Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-05-12
ROUNDED UP BY COYOTES.
How the lack Rabbits ut Nevad ars
Gathered In by Wolves.

Gathered In by Wolves.
''You never saw the artistic way the
| Nevada wolves would round up the jack
rabbits, | suppose" remarked Joseph
Grandclmyer, the old time Nevadan.
ut is the cleverest bit of strategy | ever
heard Of. There are several kinds of
wolves all through the state, but the
coyotes are by far the plentiest. In the
Humboldt, Smoky, and other valleys the
coyotes form in military line, oftentimes
along some old road, as l have most fire.
quently seen them, and thus systemati-
cally go on a regular drive.
''They stretch out over q great area Of
country, the coyotes being stationed
somewhere near a mile apart. Once
they get sight of a jack rabbit his nauc
is Dennis. He may take TO the sage
brush and elude the coyotes for a time.
Fifty or a hundred coyotes a thus in a
short time rake in a terrible lot Of rabbits.
If the coyotes are hungry il is about the
rarest sport one can witness. They 60
at the hupt with SC much ardor and with
such perfect system.
"a COYOTE on his own account can
usually forage successfully for feed. He
is sly, like a fox, and, always with an
eye out for number one, he generally has
his belly full and lots Of fat sticking to
his ribs; but il the weather has been bad
and he gets separated from his fellows on
a r~ecOnnoitring tour he may have a hard
time of it. In the sagebrush n Jack
rabbit can generally manage to elude a
coyote. He can get in and out quicker,
while the coyote, being bigger, is de-
layed by the brush, and can't get in and
out like a rabbit.
''But after a lot of hungry wolves have
held a council Of wal and decided TO 20 on
a hunt, it is time for tine rabbits TO hunt
their holes. There is always music in
the air about that time. and the weird
bowls of the wolves sound like a distant
reveille. The rabbits seem tounderstand
the situation, too, and scamper hither
and tHithcr owe the plains aud rolling
hills. II is not long, however, till the
wolves marshal their forces. They begin
by making a wide detour over the hills,
lcSSeuIng the size Of the circle as they
advance, and holding all the rabbits they
get in rs skillfully as Il fisherman handles
mis- seine.
1.-THE jack rabbits are all of a tremble
when they see how their enemies have
them hedged about, and jump helplessIy
into the air, and utter pitifuI cries. The
wolves merely watch the sides warily.
and look On vindictively, with tongues
lolling out through their white teeth, and
eyes sparkling, expressive Of the knowl-
edge that they will soon have some fine
eating. As the wolves draw nearer to-
gether the quick snap. snap OF their jaws
is heard as they snip the threats of their
victims, and they fall dead from loss Of
blood.
''When every rabbit is killed, the
coyotes sit down on their launches to 4
very comfortable banquet. and never let
up until they have taken aboard SO much
rabbit meat that they can hardly stir.
Then they slowly mcandcr off TO their
homes, wherever they may he, and il
there is a lot of rabbit meat left. as there
may be, they put in al appearance again,
at stated intervals, until the whole l.
consumed.
After a lot Of coyotes have had a
talk, so to speak, and decided to go on n
hunt. they will sometimes go to a rough
region, where they know the rabbits
abound, and lay siege for them in an
other way. Certain brigades will chamber
upon the high rocks and hill tops sur
rounding n canyon. and drive the game
down into the depths below, other relays
Of VOL having previously been placed
At the entrance and at the weak places.
They oftentimcs gcts great many into q
canyon in this way, aud thus speedily
finish them. 1t is generally in the very
Early morning that the coyotes sound
their reveillc and go after the rabbits. -
IT. Louis Globe. Democrat.