The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-04-28
A COYOTE PAR lNERSHlP,
How Prairie Wolves Get an Anteo,
For Breakfast.


The prong-horned antelope Is M,
swiftest animal on the plains, and va,
the coyotes catch a good many Of them
just by running them down. Tbk
sounds like a paradox, yet it is Qun
true, and is explained by the cunning
of the wolves and the habits Of ths
antelope.
A single coyote who under took ID
run down a single antelope would eel
tired and hungry before he accomplish,
ed much, but when two or three coyote
are together it is quite different thing
The coyotes do not all run after ths
antelope together. They take turn,
and while one runs the others lest
and so at last they tire the anteOys
out.
If when it was started the antelon
ran straight away, it would of course
leave all the wolves behind, those thai
were resting even more than the ou
that was chasing it, but the ANTELOPE
does not run straight away Instead n
runs in large circles, and this enabs
the wolves to take turns when chasing
it.
When three or four prairie wolves
decide that they want antelope meat
for breakfast, one of them creeps al
close as possible to the one they have
selected, and then makes rush iOfI
it, running as fast as he possibly calI
50 as to push the antelope to its best
speed and to tire it out. Meantime hsI
companions spread out on either si5e
of the runner, and get upon little hil'
or knobs so as to keep the chase nj
sight. They trot from point to point
and pretty soon, when the antelope
turns and begins to work back to'I
wards one of them, this one tries Dl
get as nearly as possible in its PATH
and as it flies by t2c wolf dashes out 4
1t and runs after it at the top Of Isl
speed, while the one that has besll
chasing t2e antelope stops running and
trots off to some nearby hill, whefsl
while the water drips off his lollllg|
tongue, he watches the race and gesI
his breath again. After a little tA'I
antelope passes near another cOyoIsI
which in turn takes up the pursuit.
And so the chase is kept up until th'I
poor antelope is exhausted, when it II
overtaken and pulled down by one III
more of the hungry brutes. OF couFAI
the coyotes do not catch every an'FI
lope they start. Sometimes the gan'I
runs such a course that it does MI
pass near any of the waiting wolyAI
and only the one that starts it has anlH
running to do In such case tlsI
pursuit Is abandoned. Sometimes heH
antelope is so stout and strong that Y
tires out all its pursuers.
It is a common thing for coySa
to chase an old doe with her kids lHs /
after the little ones had begun to Ia
about. At that time they are very
swift for short distances, but have na
the strength to stand long chase
In such case a mother will oilel
stay behind her young, and will Try
fight off the coyote, butting him VNl
her head and striking him with Ae
forefeet. He pays little attention
her, except to snap at her, and keep
on after the kids. Several times nav
seen a mother antelope lead her l'S
ones into the midst of bed OF cactus
where the wolf could not go without
getting his feet full of thorns. Il lu
bed is small the wolf will make ls''
ocious dashes up to its border trylns
to brighten the little ones 50 that tAV
will run out on the other side and
can start after them again, but usual!
the mother has no trouble in holal's
them.-Forest and Stream,