HUNTING YOUNG WOLVES AND COYOTES.
Of the many methods of hunting and otherwise capturing wolves and
coyotes, employed by the professional "wolfers" of the west, none is
more remunerative than the hunting 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 worth saving, the bounty
which is usually paid for wolf and coyote pups will fully compensate
for all loss from that source. At that time of year (March, April and
May) there is very little fur of any value, to be had but the wolf
hunter can combine wolf trapping and the hunting of the parent
animals with the killing of the young, and the large bounties paid by
many of the states and the various provinces of Canada, will alone
enable one to do a profitable business.
In those parts of our country where the extermination of the wolves
and coyotes is necessary for the protection of stock and game and the
authorities and stockmen co-operate for the destruction of predatory
animals, the hunting of the young animals during the breeding season
should be especially encouraged. In no other way can the number of
wolves be so surely reduced. To those who are well acquainted with
the habits of the wolf, their time of breeding and the most favored
breeding grounds, this mode of hunting is very simple.
[Illustration: A Wyoming Wolf Den.]
[Illustration: A Near View of the Den.]
Wolves breed much earlier than is commonly supposed, even by stockmen
who have resided for a considerable length of time in the wolf
country. The majority of young wolves are born in March in the
Western States and the young of the coyote make their appearance
mainly in April, but occasional litters of both will appear in May,
and grey wolves may be born at any time during the summer.
On the western cattle range, the dens of the wolf and coyote are
located mainly in the valleys among the foothills of the mountain
ranges and among the low mountains, but seldom at any great
elevation. The steep side of a hill or canyon facing the south is the
most favored location, and the rougher 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.
As before mentioned, the mode of hunting is very simple. All that is
necessary is to look carefully over the breeding grounds until tracks
are found and these should be followed to the den. It is safe to say
that at that time of year, nine out of every ten tracks will lead to
a den. On the northern portions of the range, there is almost certain
to be good tracking snow during the early part of the breeding
season, but even if the ground is bare it is not generally a
difficult matter to trail the animals to the den. A track that has
been made in the evening should be followed backwards and one made in
the morning should be followed forwards, as the wolves do most of
their hunting at night and return to the den in the early morning.
When the track can not be followed, if one can get the general course
of it, the lay of the land will enable one, on many occasions, to
locate the den.
Whenever the hunter hears of wolves, or their signs having been seen
frequently, he should make a diligent search for the den. As the old
mother wolf always goes to the nearest water to drink, the number of
tracks at a watering place will often be a dead give-away and a
careful search of the locality will usually result in the discovery
of the den. As the den is approached, the tracks will become more
numerous, and near by there will be well beaten trails. Where tracks
are numerous one should keep watch for the male, sentinel wolf, as he
will always be on the lookout somewhere near the den and his position
will enable one to locate it more readily. As one approaches, the
male animal will howl and endeavor to draw the hunter off in pursuit
and thus prevent the finding of the den. Their tricks on such
occasions show considerable intelligence.
When looking for dens on bare ground, a dog, if he understands the
work is very useful. A fox hound that is well trained on fox is good,
but if trained for this style of hunting especially, will be found to
be better. Unless on the trail of a bachelor wolf, which by the way
are occasionally found during the breeding season, the dog will
readily trail the wolf to the den. It is best to go early in the
morning as the trail will be fresher at that time and the dog is more
apt to follow a fresh trail, therefore, more certain of locating the
den. In all probability, one of the old wolves will attempt to draw
the dog off for a mile or two, but in that case the mother will
endeavor to return to her young. Sometimes they find it necessary to
fight the dogs and try to keep them from approaching too near the
den. Anyway the actions of the animals will show when they are in the
vicinity of the den, which may then be readily located.
[Illustration: Young Wolf Pups at the Entrance of a Den.]
One hunter who uses a dog for this style of hunting says: "The kind
of a dog needed is a good ranger, extra good cold trailer and an
everlasting stayer. Then if he will only run a short distance after
starting the wolf and come back and hunt the pups and then bark at
them when found, you have a good dog that is worth a large price.
There are plenty of dogs that will hunt and trail wolves all right,
but very few that will hunt the pups."
The den is usually a natural one; a hole worn in the rocks by the
elements, or in washed out cavities in the hard ground of the bad
lands. Down in the valleys they sometimes den in the ground,
enlarging the burrow of a badger or other animal. The opening is, as
a rule, large enough to allow one to enter and secure the pups, but
sometimes it will be necessary to dig the den open. For dens in the
rocks, which are too small to allow one to enter, the hunter should
provide a hook, something on the order of a gaff hook such as is used
by fishermen. The hook should be of fair size, very sharp, and should
be attached to a handle about three or four feet in length. A famous
western wolf hunter in speaking of his outfit says:
"I will say to the boys who intend to hunt pups, get two or three
strong fish hooks and a strong cord and carry them in your pocket.
You can usually find a small stick or pole of some kind. When you
find a den, tie your hooks on end of stick, wrapping cord very tight.
If you use two hooks, put one on each side of stick. Shove your stick
in 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 ever tried;
where pups are small. I have gotten many a bunch or pups this way,
when my pick or shovel would be five or six miles away.
[Illustration: The Hunter's Outfit.]
When the pups get too large and strong to pull out alive, I put a
candle on the stick, shove it into the den and lay on my stomach.
With a 22 rifle I shoot the pups in the head and then they are easily
pulled out with the fish hooks. I mean this for dens that cannot be
dug out, as there are many of them in rock ledges and in holes in the
solid rock. Instead of the candles mentioned by this hunter, some
prefer to use a lantern and one "wolfer" uses a hunting lamp,
attached to his hat. Some sort of firearm should be carried always. A
revolver is good for use in the den, but a rifle is best outside.
[074 An Oklahoma Hunter with Young Coyotes Taken from Den.]
It is not often that the mother wolf will be found in the den, as she
usually makes her escape before one comes near, but should she be
found at home she should be disposed of first. There is no danger,
whatever, from the adult wolves. One of our western friends in
speaking of this says: "I never hesitate in entering a wolf den, even
when I know the mother wolf is with her young, and have never known
one to act vicious, but always sneaking and cowardly. A few years ago
at the Cypress Hills in Canada I entered a den and took ten pups. The
mother crawled as far from me as she could and never raised her head.
I set my 30-30 Savage and pulled it off with a rope, shooting her
through the heart. It was forty feet from the entrance of the hole to
where she lay, and it was midnight when I got her out. I had to move
some dirt and rocks and it was a big job.
"I have killed other grown wolves in the den and have never known one
to show fight. Of course, I always use a lantern to see what I am
doing, and would not enter a den without one." The young wolves
should be killed immediately and live pups should never be handled
with bare hands, as blood poisoning is likely to result from a bite.