St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1898-02-26
WOLVES In THF WEST.
Big Gray Beasts Kill Thousands Of
Cattle Every Year.
The Stockmen Have Deen Killing
Then or, But Their Numbers
Arc Increasing - Not the
Common Coyotes.

Owners of great herds on the ranges
of northwestern Nebraska have come to
the conclusion that something must be
done in the near future to prevent the
determination of stock by the wolves.
This subject has been attracting more
attention annually from the stockmen
OF this and adjacent states for number
of years. Some figures have been gath
cred during the pastyear by heavy own
ers In this part OF Nebraska The result
is~startling. It indicates clearly that
the loss from this source is II ereasing
at considerable rate in spiteof every
thing stockmen have done in the past
20 exterminate the pest of wolves.
The largest herds in the state are to
be found near North Platte, Owen
Brothers have 10000 cattle in this terri
tory: Mark Hammonds has abunch Of
$4,000 divided Into three ranch herds;
Abiton S. Serls, OF Chicago, has big
ranch ten miles north, from which point
5000 cattle range. and Marshall Field
and other big Chicago citizens of wealth
have large interests in this territory.
A plan to estimate the loss from these
pests, based upon observations of the
men connected with the ranches, was
developeday year ago. Secretary Church
has just finished tabulation showing
exactly what the ranchmen of the west
may expect in time If different methods
are not adopted in dealing with these
pests of the prairie. Figures submitted
by these ranchmen show that is per
per cent. of the herds are lost from year
to year, and nine per cent. of this is at
tributed to the wolves. A-,*
The reports to the secretary show the
loss is increasing at the rate of five per
cent. years in fact, the reports OF
various foremen of stock ranches in
northwest Nebraska assert that wolves
are becoming as great a menace torange
stock production as jack rabbits are to
agriculture In Australia.
The reports estimate that about o,00o
wolves are annually destroyed In the
territory embraced by the ranges in Ne-l
braska. This is accomplished mostly
by poison administered by employees OF
the ranches. Some counties pay q
bounty of five dollars scalp, but this
is declared to be merely a source of
profit to professional wolf hunters who
travel where they are the most plentiful
and then taking and shipping them to
the COUNTIES where the bounty is the
heaviest, 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 ma
terial benefit, the reports agree that
other measures must be adopted.
During the past year all cowboys who
ride the range have been required to
carry rifles and shoot all wolves seen.
In this way large number have been
seSse sls lIssssyed. This has caused some of the
fore tnysaHaz .s ssa'lssxzsf -
sharpshoo hola tife sock
associations of The west, whose business
It shall be to devote all their time to
riding the ranges in pairs and shooting
wolves. incidentally they g9uld be
utilized to map out dangerous Faces in
the range where stock is LOST guard
against cattle rustlng, and look after
damaged fences, and also report any
thing that is calculated to damage the
stock industry. This would be expen-
sive, but it would enable individual
companies to do their work with fewer
employees.
Another plan suggested is the employ.
mens of a number of great wolf dogs to
hunt the range in company with train
ers 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, which were guaran-
teed to be able to catch and destroy any
wolf. however strong and wary, in
very little time. But the men who
know these pests best are not inclined
to look with favor upon this scheme.
They assert thatany wolf-hunting dog
that was ever bred would be killed in
one season on the range around here IL
he came In contact with a few healthy
specimens Of the mountain wolf, such
as come into this range every fall and
remain during the winter. They are as
tough as pine knots and as ferocious us
tigers. They illfrsquently 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
&c the punches OF cattle as possible, and
then dash down on the herd scattering
as they approach. Frequently a steer
is killed for every wolf in pack. They
are not contented to kill for the satis-
faction of the warm blood they find to
drink.
The common coyotes of the prairie,
which abound in great numbers all over
this part of the state. enot dangerous
to- healthy cattle. They are not large
enough to drag down anything larger
than a sheep. but If steer goes down
from any cause the ceyotes wilt gaf her
in such number that he will be over
powered and eaten. hide and all. These
little fellows are not more than half as
large as the mountain wolves, and are
killed by the score with the poison sys-
tenn of the cowboys.
The Stockmen's association will make
extracts of these reports and mail them
to the cattlemen of Wyoming, South
Dakota and Colorado, and suggest q
convention in the near future for the
discussion of plan looking to the total
destruction of mountain wolves
Laramie (Wyo.) Boomerang.
ReRsonnhlcs -
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