(_From Featherstonehaugh's Journal._)
Wolves are very numerous in every part of the state. There are two
kinds: the common or black wolf, and the prairie wolf. The former is
a large, fierce animal, and very destructive to sheep, pigs, calves,
poultry, and even young colts. They hunt in large packs, and after using
every stratagem to circumvent their prey, attack it with remarkable
ferocity. Like the Indian, they always endeavour to surprise their
victim, and strike the mortal blow without exposing themselves to
danger. They seldom attack man except when asleep or wounded. The
largest animals, when wounded, entangled, or otherwise disabled, become
their prey, but in general they only attack such as are incapable of
resistance. They have been known to lie in wait upon the bank of a
stream, which the buffaloes were in the habit of crossing, and, when one
of those unwieldy animals was so unfortunate as to sink in the mire,
spring suddenly upon it and worry it to death, while thus disabled
from resistance. Their most common prey is the deer, which they hunt
regularly; but all defenceless animals are alike acceptable to their
ravenous appetites. When tempted by hunger, they approach the
farm-houses in the night, and snatch their prey from under the very eye
of the farmer; and when the latter is absent with his dogs, the wolf is
sometimes seen by the females lurking about in mid-day, as if aware of
the unprotected state of the family. Our heroic females have sometimes
shot them under such circumstances. The smell of burning assafoetida
has a remarkable effect upon this animal. If a fire be made in the
woods, and a portion of this drug thrown into it, so as to saturate the
atmosphere with the odour, the wolves, if any are within the reach of
the scent, immediately assemble around, howling in the most mournful
manner; and such is the remarkable fascination under which they seem to
labour, that they will often suffer themselves to be shot down rather
than quit the spot. Of the very few instances of their attacking human
beings of which we have heard, the following may serve to give some idea
of their habits. In very early times, a Negro man was passing in the
night in the lower part of Kentucky from one settlement to another. The
distance was several miles, and the country over which he travelled
entirely unsettled. In the morning, his carcass was found entirely
stripped of flesh. Near it lay his axe, covered with blood, and all
around, the bushes were beaten down, the ground trodden, and the number
of foot-tracks so great, as to show that the unfortunate victim had
fought long and manfully. On following his track, it appeared that the
wolves had pursued him for a considerable distance; and that he had
often turned upon them and driven them back. Several times they had
attacked him, and been repelled, as appeared by the blood and tracks.
He had killed some of them before the final onset, and in the last
conflict had destroyed several; his axe was his only weapon. The _prairie
wolf_ is a smaller species, which takes its name from its habits, or
residing entirely upon the open plains. Even when hunted with dogs, it
will make circuit after circuit round the prairie, carefully avoiding
the forest, or only dashing into it occasionally when hard pressed, and
then returning to the plain. In size and appearance this animal is
midway between the wolf and the fox, and in colour it resembles the
latter, being of a very light red. It preys upon poultry, rabbits, young
pigs calves, &c. The most friendly relations subsist between this animal
and the common wolf, and they constantly hunt in packs together. Nothing
is more common than to see a large, black wolf in company with several
prairie wolves. I am well satisfied that the latter is the jackall of
Asia. Several years ago, an agricultural society, which was established
at the seat of government, offered a large premium to the person who
should kill the greatest number of wolves in one year. The legislature,
at the same time offered a bounty for each wolf-scalp that should be
taken. The consequence was, that the expenditure for wolf-scalps became
so great, as to render it necessary to repeal the law. These animals,
although still numerous, and troublesome to the farmer, are greatly
decreased in number, and are no longer dangerous to man. We know of no
instances in late years of a human being having been attacked by wolves.
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