Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-03-02
WESTERN WOLVES.
Despite Bounties for Scalps Their
Ravages Increase.
Hard Work to Keep Them From
the Cattle Ranges.

the Cbbtie Ranges.
"Out in our country the state and
county governments have to put their
hands in their pockets pretty deep to
pay bounties for the killing off of
wild varmints, saida Colorado ranch
man at the Hoffman House in New
York to a Sun man. with all we can
do to thin out the pests it's hard work
to keep any Of bur sheep and young
stock alive. Instead Of getting fewer
with the building Of cities and rail
roads and the opening up ofranches
the country over, the wolves and CO.
votes seem to increase in numbers. |
They're certainly holder. In the old
plain days, when the bufaloes went in
big herds, with the bulls always ON
guard, the yarmints had to fight
for every buffalo calf they pulled
down, and as for the wild horses,
they kept together and could care for
themselves 50 well that wolves didn't
like to venture near them. But the
tame stock that now feed on the
ranges give the provling sneaks just a
picnic. The COWS and bulls are scat
tered everywhere over the country,
alone or in little bands. Being graded
stock they're not fighters, anyway,
like the bufaloes and old-style wild
Texas cattle, and they don't combine
for protection. The result is the
wolves can get at a calf or colt any
time by the mere going for it, and
now they've got 50 bold that they'll
combine to pull down lone cattle; and
that isn't the worst, for they kill not
only what they want to eat, but a
great many out of pure wlutonness.
s'But this i'll wind has blown good to
one class Of men, and old timers that
have been hanging about doing odd
jobs at herding and teaming, and a
good deal Of waiting gound barroom'
ever since tke sufaioes went, have
secured the ~ f the old guns an(
gone a-huntin nd trapping. Will
.ris bd1 ts-sssor th'
4 C}ss ID Y n Asaasss
men b {ve ID safn SpS~rvTow th
business of y9pers and hunters
Not only the q Fellows that dispute
with the Indians for bufaloes and pc
tries, but young men and Mexican
have taken to the following of hui
ter's life What with traps anil po
son and cold lead, you'd think thel
wouldn't be varmint left alive, but
YOU watch out, You'll see thai most (
them dontcome back with any col
siderable amount of hides and wo
scalps. Now, and then, when bus
ness is dull, the ranchmen geS up
great hunt, taking in whole townships
sportmen come from the towns vii
dogs, and they circle wide and dra
together, to find that every wolf il
side the circle has passed by or ipp'
nnseen through the lines of beaters.
'It's when man makes a busine
of hunting on his own hook and la
ont his plans to beat them at theic ov
game that he does something tcwa,
capturing the vermints. But It's
trick to fool them, and no green hal
OF man who isn't naturally a hunt
has any business to lay. It's hard
to entice the creatures now than
used to be, for when they can get Ii
stock everywhere for the killing they
mighty apt to sniff and turn up th'
noses as bait. But there are FOL
that know how to tempt them, ana E
them, too. / was down across t
New Mexico line not long ago. a.
little country town, when a Mexic
called Miguel Miguel Tixier was
full name- brought in 10 wolf seal
and skins to be inspected by the coun
commissioners in order to get
bounties Between county and ter
torial counties he expected to real
over $500 oil the lot-not bad sho
ing for 8 iMexican's three mont
work, when you consider that he h
the profits to look to from the sale
the skins besides. He had mos
caught the animals in traps, and
pile of peltries included not only W
skins, but the skins of lynxes, coyot
wildcats, skunks, and foxes, all
which command good prices with
fur buyers.