The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-25
A COYOTE PARTNERSHIP.
IL Means Death to the Antelope and
Meal For the Wolves.

Meal For the Wolves.
The prong horned antelope is the swift
est animal ON the plains and yet the coy
otes catch a good many of them just by
running them down. This sounds like
paradox, yet it is quite true and Is ex-
planned by the cunning OF the woiVes ana
the habits of the antelope
A single coyote that undertook 10 run
down single antelope would get tired ana
hungry before he accomplished much, puC
when two or three coyotes are together IL
is quite a different thing. The coyotes 90
not all run after the antelope together;
they take turns, and while one runs the
others rest. and SO at last they tire the an
telope out.
II when it was started the antelope ran
straight away it would of course leave all
the wolves behind, those that were resting
| even more than the one that was CHASING
it. but the antelope does not run stralght,
away Instead it runs in large circles, ana
this enables the wolves to take turns when
chasing 1t,
When three or four prairie wolves de-
eide that they want antelope meat ior
breakfast, one Of them creeps as close as
possible to the one they have selected ana
then makes a rush for 1t, running as iasC
as he possibly can so as to push the ante-
|
Meantime his companions spread out on
either side of the runner and get upon lit
tie hills or knobs so as to keep the chase
in sight They trot from point to point,
and nretty soon, when the antelope turns
and begins to work back toward one OF
them. this one tries to get as nearly as pos
sible in it's path, and as it flies by the wolf
dashes out at it and runs after IL at inc
ton of its speed, while the one that had
been chasing the antelope stops running
and trots off to some nearby hill, where,
while the water drips off his lolling tongue,
he watches the race and gets MS preaon
again. After little the antelope passes
near another coyote, which In turn cake'
ND the pursuit. And so the chase Is KEEP
M until the poor antelope Is exhausteu
when it is overtaken and pulled GOWN y.
one or more of the hungry brutes. u
course the coyotes do not catch every INV
lone they start. Sometimes the game run
sucb a course that it does not pass nea
anv of the waiting wolves, and only th
one that starts it has any running TO &c
Tn snch n case the pursuit Is at once apaI
doned Sometimes the antelope Is so stou
and strong that it tires out all It's purs'
ers.
II is a common thing for coyote
chase an old doe. with her kids, just att
the little ones have begun to run abou
At that time they are very swift Tor sho
distances, but have not the strength
stand a long chase. In such case a mot
err will often stay behind her young III
will try to fight off the coyote, puttii
him with her head and striking MN WI
her fore feet. He pays little attention
, her, except to snap at her, ana Keeps
LEI after the kids Several times have seer
( /
tho midst of a bed of cactus where I
. wolf could not go without getting his Il
~, full of thorns. If the bed is small,
en- wolf will make ferocious dashes up TO
e ere border, trying to brighten the little ones
cen that they will run out on the other !,
30 and he can start after them again,
= a usually the mother has no trouble In no
IN, ing them. George Bird Grinnell IN For
mt and Stream.