The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-15
THE OUTLOOK FOR CATTLE
The Winter Has Been an Unusually
Fine One for Montana
Range Stock
In Splendid Condition, and This
State win Send Good Beef
TO Market Early.
The Welt Pest the Greatest Menaoe 10 the
Prosperity OF the Industry. aRd n
j. Increasing All the Time.

Not IN many years have the cattlsmsn Of
Montana had such good sason 10 feel sat.
ished with the winter as they have In 1894.
Last year the growers Of this state cleaned
out their herbs vs'y thoroughly. sending
everything 70 market that Was not in first
class shape. They looked for hard win
Ser. but the reverse has been the case.
There have only been three cold snaps. and
none continued longer than three days. On
Rons OF the ranges did the thermometef
Rst lower than 20 below. while the average
has been 20 above for the winter. There
has been an entire absence Of Billiards. and
while there has been considerable snowfall
% no tins has there been q crust on the
snow, and thus range stock have had ne
difficulty Ia getting plenty 10 eat Another
favorable condition has been that the
ranges have not been oveTerovded ~ In
previous years The running streams have
not been frozen. and cattle have
therefore escaped the greatest de-
stroyer OF range stock In the
winter-lsck OF water. Reports received
during the past week are all TO the same
effect, that cattle on the ranges are In bet
ter condition than they were in ths fall;
that they are fat and sleek, and that they
will be In splendid condition for the mar
ket early in the season. MontanA butchers
are selling nov. and have been all winter.
cattle right from OF the range. and II Is
better meat than they have handled in
long while. The abundant SHOWS make
sure early grass snd plenty Of II. with fall
water courses during the sprine and sam
nter. Cattlemen regard the danger point,
40 far az bard weather IL concerned. ss
passed, and while there may be q few cold
days, there will not be any long. continued
or very severe cold SNAPS. Montana has
not had this year any OF the severe and
blizzardy weather reported both east and
sonth Of this state.
But while the weather has been 80 I'M
usually favorable for the stoekmeD, their
losses from another source will be very con
siderable. Repo ts from all over the state
indicate that the wolf pest Is growing and
! this Losses from this source this year will be
greater than ever before, reaching In the
aggregate many thousand dollars. his 10
not only loss 10 the stockmen, but also 10
the aslssssbie wealth of the state. IL 10
true that ths state pays a bounty on wolves,
but there is no money in the state treaau
available for this purpose nou, and the
warrants are selling for 30 cents on the dol
lar. Under the eli eumstances men will not
engage In the business OF DESTROYING
wolves. because they cannot make n living
Al IL. Reports OF the destruction of cattle
/ By wolves do not come from particular por-
tions of the state. but from all
the ranges Up In the Aaiias oonn-
Try the wolves are multiplying
rapidly, running As high as sixty In q band.
The losses In that section alone are esti-
mated by W. y. Turner a large Rrowsr,
at $4,000 this season. M. Turner
runs large pack of hne hounds. but
he can do little toward lessoninR the
number Of the beasts. Mr. Iurne q plan
| TO exterminAts the bTutoa 10 to take the
bounty matter from the state and have the
counties provide for the payment Of 50
bounty on wolves. Then, he believes, each
ranoher will gst dogs and the number Of
wolves will be rapidly reduced. DO holds
to the position that sirychnine IL OF little
use as the wolves when 30 numerous on
the range, will eat nothing but fresh meat,
while only coyotes take the bats.
Another resident of that section. rs. 8.
WEARY, Gays there are an enormous num-
Der Of wolves in the Sweet Grass region, As
high ns forty frequently having been seen
in a band. The breaks between the hills
and Mix river. fifteen miles east OF East
Butte are literally alive with wolves and
the cattle are being deomatsd. The con-
slant use Of dogs &C oss the Canadian line
aud 80 on the BlAckfest reservation, some
distance west OF the hills. and the inability
TO take the wolves BY poison, 10 thought TO
be the reason for the greatly Increased
numbers in the hills and there they breed
undisturhed.
Certain 10 is that the wolf pest has
reached such proportions that the cattle
men fear these animals more than they do
4 hard winter. In fact, many of the best
informed cattlemsn in the state say the
lossea from wolves during the past three
vears have exceeded those resulting from
any other one cause. bad winters included.
Zach year for the past four has seen the
wolves increase both ia numbers and bold
ness. The coyotes destroy calves and
young stock but the wolves boldly attack
grown cattle. Something must be done 20
ria the state OF these animals, or. In few
years. a. the present rate of inc ease, the
stockmen will be compelled 70 give up the
ranges TO them.
hi. :. Il, H.. -. IN. H., tli,a