Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-01-27
Coyotes VS.. Rabbits. Etc.

NOyOS0S w. AbtA1EfANSsS 4l1<$-
During the year past, Trego county
paid bounty on rabbits and coyotes to
the amount of 1921 20, which number
required the slaughter of 44 coyotes and
2O,754 rabbits. More than half the coy
otes cost 80.
The above is given as an item of in
formation.
There are in Trego county a variety
of animals and birds the most common
of which are: Coyotes, rabbits, skunks,
gophers, field mice, prairie dogs. hawks,
owls, buzzards, and numerous smaller
birds, bull snakes, rattlesnakes, etc.
What is known as the balance in ma
ture is SO adjusted that while some ami
mails eat grains and grasses, some insects
and still others feed upon the first two
kinds, so that no one kind can increase
beyond definite limit and that is when
the food supply becomes short, or its
natural enemies end its existence.
1t often happens that man disturbs
this balance, which keeps about the
same number of animals living from
year to year, by killing off one kind or
another, and in a few years comparative
ly harmless kinds become destructive.
It is well then to study which ones
are mans friends or what would be the
result caused by thinning out or destroy
ing any one kind before proceeding too
far with it.
Rabbits. prairie dogs, gophers and
mice are grain and grass eating animals,
and if allowed to become numerous are
pests. Coyotes, owls, hawks and
skunks are their natural enemies.
The rattle snakes poison fangs are
enough to condemn him, but of the
others the good they do is far in excess
of the evil.
I lift my voice in defense of the coyote
who has mission to perform. He eats
rabbits, gophers, mice, prairie dogs, ETC.,
unfortunately chicken, this latter habit
has brought down upon him the curse of
Ishmael-but let us examine his case.
Each day during the year his average
meal will be one rabbit, ten gophers
and at least as many mice, multiply by
365 and you have for the total amount
of the 424 coyotes killed last year, 1884,
100 rabbits, 1,547, 800 gophers, 1856, 1920
mice, etc. To even this thing up we
shot 20,754 rabbits, leaving the 134, 006
rabbits, the million and half of gophers
and 2,OOO,OOO mice still at large as the
result of this policy. And they are still
there except such as has been caught by
the necessary increase of owls and
snakes to take the place of the coyote.
I prefer the coyote. Our cornfelds
are destroyed in the spring by the
gophers, and you wonder why they are
worse than used to be. Next year this
million will all have large families
will the rabbits, and did we not have
other friends, we would soon have to
emigrate.
The coyote is mischievous and sneak
ing, and when he gets away with some
half dozen of our chickens in half hour
we look upon him as an enemy to be ex-
terminated-not thinking that good
hen-house would have saved the hens,
or that one particular coyote does the
mischief for which his whole tribe must
suffer under bounty for his scalp. Now
perhaps you may think overdraw-I
will admit that there is an evening up
of things in this way. The killing of
coyotes multiplied the gophers, etc.
Word is sent out that here in Trego
county there is plenty to eat, and so his
relations come, to eat it. In this way
we possibly killed more coyotes than
there were in Trego at any one time.
You are dipping out the sea with a
bucket. You begin at the wrong end,
Kill off rabbits, gophers. ETC., and the
coyotes will leave or starve.
Would I kill one? Certainly, if get
chance, when there is a dollar in it,
or when some particular rogue developes
a taste for my poultry, otherwise not,
no more than I would kill skunk that
kills one of my chickens, reckoning that
the good he does is well worth his life.
Fl. HARLAN.
DAMNED DDrETc