The Prairie Wolf in Iowa. 
In 1867, Dr. J. A. Allen wrote concerning the 
coyote in Iowa: “This species was formerly 
quite numerous, much more so even than the 
common wolf (Cauls lupus'), but now, like that 
species, it is in some sections nearly extirpated. 
I was informed that it was still common in the 
southern part of Guthrie county, where it not 
unfrequently was destructive to the lambs. It 
is said to far exceed the common fox in bold¬ 
ness and cunning.” 
During Dr. Allen’s stay, he visited nine coun¬ 
ties, including Audubon, which adjoins my home 
county on the north, and Guthrie, which cor¬ 
ners with it to the northeast. At that time the 
railroad had not as yet been built, and only a 
spiall portion of the country was settled. From 
that time on until about 1890 coyotes steadily 
decreased in numbers, until, apparently, they 
were all but exterminated. The survivors were 
extremely cunning, and an adult was seldom 
presented for bounty. During the last few 
years a marked change is taking place. The 
country is now thickly settled and there seems 
little shelter for such large animals as wolves, 
yet the coyotes are increasing in numbers. 
They are very prolific, seldom giving birth to 
less than six young in a litter, and often about 
ten. Fourteen is the largest litter that has ever 
come to my notice. More than ten at a birth, 
I think, is unusual. They seem to take to the 
open country rather than to seek shelter in the 
small belts of woodland along the streams. A 
sheep breeder living about five miles north of 
Atlantic tells me that he has suffered consider¬ 
able loss from these animals during the past 
few years, the lambs being taken from the lot 
at night and probably from the pasture during 
the day. While visiting there not long since, 
a coyote crossed the field in broad daylight, 
in plain view of the farmer and his son. Not¬ 
withstanding the fact that the sheep owner has 
a large bore rifle kept for the purpose, and has 
offered to double the bounty paid by the county, 
only one mature coyote, to my knowledge, has 
been killed in that vicinity for several years. 
It is easy to see that the later generation of 
prairie wolves have developed greater cunning 
in avoiding danger, or that the present genera¬ 
tion of hunters is not so skillful in pursuing 
them. Probably both may be true. 
Although our county paid bounties for the 
destruction of forty-four wolves last year, only 
three were adults, the rest being pups taken 
from the dens. As the dens are usually shallow, 
it is easy to capture the helpless youngsters if 
they can be found. A grown wolf is seldom 
taken, unless it be a mother with her young. 
I presume that similar conditions prevail in 
the prairie regions to the west, as D. E. Lantz 
writes that more than nineteen thousand coyotes 
were killed in Kansas in the year ending June 
.30, 1904, but makes no mention of the propor¬ 
tion of young and old specimens. The accom¬ 
panying photographs show some of the litters 
taken in Cass county last year. One is es¬ 
pecially interesting, for it shows the new born 
young. 
I have suggested to farmers suffering from 
the depredations of coyotes that they corral 
their sheep in enclosures with high fences, but 
have been informed that a lighted lantern is 
about the only safeguard, unless it be a floored 
enclosure. From Lantz's “Mammals of Kan¬ 
sas,” above quoted, I find the following state¬ 
ment which is to the same effect: 
“Some ranchmen have told me that lambs and 
poultry in an enclosure made by a fence five 
feet high are absolutely safe from its attacks. 
Others have said that while the animals will not 
jump over such a fence, they will dig under it 
rea'dily, and that the only safety is in a tight 
and floored enclosure.” 
j Aside from the complaints of sheep owners, 
little is heard about damage from coyotes in 
this locality. Occasionally, if the door is letj 
open, one will enter a hen roost or will catch 
hens or turkeys that are allowed to range far 
afield in daytime. Last August the Council 
Bluffs (la.) Nonpareil mentioned the fact that 
a man had frightened a coyote away from his 
hen house, near the high school in that city, the 
night before. The incident aroused the valor 
of all the small boys in the neighborhood, with 
the result that with all sorts of missiles and ac¬ 
companied by all kinds of dogs, they spent 
much of the following day scouring the bluffs 
in search of the wolf. It is hardly necessary 
to add that the hunt was without result, other 
than tired legs. 
The poultry keeper who suffers from coyotes 
in this section is entitled to little sympathy, for 
with the exception of turkeys, all farm poultry 
thrives much better if kept in enclosures, and 
not allowed to range long distances in search 
of food. I think that it is extremely doubtful 
whether these animals will ever dig under a 
building, or will try to enter when the door is 
shut. 
Beside sheep and poultry, it is quite probable 
that young pigs are taken at times, although 
one seldom hears of it here. 
The bounty system of reducing animal pests 
has come into such general use that the public 
seems to think it neccessary. There is serious 
question in my mind whether it should ever be 
resorted to, excepting as a very temporary ex¬ 
pedient. At times it might be well to offer 
sufficiently large bounties to interest a large 
number of hunters in the chase for a short 
time, but a moderate bounty constantly in force 
is a useless expense and of little service. In 
this county a bounty of five dollars for each 
mature wolf, and two dollars each for pups has 
been in force for years. There is nothing to 
be made by hunting wolves for the bounty, and 
no one does so. The dens found by accident 
afford the finder some easy spending money. 
To my mind the bounty paid from the public 
treasury is a mistake. If the persons whose in¬ 
terests are at stake will not take the trouble to 
rid their localities of such animals, it will not 
be done even though the public pay a bounty. 
Although wolves have done serious injury to 
sheep owners in this State, the worthless dogs 
that roam freely about the country have done 
ten times more. A bounty placed on the head 
of every dog not wearing a collar with his 
owner’s name on it, and a bond to make every 
dog owner responsible for his mischief, would 
do more for the local sheep industry than any¬ 
thing else that could be mentioned. 
Coyotes unquestionably do much good in 
ridding the country of field mice, rabbits, 
spermophiles, gophers, etc. So while they be¬ 
come a serious menace to the range stockman, 
it is a question in my mind whether it would 
be desirable, even though possible, to extermi¬ 
nate them in farming regions like this. 
Frank C. Pfllett. 
[A long article entitled “Wolves and Wolf 
Nature,” printed in Trail and Camp-Fire, p. 
152, deals at length with the gray wolf and 
'coyote alike, and is of interest in this connec¬ 
tion.—E ditor.] 
Deserves Investigation. 
The letter printed below was addressed March 
15 to the National Association of Audubon So¬ 
cieties of New York city, by Herbert Wheaton 
Congdon. 
It will be extraordinary if it is shown that 
an instructor in a respected and important school 
like the Pratt Institute has given such misinfor¬ 
mation to any pupil. That the Pratt Institute it¬ 
self approves such a statement is not to be be¬ 
lieved for a moment, since we are confident that 
many of the trustees of that institution are well 
informed as to the economic injury done in the 
procuring of aigrettes, to say nothing of the 
suffering inflicted on animal life. Mr. Congdon s 
letter reads: • 
“I learned last night in conversation with a 
young girl, who is taking a course in millinery 
in Pratt Institute, that they use aigrettes, and 
that the instructor in answer to the protest of 
one of the girls said that the old-fashioned idea 
that any injury was done in obtaining these 
aigrettes was exploded in these days of greater 
knowledge. 
“It seems to me that no institution of learn¬ 
ing of the standing of Pratt Institute should en¬ 
courage or even make use of any form of plum¬ 
age that is obtained from the destruction of 
beneficial wild animals. Surely, the campaign of 
education has been sufficiently widespread so that 
there is no excuse for such a statement as this 
instructor is reported to have made. Of course, 
I cannot be responsible for the accuracy of the 
statements of the young lady who was my in¬ 
formant, but 1 think that the matter is well 
worthy of investigation.” 
Book Exchange. 
No doubt there are many of our readers who possess 
old books, and others who would be glad to possess 
them, and we are, therefore, making a special place in 
our advertising columns, which may be called a book 
exchange, where those who wish to purchase, sell or ex¬ 
change second-hand books may ask for what they need, 
or offer what they have. 
