Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1909-08-20
COYOTES WON'T
ALWAYS RUN

The assertion has been made so many
times that coyotes viii run away when
fired at that many people believe It.
But viii Forbes says he viii never
believe the assertion again because he
knows better. And this IS how he
learned.
Mr. Forbes lives on the north side Of
town close 10 the north side school
house and just across the the street
from the solidIy build up residence
portion Of the city. Here ne has con-
siderable room for poultry yards which
are stocked with 25O fancy birds
I One pen Of fine chickens, however,
were raised in a box and had never
been transferred to the yards. These
still continued to roost in the box at
the back porch and the box was not
closed at night.
About 3 O'Clock last Saturday morn
ing, Mr. Forbes was reused from sleep
by commotion among the chicks at
the back porch As quickly as possible
he lit lantern and with that in one
hand and a % revolver in the other he
sailed out Counting the chickens he
found three were missing. Then
taking position in front Of the box he
fired at the fash OF wolf in the
lantern light and missed. But the
wolves didn't miss They had plan Of
campaign mapped out that would do
credit to band of Indian braves. AS
one drew the fire Of the revolver in
front, another one dashed in behind
and pierced a chicken through the
chest with his needle-like teeth and es-
capped
AS the bird was giving dying gasp,
Mr. Forbes wrung its head off and laid
it aside TO bleed before dressing This
game was repeated till twelve chickens
lay headless by the porch, when
squawk down by the yard caused Mr..
Forbes to run hastily down that way.
He was gone but an instant but
when ne returned to the porch not one
of these headless chickens was to be
seen
Mr.. Coyote and his pals had taken
the last one. They were all valuable.
but one biddy in particular could not
have been eoaxed away from Mr.. Forbes
with five dollar bill.
Seeing a coyote just in front, Mr.
Forbes did not wait to fire but gave
chase and it took refuge behind a sage
bush near Mr.. Kinzie's residence Some
tall halIowing brought Mr.. Kinsie out
and on request he turned loose his bull
dogs.
The biggest bull dog, on spying Nr.
Coyote, charged in, but on receiving a
vicious snap he was glad to retire.
The littlest dog in the pack then
sailed in and as Mr.. Coyote opened his
jaws for snap the little bull was toe
quick for him and caught his open jaw. /
And right here is where breed told /
Most any other dog would have let go, (
but bull is NOT built that way. He
simply lay down and held on while 4
his companions made short work of the (
wolf.
The rest of the chickens in that box
will go into the heavily wired pens
after this, for no amount of assertion, /
or anything else viii convince
Mr.. Forbes that Coyotes viii run every
time gun is fired near them
In all, he fired u shots at point blank
range and chicken was killed for
every shot, either just before or after
the gun was discharged.
And this was not up IN the mountains
wild nor out in the solitudes of the sage
brush desert; but it happened in the
shadow of his own back porch with an
entire city at his back
With his trusty shot gun in his hands
the story would have been different.
But when you undertake TO shoot a
flying wolf in the darkness with pistol
the glimmer of a lantern is of mighty
little help.