388 AN AMERICAN HUNTER 



Wolves mate in January and have their pups in March, but 

 found one den once in February. Have known a few to have 

 their young as late as April ist. The pups grow faster than 

 our domestic animals and usually leave the dens in May. I 

 do not think the mother enters the den (after the pups get 

 large enough to come out) in order to suckle them, as you 

 can call them out by hiding and making a whining noise. For 

 example, I set a No. 4 beaver trap in a hole where there was 

 a lot of large pups and hid a little way off and made a noise 

 like the female when calling and apparently they all started 

 out at the same time and I caught two at once in the same trap 

 and of course each one thought the other was biting his leg 

 and I saw the most vicious scrap I ever seen out of animals 

 of their size. They just held on to one another like bull dogs 

 and apparently did not know I was around. 



" Wolves go a long way sometimes for their food. I have 

 tracked them twenty-five miles from where they made a killing 

 before finding their den. The old dog will sometimes go off 

 alone but does not often kill when by himself. Would just 

 as soon have a male track as a female to follow for if you will 

 stay with it it is dead sure to lead to a den and it is easy to 

 distinguish the difference between the two tracks if you are on 

 to your job. 



;< Wishing you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year, 

 I am, 



i Your same old friend, 



" R. M. NORBOE." 



Mr. Bailey is one of a number of faunal naturalists, 

 who, together with certain big game hunters who care 

 more for natural history than for mere slaughter, are 

 doing invaluable work in preserving the records of wil- 

 derness life. If Mr. George Shiras will put in book 



