Bulletin 320 



CONTROL OP THE COYOTE IN CALIFORNIA 



393 



of the posts, three inches underground. Two other barbed wires, the 

 sharper and more numerous tlie barbs the better, are fastened to the 

 posts three and nine inches above the top of the woven wire. (See 

 fig. 6.) 



The Clarke ranch is cross-fenced into several fields, and where the 

 fence crosses ditches or streams a sluiceway of redwood boards is 



L.iJ 



Fig. 6. — Diagram of eoyote-proof woven wire fence, adapted to regular slopes 

 and even ground. 



constructed to carry the water beneath the fence. A wooden gate 

 is hung across the sluiceway, closing the opening beneath the fence. 

 This gate is hinged to swing down hill and thus let the water through. 

 Coyotes are afraid of such swdnging gates, but they do sneak inside the 

 fence and kill sheep when they find a place where stakes have been 

 knocked out by a bear or some careless hunter. The fence is there- 

 fore watched by the owner, and the presence of a coyote inside soon 

 detected. A good pair of fox hounds keeps any trespassing coyote on 

 the move and soon drives him from cover, to be shot or, sometimes, 

 if hard pressed, to escape over the top of the fence. Steel traps are 

 also used. 



The cost of the redwood stake fence, as described above, varied 

 from about $350 to $400 per mile. Redwood stakes rot off at the 

 ground in from 25 to 30 years and then have to be resharpened and 



