30 WOLVES IN" KELATION TO STOCK;, GAME^ AND FOREST RESERVES. 



to lead the wolf across — never on the trap — as the first impulse of 

 the wolf after sniffing it is to roll on it. This bait is very attractive 

 also to cattle and horses, and unless great care is exercised the traps 

 will be tramped over and pawed out daily by the animals they are 

 intended to protect. If possible, they should be set where cattle do 

 not often pass or on patches of stony ground or just over a fence 

 from cattle trails. 



PRESERVATION OF WOLF SKINS. 



Prime wolf skins in fall and winter, if properly handled, are worth 

 from $4 to $6 for robes or rugs. For either purpose the skin should 

 be complete, with feet, ears, and nose perfect. The feet should be 

 split through the soles, all bones removed except the terminal segment 

 of each toe, and the skin opened out to dry. The ears should be 

 partly skinned, the thick base of cartilage removed, and salt forced in 

 between the skin and cartilage. The tail bone should be removed and 

 the tail split along the lower side to the tip. The skin should be 

 nailed up as nearly square as possible, with the legs wide and short, 

 and left to dry in the shade. Many skins are spoiled by drying in 

 the sun or by imperfect skinning. 



Museums and taxidermists will usually buy wolf skulls at 50 cents 

 each if the bones are uninjured and the brains scooped out and enough 

 of the flesh removed to prevent their becoming offensive. For mu- 

 seums they should be labeled for sex, locality, and date. 



Occasionally wolf bounties are paid on coyotes because county 

 officials can not distinguish between a large coyote and a small wolf, 

 and in certain localities the distinction is exceedingly difficult. In 

 doubtful cases the Biological Survey will be glad to identify the 

 animals.^ 



APPLICATION TO COYOTES OF METHODS RECOMMENDED FOR 

 DESTRUCTION OF WOLVES. 



In a bulletin of the Biological Survey entitled ''Coyotes in their 

 economic relations," by David E. Lantz, the feasibility of fencing 

 stock against coyotes was clearly shown. This method is of special 

 importance in agricultural districts, but does not apply generally to 

 the public range or to forest reserves. The annual loss by coyotes, 

 while unquestionably greater than that by wolves, is mainly borne by 

 sheep owners. The number of young game animals, especially deer, 

 elk, and antelope, destroyed by them is evidently far greater than the 

 number destroyed by wolves. The destruction of coyotes, therefore, 



a Skulls for identification should be addressed : U. S. Biological Survey, De- 

 partment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Each skull should be marked for 

 date, sex, and locality. The name and address of sender should be plainly 

 written. 



