Wolf and Coyote Trapping Part 5

"It was one of those bright balmy September mornings, so characteristic of Wyoming, that I drove my horses down to water and noticed some coyote tracks in the mud at the edge of the water hole, and I decided then and there to have a coyote hunt that day. I was at the time in charge of a relay station, midway between two small towns and it was my business to look after the spare stage horses, for the stage driver changed teams here, leaving the tired horses in my care and taking on fresh ones. The northbound stage pa.s.sed about 8:30 A.

M., and the southbound outfit was due at about 6:30 P. M., which left me with practically the entire day at my disposal, to do with as I liked, and having my full quota of the spirit of our savage ancestors, I naturally turned to hunting the coyotes which abounded in that section.

"For some time past I had been doing practically no hunting. I say 'practically none' for I had not been out on a real hunt for several weeks, but I did have a short line of traps set and had been looking at them every second morning. On these trips over the trap line I always carried my 30-30 carbine on the saddle and had surprised and shot three coyotes, besides shooting at several more, one of which was wounded but escaped by crawling into a deep hole in a bad-land b.u.t.te. Besides the three animals mentioned, I had caught in my traps up to that time, some twenty more.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Killed by the Still Hunt.]

"On this particular morning the 'Spirit of the Wild' called loudly, for as every hunter knows, there is something in the air of autumn which gets into one's blood at times, and there is no remedy except to go on a hunt. My trap line had been looked at the day before, so I was free for the day. Returning to the little sod house which I called my home, I got my rifle and six shooter, prepared a lunch and as soon as the stage had arrived, changed horses and departed, I mounted my horse and hit the trail for the hills to the westward.

"The section of the country to the west of the station was of the bad-land type, groups of b.u.t.tes and ridges, radiating in every direction, seamed and honey-combed by the rains of centuries. While the country is very dry, the rains are veritable deluges when they do come, and the ordinarily dry water courses become raging torrents.

Along these creek beds, sage and grease wood brush was abundant; in the hills, no vegetation was to be found. It was at all times a paradise for coyotes and occasionally a band of grey wolves strayed through those parts. However, the wolves had been rarely met with since the stockmen had abandoned the cattle industry and gone to sheep raising, but the coyotes had increased in numbers.

"At this time of the year, the sheep were being driven down from the mountains into their winter range and in addition to the coyotes which remained, throughout the summer, in the bad-lands, the still larger number which make a practice of following up the great bands of sheep were also appearing on the scene, and the day promised good sport.

"Riding westward about two and a half miles, I struck the bed of a stream and followed it up towards the hills. Here, I knew there were several prairie dog villages and about such places one is almost certain to find coyotes, so I turned my horse that way in the hope of getting a shot at one of the wary animals. My fond hopes were realized, for on rounding the hill at the edge of the first village I saw a large coyote slinking guiltily over the crest of the nearest ridge, but giving me no chance to draw the gun before he pa.s.sed out of sight. Hastily riding to the top of the ridge, I saw the animal 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 was rounding a spur of the ridge about a hundred and fifty yards away.

Snap-shooting from horseback is uncertain at all times and on this occasion I had barely time to catch a half-hearted aim, so was not very hopeful regarding the results of my shot.

"Riding up to the spot, I dismounted and on looking the ground over, was elated to find a splotch of blood, but farther search revealed no other traces of the game. Naturally, I supposed that the animal had gone on down the draw and mounting my horse I rode slowly down the hollow, keeping a sharp lookout for the coyote. After looking the ground over for a quarter of a mile or more, and finding no signs of the game, I decided that this animal, anyway, was lost and returned to the scene of the shooting. Dismounting once more, I took the rifle and climbed to the top of the ridge to see what lay beyond. Imagine my surprise and delight when on reaching the top, which was low at this point, I saw the wounded coyote, vainly endeavoring to escape at the bottom of the depression on the other side.

"The first glance showed that the animal was badly wounded and could not last long, but fearing that it would fall into a hole, I took a hasty shot and had the satisfaction of seeing it crumple down, apparently lifeless. On approaching, however, I found that it still retained enough life to make a vicious snap at my hand, missing that member by only a few inches. As I watched it, undecided whether to shoot it again or leave it bide its own time, it breathed its last.

"It was a fine, large specimen and after skinning it, which required some twenty minutes of my time, I looked it over and found that my first bullet had struck it in the right hip, breaking the bone and pa.s.sing through the body diagonally, emerging at the left shoulder.

It was certainly a good shot and had I been using soft point bullet cartridges instead of full metal patched, the animal would have been killed instantly. It is surprising, however, how tenacious of life these animals are. The second shot had pa.s.sed through the shoulders.

"I returned to the prairie dog villages but saw no more coyotes. I did see a badger and fired at it just as it was about to enter the burrow, but missed the animal entirely. Going back to the creek bed I followed on up into the hills to a small alkali spring where I halted to eat my lunch. The water from this spring entirely disappears within two hundred yards of the place where it rises. The sun was shining fiercely hot 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 a full hour. I had intended to make a large circle but found now that I would not have the time that such a trip would necessitate and so decided to go on northward through this range of hills 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 to obtain a good view of the little valley beyond, I saw the white topped wagon of the herder at the far-side, but the sheep were farther down the hollow. Here I expected to find coyotes and I was not disappointed, for on riding through a patch of sage which covered several acres, a 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 effect than to increase his speed. I followed for some distance but failed to get another shot at the coyote and soon lost sight of it. Signs of coyotes were numerous here and about a mile farther I found the remains of two sheep which had been killed and eaten by the animals.

"As I rode over a small sag of a ridge and entered the head of a long narrow hollow, I saw a coyote trotting along down the draw about two hundred yards below me. The animal started to run before I could catch aim and I emptied the magazine in short order the last shot dropping the coyote, but it was not badly hurt and leaping to its feet it made off down the hollow. However, it enabled me to get quite close and putting spurs to the horse, I followed the animal, firing with my revolver. The third shot rolled it over and a fourth finished it, making two coyotes out of three shot at that day.

"Skinning the animal I mounted and hurried on to look at the traps.

There were sixteen traps in the line and all but two of them had been undisturbed. Of these two, the bait was taken from one but the wary animal had apparently known just where the trap lay and had avoided it, the other held a young, female coyote. After looking at the traps, 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 animal, so that I had $12 for my day's hunt. During the fall and early winter I captured by means of traps and gun, a hundred and thirty-three coyotes and four wolves. All of the unprime skins taken that fall were tanned by myself and made into robes."

CHAPTER VIII.

POISONING WOLVES.

Poisoning noxious animals is a common practice and is much used where the only object is to destroy the animals, and the finding of the carca.s.s is of little moment, but the real hunters and trappers seldom resort to this method because of the large numbers of animals that are killed and lost. It is, indeed, a wasteful method of hunting as in all probability, three-fourths of the animals killed by the poisoned baits are not found until they have lain so long that they have become tainted, or ruined by mice and birds, so that both the bounty and the fur are lost. Anyway that is the conclusion of many of those who have practiced poisoning.

In many places where wolves and coyotes could be poisoned readily in early days the method is not a success at present as the animals have learned by experience to avoid the poisoned food. Strychnine is usually employed and this very bitter drug has a way of spreading through the bait, so that the wolf can sometimes detect it as soon as the bait touches the tongue. In such cases, the drug is never swallowed, but may be dropped on the spot or as is more often the case, it may be carried a considerable distance away before it is dropped. Again if the animal swallows the poisoned bait, it may be some time before it dissolves in the wolfs stomach and the poison begins to act, and if the wolf begins to feel the effects of the drug, it may start off on a run. In either case 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 pamphlet before mentioned, Mr. Bailey has the following to say about poisoning:

"Many wolves are killed by poisoning, and more would be so killed if the methods followed were less crude. Strychnine is generally used with nothing to disguise its intense bitterness, the powder being either inserted in bits of meat or fat or merely spread on a fresh carca.s.s. In most cases the wolf gets a taste of the bitter drug and rejects it, and if the dose is swallowed it may be too small to be fatal or so large as to act as an emetic. An old and experienced wolf will rarely touch bait poisoned in the ordinary way, but sometimes a whole family of young may be killed at a carca.s.s. Usually when wolves are poisoned, they go so far before they die that if found at all it is not until their skins are spoiled. To encourage poisoning, it must be possible to secure the skins in good condition, or at least, to find the animals after they are killed, so that the ranchman may have the satisfaction of knowing that he has accomplished something toward the protection of his stock."

"In the use of poison it is of first importance to determine the amount that will kill with certainty 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 grain. Quadruple this for a 100 pound wolf and we have 2 grains. Mr. B. R. Ross, of the Hudson's Bay Company, found that this quant.i.ty would kill a wolf quickly.

Experiments by Prof. David E. Lantz, of the Biological Survey, would indicate the best results from a still larger dose. One grain killed a 21 pound dog in seventy-five minutes, while 2 grains killed a 40 pound dog in twenty-seven minutes, without acting as an emetic. For a wolf, therefore, 4 grains of pure sulphate of strychnine would seem to be a proper dose."

"Tests on 40 pound dogs with 1 and 2 grains of cyanide of pota.s.sium in capsules caused the dogs to vomit in about fourteen minutes, after which they fully recovered. Other more deadly poisons can not be safely handled, and strychnine is the only practicable poison that can be recommended."

"For wolves, place 4 grains of pulverized sulphate of strychnine in a 3 grain gelatin capsule, cap securely, and wipe off every trace of the bitter drug. The capsules should be inserted in a piece of beef suet the size of a walnut, and the cavity securely closed to keep out moisture. The juice of 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 pail, but they should not be touched with naked hands. Old gloves or forceps should be used to handle them. The baits may be dropped from horseback along a scented drag line made by dragging an old bone or piece of hide, or may be placed on, around, or partly under any carca.s.s on which the wolves are feeding, or along trails followed by the wolves. Partial concealment of the bait usually lessens the wolfs suspicion, while some kind of scent near by or along the trail insures its attention."

"The gelatin capsule will dissolve in about a minute in the juices of the mouth or stomach. When the strychnine is taken on an empty stomach it will sometimes kill in a very few minutes after the first symptoms of poison, and dies five or six minutes later."

Although this is the method recommended by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, it is our opinion that it would not be successful, for it takes too long for the gelatin capsule to dissolve in the animal's stomach, anyway that is the verdict of those who have tried the method. Those who have followed poisoning of foxes and wolves, prefer to place the poison in a small ball of tallow by making the tallow cup-shaped when cold, putting the strychnine inside and closing the opening by pressing the edges over it. None of the poison must be allowed to touch the outside of the bait.

The most common method of using the poison is to have out a large bait (the carca.s.s of some animal that the wolves have killed is to be preferred), and after the animals are visiting it the poisoned baits are thrown about nearby. Any indications of the presence of man will make the animals suspicious and they will hesitate to approach the large bait but are very apt to pick up and swallow the small ones. We believe that this is the most successful method of using poison, but there are other methods recommended by woodsmen. Some place the poison in the large bait but we think this is entirely wrong as the wolf will taste the poison before it gets enough of the drug to cause its death. One party in speaking of the conditions in Northern Ontario, says:

"I think the wolf-poisoning business is being overdone. How would your readers like to find poisoned wolf bait within one hundred yards of their door, and some all round their houses within a radius of 300 yards? This bait consists in many cases of, say, half a deer. I think it is very wrong to allow strong, able-bodied men to pollute the country, now in the spring of the year, with large pieces, or in many cases, whole carca.s.ses of deer. The wolf poisoner never stops to think what the result will be to his neighbor's dogs or poultry and cattle from their leaving large pieces of meat in an exposed position when the snow goes off. In fact, the thing is being carried in this part so far that neither fur-bearing animals nor fish will be procurable at any cost in a short time."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Method of Preparing Poison Baits.]

"As it is, the farmer's dogs have been suffering, and are nearly extinct here. For the last few seasons it has been quite common to see large quant.i.ties of dead fish round the lake after this poisoned meat goes into the water. I understood that parties laying out poison had to observe certain regulations, so that no person's property would be endangered thereby, and if I am rightly informed, it must be some person's duty to stop the nuisance. No doubt it is a good thing to get rid of the wolves, but the poisoning ought to be prosecuted far enough from settlements and from public roads that stock 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 doing, some people prepare the baits without touching them with the bare hands. A simpler method is to make up the baits several days in advance and place them in a clean vessel, out of reach of all animals, and where they will be exposed to the open air. In this way, the human odor will pa.s.s away, and when they are placed out for the wolves they should not be touched with the hands.

The poison should not be placed in a capsule as that is too uncertain. There is very little danger of giving an overdose. The writer has seen strychnine used in large doses, considerably more than four grains, and the results were far better than when using smaller doses.

Strychnine is to be had in crystals or in crushed or powdered form.

Both forms are equally deadly, but some poisoners claim that it will act more rapidly when crushed. The following article on poisoning is given by a Wyoming trapper:

"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 shy about taking bait. The best way is to put the strychnine in lard which has no salt in it. I take some lard and put on my gloves or mitts and go in the shade or early in the morning where it is almost at the freezing point, so the lard will stay hard. I pinch it off in one inch chunks, take it between my hands and roll it in round b.a.l.l.s, take a pocket knife or stick and drill a hole in it. Then fill it with strychnine and close the opening up by mashing the lard over the hole. Be careful not to get any strychnine on the outside as it has a bitter taste and if he tastes it he is almost sure to spit it out."

"Care must be taken not to touch the outside with the bare hands as the first thing a coyote will do is to smell it and if there is much human scent on it, he will not take it. I dip it in blood to kill some of the human scent. I have known a coyote to travel half a mile with a piece of strychnined meat in his mouth and then feeling it work on him, drop it and trot on."

"Now to show that it wastes furs and makes them wild, suppose it had snowed, blowed or covered his track in some way; a skunk in pa.s.sing by and finding it, would get poisoned, which would be a loss of one fur, or suppose it were a mink or something else, it would have been the same. The chances are that the trapper would not have found it until it was spoiled."

"A coyote will travel a few hundred yards after taking the strychnine, even if it is put in lard or tallow. If he has eaten a large meal of frozen meat and then the poison, he will go far enough so he will be hard to find, and never found if you have any amount of bait to look after and it blows and covers his tracks up and maybe his carca.s.s too. The result is that it makes other animals of his tribe leery about taking baits."

"Birds such as magpies, ravens, and crows will eat poison and fly off and die and be devoured by coyotes, foxes, mink, skunk, etc. The result is that many of them die, and what don't, get so sick that they are very careful about touching the next bait they see, generally giving it a wide berth. Then there are lots of birds, such as camp robbers and magpies that carry it off and store it away for martens or something else to eat and get poisoned by. There was a very large amount of skunk, but owing to the fact that many people poison whole carca.s.ses for coyotes and wolves, they are rapidly disappearing."

"Some people claim that the dog destroys more furs than anything, but I believe that strychnine is a greater evil than a dog or at least in this county, so you see I have a good reason for advising a trapper not to use strychnine. It is the easiest way and the quickest way to get a few furs, if in the hands of an experienced man, but the furs are always a lower grade because the poison 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 different place as what animals he failed to kill, will leave the country or become so wary that they will not touch bait. An animal which has recovered from a dose of poison, carries a pelt that is oft times worthless."

CHAPTER IX.

TRAPPING WOLVES.

After all of the various methods of hunting have been given a fair and impartial trial 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 good catch are greatly increased by so doing. If one has a liking for the work, makes a study of the animals and sets the traps carefully, good results are sure to follow. In all probability, four fifths of the coyotes and wolves captured in the United States are taken in this way. It is quite common for the professional trapper to take one hundred or more coyotes and wolves in a season.

The trap that is recommended for the timber wolf and the only one that was ever designed for capturing that animal is the "Newhouse"

No. 4 1/2. It is a large and powerful trap, having a spread of jaws of 8 inches with the other parts properly proportioned. It is furnished with a two p.r.o.nged drag and a heavy steel chain, guaranteed to stand a strain of 2000 pounds. The trap complete with chain and drag weighs about 8 pounds. A simpler and stronger chain fastening than that shown in the cut, is now used for attaching the chain to the trap.