NATURAL HISTORY. 



WHY DO WOLVES "DOPE?" 



Editor Recreation: Mr. Ernest Seton 

 Thompson asks, in June Recreation, if 

 any of its readers have ever seen wolves 

 rolling in carrion. Yes, I have. A few 

 years ago I was hunting elk, early in Sep- 

 tember, on the head waters of White river, 

 Colorado. Late one evening I fired at a 

 bull elk, standing in an open park near the 

 timber. After the crack of my rifle, a few 

 strides took him under cover of the spruce. 

 It was too dark to trail, but returning early 

 next morning, I found my game had run 

 through this strip of timber, some 200 

 yards in width, and after going 40 to 50 

 yards in an open park had given it up. My 

 ball had passed through behind the shoul- 

 ders, to the skin on the other side. 



The meat was soured; so I took off the 

 head skin, with the antlers, for mounting. 



Some 2 days later, I was packing in an- 

 other elk I had killed, and came past the 

 first carcass. I discovered that 2 or more 

 bear had been to the carcass, had disem- 

 boweled it, -and had made a great feast. The 

 carcass was lying in an exposed place, and 

 although at a high altitude it created con- 

 siderable stench. I decided to return on 

 the 2d evening, thinking I might encounter 

 " Old Ephraim." I did so but was not fa- 

 vored with a visit from Bruin. I went back 

 the next morning, and while approaching 

 the carcass, discovered the wind was wrong 

 for me; so I circled, which threw me some 

 300 yards off and above the carcass, at the 

 edge of another strip of spruce. On creep- 

 ing to the edge and looking over, I saw a 

 large timber wolf at the carcass. I had seen 

 several of these animals in Wisconsin, 

 Michigan and Minnesota, but this was the 

 first one I had ever seen in the mountains. 

 I watched him carefully, through my glass- 

 es, and crawled a little nearer, under cover 

 of a clump of willows. I found he was not 

 eating, but " lolling " about the carcass. I 

 saw him roll on it repeatedly. He would 

 sit up, lick himself, jump over the carcass, 

 and at it again. How long before my ar- 

 rival the " circus " had opened, I cannot 

 say. 



I levelled my gun for a 250 yards' shot, 

 and cut loose. I saw a grayish streak with 

 a funnel end to it, reaching from the carcass 

 to the timber, but haven't seen the wolf 

 since. I approached the carcass and found 

 the wolf had not eaten a morsel of it, but 

 had contented himself by rolling in it. 



I have frequently seen dogs roll in and 

 about the carrion of a cow or horse, with- 

 out eating of it. Why they do it I cannot 

 say, unless they have the instinctive desire 

 of all carnivorous animals to linger about 

 flesh, either fresh or carrion; and if it has 

 passed the eatable stage they roll in it to 

 carry that " in-stink-tiveness " with them. 

 Dall De Weese, Canon City, Colo. 



WOLVES, DOGS, AND CARRION. 



Noting the communication of Mr. 

 Thompson, in June Recreation, concern- 

 ing the habit of wolves rolling in carrion, 

 I desire to say this is not limited to wolves; 

 but you will find all hunting dogs — espe- 

 cially the Gordon setter, do it. 



I have noticed this for years and could 

 not give any solution save that the odor 

 was pleasant to the dogs. I have known 

 my dog to put his nose into the air and 

 dart off, at a fast gait, notwithstanding my 

 orders to return. Later he would come 

 back with the smell of carrion about him. 



I have found great pleasure in Mr. 

 Thompson's articles and pictures, in Rec- 

 reation, regarding wolves and their habits. 

 During my service in the regular army, in 

 Arizona and New Mexico, we were greatly 

 troubled with wolves and in one instance 

 a herder was torn to death; but that was an 

 isolated case and when a heavy snow had 

 been on the ground a long time. 



James S. Kennedy. 



With regard to the query of Mr. E. S. 

 Thompson, in June Recreation, touching 

 the propensity of wolves for rolling in car- 

 rion, may I in measure reply to his theory 

 by asking, why it is that dogs do the same 

 thing? I have noticed it often, not only 

 among common curs, but among high bred 

 sheep dogs. 



This habit of the dog being identical with 

 that of his wolfish cousin, I think his reason 

 for indulging it is the same. Mr. Thomp- 

 son's theory that the wolf wishes to dis- 

 guise his personal scent is good, but how 

 about the dog? Does it not seem more 

 likely that both wolf and dog, finding the 

 taste of decayed flesh agreeable, find the 

 smell of it equally so? 



H. H. Sauber, Willows, Cal. 



Mr. Thompson's guess, as to why wolves 

 roll in carrion, may be a good one. I con- 

 sider it " one of those things that no fellow 

 can find out." I suppose he knows a great 

 many dogs have the habit (or rather the in- 

 stinct) and the worst dog in the whole heap 

 is the pointer. He takes more delight in 

 a rotten hog, an old skunk skin, a dead 

 snake, or something of that kind, than any 

 other living dog.. I have studied your ques- 

 tion for years, and have whaled my pointers 

 repeatedly, for doping; but why they want 

 to be such fools, I have never been able to 

 find out. They are willing to take a thrash- 

 ing to get a wallow on a bad smelling 

 article of that kind, and will sneak around 

 to do it. They seem to want to rub their 

 shoulders good, in the dope; and are not 

 satisfied until both are well fixed. I would 

 like to know " why is it? " 



L. W. Byram, Kansas City, Mo. 



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