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.
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