



Produced by Linda M. Everhart, Blairstown, Missouri




Wolf and Coyote
Trapping

An Up-to-Date Wolf Hunter's Guide, Giving the
Most Successful Methods of Experienced
"Wolfers" for Hunting and Trapping
These Animals, Also Gives
Their Habits in Detail.

BY
A. R. HARDING

Published by
A. R. HARDING PUB. CO.
COLUMBUS, OHIO

Copyright 1909
By A. R. HARDING PUB. CO.



TABLE OF CONTENTS.

  I. The Timber Wolf
  II. The Coyote
  III. Killing of Stock and Game by Wolves
  IV. Bounties
  V. Hunting Young Wolves and Coyotes
  VI. Hunting Wolves with Dogs
  VII. Still Hunting Wolves and Coyotes
  VIII. Poisoning Wolves
  IX. Trapping Wolves
  X. Scents and Baits
  XI. Scent Methods
  XII. Bait Methods for Wolves
  XIII. Southern Bait Methods for Coyotes
  XIV. Northern Bait Methods for Coyotes
  XV. Blind Set Methods
  XVI. Snow Set Methods
  XVII. Some Rules and Things to Remember
  XVIII. The Treacherous Grey Wolf
  XIX. Wolf Catching
  XX. With the Coyotes
  XXI. Wolf Trapping an Art




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

  Map Showing the Range of the Timber Wolf
  Western Grey Wolf in a Trap
  Track of the Grey Wolf
  Coyote and Badger Killed in Texas
  A Trapped Coyote
  Track of the Coyote
  Wolves Killing a Deer
  Remains of Deer Killed by Wolves
  Grey Wolf
  Diagrams showing Difference in Size of Wolves and Coyotes
  A Wyoming Wolf Den
  A Near View of the Den
  Young Wolves at Entrance of Den
  The Hunter's Outfit
  An Oklahoma Hunter with Young Coyotes
  Catch of a Canadian Hunter
  A Still Hunter and His Outfit
  Killed by the Still Hunt
  Method of Preparing Poison Baits
  The Newhouse Wolf Trap
  The Two-Pronged Drag
  Method of Attaching an Oblong Stone
  Method of Attaching a Triangular Stone
  Iron Stakes for Traps
  Trap Set and Ready for Covering
  Wyoming Wolf Trapper
  Caught in a Scent Set
  Trail Bait Set
  The Square Setting
  Coyote Caught at a Bank Set
  Wolf Water Set
  A Trapped Wolf
  A Trapped Texas Coyote
  A Northern Coyote
  An Idaho Coyote
  A Trail Set
  Traps Set at Badger Den
  A Good Catch
  A Snow Set
  A Large Wisconsin Wolf
  Mr. Davis with the Big Wolf Skins
  A Texas Specimen
  Caught at Last
  A Northern Wolf

  [Illustration: A. R. Harding.]



INTRODUCTION.

There are certain wild animals which when hard pressed by severe cold
and hunger, will raid the farmers and ranchmen's yards, killing fowls
and stock. There however, are no animals that destroy so much stock
as wolves and coyotes as they largely live upon the property of
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., their numbers, in some states, seem to be on the increase
rather than the decrease in face of the fact that heavy bounties are
offered.

The fact that wolf and coyote scalps command a bounty, in many
states, and in addition their pelts are valuable, makes the hunting
and trapping of these animals of no little importance.

One thing that has helped to keep the members of these "howlers" so
numerous is the fact that they are among the shrewdest animal in
America. The day of their extermination is, no doubt, far in the
distance.

This book contains much of value to those who expect to follow the
business of catching wolves and coyotes. A great deal of the habits
and many of the methods were written by Mr. E. Kreps, who has had
experience with these animals upon the Western Plains, in Canada, and
the South. Additional information has been secured from Government
Bulletins and experienced "wolfers" from various parts of America.

  A. R. Harding.



WOLF AND COYOTE TRAPPING



CHAPTER I.

THE TIMBER WOLF.

Wolves of all species belong to that class of animals known as the
dog family, the members of which are considered to be the most
intelligent of brute animals. They are found, in one species or
another, in almost every part of the world. They are strictly
carnivorous and are beyond all doubt the most destructive of all wild
animals.

In general appearance the wolf resembles a large dog having erect
ears, elongated muzzle, long heavy 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 timber wolves, and the prairie wolves or coyotes
(ki'-yote). Of the timber wolves there are a number of varieties,
perhaps species, for there is considerable difference in size and
color. For 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 color of which is a pure white with a
black tip to the tail. Then there is that intermediate variety known
as the Grey Wolf, also called "Timber Wolf," "Lobo" and "Wolf," the
latter indefinite name being used throughout the West to distinguish
the animal from the prairie species. It is the most common of the
American wolves, the numbers of this variety being in excess of all
of the others combined. In addition to those mentioned, there are
others such as the Red Wolf of Texas and the Brindled Wolf of Mexico.
All of these, however, belong to the group known to naturalists as
the Timber Wolves. Just how many species and how many distinct
varieties there are is not known.

As a rule, the largest wolves are found in the North; the Gray Wolves
of the western plains being slightly smaller than the white and Dusky
Wolves of Northern Canada and Alaska, specimens of which, it is said,
sometimes weigh as much as one hundred and fifty pounds. Again the
wolves of the southern part of the United States and of Mexico are
smaller than the gray variety.

  [Illustration: The Range of the Timber Wolf.]

The average full grown wolf will measure about five feet in length,
from the end of the nose to the tip of the tail, and will weigh from
eighty to one hundred pounds, but specimens have been killed which
far exceeded these figures. The prevailing color is gray, being
darkest on the back and dusky on the shoulders and hips. The tail is
very bushy and the fur of the body is long and shaggy. The ears are
erect and pointed, the muzzle long and heavy, the eyes brown and
considering the fierce, bloodthirsty nature of the animal, have a
very gentle expression.

In early days wolves 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 is shown by the
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 of the Missouri and the lower
Mississippi, also all of the most southern tier of states, as well as
those parts bordering on Lake Superior. A few are yet found in the
Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. They are probably
most abundant in Northern Michigan and Northern Minnesota, Western
Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico.

Wyoming is the center of the wolf infested country and they are found
in greatest numbers in that state, on the headwaters of the Green
River. As to the numbers still found the report of the Biological
Survey for the years 1895 to 1906, inclusive, but not including the
year 1898, shows that bounties were paid on 20,819 wolves in that
state.

In Northern Michigan they are also abundant. In the year 1907,
thirty-four wolves were killed in Ontonagon County; in Luce County
fifty-four were killed up to November 10th, '07, and in Schoolcraft
Co., thirty were killed from October 1st, '07 to April 29th, '08.
This gives a total of one hundred and eighteen wolves killed in three
out of the sixteen counties of the Upper Peninsula. These statistics
are from a pamphlet issued by the Department of Agriculture.

The breeding season of the timber wolves is not as definite as that
of many of the furbearing animals, for the young make their
appearance from early in March until in May, and an occasional litter
will be born during the summer, even as late as August. The mating
season of course varies, but is mainly in January and February, the
period of gestation being nine weeks. The number in a litter varies
from five to thirteen, the usual number being eight or ten.

In early days the wolves of the western plains followed the great
buffalo herds and preyed on the young animals, also the old and
feeble. After the extermination of that animal they turned their
attention to the herds of cattle which soon covered the great western
range and their depredations have become a positive nuisance. In the
Northern States and throughout Canada they subsist almost entirely on
wild game.

  [Illustration: Western Grey Wolf in a Trap.]

Wolves den in the ground or rocks in natural dens if such can be
found, but in case natural excavations are rare as in northern
portions of the country, they appropriate and enlarge the homes of
other animals. In the heavily timbered country they sometimes den in
hollow logs.

The wolf is both cowardly and courageous, depending on circumstances.
When found singly, and especially in daylight the animal is as much
of a coward as any creature could possibly be, and especially does it
fear man. But when suffering from the pangs of hunger and when
traveling in bands as they usually do, they are bold, fierce and
bloodthirsty creatures. In such cases they have been known to attack
man.

When hunting large game, wolves always go in bands, usually of three
to five but often a larger number. They invariably kill animals by
springing on from behind and hamstringing the victim. Small game is
hunted by lone animals.

The great losses suffered by stockmen in the West led the Biological
Survey, in connection with the Forest Service of the Department of
Agriculture, to make a special investigation, and later a general
campaign against the wolves of the National Forests began. During the
year 1907 a large number of wolves and coyotes were captured in and
near the forest reserves: the number from the various states being as
follows:

  STATE.        WOLVES.     COYOTES.

  Wyoming        1,009        1,983
  Montana          261        2.629
  Idaho             14        3,881
  Washington        10          675
  Colorado          65        2,362
  Oklahoma           3           15
  New Mexico       232          544
  Arizona          127        1,424
  Utah                        5,001
  Nevada                        500
  California                    224
  Oregon             2        3,290
                ------       ------
  Total          1,723       22,528

Many of these animals were captured by the forest guards but in
addition the government employed a number of expert trappers.

On the Gila National Forest 36 wolves and 30 coyotes were killed by
one forest guard, who sent the skulls to the Biological Survey for
identification, as well as the skulls of 9 bears, 7 mountain lions,
17 bobcats, and 46 grey foxes. One den of 8 very young wolf pups was
taken March 13. These statistics are from Circular 63, issued by the
U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Wolves are great ramblers, traveling over a large section of country.
Like almost all other animals of rambling habits, they have their
regular routes of travel. By this, we mean they follow the same
valleys, passes, water courses, etc., but when in pursuit of game
they sometimes stray quite a long distance out of their course.

  [Illustration: Track of the Grey Wolf, Compared With That of a
Dog.]

The track of the wolf resembles that of a dog, but is a trifle
narrower in proportion to its length. The difference is in the two
middle toes, which are somewhat longer on the wolf, however, the
difference is so slight that it could easily pass unnoticed. When the
wolf is running these toes are spread well apart. The length of step
when the animal is walking will be from 18 to 24 inches, and the
average footprint will measure about 2 3/4 or 3 inches in width by
about 3 1/2 or 4 inches in length. Ernest Thompson Seton, the
naturalist claims that he can judge with fair accuracy, the weight of
a wolf by the size of the track. He allows twenty pounds for each
inch in length, of the foot print.



CHAPTER II.

THE COYOTE.

In the western parts of the United States, the coyote is far more
abundant than the grey, or 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 portion of the Dominion of Canada. As there
are a number of varieties of the timber wolf, so it is 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
there are several distinct varieties, showing considerable 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 coyotes, <DW53>s and cats. Some coyotes are of a
silver-grey color, others are dark brown. The ends of their hair are
jet black and it makes them look brown. Some have black tips on the
tail and some white. The dark variety are the most vicious of the
two."

With the exception of the southwestern section, it is probable that
the coyotes of all portions of the Great Plains and the country to
the westward are of the same variety, and a description of this, the
most common type will answer for the species. In size, the coyote or
prairie wolf is considerably smaller than the timber wolf, the
largest specimens of the former being about equal in size to the
smallest adult wolves. The average coyote will measure about
thirty-six or thirty-eight inches from the end of the nose to the
base of the tail, which is about sixteen inches additional length.
The fur is of about the same texture as that of the grey fox and the
general color is fulvous, black and white hairs being mingled in
parts, giving a grizzled appearance. The ears are larger,
comparatively than those of the grey wolf, and the muzzle is 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 variety is not known.

Coyotes are intelligent and cunning animals and their habits and
general appearance suggest the fox rather than the wolf. While they
are greedy, bloodthirsty creatures, they are sneaking and cowardly
and never kill animals larger than deer, in fact they rarely attack
such large game. An Arizona trapper writes:

"The coyote bears the same relation to the wolf family that the
Apache Indian does to the human race. It is a belief among some of
the Apaches that they turn into coyotes when they depart this life,
and nothing will induce one of them to kill a coyote. Like the Indian
he is sneaky and treacherous, and full of the devil."

While there is no doubt that the animal enjoys its wild, free life,
it always has a miserable, distressed expression. It carries its tail
in a drooping manner and slinks out of sight like a dog that has been
doing wrong and has a troubled conscience.

The high piercing cry of the animal, which is so different from the
deep bass note of the timber wolf, is mournful in the extreme. In the
morning before the coyotes retire for the day, they stop on the top
of some elevation and sound their "reveille", which once heard will
never be forgotten. It is a shrill, piercing note, combining a howl
with a bark and although in all probability there will be only a pair
of the animals, one who does not know would be inclined to think that
the number is larger, the notes are so commingled.

  [Illustration: Coyote and Badger Killed in Texas.]

Coyotes live in natural dens in the rocks, also in dens of badgers,
in the prairie country. In 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 common and the animals have no trouble in securing a
good den. Naturally, they select the most secluded and inaccessible
places for their dens. The food of the coyote consists of small game,
such as hares and grouse, prairie dogs and any other small animals
that they can capture. In the sheep 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 mutton. They feed on
carrion and have a particular liking for horse flesh. They also kill
badgers 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 parts of the Northwest,
one of our 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
Eastern Oregon would soon be a thing of the past, if something it not
done to lesson the number of the destructive coyotes.

"Twenty years ago there were a great many coyotes in Oregon, but the
black tail rabbits were so numerous then that the coyote contented
himself with them and did not molest the sheep to any great extent.
Idaho and Oregon both put a bounty on rabbits, which soon caused them
to become scarce, then the coyotes began their depredations among the
sheep. The wool growers supplied themselves with plenty of strychnine
and kept the coyote reduced to quite an extent. Of late years it
seems that poison will not kill a coyote. As soon as he feels the
effect of the poison he throws up the bait he has just eaten, and in
a few minutes he is all right.

The only way to kill coyotes these days is with the gun, the trap or
with dogs. They are so thick here now that hounds would not be much
good, as 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 winter. I trapped some
last winter for the Munz Brothers, and I saw where 48 sheep had been
killed at one camp. They had been camped there about ten days. This
is about an average killing if the weather is stormy.

"In Southeastern Oregon there is a desert about one hundred miles
square, and thirty or forty bands of sheep feed there every winter.
They run from two to three thousand sheep in a band. The sheep men on
this desert last winter, 1904-'05, paid $40.00 per month and board
for trappers to trap coyotes, and the trappers were allowed to keep
the furs they caught. Some of them made very large wages."

It is said that when hunting rabbits, two coyotes will join forces
and in this way one animal will drive the game to within reach of the
other, thus avoiding the fatigue caused by running down game.
Naturalists also claim that the adult animals will sometimes drive
the game close to the den, so that the young coyotes may have the
opportunity of killing it. They frequently pick up scraps about the
camps, and if undisturbed, will in a short time, lose much of their
timidity. Old camping places are always inspected in the hopes of
finding some morsel of food, and one can always find coyote tracks in
the ashes of the campfire.

Though the coyote belongs to the flesh-eating class of animals, it is
not strictly carnivorous. In late summer when the wild rose tips are
red and sweet and berries are plentiful, its flesh eating
propensities forsake it in part and it adds fruit to its "bill of
fare". Whether this is caused by hunger or a change of appetite, or
whether the fruit acts as a tonic and the animal, instinctively,
realizes that it must tone up its system in preparation for the long
winter, is not known.

  [Illustration: A Trapped Coyote.]

Coyotes have a more regular breeding season than the timber wolves,
for practically all of the young make their appearance in the months
of April and May. The number of young varies from five to twelve. The
young animals are of a yellowish grey color with brown ears and black
tail, muzzle tawny or yellowish brown. As they become older they take
on a lighter shade and the tail changes to greyish with a black tip.
Both wolves and coyotes pair for the breeding 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 until two years of age.
As soon as the young are strong enough, and their eyes are open they
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 accompany
her on hunting excursions. In late summer they start out to shift for
themselves.

As before mentioned, the coyote is a wary and cunning animal,
especially in the more settled portions of its range; where man is
not too much in evidence, they are far less wary. Again the fact that
there are several varieties may account for the difference in the
nature of the animals of the various sections, anyway those of the
southern part of the range are less wary than those of the 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 cunning and intelligent. Not only does the animal
appear to know when you are armed but it also seems to know something
of the range of the weapon and will sneak along provokingly close,
but just out of reach. When one is unarmed they appear to be more
bold and will loaf around in the most unconcerned manner imaginable.

In intelligence and cunning, we consider the northern coyote the
equal of the eastern red fox. While the western trappers make very
large catches of coyotes, we believe that if foxes were found in
equal numbers the catches of those animals would be fully as large.
The number of coyotes found in some parts of the West is almost
incredible, and in most parts one will find a hundred coyotes to one
grey wolf.

  [Illustration: Track of the Coyote.]

The coyote makes a track similar to that of the timber wolf, but
considerably smaller. The length of step, when walking, is about
sixteen inches and the footprints will measure about two or two and a
fourth inches in length by one and a half in width.



CHAPTER III.

KILLING OF STOCK AND GAME BY WOLVES.

Undoubtedly the wolves and coyotes of the United States and Canada
destroy more stock and game than all other predatory animals
combined. In the Western part of our country where stock raising is
one of the principal industries, the ranchmen suffer great losses
from the depredation of these animals, and in other sections the
wolves destroy large quantities of game. The reason that wolves are
more destructive than others of the carnivora is that when they have
the opportunity, they kill far more than they can consume for food.
Often they only tear a mouthful of flesh from the body of their
victim; sometimes they do not even kill the animal but leave it to
suffer a slow and painful death. The animals that are only slightly
bitten are sure to die from blood poisoning, according to the western
ranchmen.

  [Illustration: Wolves Killing a Deer.]

The wolf's method of attack is from the rear, springing on its victim
and hamstringing it and literally eating it alive. The bite of the
wolf is a succession of quick, savage snaps and there is no salvation
for the creature that has no means of defense from a rear attack.
This peculiar method of killing prey can not be practiced
successfully on horses, owing to the fact that they can defend
themselves by kicking, but for all of that, a considerable number of
colts and