42 HUNTING TRIPS 



their natural foes, and followed them unre- 

 lentingly. They shot at and chased them on 

 all occasions, and killed great numbers by 

 poisoning; and as a consequence the com- 

 paratively 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 poi- 

 soned 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 

 occasionally very young calves, but never 

 meddle with any thing larger. The stock- 

 man 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 



