The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-08-21
Hunting Wolves In Texas.

One Bell, of Fort Griffin, Is credited
with killing more wolves than any other
one man on the plains sou Ii of the Arkansas
In one season he poisoned over 900. From
three to four good hunters used to club to-
gethcr aud hunt the season through They
started out with a wagon well loaded with
flour, bacon, sugar, salt, and coffee. An
extra pony or two came handy to ride
around, keep the bats in order, and bring
IN the hides. The trappers carried plenty
OF ammun lion, and when using breech- load
ing rifles filled their own shells. AS the
Comanchcs were troublesome, the rifles
were kept loaded and tho horses etrictly
guarded. At night they were hobblcd in
the brush near the camp, SO rs they could
not go astray. If tho ''sign'' was good
camp was usually made in secluded SPOT
near running stream, tributary to one of
the large rivers. AS the wolves followed
the buffalo, and the buffalo cropped the
juicy grass along the streams, the s'sign"
was always good in wild and we'll
watered section of the country. tho
'slgn'- the trRcks and half-catc. dead
buffalo-the trappers estimated the num-
Der OF wolves, and prepared their bats.
Buffalo, antelope, or deer were killed in an
open place, and strychnine placed IN those
|
wolves. But the trappcrs as rule, did
not plant the poison before sunset, for the
wolves of the air. the innnmcrablc ravens
that shadow the plains and feed upon dead
animals, displaced the bats if the traps
were set before they went to roost. The
ground near the carcasscs was sometimes
sprinkled with dead ravens. Small tlocks
| staggered around the dead bulls under the
| influence of the poison, and gyratcd
through the air like tumblcr pigeons
The colder the weather, the more wolves.
A ninping, frosty air seemed to sharpen
their appetites, aud give them keen scent
While Graham was on the Brazos, five
winters ago, eight bison were killed on
the side of a hill, and their bodies skinned
and poisoned, During the night the wind
vccrcd TO the north, and the weather be.
came intensely cold. A storm of slcct
made the camp fire hiss, and the howls of
the wolves rang above the ravine III which
the hunters slept. With the first streak of
daylight they visited their bats, fearful
that the ravens might tear the fur of the
dead wolves and damage the hides. With
In three hours they found the bodies of fif-
ty-six large gray wolves frozen 80 hard
that they dragged them into tho ravinc and
thawcd them out. All agreed that if tho
night had been mild the animals would
have kept under cover.
A wolf begins to feel the effect of the
poison within ten minutes. Hc stops
| eating. His cars and eyebrows twitch,
and his limbs arc crampcd. Frequently
he whirs around like dancing dervish,
sweeping the ground with his tail aid
| throwingup the dirt with one of his forcpaws.
| Ills comrades cock their heads to one side
and watch his spasms with curious eyes,
but resume their feast when the victim
stlftens or starts for the scrub. Few of
| the poisoned animals die at the side of the
poisoned buffalo. Old hunters assert that
the strychnine produces burning thirst,
and the wolf makes for the nearest water.
This keeps the band of trappcrs busy all
the morning. While two of them skins tho
| wolves nearest the bats, the other mounts
mustang and scours the chapparel and
| banks OF the river in a further search for
| bodies. The ravens assist him, filling the
air with wild cries, and fluttcring
| over the gasping animals in the e'brush.
| Many OF the wolves arc not dead when dis
covered. They arc scattered about in all
stages OF paralysis, and are put ont of their
misery by the hunter. Occasionally dy-
ing wolf is found stretched on the sands of
the river Topping the water; but he docs
not rush ito the stream, and his body Ii
never found floating upon its surface.
| Even in death he seems to have n horror of
wetting his feet.
The only adopts ut sknning are the pro-
fessional hunters The body is turned up
on its back, and work begins at tho fore
| quarters. The trhppcr grips leg between
| his knees, opens up the hide to the brlskct,
and rips down to the tail. The tail is the
most valuable part of the wolf. If in
jurcd, it spoils the beauty of the robe 1t
is therefore taken Oft with the greatest care.
The skinner then plants his foot firmly up
on his neck, and by main strength pees
the hide up to the head. Here more care
is required. The ears and nose arc torn
away, with the skin, 50 that spread upon
the prairie it presented a perfect picture.
The hide is then folded flesh side in,
thrown across the back of pony and
borne to camp. The fur is then turned to
the grass and the skins stretched by pegs
driven into the ground. 1t dries according
to the weather. No salt is used If tho
atmosphere is dry it is taken up in three
days, and turned over and summed until
ready for market.
| While the trappcr is thus picking up
the skins of the big gray wolf he does not
| hcS lCCG Ilc COyOIc. 4 lib IL MUCH smaller
than his gray brother. The latter is nearly
as large as Newfoundland dog; the for
mer about twice the size Of a cat. The
coyote fancies a camp fire, and sits on hll-
locks within sight Of its blaze barking for
hours. The gray wolf bays the moon like
a dog. Graham says hc has seen them sitting
on the highest rocks gazing at It's bright
orb with their heads thrown back uttcring
unearthy howls. This wolf scorns the
coyoate. When the large wolves drag down
an old buffalo bull the coyotes huddlc in
tho vicinity, licking their chops and bark
ing, as though begging share of the prey
Should they venture too near the the big
fellows utter ominious growls and the CO.
votes stink away, tails between their legs
and heads turned over their shoulders. The
coyote quickly determines tho status of
hunter. If he finds him killing wolves he
keeps at respectful distance; but If he Is
only hunting bear, antelope or buffalo, the
little fellow becomes quite social. While