The Legendary Cowboy Who Caught More Than 1,000 Wolves With His Bare Hands 

Editor’s Observe: This story about “Catch’em Alive” John Abernathy was initially revealed within the August 1932 situation of Out of doors Life. Abernathy’s exploits as an expert wolf-catcher gained vast publicity and finally gained the admiration and friendship of President Theodore Roosevelt. The president finally appointed Abernathy the US Marshal for Oklahoma Territory. What follows is Abernathy’s first story of the highlights of his profession, informed to OL editor Monroe H. Goode. Disclaimer: this story consists of some violent anecdotes, wherein canines are killed. 

The dauntless braveness displayed by a devoted canine in mortal fight with a ferocious lobo was chargeable for my profession and took me from the cow camps, by no means to return.

It was the spring of 1892 and the annual round-up of the north plains nation was about to begin. Though solely sixteen years of age, I used to be a full-fledged cowhand on the Goodnight Ranch, com­monly referred to as the JA Ranch. As we have been beginning on the drive, our vary boss got here to me and mentioned: “Abernathy, I understand how effectively you wish to hunt, so I’m going to make an exception in your case and allow you to take your two greyhounds with you on the round-up. You might have an opportunity to get your self a wolf.”  

I tremendously appreciated this courtesy, for I most popular wolf-coursing to every other type of outside sport. I had participated in tons of of chases earlier than and my canines had killed most of the small prairie wolves; or coyotes, however that they had by no means caught a lobo, which is a really giant animal comparable to the massive timber wolf of the North; so after I noticed two lobos on the sec­ond day trip, I began the chase with appreciable mis­givings.

Maybe my emotions have been akin to these of a commander whose troops have been about to expertise their first baptism of fireplace. The fleet greyhounds quickly drew away from me, and I in flip outdistanced my com­panions.

The race was a spirited one and a number of other miles have been coated earlier than my canines overtook the hindmost wolf, a ferocious animal of big proportions. A terrific battle ensued. By the point I arrived on the scene, the big wolf had slashed one of many canines throughout the stomach and the poor creature’s entrails have been drag­ging the bottom, rendering her ineffective as a fighter.

Hesitating not a second the wounded canine intentionally positioned her hind legs on the en­trails and gave a vicious jerk in a useless effort to tear them out in order to get on the wolf. This was the nerviest factor I had ever seen.

The wolf was getting the most effective of the different canine and I knew that except I intervened, he would significantly wound him, too. I used to be so incensed on the lobo that, throw­ing discretion to the wind, I leaped off my horse and en­tered the fray. The wolf directly turned upon me. I threw up my proper hand and by chance thrust it immediately into the wolf’s mouth and we rolled over within the mud. In­stantly realizing that if the wolf closed his jaws I’d be severely injured, I pressed my proper hand as far again into his mouth as potential, grasped his below jaw firmly, and located that he was helpless as far as biting that hand was involved. 

We lay there, the wolf struggling along with his physique however apparently unable to do me any damage. I positioned my left hand over the wolf’s muzzle, which tremendously assisted me in steadying the struggling animal, however I failed to take into consideration the dexterity of his highly effective paws and paid dearly for my shortsightedness. Simply after I thought I had him at my mercy, he gave a fast jerk with a entrance leg and succeeded in breaking my maintain on his muzzle, however I nonetheless held onto his decrease jaw with a dying grip.

In an unguarded second I moved my left arm close to his mouth, and in a flash he buried one in all his sharp fangs within the flesh of my arm. It felt just like the lower of a razor, and I knew that it had penetrated to the bone; the blood began flowing freely, a part of it pouring immediately into the brute’s mouth, and each from time to time I may hear him gulping it down. 

We lay there struggling for less than a half hour, but it surely appeared ages. I used to be getting weak from the lack of blood and starting to despair of ever getting away alive, after I heard the sound of a horse approaching at full velocity, and I felt positive there was somebody on the horse due to the regularity of the hoof beats. The rider proved to be my brother Van, and I used to be by no means in all my life extra glad to see anybody. Advancing with pistol in hand, he was simply within the act of taking pictures the wolf after I mentioned: “Don’t shoot him. Get that baling wire off the curb of my bridle and, we’ll tie him up. I need to take him to the chuck wagon alive.” And this we did.

Van and I have been standing guard that evening however at dif­ferent watches, so I requested the vary boss if we’d journey collectively, as I had left my wounded canine 20 miles behind and I wished to take her some meals and, if potential, to do one thing for her.

I used to be grateful when he consented to the association. As quickly as we got here off guard at 4:30 the subsequent morning, we rode to the scene of the battle.

The sorely wounded creature evidenced her pleasure at our method by beating the bottom together with her entrance paws and by wagging her tail affectionately, and, if I dwell to be 100 years outdated, I shall always remember the look of gratitude that beamed from her blood-shot, feverish eyes.

With heavy hearts, we tenderly changed her entrails. sewed up the gaping wound, and bathed it with cool water. She couldn’t take the meals we supplied however she sought to quench her burning thirst by lapping up nice portions of water from the highest of my hat, which I long-established right into a receptacle.

Little did I believe that our labor of affection was misdirected. The water we thought so life-giving no sooner reached her abdomen than she went into violent convulsions and, by means of tear­ moistened eyes, we noticed her breathe her final.

Her dying was a fantastic loss to me, and, boy-like, I grieved for days. When the wolf slashed my arm, he tore out part of the tendon and one finish was hanging free. We have been 100 miles from a health care provider, and as not one of the boys would lower it off for worry that blood poison would set in if dealt with in such crude style, I bandaged the arm with a handkerchief.

Three days later I occurred to go an outdated deserted shed and the very first thing that at­tracted my consideration was a pair of sheep shears — that they had in all probability hung there for years — rusty and dirt be­ grimed; however I clipped off the tendon with them and thankfully suffered no ailing results from my rash act.

I had had a slender escape however I used to be delighted with the end result despite my injured arm and the lack of my canine, as a result of I had realized tips on how to catch wolves alive. I’ve been doing it ever since, though very hardly ever in recent times. By the way, I shall carry to my grave the scar of my first encounter with a lobo.

The catching of my first wolf was purely unintended. Nevertheless, since I had made the invention, I shortly actual­ized the opportunity of good-looking returns for my efforts. There was a gentle demand for dwell wolves, many zoos being prepared to pay $5 or extra per wolf. I discovered that I may common about 4 wolves a day in chilly climate, thus affording me a every day earnings of $20, much less minor ex­penses, which was numerous cash in these days at the very least to me. It beat all hole the wages of $30 per thirty days I used to be receiving as a cowhand.

On account of my unintended discovery, I turned skilled wolf-catcher, an oc­cupation that afforded me a lot pleasure and no small quantity of revenue. All informed, I’ve caught upward of 1,000 wolves, a file no man has ever sought to duplicate and one that can by no means be equaled, if for no different cause than due to modified circumstances.

In 1901 with my newly-wed spouse I took up residence on a farm close to Frederick, a small city within the southwestern a part of Oklahoma Territory. This part was a wolfer’s paradise and I skilled no issue in preserving the proverbial wolf from my door by catching dwell ones with my fingers and promoting them to the zoos, circuses, and wolf breeders. A part of my time was dedicated to farming and breaking wild horses, however I thought of wolf-catching my principal vocation.

The primary wolf I caught after transferring to Frederick deserves particular point out. Accompanied by Mrs. Abernathy and Jim Wyley, a nephew, I used to be searching the Comanche Indian Reservation close to Deep Crimson Creek, a really slender however deep stream as its title would indicate, after I noticed a lobo of explicit curiosity and decided to seize him at once. 

I knew from the way in which the wolf was working that he meant to cross the creek and I noticed that I couldn’t get throughout on my horse. A couple of toes from the water’s edge was a excessive bluff, however neither the wolf nor the canine even hesitated upon reaching its brink, hurdling over it madly. I dashed as much as the bluff at full velocity and tried to rein in my horse, however he was headstrong and carried me over the financial institution, which proved to be at the very least 30 toes, which was a lot increased than I had anticipated. I don’t understand how I obtained out of the saddle, however I believe I simply fell out. The horse veered to the correct whereas I used to be thrown to the left, touchdown sq. upon the fierce battlers. I had voluntarily entered many fights of this character, however by no means earlier than had I been actually catapulted into one. 

We have been a queer ball of man, canine, and wolf, first one after which one other being on prime, however on a regular basis rolling and sliding down towards the icy water a couple of toes away. Presently, in some unaccountable method, I discovered I had caught the wolf by the jaw and I knew he was mine for god. Although I used to be out of breath from my terrific struggles, I used to be pleasantly thrilled. 

Within the meantime my horse had climbed again up the bluff, and my spouse had seen me go over the embankment, I knew she can be frantic. She began driving towards me within the spring wagon at prime velocity, the wagon bouncing over cattle trails and prairie canine mounds. By the point she obtained inside 300 yards I had regained my breath considerably and managed to climb half approach up the financial institution; by the utmost effort I hoisted the struggling wolf, which weighed 90 kilos, excessive above my head for her to see, and naturally, she knew I used to be secure. This was a really shut name, and a number of other years later after I described the incident and identified the precise spot to President Roosevelt, he expressed amazement at my miraculous escape.

I caught wolves on this space for a while, as circumstances have been very best. The wolves have been plentiful, the terrain was glorious for horseback racing; and there have been no fences or farms to impede the chase. It was very seldom {that a} wolf obtained away if I had a good run.

On one other notably attention-grabbing hunt, I had caught 13 wolves and positioned them in a cage. My spouse was driving the wagon as typical and Jim Wyley accompanied me on horseback. As we have been breaking camp, I abruptly determined that I wished yet another wolf. I don’t know what prompted this thought except I figured that the quantity 13 was unfortunate. At any fee I made up my thoughts so as to add the fourteenth earlier than reaching residence. 

W.T. Waggoner, the Texas cattle baron, had leased a part of the Comanche Indian Reservation and had transferred a number of thousand wild, Mexican long-horned steers to the vary. These vicious cattle have been accustomed to males on horseback however they’d assault a person on foot with out the slightest hesitancy.

I had instructed Wyley to stick with the wagon till he noticed me begin the chase after which to comply with on horseback as one by no means knew what may occur throughout a wild race. The nation was filled with prairie canine holes, deep ditches, and buffalo wallows, and a foul spill could possibly be critical.

I used to be about three-quarters of a mile forward of the wagon after I found three grey, or lobo, wolves 400 yards to the correct, and I recalled on the time that it was uncommon to search out three wolves collectively so late within the morning. They peered at me for a second, then dashed off to the south towards Crimson River, however shortly modified their course to the northwest, and adopted a tough draw which gave them a determined benefit. That is an outdated trick of artful wolves and it tremendously aids them in making a secure getaway. 

Once they began again to the northwest, they separated, and my two canines stored after the middle wolf. Coming in at an angle at my greatest velocity, I used to be unable to verify my horse and because of this ran over the lead greyhound and killed him immediately. When my horse trampled the canine he stumbled and went down on his knees 30 yards however by no means cell utterly down. Nevertheless, it checked my velocity sufficient to let the opposite canine get forward. I had some tough working for a half mile, however lastly the wolf took to stage floor and I ran onto him in a jiffy. Dashing alongside by the facet of the completely frightened wolf, which was now doing his stage greatest. I sprang from the again of the dashing horse and landed astride the terrified animal. The horse by no means slackened his velocity and shortly was out of sight, the primary time he ever abandoned me on this method. 

I obtained my maintain on the wolf with out issue and was calmly surveying her high quality pelage when a second wolf, a big male, abruptly appeared out of a transparent sky and, like a flash, sprang upon me, inflicting a superficial wound on my proper arm. It appeared that he was intent upon forcing me to launch his mate, for after making the flying sort out, the wolf jumped off about 10 toes and crouched down as if to make a second spring. 

Simply earlier than the wolf made his second effort, nevertheless, I considered my knife, which I habitually carried in my proper pocket, however reaching into my left pocket, a lot to my shock and delight, I grasped the knife. I managed in some way to open it, and when the wolf attacked, I jabbed into his shoulder as greatest I may with my left hand, breaking off the one blade within the knife. This left me in a high quality predicament. 

I chanced to look over my left shoulder and there stood the third wolf obvious at me and apparently able to assault. I hardly knew what to do, or which option to flip. Within the meantime, my lone canine would snap at first one wolf after which the opposite, holding them at bay after a style, however not totally eradicating them from the siege. 

Lastly I obtained to my toes, nonetheless holding onto the feminine wolf, and began up the slope to the upper floor 200 yards away, the place I believed Wyley would have the ability to see me and are available to my rescue. I reached the sting of the elevated part with out additional assaults from the wolves, solely to find a number of hundred, long-horned Mexican steers about 150 yards away working towards me and bellowing with rage at each step.

Once they obtained inside 6 or 8 toes of me, I fell however nonetheless held onto my wolf, and the longhorns started milling round me. I may really feel their breath on the again of my neck and I puzzled how on this planet I used to be going to make my escape. It appeared as if my solely salvation was to spring upon the neck of a steer, slip to the rear, and journey him out of the maddened herd. I used to be agile in these days and I knew I may keep on the again of 1 for a short while at the very least by hanging my spurs in his facet. 

Whereas all this was going down, Mrs. Abernathy had adopted directions to the letter. She had despatched Wyley to the south however he failed to note that I swung to the correct and adjusted my course to the northwest. He continued on a southerly course virtually to the Crimson River; then, feeling that he was on a chilly path, he took the back-track with all haste and returned to the wagon. 

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Mrs. Abernathy had been standing on the dashboard in search of some signal of me, and simply as Wyley returned she found the milling, bellowing mass of cattle a mile away. She screamed to Wyley to journey to the cattle as shortly as potential as I could be proper in the course of them. When he reached the sting of the cattle, he fired his six-shooter a number of occasions into the air and that broke up the play.

“What within the hell are you doing there?” he shouted after discovering me mendacity on the bottom.

I defined that I had been holding onto a wolf however that this was one time he was going to commerce locations with me. I pried open the wolf’s jaws and he slipped his hand in the place mine had been, and the wolf closed down on him. Returning to the wagon, I drank a quart of cool water —and water by no means tasted so good to me earlier than — then wired up the wolf, and landed him safely within the cage, the fourteenth sufferer to fall to my fingers on the journey. 

Once I recounted this expertise to President Roosevelt, he mentioned: “Abernathy, you should promise me that you’ll by no means take such probabilities once more. There’s an excessive amount of work forward of you to danger your life in that method.” 

On the time, I didn’t catch the importance of this comment.