V. DESCRIPTION AND HABITS. 



CW. DICKINSON, of Smethport, McKean Coun- 

 ^ ty, the greatest living Pennsylvania wolf 

 hunter, and a man of intelligence and education, 

 makes the following comments anent our native 

 wolves : 



''The peculiar traits of the wolf family are too 

 numerous to state here in full, but will give some of 

 the main points. The wolf is one of the most cunning 

 and shrewd animals we know anything about. They 

 are the most difficult animal to catch in a trap that 

 we know anything about. If a wolf is caught in a 

 trap by bait and should happen to make his escape, 

 don't try to catch that wolf with bait again, for life 

 is too short to do it. The only way to catch that wolf 

 is to set traps in a path where they travel occasionally. 

 Don't use any bait; if you do he will give that locality 

 a wide berth. If a wolf gets caught in a trap and 

 happens to twist his foot off, he must leave the pack 

 or drove he belongs with. Whether they drive him 

 away or whether he leaves them because he can't 

 stand the long journeys they take is a question we 

 can't answer. We never saw an instance of a three- 

 footed wolf traveling with other wolves; he always 

 goes alone ; keeps near the settlements. He may be 

 in three or four counties in three or four days and 

 never kills but one sheep at a time, and never goes 



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