The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-02-09

nultcr. therefore, In arch, 1870, the
Bureau of Biological Survey, United
States Department of Agriculture,
sent to Custer H. p Williams, one of
its best hunters, with instructions to
stay after the wolf until he was taken,
no matter how much time was re-
quired
Williams went. He took with him
bunch of traps, but, as the old wolf |
was known to be trap-wise, he expect !
ed to depend mainly on his rife. AS
things turned out, he required both the !
trap and the rifle to get the wolf |
when he was finally taken on October
II, 1920.
Since there is involved in this story |
the reputation of two geniuscs-the |
criminal genius of the wolf and the |
protective genius of Williams-it may
be inst as well to let the account pro
ceed in the language of the predatory
animal inspector who reported the |
was long time coming Like most
outdoor men, he did not want to- talk
in heroics. Here is the story from
the time Williams went to Custer un-
til he brought down the criminal
when Williams first went into the
country where the wolf ranged, he |
tried to find fresh tracks, but without
success. He asked some of the men
who had lost stock Just where the
wolf made his headquarters in their
section. They said the wolf may have
had quarters anywhere within a dis !
trlct 40 miles wide and G5 miles long.
Ihcy told him to wait there few
days and the wolf would be sure to
pay. nm visit. Contrary to their
advice, Williams went into the hills
west of Pringlc and found that the
wolf was staying around some old
dcns in Pelgar Mountains.
Wllllams scented up the soles of |
his shoes and started stringing out
ms traps. The wolf got on his trail
that night and showed signs Of great |
excitement at what he thought to be y,
the presence Of a possible mate in his |
ncighborhood. He followed the scent
entirely around the line and then. re-
turning to Pelgar Mountains, cleared
out two old dens and made new one
winch ran back into the hill for about
so feet.
Catches Sight of Wolf.
ION April |, Williams had his first
glimpse of the wolf, but was unable
to get Il shot at him. The coyotes
were acting as bodyguards, travelling
from 100 to 200 yards on the hanks of |
of danger by taking flight. For a |
while, Williams did not shoot the COW
otes, hoping that he would get a
chance at the wolf without having to
give him warning by the shots that
would be necessary to dispatch his
bodyguard. Finally, realizing that
there was no chance of getting at the
wolf unless the coyotes were killed
Williams shot them. hoping that he
then had a clear field. In this he was
greatly mistaken. The wolf played
hldc mad seek with him. After max
lng Kill, he would go on some dis
tancc, back trail for few rods to a
point where he could keep under cover
M ana watch the hunter on his trail.
Though this is a common habit of n
pear | nave never before known a
wolf to do it. 1t was on April 2G that
MIR. Williams first found the wolf was
doing this. At other times the wolf
took to fallen timber and so could not
be tracked.
'"Twcc during May the wolf steppcd
on the Jaws of traps, and on the night
of July he rolled into or Law down
on one and had Il lot of his hair pulled
out. This gave him such scare that
ne icil the country for while. Mol
sign could be found Of him near Gust
cr Unul the night of August /, when
ne made his presence known by kill
!ng several head Of cattle and wound
ing several more. Williams found
some Of these cattle, took the trail of
the wolf, and followed him al dav on
il fresh track. This led up to the
nl"uth OF a canyon, and, knowing that
the wolf would be taking a sleep after !
his big feed, Williams tied his horse |
and started in. Just then two horse
men came up, riding at brcakneck |
speed and calling to Williams that
thry had found ycarlng steer kill,
cd by the wolf. Williams motioncd
them to go back, but they did not un- |
dcrStand what he meant and he was !
forced to return to meet them. Thus. |
ne lost the best chance he ever had of
getting the wolf with a rifle. When |
ne returned to the trail, he found the
place where The wolf had bcddcd down |
to sleep. The noise made by the horse |
men had given him the alarm and he |
had gone back down the canyon very
close to the hunter and escapcd.
Encounters Trap
"Early in September the wolf step !
ped on trap and was caught slight |
~ by one foot. Apparently the trap
had tipped so that it caught only one
side of the foot and the wolf was able
to pull loose. He left some hair in
the trap. This happened again in the
early days Of October.
"Wllliams finally got the wolf on
October | |. Here is his own account
Of it: