116 MAMMALS OF UTAH 



bors parasites. The period of gestation is 63 days, and the 

 young, 3 to 13, but usually 6 or 7, are blind at birth and 

 even until the ninth day. 



A wolf mother will never kill and eat her young as will 

 a coyote at times. In fact a coyote will eat her own young 

 when they have died from other causes. Cases are known 

 where one female wolf has adopted the young of another 

 mother who had for some cause been compelled to leave 

 them. When born the young whine and are answered by 

 the mother in the same tone. 



Wolves fear man and rifles these days; and a wolf 

 would rather starve than touch a carcass on which has been 

 left a horseshoe, handkerchief or something of the sort. 



A gray wolf is the shyest animal that roams the Utah 

 wilds, not even the cougar being more wary. In the days 

 of bows and arrows human beings were attacked by wolves ; 

 but such occurrences are very rare now. A few years back, 

 however, a boy at Price, Utah, was molested for a time by a 

 wolf that sprang beside his horse, but no harm was done. 



A wolf's menu consists of everything from mouse to 

 moose. It gorges on mice during the summer; but it has 

 to stalk bigger game when the snow flies. It eats carrion 

 readily ; and will watch all day beside its buried cache. All 

 wolves roll on carrion as do dogs seemingly enjoying reeking 

 in the foulest stench. Yet they will lick blood stains, pull 

 out burrs and otherwise clean themselves. 



The usual cry of a wolf is a long, smooth howl, musical 

 but weird, and quite indistinguishable from the howl of a 

 large dog. When on the chase its call vibrates between 

 two notes and becomes a combination of short barks and a 

 howl at the finish. 



A single wolf can whip any number of -dogs; in fact 

 its jaws are so strong that one has been known to cut a 

 half inch lasso rope through with one snap. 



The pursuit of the wolf, where the animals are at all 

 numerous, is a very profitable employment. The state and 

 cattle association bounties sometimes reach as high as 

 $100.00 for each animal killed. The pelts are worth from 

 $1.00 to $28.00 each according to size and quality. 



