Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-01-21


ton, announced that they would
have to board the wolf for the
rest Of his life. Others decided to
send for a government hunter.
Therefore, in March, 1920, the
Bureau of Biological Survey,
United States department of agri
culture, sent Ito Custer, II. i.
Williams, one of its best hunters,
with instructions to stay after the
wolf until he was taken no matter
how much time was required.
Hunter Used Trap and Gun.
Williams went. He took with
him a bunch of traps, but, as thas
old wolf was known to be trap
wise, he expected to depend main
ly on his rifle. AS things turned
out, he required both the trap and
the rifle to get the wolf when he
was finally taken on october H.,
Since there is involved in this
1920.
story the reputation of two gent
ueses-the criminal genius Of hte
wolf and the protective genius Of
Williams, it may be just as well
to let the account proceed in the
! language of the predatory animal
! inspector who reported the facts
| to the biological survey. 1t was a
long time coming. Like most out
door men, he did not want to talk
| in herOics. Here is the story from
the time Williams went to Custer
until he brought down the Grim
inal:
"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,
lust where the wolf made his
headquarters in their section. They
said the wolf may have had
quarters anywhere within a dis
trict forty miles wide and sixty
five miles long. They told him to
wait there a few days and the
wolf would be sure to pay him a
visit Contrary to their advice,
Williams went into the hills west
| of Pringle and found that the
animal was staying around some
| old dens nj Pclgar mountains.
williams scented W the SOlcS of
/ his shoes and started stringing out
/ his traps. The wolf got on his
| trail that night and showed signs OF
| great excitement at what he
Thought to be the presence Of a
/ possible mate in his neighborhood
/ He followed the scent entirely
around the line and then. return
, ing to PeIgar mountain, cleared out
two old dens and made new one
which ran back into the hill for
about fifty feet, .,
Lobo Had Coyote Hodyguard.
"On April / Williams had his
| first glimpse of the wolf. hut was
| unable TO get a shot at him. The
| coyotes were acting as bodyguards
| travelling from 100 to 200 yards on
the flanlcs of their master. They
| would warn him oil danger by TAX
| ing flight. For a while Williams
| did not shoot the coyotes, hoping
| that he would get a chance with
| out having to give warning by the
shots that would be necessary tC
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 9
clear field In this he was greatly
mistaken, for/the wolf played hide
and seek with him, After making
a kill he would go on some dis
| lance, back trail for a few rods tC
a point where he could keep under
cover and watch the hunter on his
| trail. Though this is a common
| habit of a bear, | have never be-
fore known wolf to do it. 1t was
on April 2G that Williams first