Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1907-04-04

of stock by wolves and coyotes in
the western United States amounts
TO millions of dollars annually and
seem to be increasing rather than
decreasing. Practical means Of
preventing these losses are urgently
needed. The present circular, based
on field work of the Biological Sur
vey, aims to present briefly the
best methods of hunting, trapping,
and poisoning wolves and coyotes,
of finding the dens and destroying
the young, and of fencing to pro-
tcct stock. BY the methods given
herein the numbers of wolves and
coyotes may be rapidly diminished
and the losses of stock thereby re-
duced to a minimum.
Capture of Pups. If the time of
breeding, char acter of breeding
grounds, and habits of wolves are
known, the dens may be east y To-
Gated and the pups secured. In this
way, more cffectually and econom-
ically than any other, increase of
wolves and coyotes may be pre-
vented. The large size of the litters
makes the method especially i'm
portant, as wolves usually have six
to ten pups and coyotes five to
nine. 1t is now positively known
that both wolves and coyotes pair
for the breeding season, ard that
4 e males stay with the females and
help feed and care for the pups
during the summer.
Time of Breeding. Wolf pups
are usually born from March 9 to
April IS and coyote pups a little
later, usually in April and May.
The pups remain in or near the
dens until or 3 months old. The
period of CESSATION with the wolf,
as with the dog, is nine weeks.
The rutting season for the wolf,
therefore, would come in Janua1 y
and February; for the coyote in
February and March.
Location of Dens. In the west
mainly in valley and foothil1 coun-
try or in low mountains. Fol
breeding dens they choose, if pos
sible, natural cavities or washed.
out hollows on south slopes of rocky
or badland ridges. There is usually
high point not far from the den
where the old male stands guarC
during the day.
In the north good tracking snow
usually lies on the ground during
the early part of the breeding sea
son, which renders the finding o
-dehs particularly easy, but even OF
bare ground there is little difficult,
in locating every wolf den. Thi
may be done by simply riding
along the crests of the ridges I'm
til the wolf tracks are found. Thu
tracks once found, the direction o
the den can often be told from lay o
the land. Near the den the track
usually gather into we'll worn trail
that may be followed on barr
ground as readily as on snow.
Coyotes make their dens in thu
same kinds of places as wolve
and also dig burrows or use oil
badger holes, slightly enlarged; S
"a spade is often necessary in get
ting out the young.
Ranchmcn can not afford to lie
wolf or coyote pups grow up OF
or near their ranges when an hour
ride will often serve to locate tn
edens. The young pups of bot
wolves and coyotes are ncarl
black, but as they grow older tn
color fades to dull ycllowish, an
when about 3 months old ne,
1ight-gray coat is acquired.
Trapping. For wolves the hes
No. double spring trap with heav
welded or special wolf chain shout
be used. If the trap is to be fastcne
to a stationary object, the chat
should have swivel at each enc
If to a drag, one swivel next to tn
trap Is cnOuSH. always uoo a Vi q
if possible. The best is stone {
80 or 40 pounds weight, to whic
the chain is securely wired.
long oval stone is best. A piece
telegraph wire or smooth fene
wire or feet long should
passed around one end of the stone
then doubled through the trap ring
with a twist to hold the ring in tt
middle; then around the other er
of the stone and back on the opp'
site side to connect with the fir
loop If properly fastened, jer
on the trap tends to draw togeth'
and tighten the loops, and II
spring of the connecting wire pr
vents a sudden jaE that might brea
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