328 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



and away the worst enemy of the stockraiser. More- 

 over, it is not repulsed by civilization, as are the other 

 animals in this class. 



The settling up of a country generally leads to the 

 rapid extinction of almost all the wild animals, unless 

 they are carefully guarded by law. The coyote, on the 

 contrary, rather enjoys the coming of the settler, makes 

 himself very much at home with him, raises its young 



The Camp of Two Government Hunters in the Boise National Forest. 



right under his nose and, in spite of bounties, poison and 

 traps, manages to increase. In the spring, it follows 

 the sheepmen's herds up into the mountains, there to 

 prey on the little lambs or even the older ewes. In the 

 fall it comes down with them and winters close to the 

 farmer's feedlot and chicken coops, or moves along to 

 the winter ranges of the sheep. 



The coyote takes an occasional meal at the cattle- 

 man's expense too, when it finds a small calf lying under 

 the shelter of some bush, where it has been left by its 



