400 Biology in America 



wolf of our western plains. AVhetlicr tliese animals are in- 

 telli<;eiit or not we shall leave to the psychologists to decide, 

 if they can: their actions in any event certainly appear so. 

 The wolf is a highly picturesque and interesting outlaw. His 

 teeth arc turned ''against every man and every man's hand 

 against hiiu." With every sense rendered keen by the sharp- 

 ness of liis struggU' for existence lie lias become on the one 

 lunul a most skillful thief, and on the other a most elusive 

 criminal. The most tempting bait will not decoy him into 

 a trap, while the least scent of man is a warning of dan- 

 ger. The trapjier as he goes afield soon strikes some cattle 

 path or trail, winding in and out among the hills. He fol- 

 lows this until he finds two bushes growing a few inches apart. 

 Between these he makes a little hole in which he sets his trap 

 and firinly fixes it to a sunken stake or heavy stone. Upon 

 the trap he lays a sheet of paper which is well covered with 

 fine earth and bits of sticks or leaves or straw, causing the 

 surface of the ground over the trap to appear as natural as 

 possible. Over all a little water is sprinkled and nearby a 

 few drops of wolf perfume or scent. Xow^ a wolf's notions 

 as to perfume are not exactly in accordance with our own. A 

 very choice preparation for a wolf is prepared by allowing 

 a chuid< of raw meat to rot until it "smells to Heaven." To 

 this is addetl some animal oil such as sperm or lard oil and 

 then a little musk or beaver castor. In preparing the trap 

 great care must be taken to avoid leaving any trace of hu- 

 man scent. This is prevented by wearing old, well scented 

 gloves and covering the shoes with scent. 



Or the trapper finds beneath some overhanging ledge of 

 rock, high on the slope of a barren hill, tracks it may be 

 leading to a den, or the bones of some unfortunate victim, 

 and digging out the den a family of puppies is discovered 

 and their earthly career is quickly ended. Or the freshly 

 killed carcass of beef or sheep is found, which is poisoned 

 witli strychnin and when the wolf returns for a second meal, 

 this meal becomes his last. 



The war on prairie dogs, ground squirrels, pocket gophers 

 and other rodents is largely conducted with poisoned grain. 

 A few kernels of grain poisoned with strychnin placed in a 

 burrow will effectually dispose of the occupants in short 

 order. 



"As an illustration of the effectiveness and economy of the 

 methods of destroying these pests, a badly infested plot of 

 320 acres was chosen for a demonstration in northern Ari- 

 zona. One man spent a day distributing poison over this 

 area, at a total cost for labor and material of $0.79. The 

 following day 1,641 dead prairie-dogs were picked up from 



