CHAPTER XVIII 



i 



WOLF 



The wolf is found throughout the United States and Canada. 

 In the West and Southwest they are commonly called coyotes. 

 The coyote is smaller than the Northern wolf in size and its fur is 

 not so valuable. 



In recent years the pelt of the wolf has been taken up by the 

 furriers; the soft silky skins are much sought after and are dyed and 

 used as trimming on coats and dresses. As the fur is a natural light 

 graty in color it lends itself very nicely to the different shades of dye. 

 The flat coarse kind are not suitable for furriers' use but are made up 

 into automobile robes, etc. The largest wolf are found in Alaska 

 and the northern part of Canada. The finest wolf in quality of fur 

 cotoe from northwestern Canada and northwestern United States. 



Constant warfare is made on the wolf and there is no game law 

 to protect him. The wolf is a constant source of trouble to the western 

 ranchmen and especially the sheep herders, and for this reason they 

 are hunted at all times of the year and by every known method. 

 One of the most common methods is to spread strychnine pills, 

 which does little harm to the wolf, but immeasurable harm to other 

 furbearing animals and live stock as well. The wolf is very cunning 

 and one of the most intelligent of the wild animals. He is suspicious 

 of all artificial foods, that is to say food that he does not catch and 

 kill himself. It is only when he is desperately hungry that he will 

 eat nicely prepared morsels which he seems to know are loaded. 



The policy of using strychnine and other poisons should 

 be discontinued because it is evident that few wolf are taken by 

 this method, and great harm is done by setting out these poisoned 

 baits. The writer holds no brief for the wolf. As a general rule it 

 deserves to be killed on sight, because the wolf himself is a killer. 

 For this reason most states have offered bounties for every wolf 

 killed and in some sections where wolf are notoriously bad these 

 bounties run very high. On account of the bounty and the high 

 price of the wolf pelts, professional trappers as well as amateurs de- 

 vote a great deal of time and attention to trapping wolf, and the 



