They are sometimes very bold in
their assaults, falling on the stock while immediately around the ranch
houses. They even venture into the hamlet of Medora itself at night--as
the coyotes sometimes do by day. In the spring of '92 we put on some
eastern two-year-old steers; they arrived, and were turned loose from
the stock-yards, in a snowstorm, though it was in early May. Next
morning we found that one had been seized, slain, and partially devoured
by a big wolf at the very gate of the stockyard; probably the beast had
seen it standing near the yard after nightfall feeling miserable after
its journey, in the storm and its unaccustomed surroundings, and
had been emboldened to make the assault so near town by the evident
helplessness of the prey.
The big timber wolves of the northern Rocky Mountains attack every
four-footed beast to be found where they live. They are far from
contenting themselves with hunting deer and snapping up the pigs and
sheep of the farm. When the weather gets cold and food scarce they band
together in small parties, perhaps of four or five individuals, and then
assail anything, even a bear or a panther.
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