Ranching in the Bad Lands 27 



ago both wolves and coyotes were very numerous 

 on the plains, and as Indians and hunters rarely mo 

 lested them, they were then very unsuspicious. But 

 all this is changed now. When the cattlemen came 

 in they soon perceived in the wolves their natural 

 foes, and followed them unrelentingly. They shot 

 at and chased them on all occasions, and killed great 

 numbers by poisoning; and as a consequence the 

 comparatively few that are left are as wary and 

 cunning beasts as exist anywhere. They hardly ever 

 stir abroad by day, and hence are rarely shot or 

 indeed seen. During the last three years these 

 brutes have killed nearly a score of my cattle, and 

 in return we have poisoned six or eight wolves and 

 a couple of dozen coyotes; yet in all our riding we 

 have not seen so much as a single wolf, and only 

 rarely a coyote. The coyotes kill sheep and occa 

 sionally very young calves, but never meddle with 

 anything larger. The stockman fears only the 

 large wolves. 



According to my experience, the wolf is rather 

 solitary. A single one or a pair will be found by 

 themselves, or possibly with one or more well-grown 

 young ones, and will then hunt over a large tract 

 where no other wolves will be found; and as they 

 wander very far, and as their melancholy howlings 

 have a most ventriloquial effect, they are often 

 thought to be much more plentiful than they are. 

 During the daytime they lie hid in caves or in some 

 patch of bush, and will let a man pass right by them 

 without betraying their presence. Occasionally 



