St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-07-14
THE WOLF CHASE.
exciting and Popular Sport Of
Hunters in the West.

Chasing wolves with horses and
hounds where these animals abound
in the West" said Benjamin Reed. o.
Lycoming County. who recently re
turned from thirty years residence
In the Northwestern Territories. '.ha.
grown TO be. next to coursinS antelope
with greyhounds. the favorite sport ci
the hunter for pleasure. Tho wolf
chase is especially popular in Idaho.
In fair stand-up fight a gray. white.
or black wolf will whip any dog. no
matter how bold or game he is These
species of tho wolf know their own
powers. and seem to like nothing bot.
ter than 10 have a set-tO with dog.
never knew gray wolf to run from a
single dog in all my experience But
the coy ote. or prairie wolf is an en-
tirely diff rent product. II, is too
cowardly to engage in a fight with
even mongrel cur. and l have seen
him more than once scampcr away
with his tail between his legs at the
approach of a playful months old
puppy. Dogs that have been any
time in camp come to know the diif.r-
ent characteristics of tho wolves and
do not hesitate to go out singly and
give chase to whole pack Of coyotes.
but they will never voluntarily attack
singly a gray wolf. and it is rare. even
with the presence and encouragement
Of the hunter. that single dog can
be urged 10 molcst the dreaded gray
wolf. A pack of three or more
hounds. however. will not hesitate to
give the wolf chase. and the wolf will
not try the gage Of battle with more
than one dog at time unless brought
at bay and forced to fight. and then
one or more of the pack of dogs will
bite the dust before the wolf is killed.
Il was one Of a party that camped
between the head waters of the Nc
Arthur and Malade rivers. near the
base Cf the Salmon mount aims. in
Id aho. i'm the days when buffalo was
still plenty. but wolves were SO nu-
merous in that region. and we found
the chase of them on horseback SO cx-
citing. that many a buffalo owed his
life at our hands to that wOlfish pres
cnce. 1t seems hardly reasonable
that hunters should have given the
chase Of such grand game as the buf-
falO the go-by 10 hunt an animal 50
much dcspiscd as the wolf but there
was variety and fascination in fol-
lowing the hounds on the trail Of >
flying vulpinc prowler that did not
attend the ride on buffalo trail.
fierce and dangerous as was the dash
over the prairie after some laundering
old bull
The Idaho method ofhunting wolves
is exactly a counterpart of the En-
glish sport of fox hunting. depending
for its full enjoyment on excellent
horses. fleet. stronS-scentcd hounds,
and the evcr-prcsent spice of danger
attending n break-neck charge across
a rough and cver-changing country.
Then. there need be no sentimental
feeling Of pity. that will now and then
arise on being in at the death of a fox.
accompanying tho running TO earth
and killing of n wolf. for while the
wolf hunt has all of the clements of
cxhilarating sport that the fox hunt
has. its results are beneficial and
service TO the community. rs the wolf
is the greatest of all enemies of the
ranchman and stock raiser and q per-
sisient and successful destroyer Of all
kinds of wild game
Il remember i'm particular one wolf
hunt VIC had while campcd in the
Salmon Mountain region. Wo were
mounted on tho best buffal o-huntinc
horses we could buy. and when a
horse is a good buffalo hunter he is as
good as a horse can bc. Our pack of
hounds was large and every dog a |
thoroughbred foxhound Tho season
was early fall Our route led to the |
rocky rises of the Salmon range. which |
arc famous lurking places for the |
gray wolf the rocks and dense under.
growth giving them the best of shelter. |
and the numerous streams aft fordiny
them unusual opportunities to capture
game animals that seek the water 10 |
drink and feed on the tender roots
and plants that grow on the borders
of the streams
I've had ridden several miles
through this rough country before the
dogs succeeded in starting q wolf but
At last they gave tongue in a thicket
off to the right and quickly followin 9
the xcitcd baying a very large but
gaunt she wolf with litter Of whelps
tumbling after her broke into the
opening. She dashed past us like
flash. and her litter Of young ones hud-
died close to her. evidently finding no
in keeping pace with her.
she went like the wind. As
tho wolf passed us she was SO close
that \ pistol shot could have dropped
her. but not a man raised his hand
against her There was a stretch of
prairie. probably oue-eishth of mile
in width. between the thickct where
the wolf had been started and a domc-
IKE. but not steep mound or Aillock.