The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-05-11
COYOTE FARMING IN KANSAS.
The OFFER of Bounties for Scalps Results I'm
Establishing a New Industry

Inc Oner OF bOunttes TOT ScaIps Results IN
Establishing a New Industry
For years the western prairies have
been fruitful in the production of that
feet-footed nuisance, the coyote. Sur
passed in speed only by the antelope
and particularly fast greyhounds, it is
practically secure from harm. In or
der to keep down their rapidly increas-
ing numbers, the Kansas legislature
authorized in 1850 the offering by coun-
ly every county in the state seized the
opportunity and gave, in order to pro-
tect flocks and chicken yards, a re-
ward of three to four dollars per scalp.
The result has been astonishing. Men
have discovered that it paid better to
hunt wolves than to raise crops and
several frontier counties have paid
from three to four thousand dollars
year in bounties, the total in the state
reaching sixty thousand dollars, with
no appreciable diminution in the coyote
supply.
This fact puzzled the commissioners
of several counties until it was dis
covered that farmers were making a
business of raising wolves for the
bounty to be secured by means of wire
fence enclosures with ample burrowing
grounds, the creatures increase with
marvellous rapidity. The growth of
family of kittens can alone be COM
pared to them. For feed, the cheapest
of meat is sufficient, and as nothing is
required but the scalp in order to draw
a bounty, the carcasses of the killed
wolves are used for sustenauee for
those not ready for market The best
sheep that the prairie farmer can
raise can scarcely be sold for more than
two dollars To produce several litters
of wolves a year, each member of
which is worth from three to four dol
lars exclusive of skin and carcass, is, it
is seen, remunerative.
These wolf raisers also supplement
their home supply by constant hunting
on the plains Parties are formed
which surround creek valleys and
ravines, beating the brush" with as
much skill as the trained retainer, and
capturing, dead or alive. dozens of the
lank, gray creatures. The former go
to swell the cash account of the hunt
ers and deplete that of the county
treasury. while the latter are added to
the supply on the wolf farm.
Probably the most remunerative
hunting is that by means of half-mile
wires introduced by New England
sportsman this winter on the prairies
of western Kansas. Hitching team
to each end of half-mile strand of
wire, it is dragged over the curling
buffalo grass, with row of sportsmen,
their guns ready for instant use, scat
tered behind it in long row. The
coyotes, rabbits, foxes and prairie dogs
crouching low in their fancied security,
are aroused from their hiding places
and go scurrying here and there ahead
of the remorseless wire. When the
cavalcade has made half-day's prog
ress the wire is swung around and an
other course taken homeward. Parties
have in this way killed as many as a
thousand jack rabbits in a single day
and sent them to the charitable socie-
ties of western cities. The harvest of
coyotes has also been large, and the
bounties received have made good re-
turn for the days amusement--St
Louis Globe Democrat