Omaha daily bee., 1884-11-24
WILD HORSESl
Parties Organizing for The P1rlBG o.
KlIiRq SialiOIS
Of The Novelties of western
Ranch Life.


Ahhli'it AAthNt
Laramie Boomerang.
Up in Northeastern Wyoming and in
| Northwestern Is cbrasks many bands ut
wild horses still roam 80 fearless and rs
fleet % in tho days when the country
was an uuexpl8red wilderness, a terra
i]ncoguito to the white man and iuhabl.
ted only by the Sioux, the Blackfeet and
the Crow Indians Keen to scont the
approach Of foes, fleet az the antelope
that may often be seen browsing In
securlty at their side, and free as the
winda that sweep their prairie home,
they have successfully eluded the pursuit.
of cowboys and escaped the destruction
the white mans rifle has metcd out to
the buffalo and the game of the west.
One would naturally think that no ami.
mails that roam the plains would be less
inimical to the industries Of the region
than the fugitive banda of.wild horses and
t will surprise many to learn that parties
have been organized in this city for the
express purpose of killing the wild stall
lions.
Year by year horses are Lost from the
bands in the Territory. Some of them
are found, but when mares escape they
are lost beyond reclaim. When wander.
over the plains they descry a band Of
horses grazing in some distant valley or
outlined from the summit of tome hill.
They approach tho band in equine curios
ity, and from that day they belong to no
man. The wild stallions are the guard.
ans OF the bands. Always on sentinel
duty, they give the alarm when any foe
of their liberty approaches; in a moment
the strsgglers are rounded in, a fleet
footed stallion leads the van n with
others at the TANKS and at the rear away
they go in laundering charge. But the
cowboy mounted ever 30 well no horse
bearing a burden can overtake the rider
less ones, and 30 il has come about that
the herds of wild horses have increased
instead of diminishing in numbers during
the past few years.
1t has been observed, however, that
few if any colts are to be seen among the
bands during the autumn and winter, and
one naturally wonders what becomes of
the natural and regular increase of the
horses. The answer is simple. In the
spring and early GUNNER COW boys and
professional horse hunters go out well
mounted for the express purpose of catch
ing tho young colts. A band of wild
horses Is located. They are watched,
perhaps for days. When a favorable op.
%portunity is offered the men sweep down
on them. Unable to keep pace with the
grown horses, easily winded, and not
thoroughly alive to danger, the colts
soon lag behind; q lariet suddenly Kisses
through the air with unerrlng sim-and
the colt is q captive. Taken to some
ranch, the colt is fed milk for some time
1t soon adapts itself to the change in its
food and readily becomes a pet, more
affectionate and dependent than those of
it's kind born in captivity. Hence the
professional horse hunters are rather
pleased when recruits are made to the
Wild horses through the escape of do
mestic ones, and the stations, which
alone prevent the capture of the wander
ing horses, become special objects of kind
on the part of the hunters.
The loss of marea sustained by various
horse breeders has at last become 30 large
that some measures must be adopted to
reclaim them and also to prevent further
loss If possible. From the horse ranch of
Hon. M. Il. Post, situated about fifteen
miles northward of the city, nearly two
hundred mares have wandered away, and
OF that number 1t is thought fully one
hundred are now with the wild horses,
Other horse "raiserB have suffered proper.
tional losses, and 80 it has come about
that an organized effort will be made this
winter to exterminate the stations, for |
once rid of them entire bands may be
rounded up and secured. To hat end q
party of hunters will soon leave for
Northeastern Wyoming. They will go
armed with long range rifles and will
carry a large supply of forage, so that
their horses may be well fed during the
winter. The rest Is easy. Mounted upon
their grain-fed animals the hunters will
pursue the wild bands when they are
somewhat weakened by the rigors Of win.
ter.
Riding as close as possible the hunters
will then shoot down the stations from
time to time. BY this means it is hoped
that by spring nearly all of the stations
will be killed and the capture Of the
mares thus be made possible. In add
ton to the killing of the stations the
men Will, to use a familiar term, "wolt
it," as opportunity may afford. Coyote
pelts are worth nearly one dollar in tbs
market, while a territorial bounty Of
81 90 on each and every pelt makes the
value of each about two dollars and q
half. BY poisoning coyotes the men will
be able to make the expedition, if not
directly profitable, at least unattended
with great expense. Cattlemen especially
suffer loss by the d%epredations of the
coyotes and any efforts to rid the plains of
those foes of the young calves will meet
with cordial wishes for success.
The hunting party will DO paid month
thly wages and will be gone all winter.
A report of their success and adventures
will be of interest In the spring.
THE ALASKA SEALS.