The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-25
HOUNDS AND COYOTES.
Frank Conley Tells What Great Sport
He's Having.

Helena Herald: He Drank Conley)
was telling about running coyotes
with hounds.
Yes, sir" he began, IT have the fin
est pack of hounds in the state and
they have already this year killed IA
coyotes and two wolves. On Christ
mas day we got three, which is a pref
| ty good record
| L have six dogs in my pack, all big
gray hounds, but l have bred them
myself and selected them very care
| fully. / can soon pick out the dogs /
/ want, for the first chase after a coyote
will settle the question of his staying
qualities If he shows that he Is a
| good fighter, 1 will put him into my
! pack, but II he shows the white feather
| Will give him to somebody All six
or my dogs are fighters and the way
they can stretch out a coyote is a eau
| ton.
Il have a fine scheme of my own for
| getting my hounds in close range of
the coyote without his getting scared.
You Know you can drive up pretty
close to one in a wagon, but If you
nave dog in sight anywhere Mr.. Coy
| ote VIII light out before you are with
an quarter of a mile of him. l have
learned that much by experience, so I
take advantage of the coyotes trust in
a seemingly innocent looking wagon
L start out from Deer Lodge with a
man TO help me, Che takes down the
renee, opens the gates, holds the team
ana does the other light work. with
my spring wagon and on this wagon
nave my invention. 1t is a big coop all
covered over to keep a coyote from
looking inside, and in this coop all six
of the hounds ride.
we drive along until we see coy
ote and then edge up toward him.
sometimes getting as close as so yards
The animal looks us over and sees that
we have do dogs running with us and
doesn't even try to get out of the way.
Tor ne thinks he don't have to bother
himself about a wagon. We get as
crosse as we can and then from the
'front.' seat, pull a string that pulls
open the sides of the coop. The dogs
nave been waiting and are on the
ground In an instant, fairly tumbling
over each other in the eagerness to get
a good start
AS for the coyote, we'll. he looks
about as surprised as any amman Wen
can, and no doubt wonders what kind
or travelling circus has Just been
turned loose at him. But his surprise
don't last long, for he finds that the
dogs are almost up to him and then
ne begins to run.
This is just the beginning of the fun
Tor us and away we go over bitches.
through fences and down rayines and
we are generally not very far behind
When the dogs stop him. When YOU
run jack rabbits the fun is over when
the dogs catch the game. When you
menced
This idea that a coyote fights nv
swapping is all foolishness. They snan
once or twice and then they go at If
like bulldogs, and when they once get
mold they hang there 1 can tell you.
AS soon as my dogs stop one. 1 jump
out of the wagon and run to helm them
The best fighter in my pack Is alwavs
In front and the first thing he does is
TO make dash for the coyotes throat.
III he catches his first hold on the COW
ote neck, the fight don't last long for |
the other dogs back him up. A dog
gets hold of each hind leg and they |
stretch him out. while the balance of
the pack soon kill him.
Sometimes the lead dog misses his |
first plunge and the coyote grabs him |
oy the ear or jaw. and then the hound /
Dacks out of the bunch pulling the COW |
ote with him, for the animal won't let |
go. Then / help him little With a /
suck tap the coyote on the head and /
ne lets go his hold. The dog he has
bftten is a little shy at first, but I rub
him on the back and encourage him n
little and soon he is in the middle of
the nght once more swapping fiercelv.
his eyes green with anger The covote
is soon stretched out dead. and then
the dogs run and jump in the coon in
the wagon and are ready for the next
coyote.
Sometimes, of course the dogs get
cut up a little. but that only seems to
make them more anxious to get AT the
next coyote. judging from the wav
they tumble out of the wagon when 7
turn them loose again.
This pack of six hounds killed two
big wolves and several coyotes down
near Fort Benton last fall and / think
II is the best pack in the state. Rum
ning coyotes is great sport / can tell
you