Arizona republican., 1893-01-25


 the jaws open an tie 1t tdoS Ind IiOp 1t down an the coyotes Fl jist think it's somethin' the jaclSrabbits has dropped there, an when they jumps after that jackrabbit down they comes with their fOrelegs into it. The way to catch coy otes is to make 'em think you thinks they's all durn fools, see?"
 Another hour of tramping and at its expiration the other three traps were set and baited,
 Now" sad Peck, If you don't mind goin' we'll take look at the traps as was set yisterday."
 Again we set off across the low, roll ing hills, at right angles with the canyon, and tramped through tangled maze of chaparral until we reached the lower edge of the Keystone range. As we skirtcd the flat the pungent aroma of the mephitis was waited to us and Peck swore long and loud
 "Another of them durned slSunks I've caught more'n twenty this week, an it pears like there's twenty thou sand of 'em left"
 Sure enough, the first trap held a skunk, and the little animal, which had pulled and squirmed for hours, was standing still, looking at us with piteous eyes and trembling with pain. The smell was sicllening, and Peck stopped me at safe distance.
 You stay yere, lest you get the smell on yer feet, an I'll,fix i'm"
 A well-directed shot killed the skunk, and the old man pulled it from the trap and heaved it away with a grunt of disgust. Then he united the trap, and taking from his pocket flannel rag and bottle with a large neck rubbed the contents over the trap.
 What is that stuff?"
 "Alcohol an asaftty," returned Peck, testify. 'It kills the smell, some of it, an the coyotes like it too but t ain't as good as 1t might be-"
 The disinfecting process did not re- quire much time, and when it was finished Peek had acquired a new flavor which was not pleasant, but he did not seem to mind it. The trap was taken up and carried to new location and set in runway without bait
 "It'll be a day or two aforc l catch anything in that trap" said Peck. "Some fellers burics their traps to make 'em clean, but jist uses alcohol and a,aftty, The best stuff for clean in is sulphuric acid an water, cause that cuts off everything, but you've got to put asatitty on anyway to kill the smell of the acid, sec? Coyotes likes the smell of asufitty an I've caught some by dragging little bag of it over the ground fer mile or so an then scttin down with my rifle to watch the trail. They'll follcr it sure if it's early in the mornin' an the grass is damp"
 Nine more traps were visited Five of them held skunls, one a fox, two were not sprung and one had captured coyote. The sllunks and the fox were killed at once and Peck was fairly wild
 Ut does seems though there ain't notIiH' hcrc but skunlis. If they was worth ten cents apiece an didn't smell so internal I'd make a fortune sure. The ornery things is jist swarmin', and they gifts caught to spite me. l know it."
 The coyote was a large specimen of muscular starvation. The long, 1.-the body. with its shaggy hair, the small, furtive eyes and sncering, snarling mouth made a threatening picture. Long before we reached the trap we could hear the chain rattle as the coy ote, frantic with fear and pain. sprang back and forth in fruitlcss efforts to escape. Peck was in better humor now, and when he had shot the captive, taken off the scalp, flung the carcass away aud reset the traphe talked coy ote' at a rapid rate.
 Its funny, they allus gifts caught by the fore feet; allus Now, a fox or coon or the wildcat II get caught by the hind legs sometimes but a coyote never does. It's allus the front foot that goes into the trap. This we're feller is the third I've caught in the last week That ain't bad; but expect to do bet ter aforc long, cause the Sheep's comin' down from the mounta ins now, an the coyotes follers the sheep No, l couldn't do better on the plains. I've tried it there. There's no trees to hang your bait on, an it's too settled up; there's too many dogs"
 "Did you ever try to raise any coy otes?"
 "Yas, onct. I had two cubs in the mountains last year. thought I'd go into coyote raisin' on big scale an . bankrupt the state, but 1t wouldn't work. As soon as the cubs was growed up they kcp' me so busy huntin' for feed for 'em that jist got tired an shot 'en. They's treacherous brutes, too, an they bites wicked A big one'll whip pretty good dog if he's cor nered.
 "Tve seed a good many different ways of trappin' of 'em, but this way, with steel traps baited with jaclirab- bits, is the best. ed tell you an aw- ful lot bout coyotes, but ain't got time now. I've got to go out an hunt lp some meat for myself. Come to my 'hanty some day an mebbe we'll have some O the states venison."
 And "Coyote" Peck, giving his Win