Show WOLVES AND COYOTES government receipt for making wolf bait description of the breeding dons dens the U S department of agrical turo ture has just issued a bulletin on oil the destruction of wolves and coyotes 1 because of the rapid increase of those animals and the losses from the destruction st of stock by them on the western ranges A portion of the bulletin is riven given below CAPTURE OP OF PUPS if the time of breeding character of bt bleeding grounds and habits of wolves are known the dens may be easily located and the pups secured in this way ay more effectually and economically than any other increase of wolves and coyotes may be prevented prevents d the large size rime of the litters makes the method especially important as wolves usually have six to ten pups and coyotes five to nine it is 13 now positively known that both wolves and coyotes pair for the breeding season and that the males stay with the females and help feed the pups during the summer TIME OF BREEDING wolf pups are usually born march 9 to april 15 and coyote pups little later usually in april and may the pups pupa remain in or near the dens until 2 or 3 months old the period gestation with the wolf as with the dog is nine weeks the rutting season the wolf therefore would come in january and february for the coyote in february and march LOCATION OF DENS in the western united states wolves breed mainly in valley and foothill country or in m low mountains fur breeding dens they choose if possible natural washed out hollows on south slopes of rocky or badland ridges there is usually a high point not far bom from the den where the old male stands guard during the day in the north good tracking snow usually lies on the ground during the eaily part of the breeding season which renders the finding of dens particularly ticul arly easy but even on bare ground there is little difficulty in locating every wolf den this may be done by simply riding along the crests of the ridges until tho the wolf tracks are found the tracks once found the direction of the den can often be told from the lay of the land near the den the tracks usually gather into well worn wom trails that may be followed on bare ground as readily as on coyotes make their dens in the same kind of places as wolves and also dig burrows or use old badger holes slightly enlarged so a is of often ten necessary in getting out the young ranchmen ranchman Ranch men can not afford to let wolf or coyote pups grow up on or near their ranges when an hours ride will often serve to locate the dens the young pups of both cloves and coyotes are nea nearly ay iy black but as they grow older the color fades to dull yellowish and when about 3 months old a ne new light gray coat is acquired USE OF SCENTS success in trapping depends largely on the use of a scent that will attract wolves and coyotes to the traps and keep them tramping and pawing there until caught meat bait alone is of little use and often indeed a scares cares the animals away of the many scents and combinations tested the fetid bait has proved most successful fetid bait place half a pound of raw beef or venison in a wide mouthed bottle and let it stand in a warm place but not in the sun for six weeks or until it is thoroughly decayed and the odor has become as offensive as possible when decomposition has reached the proper stage add a quart of sperm oil or any liquid animal oil lard oil may be used but prairie dog oil is better then add I 1 ounce of tincture of siberian musk or tonquin musk if this can not be procured use in its place 1 ounce of dry pulverized beaver castor or 1 ounce of the common musk sold for perfumery mix well and bottle securely until used af after ter setting the trap apply the scent with a stick or straw or by pouring from the bottle to the grass weeds or ground on the side bide of the trap opposite that from which the wolf would naturally approach never put scent on the trap as the first impulse of the wolf after sniffing the scent is to roll on it this bait is very attractive also to cattle and horses which are sure to f tramp over and paw out the traps if set liere here they can get at them rolSON POISONING ING no poison has as i 3 et proved so BO effective as pure sulphate of strychnine provided the proper dose is used the most effective dose is 4 grains for wolves and 2 grains for coyotes the common 3 grain gelatin capsules sold by druggists w ill hold if well filled 4 grams grains of strychnine and are better than the larger capsules the regular 2 grain capsules should be used for coyotes the capsules awald be fillod filled securely capped and every trace of the intensely bitter drug wiped from the outside each capsule should be inserted in a piece inece of beef suet the size of a walnut and the cavity securely closed to keep out moisture lean meat should not be used as the juice soon di solves the gelatin of the capsule the necessary number of poisoned baits may be prepared and carried in a tin can or pail they should never be handled except with gloved hands or forceps the bait may be dropped from horseback along a scented drag line made by dragging an old bone or piece of hide well saturated with the fetid scent or they may be placed around or partly under any carcass on which the wolves or coyotes are feeding or along trails which they are in a habit of following gelatin quickly ditolve in the juices of the stomach strychnine taken on an empty stomach sometimes kills in a very few minutes but on a full stomach its action is much slower and the animal may have time to travel a considerable distance |