The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-14
FIGHTING COYOTES.
THOUSANDS KILLED EACH YEAR
ON WESTERN PLAINS.
Predatory Providers Destroy Live
Stock and Game-Department Of
Agriculture to Help Elk
terminate Them

The coyote problem is such seri-
Gus one in the western states that the
government has come to the front with
suggestions regarding the best means
of getting rid of the pest. Some in
teresting facts connected with the
habits of these animals are given, along
with the plans for wiping them out.
David E. Lantz. of the biological sur
vey of the department of agriculture,
is the author of the work
Mr.. Lantz finds that the coyote is
still abundant in many sections OF the
west. Advancing civilization has had
little effect on the animal, save in
thickly settled regions. In other
places it is increasing in numbers,
its sly and cunning habits enabling it
to battle most of the pitfalls prepared
by cattle men and farmers. A good
idea of the abundance of the coyote
may be gathered from the fact that
10000 of them were killed last year in
Kansas, without apparently thinning
out the pack.
The coyotes are noted for their Pc
culiar, prolonged bowling. A single
animal is capable of a performance
which impresses the uniformed hearer
as the concert of a dozen, and when
several join in the medley the resulting
noise is indescribable. They are
silent during the day. Investigations
made by the biological survey indicate
that the food of the coyote covers a
wide range.
They eat fruit, vegetables, melons
and berries. They feed most greedily
on animal food. and this fact makes
them highly Objectionable to cattle
raisers. However, they effect some
good by destroying injurious pests.
They industriously hunt jack rabbits
and also feed on smaller rabbits.
The coyotes usually catch rabbits by
lying in wait behind bushes and
punches Of grass near their paths and
bouncing upon them as they pass.
While a single coyote would not be
able to run down & jack rabbit, by
hunting together, taking turns in the
drive, and by taking advantage of the
tendency of the hare to run in a cir
Gle, they are able to capture it.
Coyotes destroy considerable game.
Birds that roost and nest on the
ground are frequent victims. Quail
grouse and wild ducks are caught on
the nest, and both birds and eggs are
eaten. Like the larger wolves, the
prairie wolf-as the coyote is some
times called-kills deer and antelope
In hunting these larger animals they
always go in packs of two or more,
and take turns in the chase.
They know that their prey runs in
large circles, and at intervals indi-
viduals drop out of the pursuit. and,
crossing a chord of the circle, lie in
wait until the quarry passes near them
again. In this way the wolves keep
fresh until the pursued animal is ex-
hausted. but all of them are lin at
the death" The coyote makes regu-
lar raids on farm animals, and kills
colts. calves, pigs, lambs and goats.
Calves are taken only when the
mother COW is feeding at distance or
has gone for water. The coyotes, at
times like this, lie watching in the
grass until the proper opportunity
comes. Sometimes they will separate
a grown COW from the herd, surround
the animal and keep up a constant
nipping at its legs until it falls from
weakness and loss of blood. Sheep
growers in the southwest states esti-
mate their losses from wild animals,
chiefly coyotes, as equal to 20 per cent
of their f1ocks
Mr.. Lantz says that none of the
methods devised for killing OFF
coyotes has proved entirely success
full. All Of them combined have re-
suited in a partial check on the in
crease Of the herds in most parts of
the west. Poison has probably killed
the greatest number Of adult wolves,
strychnine inserted into the carcasses
of dead animals being the favorite
method of poisoning. But the modern
coyote is too shrewd to bite at this
bait unless it is most carefully pre-
pared.
An Oklahoma farmer butchered
some hogs year or two ago, and poi
soned hogskin and left it with other
offal for coyote that nightly prowled
about his premises. Gin the morning
everything but the poisoned skin had
been cleared away. He left it two
more nights, but it remained un-
touched. Thinking that the animal
would not eat poisoned bait, the farm
er buried it. That night the coyote
dug up the pigskin and ate it. falling
victim to its deadly contents. Since
then the farmer has never failed to
poison coyotes when he buries the
bait.
The government expert has come to
the conclusion that the best means
of guarding against depredations of
coyotes is to build fences against
them. This means of protection has
been long in vogue in the Australian
colonies and in South Africa While
the cost of fencing is high, the ad-
vantages from it's use have been re-
garded as more than compromising for
the outlay.
Experiments have proved that prai-
rie coyotes will not willingly jump