The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-27
The HUNTER
or The Willy COYOTE.
Trapper Mitchell, the Most
Skilled Coyote Hunter
in the West.
HOW HE DOES HIS WORK
Large Profits to Be Earned
From the Sale of Wolf
and Coyotes Hides.
HOW HE DOES HIS WORK


few days with one of the coyote hunt
ers who can be found in the remote
portions of the Rocky mountain states,
far from the railroads These trap
pers like a life that is very different
from the strenuous existence followed
by the trappers in the days of the
great fur companies. Then the trap
per had to content himself with such
supplies as he could pack on the back
of horse and sometimes he depended
solely on what he could kill with his
rifle.
But to-day the trapper lives in a
white-topped wagon, where he has
about all the comforts of home. Driv-
ing a stout team, he wanders over the
prairies and mountains, setting his
coyote and wolf traps and generally
reaping a substantial income from the
annual yield of skins. The bounties
paid by western states for coyote hides
will repay a skilful trapper for his
trouble and expense in catching the
animals and then there IS good profit
in selling prime hides for robes. The
coyote hunter is welcome wherever he
goes in the West for he is recognized
as the advance agent Of civilization,
Without him to clear the range Of the
coyote pest, the settler would be suffer-
ing constant losses. Chickens, sheep
and calves are taken as tributes by the
gray prowler whose skulking form can
be seen on the horizon in any Of the
more undeveloped portions of the
West.
An instance of the usefulness Of the
coyote hunter is found in the undevel-
oped country along the Wyoming Col
orado line. Sixty miles from the near
est railroad in the Little Snake river
valley, the Routt County development
company of Denver Is engaged in build
ing a 60-mile irrigation ditch that will
reclaim some $4,000 acres of land. This
land. which will be sold in tracts of
from 40 to 100 acres, under the Carey
act, which permits of state to dis
pose of it's land under certain restric-
tons. win draw thousands of settlers
to a country that has heretofore been
devoted to cattle and sheep raising.
Before the land Is settled, the Moffat
road, now in process of construction
from Denver to Salt Lake, will tap the
lower end Of the Little Snake river
proiect-but before the railroad or the
settlers arrive it is first desired to rid
the country Of It's coyote pests. So one
N in
| the West, Will Mitchell, is operating
in this Colorado Wyoming country
that is so soon to wake to the touch of
civilization. BY the time the water is
turned into the big ditch on the Little
Snake river there will not be a coyote
left within a radius of 100 miles, and
the settlers in this new Ell Dorado
viii not have to pay the usual high
tribute to the western scourge.
Trapper Mitchell is typical of the
members of q strange profession. First
of all he is an ardent lover of Nature.
This finds expression in drawing and
painting. and some of his water-col-
ors are above the average work Of
those who have not mad the benefit
of schooling. Nothing suits the trap
Der better than his wild, free life in
| the big camp wagon. His pelts bring
him ready cash, so he never lacks for
ample supplies. The winters in this
country are mild, and he pursues his
vocation all the year round. In pro-
per season he has no lack of deer
and antelope meat, and higher UP in
the hills he often brings down a noble
elk. Wolves, bear and other animals
besides the coyote, are occasionally
shot and, in short, there is no lack OF
VARIETY in the trapper's life.
| Trapper Mitchell has picked up some
strange pets in the course of his years
of work on the plains. At present he is
| layishing his affections on a pet wolf
which he captured little over a year
ago. The wolf was a mere puppy
when the trapper caught her, and he
proceeded at once with her training
Soon she learned to come to him like
a kitten, Then she developed an af-
fection for the trappers big black dog
To-day there are three beautiful wolf
dog puppies playing about the trapper'
wagon and the once savage mother
Icould not be driven away from the
camp. When near town or ranch
Ihouse the trapper is compelled to chair
up his pet wolf, as she is nervous il
the presence Of strangers and NIGH
show fight Out on the plains, how
lever the wolf is unclaimed, and fol
lows the wagon like dog. She de-
monstrates the greatest affection fol
1.-THE trapper, allowing the man TO takt
her in his arms and fondle her, an(
never showing the least sign Of anger
In fact, she is even more tractabl'
than the trapper's dog, whose tempe
is somewhat uncertain.
This tame wolf has acted as a deco!
to bring many prairie wolf within
range of the trappers rifle. Rangini
over the hills, she has attracted the at
tention of wolves returning to thei
dens in the morning after an all-nigh
feast on some newly-killed steer. Thi
has enabled the trapper to get in man!
deadly shot and bring to camp man!
a fine wolf skin that otherwise HI
would have missed. The half-breet
pupnies seem to be more dog thai
wolf. Their fur is thicker and softe
than an. ordinary puppys, but other
wise they would be taken at frs
glance for full-bred dogs, The puppies
seem equally divided In acection as fa
as the father and mother are con
cerned.
While poisoning is practiced to {
great extent among coyote hunters
Trapper Mitchell finds that well-baitet
traps are best for all-round work. HI