The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-21
OvERRUN BY VOL YES.
Thousands of Cattle Killed
Every Year in Nebraska.

Kearney, Neb., Dec. 21.-Owners of
great herds on the ranges of northwest
ern Nebraska have come to the cOnclu-
sion that something must be done in
the near future to prevent the eXter-
mination of stock by the wolves.
A plan to definitely estimate the loss
from these pests. based upon observa-
tiOns of men connected with the ranch
eS was developed year ago. Secreta-
ry Church has just finished tabula-
ton showing exactly what the ranch
men Of the west may expect in time II
different methods are not adopted in
dealing with the pests of the prairie.
Figures submitted by these ranchmen
show that 10 per cent of the herds are
lost from year to year, and per cent
of this attributed to the wolves.
The reports to the secretary show
that the loss is increasing at the rate
of 5 per cent year; in fact the reports
of various FOremen of stock ranches in
northwest Nebraska assert that wolves
are becoming as great a menace to
range stock producing as jack rabbits
are to agriculture in Australia.
The reports estimate that about 1O, 600
wolves are annually destroyed in the
territory embraced by the ranges in
Nebraska. This is accomplished most
ly by poison administered by employees
of the ranches. Some counties pay a
bonus of $5 a scalp, but this is declared
to be merely a source of profit to pro-
fesSional wolf hunters who travel
imals where they are most plentiful
and then taking and shipping them to
counties where the bounty is the heaV-
lest. The stockmen see no relief in
this direction. In view of the fact
that ranchmen have been steadily de-
pending upon the annual destruction
wrought by poison without any mate
rial benefit, the reports agree that 9TH
er means must be adopted.
During the past year all cowboys who
ride the range have been required to
carry rifles and shoot wolves seen; In
this way an increased number have
been destroyed. This has caused
some OF the fOremen to propose that
companies of sharpshOOters be en-
ployed by the various stock assOcia-
tiOnS of the west, whose business it
shall be to devote all their time to rid
ing the ranges in pairs and shooting
wolves.
Another plan suggested by. several is
the employment of number of great
wolf dogs to hunt the range in company
with trainers and run down and kill
the pests. This plan is not regarded
this section have repeatedly had offers
of packs of Irish wolf hounds, which
were guaranteed to be able to catch and
destroy any wolf, however strong and
wary, in a very little time. But the
men who know these pests best are not
inclined to look with favor upon the
scheme. They assert that any wolf
hunting dog that was ever bred would
be killed in the season on the range
around here if he came in contact with
a few healthy specimens of the noun
tain wolf, such as come into this range
every fall and remain during the win
ter. They are as tough as pine knots
and as ferOcious as tigers. They will
frequently fight men alone. and in
packs are really dangerous to range
riders.
Two of these wolves will run down
and kill the strongest steer on the
range. They usually sneak up as close
to the punches of cattle as possible,
and then dash down on the herd, scat
ter1ng as they approach. Frequently a
steer is Killed for every wolf in a pack
They are not content with plenty of
flesh to eat, but seem to kill for the sat
isfaction of the warm blood they find
to drink.