The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-20
A SCUURGE OF WOLVES.
Montana and Texas Cattle Killed
by the Ravenous Beasts.
Stock Raiscrs in These States Are at q
Lsss for Some l1sans to Save Their
Young Cows and Horses from


Wolves are the great bane of the
stoc era ising industry II the west and
southwest, and hYow to get rid OF them
or even 30 prevent their increase is just
now of most serious concern to ranch
men. The trouble is not confined to
any orte section, for stories Of havoc
among stock and of helplessness to
cope with the pest come alike from
points in ,westernATexaS and in eastern
Montana.
At thesrecent.annual meeting Of the
Montana stock growers the surprising
fact was staoad and corroborated by
ranchmenfrCHn all parts of the state
that during the past two years twenty
five per cent.of the Young calves and
ten per cent. of the colts on the ranges
have been destroyed by wolves. The
sheep men, Of Texas agree that they
suffer fromithe depredations of wolves
more than from any other cause. and
estimate their average loss at twenty
per cent. of their icclss. j. N. Camp
bell, who has one of the largest ranches
In western Texas near Del Rio, where
he has flock of twelve thousand head
of sheep. says he has had over three
thousand head killed by coyotes or
wolves during the past year.
The number-of wolves does not di-
minish. THE tact is" says Montana
newspaper, shat wolves have increased
In vast mum bers within the past three
years. and that all methods for their
destruction have hitherto failed. -
And Mr.. Cagnpbell SAYS of Texas:
1.-THE wolves are becoming so numer-
Dus and bold that it is no trouble to
trap and shoot them: but their num-
berS do not seem to decrease" His
fellow sheepmen say that the losses to
their fioclls from the depredations OF
the wolves in the past few years have
equaled, and in many cases exceeded,
the profits from the business. Men
who have raised sheep in Australia
Rnd other countries say there is no
better country in the world for sheep
raising than Texas, but for the wolves
How wolves may kill sheep is not
difficult to conceive. Killing young
steers and colts is a holder lob. The
wolf, preying alone or as one of band,
picks out fine young animal, leaps
on its hind quarters and cuts the ten
dcns of the leg. The animal is Grip
pied and the feast is easy for the wolf
Or the pack. Usually but little of the
animal thus killed is devourad. for the
wolf prefers fresh meat. and calves
md colts and sheep are plentiful ard
sasy prey.
How To get rid of the wolves is a
frohlem much eSsayed but still wholly
unsolved The Montana stock growers
debated il for six hours and left the
case open. The unanimous opinion
was that only two suggestions were
considered at all workable. one for their
determination by stag hounds and the
old one OF a bounty to hunters. The
Sly beast will not touch pois-
oned carcass unless driven BY ex-
trene hunger, condition unlikely
with young stock so plentiful and easy
TO slaughter. The stockmen say that
strychnine. even when eaten. for some
strange reason or other now rarely
takes effect on wolf. Offering an in
creased bounty is an expensive and
risky business. 1t might mean IS much
expense as the loss of the stock the
wolves kill, for If the bounty were large
wolf scalps would be imported from
Canada and neighboring states for
bounty purposes.
Mr.. Campbell, the Texas sheen raiser
quoted. has Il new scheme for exterrni-
mating the pest, a bout which he is very
hopeful. He trapped seven wolves re-
GENTLY and penned them with q doc
badly afflicted with the mango. In
several weeks the wolves had all caught
the disease, and, having made it sure
that they had it bad. Mr. Campbell
turned them loose in Val Verde county.
Tex. He believes that the disease Will
spread SO rapidly that within two years
that there VIII rot be a healthy wolf
in Texas. Dogs aslicted~with mango
do not breed, and die in z short time
ana he believes the same effect will
hold good in the ease of the wolves.
Dir. Campbell proposes that the legis-
sature should establish stations in
every county in western Texas for the
propagation of mango among wolves.
The sheepmen in his section have great
faith in his experiment. and with STOCK
men II other parts of the union are
looking with much interest for results.