The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-07-26
WOULD NOT BE CAUGHT
A TRUE WOLF STORY FOR BOYS
AND GIRLS.

FOR the Eager Hunter--A Claim that
Wolves are the Same Kind Of AMI
mails as Dogs.
"One winter we were staying at our
main lodge on Lake Memesagomming,
in the Parry Sound District" said an
old hunter. "Thc first deep snow OF
winter had just come on, covering the
bushes and trees with a heavy mantle
of pure white, and converting them
into all sorts of fantastic images and
shapes, bending the tall hemlocks un-
til their branches almost touched the
ground or broke off completely. At
this time is was exceedingly difficult
for animals to travel through the
woods. The deer keep closely yardeu
i'm some secluded thicket, so that
wolf might pass TO leeward very close
ly without ever being aware of their
presence, and the wolf has very
hard time to get his daily bread IN
the shape of venison; and even when
IL uuH llit Ebph lulAIlt W AhAo' -
deer, 1t has long, tiresome chase
plunging through the lose snow be-
fore it brings it down.
I'VE were also blocked up in our
lodge, for it is just as difficult, at this
time of the year, for the hunter to get
about as it is for the game. However
we generally kept trap set near the
lodge to accommodate any hungry
wolf that chanced that way. Early
one morning, going out to look at IT,
we found wolf had visited the place
and appropriated the bait. but with
out springing the trap. We reset the
trap and found next morning that the
wolf had been there again, feasted
on the bait and had sprung the trap,
but without getting caught.
81 now set two traps and covered
them up as naturally as possible, well
knowing that the wolf would be very
suspicious and alert by this time and
exceedingly wary in approaching. |
knew, however, that he was pretty
hungry, and left my traps feeling con
hdent of finding him hard and fast on
the morrow.
Imagine my disgust when next
morning | found my bait gone and no
wolf to be seen. AS | had anticipat-
ed. his two former experiences had
made him cautious, and when he had
approached within eight or ten feet
of the traps he commenced scratch
ing up the snow toward them until
he laid theme bare then helped him
self to the bait and trotted off, no
doubt with a sarcastic reflection on
our green and inexperienced trapping.
Well | said, MIR Wolf, I'll let
you fast tonight while I DO some
thinking and went back TO the lodge
without setting any traps. VIII
looked at me in an inquiring way as
/ stepped in, and then grinned to him
if something amusing had crossed
his mind, but he said nothing. |
smoked a good deal, and thought deep.
ly all the rest of the morning, and in
the afternoon went back to my trap
| dug out the snow in my parallelO-
gram and paved it completely with
small traps, so as to diffuse the smell
of the iron. covered them up and
set large trap on top of them, and
then carefully sifted snow through my
shoes over all. Fastening n piece Of
tempting beaver on the pole | left it.
This was too much for the wolf.
| saw the next morning where it had
come to the entrance, but after walk
ing back and forth n few times had
gone off without attempting the bait,
and | saw it no more. The only meth
od by which l could have trapped this
animal would have been by dragging
n piece of bait to water and hiding
the trap where the water would have
destroyed its smell
Whether the wolf should be
classed with the dog is n moOted ques-
ton with the naturalsts. My own
conclusion, after observation under a
great variety of conditions, is that
they are one and the same kind of
animal, differing only in such manner
as might be expected in an animal in
a state of nature, and one under do
mestication. They look alike bark,
howl, growl and yelp alike. In short,
they seem to have the same instincts
and characteristics in nearly every
particular.
wolves have great powers of en-
durance and can go without food for
a long time. l have known one to be
in trap for three weeks and still be
strong and lively. On the other hand,
they are terrible gormandizers when
opportunity offers. Two or three
hungry wolves viii devour good
sized deer at single meal. They are
strong. swift runners, and look like so
many birds flying as they bound away
through the deep snow on frozen
lake, when taken by surprise. A large
deer at first will distance them, but
unless water is near the staying quail
tiles of the wolf tell in the end There
is lazy streak in them, however, for
they will not exercise their running
powers in pursuit of prey unless
forced to it, but would rather make a
capture by stratagem If they OBJ
serve deer coming toward them they
will secrete themselves and attempt
to take it by surprise, or if they scent
one lying down they will surround It,,
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