The Wolf Hunters: A Story of the Buffalo Plains

In Short

Set during the winter of 1861–1862, The Wolf Hunters details the commercial trapping expedition of three former cavalry soldiers—Robert Morris Peck, Tom, and Jack—on the Kansas buffalo plains. After purchasing a hunting outfit in Leavenworth, the partners journey west toward Walnut Creek to harvest pelts using strychnine bait. Along the way, they outwit border jayhawkers, survive blizzards, trade with local tribes, and defend their outpost against raids led by the Kiowa leader Satank. Combining practical frontier survival with military tactics, the narrative offers an unvarnished account of early commercial hunting on the American plains.

The Story

Following their discharge from the U.S. Cavalry at Fort Leavenworth in the autumn of 1861, veteran soldiers Tom, Jack, and young narrator Robert Morris Peck decide to form a trapping partnership. Browsing the Leavenworth livery stables, they encounter the famous scout Wild Bill Hickok, who helps them purchase a high-quality wagon, mule team, and camp outfit left behind by wealthy Eastern hunters. Outfitted with a Sibley tent, weapons, and a stray dog named Found, the trio heads west along the Santa Fe trail toward the Kansas buffalo range, enjoying Indian summer weather and abundant small game.

Their journey is quickly interrupted by the lawlessness of the Civil War borderlands. At a roadside settlement, a gang of jayhawkers led by a man named Tucker attempts to steal their mule team using forged brand papers. Tom exposes the deception, prompts the arrest of the outlaws by Union cavalry, and secures the partners' property. Continuing westward past Fort Larned, the men establish a permanent winter camp near Walnut Creek. There, they construct subterranean dugouts for themselves and their livestock, prepare hay, and set up a derrick to monitor the surrounding prairie.

Throughout the winter, the trio carries out the rigorous work of commercial wolfing. They slaughter buffalo, poison the carcasses with strychnine, skin the dead wolves and coyotes, and peg the pelts to dry. Between trapping runs, they fashion cold-weather gear out of animal hides, trap beaver along the creek, and manage visits from historical figures like Wild Bill Hickok. Hickok warns them that while local Kiowa bands under Chief To hausen remain peaceful, hostiles led by the war chief Satank and stirred up by a medicine-man named Broken Nose intend to drive white hunters from the plains once spring grass arrives.

Tensions escalate as spring approaches. Satank himself scouted the dugout under the pretense of seeking food, while Broken Nose secretes an alliance against the trappers. While Tom is away moving supplies, a party of Kiowas surrounds the dugout and sets fire to the camp's haystack with burning arrows. Peck shoots and kills Broken Nose from the tent, while Wild Bill and Captain Saunders's army detachment arrive to intercept the raiders. A sharp skirmish ensues, scattering the Kiowa warriors and securing the area.

With the siege broken and their haul of pelts intact, the partners pack their gear and return to Fort Larned. Tom recovers from a leg wound sustained during the defense, and the team successfully ships their winter yield of pelts back to Leavenworth. The venture concludes with the men dividing their profits, preparing to return to civil life, and bidding farewell to the rough freedom of the frontier.

How It Unfolds

Outfitting at Leavenworth After receiving their military discharges, the three veterans discover an abandoned hunting outfit managed by Wild Bill Hickok. They purchase the wagon, mules, and supplies at a bargain and begin their march toward the western plains.

Facing the Jayhawkers En route to the hunting grounds, a border gang attempts to seize the team's mules using fraudulent paperwork. Tom outsmarts the outlaws, keeps his men safe, and coordinates with military authorities to have the gang captured.

Establishing Camp Coyotelope Reaching Walnut Creek, the hunters dig underground quarters and build a fortified horse stable to withstand winter storms. They lay in supplies of firewood, hunt game for food, and prepare strychnine baits across the prairie.

Harvesting the Winter Pelts The partners spend the coldest months skinning poisoned wolves, trapping beaver along the stream, and tailoring winter garments from hides. Wild Bill Hickok visits their dugout, bringing news of army movements and rising Indian tensions.

Defending the Outpost Hostile Kiowa warriors surround the camp and set fire to the winter fodder in an attempt to burn out the trappers. Peck and his companions stand their ground until a relief column of cavalrymen and scouts routs the attackers.

Return to Civilization With the battle won and winter over, the trappers haul thousands of pelts to Fort Larned for transport. They sell their harvest, divide the profits, and head back to eastern Kansas to start new lives.

The People

• Robert Morris Peck: The young narrator and former cavalry soldier who records the expedition. Eager and observant, he defers to his older companions' experience while handling rifle duty, skinning pelts, and defending the dugout during attacks.
• Tom: The senior partner and leader of the venture. A fifteen-year army veteran, his tactical instincts, calm demeanor, and practical blacksmithing skills keep the group fed, sheltered, and safe from outlaws and hostiles.
• Jack: A fellow cavalry veteran and the group's camp cook and musician. Practical yet quick-tempered, he spends his downtime playing the fiddle, setting beaver traps, and handling camp chores.
• Wild Bill Hickok: The famed frontier scout and guide who assists the trio in Leavenworth and periodically visits their winter camp. He provides crucial intelligence on Indian movements and fights alongside the soldiers.
• Satank: A feared Kiowa chief who fiercely opposes white encroachments on the buffalo range. He scouts the trappers' camp and directs the spring raids against their dugout.
• Broken Nose: A Kiowa medicine-man hostile to the hunters. He stirs up resentment over the destruction of game and is ultimately killed while attacking the camp.

In Its Own Voice

"In the days of the buffalo, wolfing was a recognized industry."

An introductory note establishes the historical context of the commercial pelt trade on the 1860s frontier.

"The wind kept the circle of buffalo-chips that covered the tires blazing briskly, and by the time the chips were nearly burnt out we could see that the tires were red-hot..."

Tom leads the crew through field repairs on their wagon wheels using improvised prairie fuel.

"I turned the wolf on his back and with the point of my knife split the skin from the point of the chin down the throat and belly to the root of the tail..."

The narrator outlines the methodical, everyday process of harvesting wolf pelts on the winter plains.

What It's Really About

Beneath its adventure plot, The Wolf Hunters documents the rapid economic exploitation and transformation of the American West immediately following the onset of the Civil War. It examines how former military men adapted soldiering skills—discipline, defense tactics, and resourcefulness—to commercial extraction industries like wolfing and hide-harvesting. The narrative highlights the intense ecological pressure placed on native wildlife, contrasting the trappers' view of the plains as an open resource with the indigenous tribes' struggle to preserve their traditional hunting grounds. It is ultimately a study in frontier survival, showing how organizational skill and practical labor defined success on the nineteenth-century border.

Why Read It Today

The Wolf Hunters appeals to readers of military history, Western lore, and primary source Americana. Written with straightforward clarity, it avoids romanticized legend in favor of precise, operational details—explaining exactly how wagon tires were set using dried buffalo dung, how pelts were processed, and how dugouts were constructed to resist prairie blizzards.

The prose is unpretentious and easy to navigate, though modern readers should anticipate historical terminology, explicit descriptions of animal skinning and poisoning, and the era's typical racial attitudes toward Native Americans and border outlaws. The book's strength lies in its grounded authenticity; it offers an unvarnished window into the daily realities, dangers, and routines of men working on the edge of the American frontier.