ow n . , what is called Bad Land Country

First boil your traps , and from the time o use y u take them from the hot water , gloves

set . till , gloves to be smeared with blood Take a pair of old shoes and nail on some blocks. of r 2 4 wood cut f om x stuff, the length of your

AND O OT T WOLF C Y E RAPPING .

and shoes to always bury my gloves / in dirt a keep off human scent . I h ve caught lots of

t e s. them this way , although , I have o h r method The m ain thing is to keep human scent off of ” s trap and the ground where your traps are et .

sa a s I w . coyote j ump over a sage bru h da at about 6 rods from me one y, and shot him h No 6 s as he struck t e ground with . fine hot to i and killed him . As I went p ck him up, I

N 2 ra . found his hind foot in a o. Newhouse t p o I took him ut of the trap, took the trap, and followed his track for about one- half mile to r a wa d the top of the Butte, and found dead a horse . I left the tr p , went back and Skinned

a. the coyote, took his hide over to Mr . Mum ‘ a About a week fter killing the coyote, I t the went over the Bu te, and found a man at of horse covering up some traps . I told him killing the coyote and where to find the hide . He caught 1 1 coyotes at this horse up to F eb ru r l se 1 0 30 a y st . They t their traps from to a e feet aw y from the horse, betwe n sage brush , Where coyotes would be likely to walk in ap roa hin se p c g the horse . They had eight traps t to at this place, fastened each one a limb about 3 feet long I think they put some scent on the s horse to keep the coyotes from eating him , a TH T TH D FOR OT 1 NOR ERN BAI ME O S COY ES . 8 5

I did not see as they had eaten any of it during ” a s the time they had their tr ps et .

I will give some good coyote sets , altho the 8th e season is about over now , March , but som coyote trappers will trap most all summer in order to get bounty? “ I find that this thing I n handling your traps with gloves on is all fool h is ness. e to W ll , begin with , take some lard

sa . o o cracklings , y a half dozen G t some brush

r t A T ail Se . where there is a trai l going through take your cracklings to the trail and scatter cracklings set one of along trail, and traps at each end is set brush in trail . This a hard to beat, boys . w a Another y is to find some old cow path , and if you see coyote tracks in this set a few traps t along in it , cover traps , firs spreading some brown paper over trap then some dirt . Take an old coyote foot , make tracks all around your u v s t trap, and yo will ha e another good e . 1 8 6 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

Here we have the coyote in larger numbers of is o than any the furry tribe, and he here t for is is for stay , h cunning a match the best of one t trappers , but many a gets his oes pinched n ” every season a d his coat is worn the next . “ The best method that I know of to fool the cute chap is to find a carcass , and if they are off a six or feeding it , then take bout eight No . 3 or 4 Newhouse traps and set well back from t et n . S a a d bai in trails le ding to , from the be no carcass , but very careful and leave signs , for Mr . Coyote is very careful to look all around his before partaking of meal , and while making

' this tour of inspection ( if you have yOIIr traps rightly and neatly set ) he will get his foot caught Never fasten the trap solid but to a drag so that he can drag it off and not prevent all the \ others from coming to the bait , and also he makes his hardest fight immediately after being and caught , if your trap is staked solid and h to a o appens have a we k place , or your c yote not ou to e is securely caught, y are very apt los ” him . “ Find an old badger hole with a large pile of f o . dirt in front it Take your traps , and every to set a thing needed make the with , walk str ight

’ up to the place and don ’ t move out of your tracks u s t h o e . while y the traps Put t e bait, fresh meat

1 8 8 AND O T T WOLF C YO E RAPPING .

Take the entrails of a hog or other animal and go up the gulch until you find a place wh ere is Set the ground loose and there is no grass . tw o traps about four feet apart and place t he

' one foot o one of bait between , and about fr m

. to eat the traps If the animal tries . the bait, it sus i cmus will be caught in this trap , and if it is p and walks around the bait, the other one will f catch it . Take a piece o the bait and erase all signs that you have made in setting the traps, so that it will appear that you have only come ” o of he there t dispose t bait . “ oft Look at the traps every other day, not to set ener, and never go close a if it can be avoided . These may not be the best methods, h but they are good ones , and I have caug t many coyotes with them . When you get thirty or forty skins, you will think that they are well worth e to to the trouble n cessary secure them , j ust ” look at . CHAPTER XV

ET hI E H D BLIND S T O S.

HERE wolves and coyotes are plen tiful and natural conditions are a able f vor , blind sets are very suc cessful an , especially for the wary

imals that refuse to take bait . Con ditions must b e f a v o r a b l e in order to mak e blind set trapping feasible . There must be plenty of good clear trails traversing the country, and a compara tively rough locality will be found to be the best as . on rough ground , the wolves are more certain to w alk on the trails . f e . o It is only, p rhaps , a small per cent the trappers who are able to make a success of is verv ob blind sets , for it requires one who i To a serving and a dil gent worker . make fair n catch requires that one ru s a long line of traps , for he must depend on putting his trap just where the wolf will step , instead of decoying the

' of animal into the trap by means a bait , and no a ‘ m tter how careful he is in this matter , he is certain to set a lot of traps in bad places . e On the oth r hand , if food is plentiful and o or e the wolves d not take bait well , if th y have 1 89 AND T T 1 90 WOLF COYO E RAPPING . become shy and wary because of persistent trap one a ping, is more likely to make showing if he

a . too uses blind sets , in part at le st Then , , he “ may be more certain of pulling in the old vet ” erans . The reason that the blind set is more certain for the wary animals is that there is no bait to arouse the suspicions of the intended victim , n off and it is taken w he completely its guard . a Such anim ls as the wolf, coyote and fox are always suspicious of a bait even though there is no s c trap there, and w ill ometimes steer lear of fo a e it r sever l days , simply becaus they think there may be something w rong there . They approach a baited trap warily and if they detect m n any disturbance or sign of hu a presence, off h they are for good . Wit the blind set , that would not occur and if the trap is in the proper

. i of place, the trapper may be pretty certa n the animal when it comes that way . an o e In all parts of the wolf d c yot country, trails of som e kind are to be found . On the Western Plains the stock trail s are numerous

’ and offer great possibilities for blind trapping . m In the ountains , game trails are to be found and as such trails invariably lead through passes and other natural passage - ways they make ex cellent m ’ places for wolf sets , if on the ani als route . In the northern forests , moose , caribou ,

1 92 AND C T T WOLF OYO E RAPPING .

r two traps a e better . They should be attached to e s of drags of som sort ; either stone , chunks or wood the pronged , iron drags . If the traps are staked the captured animal will” tear up the trail and the next one that passes that way will stop to investigate and may locate the trap . i W th other sets , it is sometimes better to let the captured coyote or wolf scratch up th e set se it to u ting but with the trail t, is best se a drag. A piece of canvas or cow or sheep hide should be spread on the ground and the trapper should on set stand it while making the , and should h also use it as a receptacle for t e loose dirt . A e hole should be dug for each trap , the same shap set but of as the trap when , a little larger, and such a depth that when the trap is covered , the covering will be even with the surface of the a ground . A narrow trench should be m de for the chain and a hole in which to place the drag. The drag should be buried a s far from the trap as the chain will allow . The traps should be set with the j aws lying lengthwise of the trail . After filling in neatly with dirt around the springs and the outside of the j aws , a sheet, of clean paper should be placed l over the trap and covered with from one fourth n to o e half inch of fine dirt , covering the edges of the paper first to prevent it from sagging . D ET TH D BLIN S ME O S . 1 93

When finished the whole should be brushed smooth and the surplus dirt carried away .

Sometimes one can find a long, deep ravine which is practically impassable to w olves and coyotes . At such places one may find small branches running out to the side and wherever e there i s such a branch, th re is sure to be a trail at the first crossing place . Such a trail is sure to be used by the animals when traveling along the canyon for when they strike the lateral a br nch , they are certain to follow it to the first crossing place . That is the place to set a trap for them . ‘ One of the trappers who is located on the “ coyote range of the Northwest , writes There are several . ways of trapping for the c oyote but none of them will hold go od very long . The on coyote will soon get to the way you trap , and ” know as well where your trap is as you do . The most successful way I have found is to 4 3 . take two No . and No Newhouse traps and wire the rings together hard and fast . Set them a in trails that are used by the coyotes . Dig hole in the trails the right size for the traps . Doubl e the chains up and put them under the traps , cover the traps lightly with dust , leaving everything as normal as possible Two traps a a to gether make vour ch nces double for a c tch , The and the loose trap answers for a drag. 13 AND T T 1 94 WOLF COYO E RAPPING . coyote will not go far until he becomes entangled ne r ' use for keeps . I ve bait only to draw the coy ote to some place where there are lots of trails ll a s m'o leading in a directions . These tr il I o oliz s n p e with traps as just described . I et it in o the most likely lo king place, then take a large sized bait , fasten it in a thicket in the t vicinity of the raps , and your chances are good ’ for a catch . Another trapper gives his method in the fol “ lowing : In setting traps for wolves and coy s t on otes , I e them mostly the trails made by

use s e . stock . I steel pin made from rake te th With a short handled axe I cut out a place in the trail so the trap will be level with the top of the us ground when covered . I e paper over the N 4 set tw o o. jaws and traps at a setting, put ting them fourteen or tw enty inches apart . A wolf ’ s foot is good for brushing the dirt over the traps so as to make everything look as nat of ural as possible . I use a pair gloves in hand ling my traps and set them where the trail is w on o or narro and a little kn ll , where the trail goes around a bank or between two hills . “Leave all wolf and coyote carcasses near the traps after skinning them, as they make a good a decoy . A good pl n is to throw your rope around a piece of meat and drag it from your saddle No 4 horn . Take a dozen . traps and go up and

. CHAPTER XVI .

SET TH D SNOW ME O S .

HE N the ground is covered with w is snow , trapping for olves ex ceedingly diffi cult and there are a few , if any tr ppers who can make a success of it Throughout t Northern Minneso a , Wisconsin n and Michiga , as well as in Can ada , a few are caught by the most persistent te hunters , but the win r catch never amounts to much .

It is difficult to make a. set in the snow and set is leave no signs when the finished , and even if one can make a neat set it will seldom remain long in working order . This is the rule, but one a set s there is exception , which is succe sful , but can only be used in places where the w inter temperature is such that the snow w ill remain

t a o . a long ime in lo se, powdery condition In other w ords it can only be used successfully in

t w . the Nor h , where the eather is very cold The method referred to is the one used by the north ern Indians for trapping both the fox and wolf . It is made as follows

Having the trap attached to a heavy clog, 1 96 Now SET TH D 1 9 S ME O S . 7

and well cleaned by boiling or washing, go out onto the ice Of some windsw ept lake and scrape

n - up a pile of snow . Make it co e shaped about three feet in height and six or seven feet in di

am er . et at the Base Bury the clog, or drag, in the the mound , and stretch up chain , so as to

' o bring the trap to t he t p. Make the mound hard w th by beating it ith a snowshoe, and in e top, SCOOp a hole about five inches deep and somewhat stl r larger than the trap . Line this hole well with y

A Snow Set .

or - moss cat tail down , the down is best , place the trap in the nest. Fill inside of the

i h - jaws , and under the pan w t cat tail down and has so after the trap become cold , that there is of i no danger the snow stick ng to it , sift snow

Of . over it, to the depth, an inch Do not touch this snow with the hands or it will freeze hard and the trap will not spring . The bait should be cut into small pieces and of tucked into the sides the snow mound , where 1 9 8 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING . it will be out of sight Of the birds . B rush out your tracks as you go away and the wind will e soon erase every vestig of signs , leaving the snow as smooth as it w as before the trap w as set u no , but the mo nd will freeze hard and of it amount wind can drift aw ay . Such a set will remain in working order as th long as e weather stavs cold . A fresh fall of snow w ill bury the set for a short time but the wind storm that alw ays follows - a snowfall off will blow all loose snow the mound , leaving sufiicient a the j ust a mount over trap , as that The will be sunken somewhat below the level . human scent will also pass away in a shor t time . This set is practically the same as setting a on trap the level and scattering the bait about , the only reason for setting it on a mound be ing that it will not be b uried by the falling snow . While the set described does well where w olves are making an occasional trip across the len country , for places where the animals are p em tiful , some other methods must also be ployed . If one can find w here the wolves have killed on t h some animals and are feeding e carcass , he will note that they have trails where they out approach . One may put a large bait and they

2 00 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

not open , and lay it over the trap , being careful to let it get into the corners , next to the Springs ; li h l then cover g t v with snow . The cloth will prevent the snow from getting under the pan of h the trap and t us prevent it from Springing . I t is also a good plan to put a brace under the so the r pan , that birds cannot sp ing the trap . i w A small forked w llow ill do , but a better plan is to drill a hole through the pan , near the edge , c and pla e a match , or a tooth pick slanting ” o through the hole t the bed of the trap . “ 4 I use the No . Newhouse trap with long chain , for coyotes and wolves . The bait, I cut ” in small pieces and scatter all around the trap . One of the coyote trappers from Saskatche “ : I se wan . Canada , says will give a snow t for coyotes that an Indian Showed us and we proved

i s . w set t merit Select a good hard sno drift , to of your trap and lay it on p the drift, then with c w a knife, mark the sno around the trap, remove trap and dig out the snow to a depth Of three or f so our inches , replace trap in hole that the pan Will be about tw o inches below the surface . NOW go a little distance Off and cut a cake of

' w hich lies snow large enough to cover hole, in the trap and scrape it as thin as possible Wit h out breaking . This requires care . Now place the cake over the trap and sprinkle some snow around the edges so as to leave all smooth . E TH D 2 01 SNOW S T ME O S.

h The chain and clog of course, s ould be well bur ied in the snow . “ I have caught a coyote in a set like this l r after a big storm , the snow having b own clea over the drift and not inj uring the set in auv way; all I did for bait w as to set my trap by a

t a . li tle bunch of gr ss Of course, it is evident a set like the above will only apply when it is cold and there is no chance of a thaw . Another important point to be remembered in setting a traps is to give them a firm bed . When a tr p is sprung it kicks back the same as a gun but when on a firm bed it has the greatest chance of ” a high grip .

In portions of the North , snow sets are used considerably . The sets given here were sent by a Minnesota trapper who claims to have used them successfully . “ I have trapped wolves a good many winte rs of in this part the country, but they are very scarce here now . As to my way : I use a No . 4 se trap and t under the snow . If I can find a place where their paths come together or cross , I select it as a favorable place for catching them . If there are a couple Of bushes near to a set gether with the p ths between , I my trap there , pushing it under the snow from a couple Of a e of feet back the path , taking care to m k as few tracks myself as possible and to fill those 2 02 W AND T T P OLF COYO E RAP ING . up and brush with a bunch of twigs or weeds for Of or a distance twenty feet more . I Sift snow over the trap also and leave everything as nat ural as possible . This method I have found very successful in capturing these shadowy pes ts of the prairie . “ are When ponds , lakes and rivers frozen to over and the snow is deep , wolves are apt travel on the ice ; any dark object out on the smooth expanse of snow on lake or river will at once attract their attention and they are apt

' A r of a . o to go and ex mine crow , rabbit bait any sort ; let it be up wher e i t can be seen at tw o s a distance . Place or three trap around the of bait at a distance of three feet , put pieces one white paper , one under and over the trap, then cover carefully with dry snow by sifting it with a. pi ece of wire screen . “ V Y hen travelling an Old trail or timber road out one as thru the woods , reach to side as far p ossible and place a piece of bait with some of tw o the scent on it or near it , and place traps w a half way bet een b it and trail , also one directly i r cover t on . in the t ail . Set and as the ice It is a good plan to scatter a few beef or lard ‘ ’ No re . 3 a cracklings along your trail . traps 2 N . %N about right for wolves , and the o ewhouse otter trap makes a good wolf trap if the attach ment is taken from the pan .

2 4: W AND OT T 0 OLF COY E RAPPING .

' ' To sum a Who k su ‘ up , the tr pper ma es a c cess of trapping wolves must make a study Of it and must often contrive methods suitable to n ” his particular trappi g grounds . The following extract from a letter received

. a of suc from a Can dian trapper, tells a very

s ful ! se ce s coyote t . “ One day I found a dead Sheep in the pasture , r of and d agging it down to the edge the lake, set I my traps around it , covering them nicely

‘ with wool from th e sheep . I told the boys I

h aco ote a d . so would ave y in the morning, n I o fox on did . On the sec nd morning I had a red , r the third mo ning a coyote, on the fourth a fox and on the sixth morning another coyote . Then . I did not get any more for a week from Which

i . t me, I caught one now and then until spring I think I caught 2 3 coyotes and 2 foxes at on set e . that bait When the snow got deep , I the trap on top of the bait . When a coyote cam e along he would smell the bait and would dig

w . do n through the snow , into the trap I wore skis when loo-king at the traps and never turned around near a setting . “ ’ My last winter s catch was as follows : 69 es 5 2 5 1 2 w ea coyot , lynx , red foxes , badgers , ’

1 2 a 2 . sels , muskr ts and mink “ I want to tell you how I catch coyotes . “ s o or writes a North Dakota trapper . I et tw ET TH D 2 SNOW S ME O S . 05

o 3 a s so a three N . Victor tr p around me de d e or ow hors c , cover the trap with a piece of paper or cheese cloth , then throw snow over t l hat , having it ook as near like the surroundings us a s as possible . Sometimes I e fre h beef head , but the coyotes are so shy they will not go close r t enough to get in you rap for sometimes a week , i ” unless they are starved to t . “ I think the coyote is as shy as most any h other animal . I do not think they can smell t e steel traps for the strong smell Of the fresh meat or carrion but th ey are afraid of your tracks, and naturally suspicious of everything . When e I first tri d to trap coyotes , I drove up within of set a few rods where I wanted to my traps, Set not a went and them , and did p y any atten tion to destroying my tracks . I would never l ” catch any until snow fil ed up my tracks . ‘Now I set my traps off Of Skis or snow shoes or e t to drive up close to wh re I wan set my trap , and drag some fresh meat over my tracks ; they are not afraid of a sled track for they Will travel ” for miles in sled tracks When the snow is deep . We will conclude this chapter with an ar a a tiele written by a Can dian tr pper , telling how he caught his first coyote : “This is my second winter in Alberta and I must say that we are having one of the good old fashioned kind . The snow is over two feet deep 2 06 WO AND T T LF COYO E RAPPING . on the level , and the thermometer on one occa i . a sion , went on a str ke I t w s only 36 degrees below zero this morning . “ W e . r Last int r, which was ve y mild , was a for poor year catching the Sly old coyote . He w as too w ell fed and could get around so easily ff of so that he never su ered the pangs hunger, t on the was constan ly watch for danger . We had a cow that committed suicide by falling into the manger, and I thought sh e w ould make good she bait . So did until I set some traps around her and from that time the coyotes would come and look at her, but would not venture near .

However, I succeeded in catching three large dogs . “ 5th r On January , I changed my boa ding place , moved to within a half mile of Battle R Th w iver and Lake . e coyotes ere quite nu erous a m around th e lake and river , and m de s nightly excursions up around the building , feed

o h . s ing n a dead orse, cow or calf The boy had of se a couple traps t b eside a cow , but the cattle would spring the trap while feeding at the s traw stack Where the dead animal was . Then I took a hand and set the traps on runways used by , s coyotes . I et them with great care , but all I found was a footprint about two inches from the pan of a trap . Sometimes they would go as far a s the trap and would turn around and

AND T T 2 08 WOLF COYO E RAPPING .

m end of the stack there he was fast in v trap . I thought that was pretty good for I had actually chased him into my trap . Two coyotes in three nights was pretty good , with only three traps , w as of m a and I quite proud yself, but that was week ago and number three only came last of night . I am in hopes more before spring, but never will I have the thrills of pleasure like ‘ ’ first those I had when I found my coyote . CHAPTER XV II .

ND TH To R SOME RULES A INGS REMEMBE .

ou for a F y are using small animals b it,

use the w hole animal , if your method

o - of will all w it , and do not skin the

bait, as that Will make the coyote

or . wolf suspicious Leave the bait, s if po sible, looking as though it had died a natural death and you Will b e more suc cessful in your trapping .

v e Do not if timber wol es are expected , stak a single trap on smooth ground , for the captured animal will be almost certain to escape if you can not visit the trap soon after the animal is the caught . This is especially true when using a sm ller Sizes of traps . When using the regular wolf trap, it may sometimes be fixed solidly if desired but it is better to use a drag Of some kind .

If you find some animal that the wolves have

do ot a at . killed , n fail to set tr ps there once While it is possible that the wolves will not re a on turn , there is chance, and then e is almost certain to catch coyotes if there are any about . 14 209 W F AND T TR P OL COYO E AP IN G.

I

s i Wolves are sometime susp i c ous Of. a large not s bait and will venture near to it . In uch cases onemay s ometimes make a catch by set a ting trap somewhere near by , using a Small s f crap o bait only . The trap may be placed in Of a of the open Side a n tural half circle brush , and a the bait placed behind it . The tail Of t s skunk is said o be an unfailing lure in such set .

Sometimes a . badger will be caught in a wolf

or a . so as coyote tr p If , do not Skin it, they are worth but little ; kill it and let it lay on the

‘ spot, setting the trap by the side Of it . The trap may be set in the loose dirt that the cap tured badger has dug up and there Will be no signs of human interference . It is almost cer r h tain that a wolf o coyote Will be caught t ere, within a few nights .

’ When you find where the animals are travel ing on trails , if there is not much stock about , o on t interfere with the traps , make a set the a et o for . s trail, without bait Such is very go d l a o d . the , wary anim ls

As a general rule , it is best to use blind and t scent sets in summer, when the wea her is warm

AN 2 1 2 WOLF D COYOTE TRAPPING .

wolf or badger nearly every day . The animals killed in that way add considerable to the in come Of some of the western wolfers .

There will be but little chanc e of making a catch as long as any human scent or signs re t mains about the se ting . The scent will pass a few but one a away within days , should alw ys l or a guard against eaving Signs . A rain , fresh fall of snow will sometimes help the trapper out of , as it removes or covers all signs human or a presence. Som e broken weeds freshly r crushed lump of ground will ala m the animal , one and through such apparentlytrifling causes, a m y fail to make a catch .

When looking at the t raps go on horesback and do not dismount unless it is absolutely nec n m . c o e u essary On horseba k , ay ride p quite close to the trap and the wolves will not be n a e . s to o al rm d If, however, it is neces ary go r ar foot , do not approach the t aps ne er than nec r s e ou o o essa y to e if y have made a catch , als d not go oftener than need be .

m e w So etimes a coyot ill uncover a trap, or o dig it up from its bed . There is no way t prevent this and the only hope of catching the AND TH T 2 1 SOME RULES INGS O REMEMBER . 3

t animal , is in having other differen sets in the same locality . Some other method may catch m s o him . For the sa e rea on we w uld advise the trapper to make use of different sets when put Out ting the traps , for the method that will catch one u would not be successf l with anoth er .

D n O ot depend on a few traps alone . Have n t one all that you ca look af er . If chance is w o e good , t are better , and thos who make the t largest catches are the diligen workers , who run long lines .

l Wolves , ike all other wandering animals ma have a regul ar route of travel . While they y w vary some hat from this course , they are sure to continue in the same general line so that when see a a ou you tr cks in any loc lity, y may be certain that the animal will travel somewhere near there again .

e When setting a trap , never l ave it until you are satisfied that it is as near a perfect set as u . t o can be made If you do tha way , y are sure o t be successful .

the on the Whenever possible , make set wind ’ w o s on the ard side f the wolf route , that is , 2 1 4 W AND O OT T OLF C Y E RAPPING .

n side from which the prevailing wi ds blow . In

‘ that w ay the animal is more certain to Scent the he bait , and will easily follow it up wind to t trap .

Some wolfers make it a practice to burn bones and other animal matter near the camp at night , believing that it will draw w olves into the vicinity .

o All f the foregoing rules will help , and t is im should be kep in mind , but what more portant than any Of them is that one be indus trious a to and Observing, always ende voring learn more of the habits and nature of the an f r a on is o to imals h e seek s o . Such e b und make a success Of wolfing.

2 1 6 WO AND OT T LF COY E RAPPING . eighteen months and he blames thi s small bunch f of o wolves for that loss . The great state South Dakota pays the miserable sum of bounty o n grey wolves and on coyotes . Last year the bounty claims were paid 80 cents on the l Of do lar , as the claims were in excess the fund a ppropriated for bounty purposes . I have heard of wolves attacking persons in the woods of the Northeastern States I have no reason to doubt this - th ey may be a diff erent wolf our l or f from grey wo f, bu falo wolf, as they are often called . I have seen them in the P anhandle

Of Texas . in \V country Northwest , Colorado , y k and oming, the Da otas , Montana Canada and h as as : see t ey are all the same, far I could , in looks , size and habits , and I have never heard of them molesting anyone in the above men ion i t ed . s places Of course , there the coyote, he is everywhere I have ever been and some call call him a w olf . Fur dealers him prairie wolf ; frequently some fellow will tell me about a black or wolf, a big white one , but I just let him run ’ t l v it over me ; I don t el him he is a pre aricator, neither do I get angry and try to kill him . I permit him to think he is telling me something and try to look unconcerned and solemn , but I think he has looked down on the back of a grey wolf from high ground and he looked dark and he h r i b t more e thought about it, the da ker t e s Bi Wo f S ns. Mr. Davi With the g l ki W AND T T 2 1 8 OLF COYO E RAPPING .

for came , until he became almost too black any b e thing . The same wolf standing on a hill a ov ou W on y , will Show the hite and yellow his breast and belly and that alw ayl OkS so much like that big white wolf . I do not doubt but occasional that there is an black wolf, but I n have never seen o e. I want to see every w olf and coyote In the country with his hide nailed up to dry . I did not encourage others to trap when I was wolf

n m ‘ ran e ing , as I wanted to k ow how to work y g to the best advantage, and beginners often make them hard to catch ; their work is too coarse and

‘ TO the wolves get wise . the boys who inquired in the July number about methods of setting and n W sa i baiti g for wolves , I ill y I will g ve you ’ the IVhile c best I ve got . an experien ed wolfer ou o do ou can give y some good p inters , he can y

l ou -r no good , un ess y are an early rise and an of for suc energetic worker with lots patience , ’ sful i i o ces wolf ng s not a lazy man s j b . O f an thin /about course , I do not know y g trapping in the woods or in the country east Of the Mis

NO 4 Ne hous ' ra s th s . w e t souri . p are e be t where l you are trapping wo ves and coyotes both . do A prairie g town is a good place, especially as if the country is rough around it , wolves on come to catch the dogs . Make a blind set set some smooth mound , about thr ee traps close

2 2 0 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

his he will put front feet . I have Often kill ed ” Big Jaws , old horses and cripple s and then set traps on the trails they follow to feed on the l set the a carcass , but se dom tr p at the carcass . Good s trychnine is good if one know s how to

. vou use it If want to make drop baits , cut up small pieces Of the paunch and roll the poison up in it . They like that part of an animal and i if they swallow it while it is frozen , it w ll unroll In the stomach and give the poison a chance to act quickly . I often use a light wagon in setting trap s and sometimes carry dirt to cover w ith . I throw a wagon sheet out to stand on and do all the w one work ithout stepping on the ground , as

a . should always le ve as little scent as possible. I think that most kinds of scent are good or

' h u old anything t at smells rotton eno gh , but the t grey is cer ainly cunning and hard to trap, r e specially if he has lost a few toe s. The e are grey wolves that do not kill cattle ; when I com menc d to t e hun wolves , I studied them very care l and ful y . I opened examined the stomach of all I caught and instead of finding them loaded m i with fresh eat , I found over half w thout any thing in the stomach at all ; others had pieces Of n bo es , grass and Old pieces of hide strip ped from an old dry carcasses and I found rabbits, mice d THE TREAOHEROUS 2 2 1 GREY WOLF . gophers and this was in the lower Musselshell w a of Country here there were thous nds cattle . Of I have tried hounds , and have had some the best that I could get but they were never successful . I never had hounds that would kill w a grown olf, but they Often stopped the wolf until I could shoOt ‘ it and I never knew them to make a good fight more than once, besides dogs knock their to e nails off on rocks and get crip pled up with cactus and Ofter a whole pack will a s o lmost ruin them elves by killing p rcupines , the q uill s getting in the throat and sometimes will work through the head and into the eyes and blind them . I can take traps and beat any bunch

Of dogs I ever tried for both wolves and coyotes . A wolf hound is often very stupid and does six some very laughable things . I had good ones on a trip in Canada . I w as going down the i V Medic ne Lodge alley, had team and the hounds ; on each side of the road about three hundred yards ahead were a bunch of cattle , h to near each bunch t ere was a coyote . I tried send the dogs after them but they could not see n them , as they were Sitting still . Just the the dogs saw a badger about a quarter of a mile d w t o n the road , and hey were not long getting o there . As they passed the cattle , b th coyotes ' started after the dogs and followed them to 2 WO AND O OT T 2 2 LF C Y E RAPPING .

few of of within a steps the scene battle , where the Six dogs were tearing at the tough Skin of the as badger. The c oyotes seemed to think it w ” heap fun and then one coyote j umped into the fight and out againand then the other and they it a repeated several times , when at last young dog discovered one of the coyotes. and started him over a hill and the other coyote following at the of o heels the d g . . Finally the hound found that h e was out numbered and went back ; the other five never knew that th ere had been a coyote in the val e ley, but were still tearing away at the d ad l badger as I drove up . Well , I fe t like saying ’ something, but I didn t .

AND O OT TR P 2 24 WOLF C Y E AP ING. necessary to cope with animals of almost human TOO intelligence . , they were quite plentiful could be seen any day whil e riding over the plains and n i g h t they ‘ m a d e hideous h I with their o w s. Would I hunt the-m

with horse and gun , or at horse and dogs, tempt to trap them ? That w as the question

confronting me . “ My first experi ence with horse and gun came about in this way Two young Ed cowboys , Ernest wards and Robert

Russell , were with me hunting prairie chicken ; we saw a wolf lying in the sage grass about five hun

dred yards away, and decided that although

A Tex s S e men we had shot guns , we a p ci . would endeavor t o ~ r o s ide up sufficiently clos e to get a Sh t . Edward and I were within about eighty yards of the wolf T H WOLF CA C ING . 2 2 5

he when started ; both fired , and Russell started immediately in pursuit . Russell ran after him for e about thre miles, when the chase was taken o up by Edwards , who , up n his famous sorrel , ‘ ’ few Playmate, was soon within a yards of him e and fired with his Shot gun . Thre shots brought to him the ground . “ saw After this I cowboys try to rope wolves , but seldom with success ; and frequently they would attempt to kill them from their mounts n or sel with carbi e revolver, but were likewise as not r . w dom successful It long, acco dingly, before it was evident to me that very little suc cess would attend mv efforts with horse and gun . “ The next plan was to try riding to the on h hounds . There are t e ranch many imported

- wolf hounds , two grey hounds and two blood hounds . It comprises about a million acres and th ese dogs are al lowed to roam over it at will ; sometimes they are at Estellme ; sometimes at Shamrock ; sometimes at Aberdeen ;sometimes is at other places . There no regular hunting b with them y the foremen or cowboys , and none n Of the owners live o the ranch . These hounds e are p rfectly trained , though , and understand f o quite well the ways o a w lf . The following is my first experience with horse and dogs : “ - The day before my arrival at the Beasley 1 5 AN T T 2 2 6 WOLF D COYO E RAPPING .

of or s Camp, which included a house a dozen o had rooms , barns and the like, a beef been killed and the waste left laying about a hun “W dred yards from the house . e had j ust gone in to luncheon when one of the boys noticed a large u o u wolf going p t eat pon this waste . Within an incredibly short time we were out of our l for re seats, some ye ling the dogs which we l t ying around the porch , and o hers straddling h n t e a o . horses already saddled . The chase w s

It lasted , however, for only about twenty min ‘ ’ for n utes , the wolf was soo picked up . After this we had several other chases . “ Formerly, hunting with hounds here was now practicable and extremely interesting, but that th ere are wire fences everywhere it is quite impossible to follow the dogs , and , moreover, when after a wolf they frequently leave the ‘ ’ ranch and go u pon the premises of some nester n ( farmer ) who has pla ted poison . “ sa e ar In a pack of a dozen dogs , y, ther e ‘ ’ generally tw o grey hounds used as tripping is thev a of dogs ; that , run ahe d the main body or and trip throw the wolf, sometimes twice so the others have time to come up and jump on h t Generally t ey do no figh ing themselves. l w as o The ast plan t try trapping, and I have found that most successful . “I found that, first, it was n ec essary to boil

W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

Then I tried staking out a cow ’ s head with the stake driven down so it would not proj ect at o Bu th h all ab ve . t before driving estake in t e ground I had the rings attached to my chains on it and under the head . Around this h ead I

a . set ten tr ps in a circle As before , the wolves o d. woul g within about ten yards , but no nearer . r I decided , therefore, tempo arily, to use no bait, a but to try tr il setting, for nightly two particular

“ literallv paths were covered with wolf tracks . “ an My traps , logs, gloves d boots having been ” thev w prepared, ere taken in a w agon to places for settings ; the traps were sunk into the ground so that when l eveled there was about a quarter of an inch of dirt on top Of the tredles ; then the chains were sunk ; and finally the logs . About the setting : The c enter of t he tredle should be in the center of the trail ; place under tredle — a the a piece of cotton over it , round piece of paper twice its Size with a place cut out over the restraining lever ; cover very carefully and be q uite sure there are no lumps to get caught between the jaws when thrown ; and, a o lastly , le ve no loose soil visible s there will be no trace whatever of any disturbance Of the earth . Three traps should be set in a. row with set the jaws , when , six inches apart . This plan a was entirely successful , and I c ught w olves n n ightly. In usi g a log such as has been de W T H 2 2 OLF CA C ING . 9 scribed there should always be used with it the tw o- pronged drag such as is furnished with the NO 4 . s f e %Newhouse trap . A wolf may get a w hundred yards away , but he will never break un loose , and may be traced quite easily . It is necessary but I use a bloodhound on the ranch ‘ ’ for ur IVith Red , this p pose . a stationary fast eh ing something may break . “ In time it became my good fortune to drift a around to the bull p sture where Curtis Brown , nice oun e to a , y g cowboy, is f eding cotton seed

~ half a thousand bulls . Here I found trail trap ping almost impracticable on account of the bulls the following trails and throwing the traps , and n w because, seemi gly , the wolves ould go directly to the carcass of a dead bull without reference to any trail . Accordingly I would watch the carcass closely ( about twenty bull s have died ) and wherever a wolf had begun to eat on a carcass I would set my traps so as to catch him when he returned to his meal . This plan has been all one could ask . “ Finally, I tried luring wolves to my bait by setting four traps in a row as described in trail setting ; but between the second and third I buried a bone or lump of meat which had been allowed to roast and smoulder all the night before . Wolves could smell this miles away, AND O T T 2 30 WOLF C YO E RAPPING .

n in . s i would come to it and get the traps Thi , i s t . deed, the bes scheme I know anything about a a I h ve noticed th t Mr . Ernest Thompson ‘ S eton and others say a She wolf or dog staked out in the mating season is an infallible lure : and a captive wolf that will howl is good at ’ IVe . any time . have a number of female wolves around the camp now and have had them for a l ong while , one is quite gentle and they howl . They have been staked out frequently with a of e no has circle traps around ach , but wolf been near. “ Aside from the sport to be obtained in trap of ping wolves , the pecuniary feature is interest e e to the trappers . In New M xico wher they are much more plentiful than in Texas , there is a bounty of tw entv dollars each on Lobo wolves ( Canislupus) and two and one - half dol lars on coyotes . Moreover the trapper does not have to wait for his money for the large ranch owners pay cash for the scalps in order to on decreas have him trap their range, thus ing the number of wolves and thereby protecting h TOO t eir cattle and sheep . the trapper is usual l ni r t o y fur shed a horse o w .

2 32 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

” are those near it ? They are but spurs of the “ ’ “ famous Bad Lands . And this large field Of ” is bushes , what it, he inquires . Some newly formed friend who is better acquainted with the nature of the Great Plains will inform him that this is but a patch Of sage bush , an aridity of loving plant , characteristic this region . He will explain that yonder mounds are part of a prairie dog town , and the little marmot like on forms , perched in their peculiar attitudes the of little round knolls, represent the inhabitants oft of this populous city . The traveler has heard and i on a ac prairie dogs , is surpr sed close so f quaintance with them . They appear di fer ent from what his mind has pictured them . He sit watches them scamper to their burrows , up for a moment on their haunches and dive out of sight .

His interest , however , is not completely of o aroused until he catches sight a d g like form , half hidden among the sage bush . He watches it as it disinterestedly trots along with drooping h a of r er e d and tail , a picture despai , most p f it ectly suited to its environments . Once stops r it s a all alert . looks back ove Shoulder, e rs pointed and nose uplifted , and th e train leaves is our it behind in all its lonliness . This first Co acquaintance of the coyote or prairie wolf . y of ff otes are several varieties , each di ering W TH THE T 2 I COYO ES . 33 from the rest through certain peculiarities in a form , size or color , and each having well de

fined geographical range . Collectively they range from the upper Mississippi Valley west ward through the Great Plains and Rockv Moun tains , southward to northern Mexico and north ward into British Columbia and the Northwest

Territories . “fhile the coyote is found in one or another or b Of its forms, in greater lesser num ers o throughout this region , its most c ngenial home is among the Bad Land s and among the sand s stone ridge , steep sided buttes and deep narrow coules and canyons in the Colorado and upper

Missouri Valleys , and it is here that its greatest numbers are found . Being thoroughly fitted to these surroundings it has been enabled to of hold its own through the advent civilization , while most Of its larger co- inhabitants have been in sadly reduced numbers . It is true that the combined actions of poi n so s , traps and high power rifles have done much to reduce the numbers of the coyote in some of its i e t favorite haunts , yet , n oth r locali ies , its per sistent numbers are deserving Of considerable Of credit . They prove but the survival the

fittest . Among the mountains th e coyote is rarely found , though Since the coming of the white man 2 34 W AND OT T A P OLF COY E R P ING . with his flocks they have multipl i ed considerably

' in several localities even to such an alarming degree that ranches have found it unprofitable to t further attempt o raise sheep . The coyote of the plains is considerably e small r than the wolf, being intermediate in e fox I siz between the red and the grey wolf . t has the Short body, bushy tail , rounded head and pointed nose of the fox and might easily be n I o e. ts mistaken for general color is fulvous, grizzled with black and white hai rs and lighter underneath a color remarkable for its ability to r blend with th e b own and grey , that the arid Plains are clothed in the greater part of the year . Although well proportioned and being where food is usually plentiful , it rarely fattens up , and almost invariably presents a hungry, half fed of a appearance . Its food consists mainly sm ll o rodents and birds , such as it can dig up fr m

- or a . the ground , waylay by cat like m neuvers Preferring to live on a diet of such animals as to to it is enabled capture and kill , it resorts many schemes and tricks to satisfy its desire for in fresh meat . Field mice and gophers living its shallow burrows , fall an easy prey to dig gings . Prairie dogs and cotton tails are way e and laid at their place of refuge, and grous

2 3 6 W AND TE T OLF COYO RAPPING .

a th In the Spring fter the young are born , e bitch is kept busy from till night trying to ‘ morn t the of u sa isfy hunger of her growling litter p ps , f do so and in her frantic e forts to , scruples little on running dow n and killing a stray Sheep or an h unprotected calf or colt . When , however, t is large prey fails and the smaller game proves i ffi is nsu cient , she again forced to the humbler larder of some carca ss she has discovered on on of e her many haunts . not t et Coyotes are adep s at burrowing, y , some credit must be accorded them for work in this line . They often follow up mice and gophers the sod n for several feet under , though it remai s for the female to exhibit the powers of bur

' inter in rowing possessed by her tribe . In late w of l the southern part her range, and in the ear y she Spring in the northern part , selects a safe

l l . or of ocation , usua ly under a boulder a ledge or of a rock , on the face rounded point in a she coulee or gulch , from where may keep a to e sharp lookout , and sets work to dig a hom of for her prospective family . Large quantities dirt are deposited at the mouth Of the burrow, vet this amount is remarkably small when com e pared with the tunn el from which it is r moved, which is Often twenty feet or more in length and a or e wide enough to dmit a boy, even in som m n cases a medium sized a . W TH THE T' 2 I COYO ES . 3 7

At the end of the burrow , which is usually is elevated , an enlargement , in which a litter of ou from three to eight are br ght forth . These are blind and helpless , yet after the first day of their earthly career it seems to become necessary that they exercise both their lungs and limbs , and that i s except for the time spent in actual sleep, they keep up a persistent scrambling, one over

. constant row l another, and at the same time a jg s ing and whining . The crie of the young and the shuffling about of aw kward feet can Often be i d stinctly heard at the mouth of the burrow . “ ” This is one of the tests the wolfer relies on when he has made the find of a burrow with fresh signs . ’ As soon as the little ones eyes are open and their legs grow stronger , they begin to travel ,

first up and down the burrow , a little further each time, until the mouth is reached . Later on , during the warm sunny days they may be seen playing on the hillside near their home like so are many kittens . Before they half grown the fond mother leads her family out for its u l initial trip, sual y to the nearest watering place , to which they subsequently make regular trips .

It is a pleasing Sight - to see the voung coy ’ otes in playful antics jump up the mother s Side and play with her tail as they follow her or O AND OT T W LF COY E RAPPING .

A chase each other around the bushes . s soon as the young are old enough they are taken out and of taught the rules and regulations the hunt , and long before they are full grown they take an active part in the chase . In late summer the young leave the maternal for home in exchange an independent life , and

Caught at La st . it may truly be said that the coyote’ s childhood days are over, and it must face the stern realities f o life with all its serious consequences . It now

‘

- v e of a hermit f prefers to li e the lif , with an occa r sional short interview with its neighbo s .

‘ Contrary to the habits of its co'usin and not neighbor, the wolf, the coyote is often seen e s or in e exc pt ingly pairs, though it is probabl

2 40 W AND T T OLF COYO E RAPPING .

h coyotes , when ard pressed by hunger, have been known to rob the ranches of its poultry or even l to ki l a calf or colt , but it is on the defenseless sheep and lambs that they commit th eir great es t ravages .

‘ the a In some of western st tes , where stock raISIn I s g an important industry , large bounties have been paid at different times for the de covotes struction of the , and these bounties , to gether with those Offered bv stock associations Of and private parties , have Induced a number men and sometimes women , too , to make a busi ness Of the extermination of the coyote . Where formerly little time or trouble was spared to destroy these pests , now everybody who has an opportunity eagerly sets . traps or poisonous at n baits for them , shoots at them long ra ge, runs them down with his broncho to ensnare

‘ in of a them the fatal noose his lari t , or digs them and their families out of the depths of their underground retreat . The result is obvious . But few local ities remain where coyotes hold their own in their original numbers . The coyote is a wary animal and hard to ap proach within reasonable pistol shot range , and then only an experienced eye can draw a bead through the gun sights on its dull coat against the usual background of brown or grey . They o e anvthin r of are fleet fo t creatur s , and g sho t WTH THE O OTES 2 41 I OY .

r a t e a g eyhound , they are p to l ave behind strug fo gling in the dust . Grey hounds and x hounds are to them dOWn sometimes employed run r , and if one is caught out on the open plain by a pack Of these hounds it is quickly dispatched . out of Frightened almost his wits , it repeatedly takes a quick glanc e back over its shoulder at the to furious mob pursuing it , only find that they are each time a little nearer, until it feels the sharp clasp of the j aws of the leader in deathly

’ W to embrace . hat sport this would be some of our noblemen across the sea.

Like the red fox, the coyote will sometimes of ’ form the friendship the farmer s dog, and once arrived at a mutual understanding amicable relationship is not easily broken . the is As has been said , coyote swift afoot, its but wind is easily exhausted , and many a one to has fallen a prey, through this lack, the h co bod lariat of the ardy w y, who desires nothing more exciting for recreation than a rough and tumble chase through a prairie dog town in u Im p rsuit of one of these nimble creatures . agine roughly clad westerner with hair and ‘ the the kerchief flying in the breeze , and magic s a noose winging round and round Over his he d, whooping at the top of his voice and urging his to steed on its best . Imagine him shooting forth that magic no ose and see it settle over the 1 6* 242 ' W AND T TR P OLF COYO E A PING .

’ covot of a h e s head . A jerk the h nd tig tens ’ the rope , and a turn in the horse s c ourse takes the coyote off his feet and drags him along bouncing from mound to mound into insensi ili b ty. Coyotes cannot be said to possess a vicious n n . o e ature Armed with a short club , e may saf ly n t a e ter heir burrows , and when tr pped the same e as ar weapon will complet the work , they e and cowardly rarely show fight . u o co Tho gh p ssessing considerable cunning, y otes are easier trapped than foxes, though they

‘ a how are slow at taking b it . Large numbers , ever, are annually poisoned by placing strych nine in the carcasses of animals that have fall u a e or r of the en, thro gh Old g othe wise, which pangs of hunger are apt t o force coyotes to o f r is make a meal . The acti n o st ychnine ex ceedingly fast , and it is no unusual occurrence to find a dead coyote a few feet from Where it had been enjoying a dinner of poisoned meat . all to e r is Of methods resorted , how ve , none highly responsible for the reduction of the coyote as that of diggi ng up the young ( and this often gives up the mother too ) from the bur one h i in t b t rows . By w o s versed coyo e ha i s , r r of the burrows a e easily found , and the wo k an hour or two w ith pick and shovel usually force s them to give up their treasures .

CHAPTE R XXI .

W T ART OLF RAPPING AN .

’ B Ca tain J ack O Conne l y p l .

OR more than 40 years “ Old Hank Morrison has made his home in the lonely cabin on the shore of a small lake miles from any human t I habi ation , in County. “ Alger have often V i si ted this strange old 70 ha chap, and although the frosts of winters s his bent giant form and silvered his hair , his n heart is young . His past life I have ever been

' able to fathom but to judge from the choice books in several languages in his little cabin , I am led to believe there is a romance in the long long ago . The writer slowly recovering from a stroke of w paralysis , ishing to get outside the confines ’ “ ” of civiliz ation d in , deci ed to drop on Old Hank recently . I made a trip despite the deep snow t of and the protes my doctor . When I pounded n “ o his door it w asrather lat e at night . Who in

and then pausing in astonishment , threw “ the door wide open and held out his hand . Hello ” Jack , he fairly shouted , shaking my hand in all the real pump handle fashion, and with vigor 244 W T ART 2 OLF RAPPING AN . 45

“ of his mighty frame . Ble st if I ever expected to see vou again ! Well ! well ! well He helped a me put the horse aw y in good shape, and then “ ” got me a regular bang up supper despite the late hour .

Next morning after pancakes and coffee, the v a ery first thing to ttract my attention , when I stepped outside was tw o huge wolf p elts nailed to of the side the shack doing duty as the barn . I became interested at once owing to the unusual “ i s f s ze and freshnes o both . Fifty dollars in ” one night is like finding money, eh , remarked h ol t e d man . I asked him how he managed to catch these i cunning an mals , knowing that others had met “ ’ with poor success elsewhere . S ays he, I didn t learn the art of wolf trapping by mail— I have been afflicted with th e fad of wolf trapping for

' 30 of m years , and in pursuit the , I have learned i n a few th ngs ot observed by other hunters . I may not know it all but I think I have the only successful trick of trapping these cunning an imals and any man who will try my suggestions will meet with good success . r s i ous Wolves are ve v su p c animals , and have a keen scent for human beings . They will some times make a wide detour around a plac e where I have blazed a tree for the purpose of marking o ob a spot I want t again visit . They are very 2 46 AND T T WOLF COYO E RAPPING . serving and while the scent of a man ’ s trail through the forest is fresh they will not com e of i within many feet his path . Hunters find n the school of bitt er experience that it is no

-m 1 11 easy matter to catch the traps . Old trap pers will tell you that it is easier to catch the cutest fox than it is to snare the dullest and most e s tupid wolf . I have followed the sam method all my life— I learned the trick from a half breed t rapper in the far Canadian Northwest . I select an open place in the woods or on the

of c o ' edge the forest . It is ne essary t have a knoll or mound near the center or edge of the l clearing on which to place the trap, and in p ain view of your bait which you propose to place of there for the benefit of Mr . Wolf. A piece r u venison o ham is about the best bait to se. I hang this on a sapling or tree and high enough from the ground so the wolf cannot get it by jumping . Make no mistake, mind you , regarding h the eight from the ground . I put it at least i for ou aw no e ght feet , I can tell y olf is slouch h to w en it comes jumping, especially when the is reward a good chunk of meat, and he happens to n be hu gry . “ ” Wh su v not plant a trap under the bait , I g “ n ff . o gested, in an e ort to appear wise Not your ” “ is out life , says he . Mr . Wolf always looking for just such a joke .

T T 2 48 WOLF AND COYO E RAPPING .

“ cut Continuing, he says, I then a stake about

- - on six feet long one w ith a crotch at e end . I sharpen the o ther end for the purpose of driving

‘ Th on f it into the ground . e ring the end o the

’ is s chain which fastened to the trap , I lip over the stake up to the crotch . I then drive the stake into the ground so that no part of it is on of exposed . I place the trap the highest part the knoll and then cover it with leaves. I never h u e a take t e leaves in my bare hands . I s piece

‘ of bark to carrv the leaves in and always from some other place than in the immfediate vicinity of ou is the trap , for , mind y , the vagabond quick to detect if the leaves have been disturbed , and will also scent the presence of man if the leaves have been placed there with his hands . is And remember, it absolutely necessary that no of or s e part trap, chain tak be left exposed Yo to of . u see ou to view , if y leave the p the

out e . off stake sticking , showing wh re it was cut , it is enough to make th e vagabond of the woods “ ” suspicious that there is a nigger in the fence e somewhere, and he will los no time in getting into the next townsh i p— Instead of attacking the bait . The bait and trap should be from 30 to 40 feet apart— gauge the distance according to the la of i y the ground where the trap s set. When

‘ he ill a‘ roa h the wolf scents the bait , w pp c it T ART 2 49 WOLF RAPPING AN . with great caution and endeavor to reach it by

’ j umping . After several unsuccessful attempts to reach it, he will proceed to the highest ground of r in the immediate vicinity the bait, whe e he will set himself upon his haunches and set up a great howl , calling every wolf within the hear of ing his voice to the spot . Y is set our trap , you see, upon the highest of al point this mound or knoll , and a wolf is m o et I ost certain t g into the concealed trap . sometimes set as many as eight traps on a mound t he of in vicinity the bait , and I have caught from tw o to four wolves in a single night in this hi of . w as way T s in cases, course, where a pack arrived before the original finder of the You se n bait was caught . e if they had fou d him on in a trap when they arrived the scene , they

' not of would come within yards the place, but f r would cut out o tall timber at once, even if they did get a whiff of the bait on the sapling . V Y Olves are even more easily caught in the spring of the vear than at any other time . This is of of the sea , course, after the close hunting so e n. They are hunters thems lves and prefer to chase and kill their ow n game and this accounts for the fact that they will seldom ever touch a deer carcass left in the woods by hunters . When the snow i s deep th ey hunt deer by following s fi their tracks for hours, even day , until they 2 5 0 AND OT T I WOLF COY E RAPP NG . nally get their prey into a place w here the animal ’ r n can t run o defend itself . The feast is then o I n short order . m Wolves kill ore deer in, this country than a two legged hunters . If the st te is going to do the r m the right thing to protect dee , just let the put a bounty of on the wolves in every county in the Upper Penin sula . Then the woods will be ful l of men with rifles , and in a year or two there wouldn ’ t be a wolf in Northern Michi an g . If the state did this instead of getting out a of w on a lot s ell books the g me laws , we would h have t e deer with us a few years yet . But as it is now , the wolves alone will pick the bones of the last deer in this whole Northern Michigan in less than three years from now . Mark you these words , the state now pays for every ’ e pelt, but it don t seem to induc hunters and trappers to make a business of wolf trapping . of Even with plenty wolves to catch , following the business for a living is one of extreme hard ship, but if they put the bounty in the h Wo s notc , then there uld be omething doing and the hardship would have no terrors to the ' men ” who took up the hunt in earnest .

~ I spent a week with this interesting man . He 300 of an has over Newhouse traps all sizes d,

2 AND O OT T 2 5 WOLF C Y E RAPPING . heavy heart that I grasped his honest hand to say good bve— perhaps for the last time on this so e the earth . If , I sincer ly hope to meet him in ” “ r to no Happy Hunting G ounds part more.

Hunte r

Tr ad e r

S its Nam e Indicates is a Maga zine of Information

for H n ers Tr ers Tr - - u t , ad , appers and Out o Door

People.

If ou are ntereste in nt n r n y i d hu i g , t appi g, raw f rs nsen r s n n s t er e u , gi g , ai i g wild a imal , axid my, tc , ou fin t s z ne of n ere y will d hi maga i i t st and v alu e. The maga zine is publish ed m onthly and treats on the fol o n s e ts : ee Tr W ere an H l wi g ubjJ c St l aps, h d ow to Set ; Baits and Scents ; Proper Season to Trap How to Sk n Stret and H n l F rs e i , ch a d e u ; N w Wayspto Capt n Fox Wo f M rten Be v er Ot er and Mi k , , l , a , a , t Ot Shy Animal s ; Rai si ng Fur Bea ring Animals ; Growing Ginseng and G olden Seal ; Trai ni ng Night Hunting DOgs ; Leading Fur Ma rkets ; L ondon Raw Fur Sales ; Fox Hu nting and Hou nds ; Coon Hu nting ; Letters Fro Old H n an T m u ters d rappers, etc. The Editor is a man of l ong experi ence in handling aw rs an r The rt es e an r fu d t apping . a icl publish d d ph otos u sed are la rgely from th ose w ho h av e had actual exper i' i — ence. w h r un a o o en o t t ap , g nd d g y u will j y th em . The maga z ine c ontains from 1 2 8 to 2 0 0 pages each

month , avera ging ab out 1 60 each m onth or 2 0 0 0 pages o 0 a year. Ab ut 7 0 illu strati ons are u sed each year. The magazi ne is printed on good q uality paper and the subsc riptionp rice is only

i

-“ A . R . Hat ding Pub l i shing C O . , Co lu m bus , 0 .

HUNTING DOGS.

ra Handlin reat Describes in a Practical Manner t he T ining , g , T Ada t e d for Ni ht Huntin B c. Best ment , reeds, et , p g g , as w ell as Gun Dog s for Daylig ht Sport .

i 25 e 5 This b ook c onta ns 3 pag s, in h 45 i st rat ons s ow x 7 c es, llu i h h o s reeds h nt n ing t e v ari u b , u i g

en c. sc es, et h a or M r i er Hart T e t . u h , Ol v “ in his nt rod tion sa s: As ley, i uc y n n f r rofit n t h nt if hu ti g o p , ig h u ing fOI either pleasu re or gai n and p rofessi onal hu nting g ener h n i ortan e w riters ally ad o mp c , o f b ook s h av e c ontented th em selves w ith dw elling on the study and p resentati on of matters rel at i ng sol el y to the men w ho hunt f o rt on Ey en t en the or sp ly. h Fox Ch ase and Bird Hunting has been the bu rden of the g reater n f h oo s er e t . o s p c uc b k , — P art One Hunt in Do s. Chapter g g 1 N nt n 7 Trainin — For S irrels . ight Hu i g . g q u The N t H ntin Do and Ra ts 2 . i g h u g g bbi — 8 Tra n h Deer His Ancestry . mi g t e r n n th H n in Ho nd 3 . T ai i g e u t g u o nm — S C fi Thl n D g 9 . Trai g pe i c gs Tr nin h o n Do e 4. ai g t e C o g to T ach Tra nin for S n 1 Tra n n — Rando Su 5 . i g ku k 0. i i g m g M Op ossum and M ink gesti ons from any o f and o ot H ntin 6 . W l C y e u g Sou rc es P rt — Br in n Care of Do s a II eed g a d g .

Cha ter 1 4 Breedin Contin ed p . g ( u ) in h 1 rit of Do s 1 Se e t t e D . P a ies 1 . l c g og 5 eculi g . 1 2 Care nd Breed n an P ra t a HInts . a i g d c ic l 1 ree A en s o the Do 3. B din 1 6 t g . ilm f g — P art III Dog Lore. r Chapter 1 8 . The Dog on the T ap Ton Line t Tr ers v s. 17. S ill ail D of h North rs M s 1 0. S ed e o s t e g ue . u ic l g g — i P art IV The1 Hunt ing Dog F am ly.

. o e Ho 20 A ri n Fox nd 24 S t Co s. use . me ca Hou c ch lli 21 Th Be D n nd t D . e ag le ach shu d a Wa ch og s and Basset Ho nd 5 A Far er H nter— His u 2 . m u 22 P o nters and tters ew s . i Se Vi S n l Des r ti T of pa ie s 2 6. c ip ve able 23 Terriers— Aire es Te n Ter . dal ch ical m s The c ontents show the sc ope of this b ook and if you are at all nterested in ntin do s ou s a e t is i hu g g , y h ould h v h ’ r i w o . The oo s ade p not on1 fro the a thor s k b k m u , y m u o ser at on an ex erien e but f r of ess b v i d p c , that o sc o es succ ful ni g ht as w ell as daylight hunters Thi s b ook w ill not interest the field t ri al dog men but is for the real dog men w ho delight in chases that are g enuine P riee o h n , t o d, ost aid 60c. ; cl b u p p , A R. AR IN P B l . mbu h H D G U . CD. , Co u s, O io