Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1892-09-28
THE POOR OLD COYOTE.
Mark Twain Gave Him a Bad Name, Which
Has Stuck to Him.

Mark Twain made the coyote fam
ous-or notorious, if you please, says
the Kansas City Times In '.roughing
it, the poor animal is described as the
sneak thief of the plains, tramp OF
the desert Whether he is as bad as
he is painted or not, the California
legislature has put price on his head.
AS result, within the six months just
passed, 20, 2g9 of these lank animals
have been killed in the Golden state,
at cost to the government OF $1O1,-
995.
The coyote is in reality nothing but
wild dog, with suggestion of the
wolf in the shape of the head. Its
scientific name, CAMS paternas, sug-
gests its general type. 1t is common
throughout the Pacific slope, and is
classed with "yarmint" because it will,
in the absence of other prey, steal
barn-yard fowls or kill lambs and
sheep. Its grayish yellow fur, winter
beneath the body, is much like that OF
the timber wolf, and its pointed muz-
zle, sharp eyes and erect ears are fox
like. 1t lives by preference in the
wooded districts or where it can find
thickets for shelter BY day it usually
remains concealed, and only ventures
out at dusk, when it may sometimes
be seen stealing about searching for
food. 1t is sociable little animal,
often travelling in packs, and usually
in company with at least one of its
kind. When night has closed in the
coyote becomes noisy, yelping in
sharp prolonged cry that is not I'M
pleasant. Two of the animals often
hunt together, and are more than
match for a grown sheep. Although
despised by everyone now, time was
when the coyote was invested with
divine attributes by the aborigines.
Among the Navajo Indians and those
of the Cahroc tribe the coyote was one
of the deties-the Cahrocs, in fact,
believing it to be God
The hangdog look of the animal as
he slips away from human sight is the
cause of the coyotes bad name. He is
very shy at times, but on occasion sits
unconcernedly by the roadside as one
drives along. He is called sneak,
but he is only sly instead. He has
more wit than any animal except the
fox; he is as courageous in fight with
his own kind as any animal that
breathes; he is patriotic, if one may
use the term, in that he refuses to be
domesticated-r to leave the life
of freedom to which he is accustomed;
he is the best family man, so to speak,
in the world. The coyotes have been
made outlaws through Ignorance, as
the state is now learning. One need
not be called religious fanatic for
saying that nothing has been made in
vain that if we knew all about the
natures of the animals of the world
we would pay bounties for preserving
rather than for exterminating them.
That is to say, we would labor to pre-
serve the balance of life established by
nature. There are some things quite
as well worth prospecting for as Cali
fornia minerals, among the rest the
California fauna. Coyotes which have
killed more than 1000 jack rabbits per
day have been wiped out to secure
petty rewards.
Killing coyotes is easy. The animals
are lazy by nature, and take the food
that is most easily procured. The
ranchers and others take advantage OF
the fact, and when they kill sheep or
one dies from natural causes, poison,
usually strychnine, is placed in many
parts of the flesh and is left exposed in
some quiet place. If there is a coyote
in the neighborhood it is sure to be
attracted by the eff1uyium from the
mutton, and quite as sure to feast
upon the poisoned flesh. To cut away
the scalns and turn them lnto coin ia
easy under the present law.