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occasion in question he got loose and ran towards it； but it turned；
and began to hit him with its forefeet； seemingly in sport； whereat he
rolled over on his back before it； and acted like a puppy at play。
Soon it turned and walked off； immediately the wolf； with bristling
hair； crawled after； and with a pounce seized it by the haunch； and
would doubtless have murdered the bleating； struggling creature； had
not the bystanders interfered。
Where there are no domestic animals； wolves feed on almost anything
from a mouse to an elk。 They are redoubted enemies of foxes。 They are
easily able to overtake them in fair chase； and kill numbers。 If the
fox can get into the underbrush； however； he can dodge around much
faster than the wolf； and so escape pursuit。 Sometimes one wolf will
try to put a fox out of a cover while another waits outside to snap
him up。 Moreover； the wolf kills even closer kinsfolk than the fox。
When pressed by hunger it will undoubtedly sometimes seize a coyote；
tear it in pieces and devour it； although during most of the year the
two animals live in perfect harmony。 I once myself； while out in the
deep snow； came across the remains of a coyote that had been killed in
this manner。 Wolves are also very fond of the flesh of dogs； and if
they get a chance promptly kill and eat any dog they can masterand
there are but few that they cannot。 Nevertheless； I have been told of
one instance in which a wolf struck up an extraordinary friendship
with a strayed dog； and the two lived and hunted together for many
months； being frequently seen by the settlers of the locality。 This
occurred near Thompson's Falls； Montana。
Usually wolves are found singly； in pairs； or in family parties； each
having a large beat over which it regularly hunts； and also at times
shifting its ground and travelling immense distances in order to take
up a temporary abode in some new localityfor they are great
wanderers。 It is only under stress of severe weather that they band
together in packs。 They prefer to creep on their prey and seize it by
a sudden pounce； but； unlike the cougar； they also run it down in fair
chase。 Their slouching； tireless gallop enables them often to overtake
deer； antelope； or other quarry； though under favorable circumstances；
especially if near a lake； the latter frequently escape。 Whether
wolves run cunning I do not know； but I think they must； for coyotes
certainly do。 A coyote cannot run down a jack…rabbit； but two or three
working together will often catch one。 Once I saw three start a jack；
which ran right away from them； but they spread out； and followed。
Pretty soon the jack turned slightly； and ran near one of the outside
ones； saw it； became much frightened； and turned at right angles； so
as soon to nearly run into the other outside one； which had kept
straight on。 This happened several times； and then the confused jack
lay down under a sage…bush and was seized。 So I have seen two coyotes
attempting to get at a newly dropped antelope kid。 One would make a
feint of attack； and lure the dam into a rush at him； while the other
stole round to get at the kid。 The dam； as always with these spirited
little prong…bucks； made a good fight； and kept the assailants at bay；
yet I think they would have succeeded in the end； had I not
interfered。 Coyotes are bold and cunning in raiding the settler's
barn…yards for lambs and hens； and they have an especial liking for
tame cats。 If there are coyotes in the neighborhood a cat which gets
into the habit of wandering from home is surely lost。
Though； I have never known wolves to attack a man； yet in the wilder
portion of the far Northwest I have heard them come around camp very
close； growling so savagely as to make one almost reluctant to leave
the camp fire and go out into the darkness unarmed。 Once I was camped
in the fall near a lonely little lake in the mountains； by the edge of
quite a broad stream。 Soon after nightfall three or four wolves came
around camp and kept me awake by their sinister and dismal howling。
Two or three times they came so close to the fire that I could hear
them snap their jaws and growl； and at one time I positively thought
that they intended to try to get into camp； so excited were they by
the smell of the fresh meat。 After a while they stopped howling； and
then all was silent for an hour or so。 I let the fire go out and was
turning into bed when I suddenly heard some animal of considerable
size come down to the stream nearly opposite me and begin to splash
across； first wading； then swimming。 It was pitch dark and I could not
possibly see； but I felt sure it was a wolf。 However after coming
half…way over it changed its mind and swam back to the opposite bank；
nor did I see or hear anything more of the night marauders。
Five or six times on the plains or on my ranch I have had shots at
wolves； always obtained by accident and always； I regret to say；
missed。 Often the wolf when seen was running at full speed for cover；
or else was so far off that though motionless my shots went wide of
it。 But once have I with my own rifle killed a wolf； and this was
while travelling with a pack train in the mountains。 We had been
making considerable noise； and I never understood how an animal so
wary permitted our near approach。 He did； nevertheless； and just as we
came to a little stream which we were to ford I saw him get on a dead
log some thirty yards distant and walk slowly off with his eyes turned
toward us。 The first shot smashed his shoulders and brought him down。
The wolf is one of the animals which can only be hunted successfully
with dogs。 Most dogs however do not take at all kindly to the pursuit。
A wolf is a terrible fighter。 He will decimate a pack of hounds by
rabid snaps with his giant jaws while suffering little damage himself；
nor are the ordinary big dogs； supposed to be fighting dogs； able to
tackle him without special training。 I have known one wolf to kill a
bulldog which had rushed at it with a single snap； while another which
had entered the yard of a Montana ranch house slew in quick succession
both of the large mastiffs by which it was assailed。 The immense
agility and ferocity of the wild beast； the terrible snap of his long…
toothed jaws； and the admirable training in which he always is； give
him a great advantage over fat； small…toothed； smooth…skinned dogs；
even though they are nominally supposed to belong to the fighting
classes。 In the way that bench competitions are arranged nowadays this
is but natural； as there is no temptation to produce a worthy class of
fighting dog when the rewards are given upon technical points wholly
unconnected with the dog's usefulness。 A prize…winning mastiff or
bulldog may be almost useless for the only purposes for which his kind
is ever useful at all。 A mastiff； if properly trained and of
sufficient size； might possibly be able to meet a young or undersized
Texas wolf； but I have never seen a dog of this variety which I would
esteem a match single…handed for one of the huge timber wolves of
western Montana。 Even if the dog was the heavier of the two； his teeth
and claws would be very much smaller and weaker and his hide less
tough。 Indeed I have known of but one dog which single…handed
encountered and slew a wolf； this was the large vicious mongrel whose
feats are recorded in my /Hunting Trips of a Ranchman/。
General Marcy of the United States Army informed me that he once
chased a huge wolf which had gotten away with a small trap on its
foot。 It was； I believe； in Wisconsin； and he had twenty or thirty
hounds with him； but they were entirely untrained in wolf…hunting； and
proved unable to stop the crippled beast。 Few of them would attack it
at all； and those that did went at it singly and with a certain
hesitation； and so each in turn was disabled by a single terrible
snap； and left bleeding on the snow。 General Wade Hampton tells me
that in the course of his fifty years' hunting with horse and hound in
Mississippi； he has on several occasions tried his pack of fox…hounds
（southern deer…hounds） after a wolf。 He found that it was with the
greatest difficulty； however； that he could persuade them to so much
as follow the trail。 Usually； as soon as they came across it； they
would growl； bristle up； and then retreat with their tails between
their legs。 But one of his dogs ever really tried to master a wolf by
itself； and this one paid for its temerity with its life； for while
running a wolf in a canebrake the beast turned and tore it to pieces。
Finally General Hampton succeeded in getting a number of his hounds so
they would at any rate follow the trail in full cry； and thus drive
the wolf out of the thicket； and give a chance to the hunter to get a
shot。 In this way he killed two or three。
The true way to kill wolves； however； is to hunt them with greyhounds
on the great plains。 Nothing more exciting than this sport can
possibly be imagined。 It is not always necessary that the greyhounds
should be of absolutely pure blood。 Prize…winning dogs of high
pedigree often prove useless for the purposes。 If by careful choice；
however； a ranchman can get together a pack composed both of