The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-04
MENACE OF WOLVES.
NEBRASKA cATTlEMEN SEEKING
MEANS OF KILLING THEM.


Serious Matter and Becoming Worse.
Even Men Attacked-C Co. .ention to Con-
| slider the Subject Suggested.
OwEc-s C great herds on the ranges
If northwestern Nebraska have come to
tho conclusion that something must be
done 10 prosen; lie killing Of so much
stock by the wolves
| The largest range herds in the state
are to be found to the north CO Kearny,
Eeb An estimate of the losses of cattle
owned by members of the Northwest
| Nebraska Stockmen's association has re-
Gently been completed by Secretary
| Church. 1t shows that o per cent Of
the herds are lost from year to year,
and 90 per cent of the loss is attributed
TO the wolves. With the exception Of
severe and sudden storms the wolves are
about the only source of serious loss to
the producers Of range stock in this and
adjacent states. The reports to the Sec
rotary agree that the damage is increas-
ing at the rate Of 5 per cent year, and
various foremen say that wolves are
becoming a. great a menace to range
stock producing as jack rabbits are to
agriculture in Australia.
The reports estimate that about TO-
900 wolves are destroyed annually in
the territory Most of them are killed
by poison administered by the employ
ices of various ranches. In view of the
fact that ranchmen have been trying
poison without any material benefit,
tho reports agree that other measures
are necessary at once, as the wolves are
increasing in numbers. During the past
year all cowboys who ride the ranges
have been required to carry rifles and
shoot all wolves TO be seen. Some or
the foremen propose that companies Of
sbarpshooters shall be employed by the
various stock associations Of the west
and that they shall ride the ranges in
pairs and shoot wolves This would be
expensive, but it would enable individ
! ual companies to do their work with
fewer men.
Another plan suggested is the en-
ployment Of great wolf dogs to hunt the
range in company with trainers and run
, down and kill the pests This plan is
:, not regarded with much favor. The
stockmen of this section have repeatedly
had offers of packs of Irish wolf hounds
guaranteed to catch and destroy any
wolf however strong and wary in very
! limited time But the men who know
the wolves best are not Inclined to look
D with favor upon this scheme. They as
l sert that any wolf hunting dog that was
8 ever bred would he killed in one season
8 on the ranges around here If he came
into contact with few healthy speci.
/. mems of the mountain wolf such as come
: into this section every fall and remain
q during the winter They are as tough
!, as pine knots and as ferocious as tigers
Q They will frequently fight men alone
r and in packs are dangerous to range
< riders They are as large as blood
hound and have fangs and tusks tina
, are as sharp as knives. Two can rur
!, down and kill the strongest steer on th'
a range They usually sneak up as Close
@ to the punches of cattle as possible, ant
= then rush down ON the herd, scattering
: as they approach. Frequently steer i
j. killed for every wolf in pack. The,
are not content with plenty of flesh t
|
: of the warm blood they find to drink
!. though when very hungry the pack
= clean the bones.
II The mountain wolves are cunning
r and cannot be induced to touch a car
cass handled by the cowboys. They ap
Is pear to detect the presence OF the human
= being though days may have. elapsed
:, since the bait was touched by human
,r hands. Ordinarily the cowboys put il
n the best part of the winter poisoning
h the pests. They take the carcass o
to an old COW, cut it in half and fill tn
a. pieces with strychnine. Then the poi
v soned meat is dragged to some isolate'
~ point on the range The meat is greedil,
- devoured by the coyotes, and every on
i. that partakes of it dies. But this simpl
In method will not work with the noun
III tain wolves. These ferocious animal
w approach a carcass carefully. IT it ha
s. not been touched by human hands TO
81 days, their keen scent warns them, an
they have to be hungry indeed to touc
it. So the cowboys have to wear heav
)" gloves in handling the carcass. II tn
50 COW man does not touch the carcas
ls- with his hands. but inserts the stryct
nine with gloved hands, he may catch
=. few gray wolves, but these strong beas,
:. find 1t nearly as easy to spring into
: bunch of steers and kill sey eral fine an
III mails as to tear dead carcass to pieces
lr- They love the warm blood so much tha
to it affords an additional reason why the
pass the poisoned carcass when the li'
81 herds are browsing in the immedia'
:. vicinity. When spring approaches, II
10 packs of mountain wolves retire to til
hs Businesses of the mountains where fo
or age is plentiful, only to return to II
en- ranges as soon as cold weather sets in.
TO- Near Kearney, Neb., the states
4 Nebraska, Wyoming. Colorado an
ed South Dakota come together. Within
80 radius of 90 miles from where the'
n. four states join more than 500. 0(
worth Of stock is destroyed annually
wolves. This applies principally to ca