Trail and Camp-Fire 



and the question of subsistence occupies most 

 of his thought. So he has become an expert 

 in hunting methods, and these methods are 

 well worth studying. It is in the manner in 

 which these animals combine for mutual as- 

 sistance in the actual chase that they show 

 the greatest intelligence, securing with a min- 

 imum of effort creatures as swift as the jack- 

 rabbit or the antelope. 



Early in the spring, when the calves are 

 being born, it is not unusual to see from one 

 to three coyotes sitting round on the hills 

 waiting for an old cow to hide her new-born 

 calf and go off for water. At this time of the 

 year they get a good many of the calves. It 

 is not uncommon for several of them to sur- 

 round a single cow with a young calf and try 

 to kill it. They make fierce charges up close 

 to the cow, in the hope of drawing her away 

 from the calf, or frightening the calf so that it 

 will leave her. If cow and calf had sense 

 enough to keep close together there would be 

 little danger, but often a young heifer will 

 chase a coyote, and thus become separated 

 from her calf, and then two or three bites 

 from the other coyotes kill the calf. 



I have several times seen this plan carried 



i86 



