New-York tribune., 1921-04-24

4
1T is now, of course, generally conceded
practically everywhere that the average
j. pig has no business in parlor. For ami
mails wild or domestic, are at their best
in their natural environment. Place pig in
a formal drawing room and it is nowhere 1t
feels i'll at ease, out Of place, annoyed, and
belligerent; indeed, under such circumstances a
pig is quite likely to prove a downright nuis-
ance. But put that same pig in clover field
and it is able to meet its various little personal
problems with intelligence and cleverness,
sometimes exhibiting proof of genuine reason
ing power.
So it is with other animals-whether wild
ones or human Each is most formidable in it's
native surroundings. A wolf would find it
difficult to get along comfortably if it chose to
take up its abode in the city and compete with
mankind. And it is only exceptional man
who can match wits with wolf out where the
wolves live To outwit wolf one must study
wolf habits until one is able to figure out what
wolf would do in any given stuation-to get
the wolf point of view. Hence, when the
United States government began an organized
fight five years ago against predatory animals
in the Western States, it was found necessary
to employ men who have more knowledge
about wild beasts and how to trail them than
is possessed even by the average experienced
hunter trapper. At the present time the
government is pursuing these wild animals by
scientific detective methods precisely such as
Sherlock Holmes might employ if he were on
the job. Just as the men who track criminals
study their methods, habits and associates,
and follow up the smallest clews, the govern
ment wild animal sleuths do not trust to
chance, but work with degree of ingenuity
based on experience and exact knowledge.
In general way, the methods are based on
a rather simple plan, not unlike that of the
town silly boy who located the widows lost
cow. Everybody in town, the story goes,
had searched for the poor widows COW, without
success. Then, after they had given up the
hunt, down the road came the COW, driven by
Simple Willie, the town nut.
"And how'd you find her, Wille?" they
asked.
"Huh, huh," gggled Willie, ~ just got to
wondcrin' to myself if I was cow and got
lost where'd go. An thought I'd go there
and have look. So did, and she had
Thinking With the Mind
OF a Coyote
The wild animal detectives figure out scien-
+ifically where they themselves would go if
they were wolf or coyote or bear or noun
tain ion-and then they go there.
In scores of ways these wilderness seuths
anticipate the mental reactions of an animal
and prepare for it. For example, they have
learned that it is wellngh impossible to fool
a wolf or coyote about the fact that baited
Lox A,- ~,
raising doubt in his mind and fooling him
about the exact place where the trap is. Along
comes Mr.. Wolf, let us suppose, and suddenly
he stops, saying to himself, substantially:
"Ah ha-a! Something doing here. Smells
like old meat. How did it ever get here?
Somebody must have brought it. Now, what
was their idea in leaving meat away up here?
A friend of mine got into trouble by picking
up piece of meat somebody had left. Gosh,
it smells good. I'd like to taste it, but doubt
if I'd better. Well, anyway, I'll go a little
nearer to it. That can't do any harm It's
right over there by that log. Yes, I'll go a
step nearer. I'll just'--
But at that juncture click goes the trap.
He's caught. For he took one step too many
The bait he smelled wasn't in the trap at all
but beyond the trap. Moreover, in thrashing
about trying to get loose he succeeds only in
getting hind foot caught in another trap.
and from then on he is totally out of luck.
You see, the trapper had ingeniously placed
two or three traps right where the wolf would
be most likely to approach the fetid meat
perhaps between two logs, laid in a V shape
so that he has not much choice
Tht trap itself is buried until the trirger
is just even with the surface of the ground.
A bunch Of hay has been burned over the top
Of the trap, for wolf or coyote grows inter
ssted at the sight Of what looks like the re-
mains Of a campfire. It's curiosity will often
cad it to go shopping about the ashes to find
out if anything eatable has been buried there.
Many an amateur trapper has wondered
y V he is consistently unsuccessful with new
raps. The experienced man knows that new
rap smells strongly Of metal and machine oil.
4e is careful, therefore, to offset these odors,
Is we'll as the odor Of human hands, by the
rec use Of animal fat. When n tran has