784 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



even attempted to enter Maymiutch's tent. A large white 

 one came boldly into the door and was advancing towards a 

 young child when he was shot dead. Some of them are very 

 audacious. I have known them to follow people for several 

 days, attempt to seize a person or dog, and to be kept off 

 only by fire-arms. It does not appear that hunger makes them 

 so ferocious, as they have been known to pass carcasses of 

 animals, which they might have eaten to their fill, but they 

 would not touch flesh; their object seeming to be that of 

 biting. The Canadians swear that these are mad Wolves 

 and are much afraid of them." 



And again:-" 



"April i8, 1810 [on North Saskatchewan]. Another 

 mare was bitten in the nose by a mad Wolf and died the day 

 after, foaming at the mouth and running around distracted." 



WOLF- Wolves are so rarely seen that shootinij; is not to be relied 



KILLING . -' t' 



on as a means 01 keepmg them down. 



Hunting with dogs has been carried on with fair success, 

 but it requires a composite pack of running, tracking, and 

 fighting dogs, as well as the best of horses, so that it is somewhat 

 expensive. 



In the early days the Indians captured many Wolves in 

 pitfalls. The following, from Henry's Journal, bears on this:'" 



"We had now [south of Turtle Mountain] a well-beaten 

 path, but were several times in danger of breaking our necks 

 in deep pits which the natives had dug in the path to catch 

 Wolves and Foxes in winter. Some of them are 10 feet deep, 

 hollowed out to a space about 30 feet in circumference, whilst 

 the entrance is no wider than the foot-path and about 5 feet 

 in length. These holes are covered with dry grass at the 

 season when Wolves are good, and every morning are found to 

 contain some of these animals. In summer the grass grows 

 strong and high about the mouths, entirely concealing them, 

 until one arrives upon the very brink, and is in danger of 

 tumbling in headlong." 



^' Ibid., ]>. 594, *> Ibid., p. 322. 



