New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-01
KILLING WOLVES.
TWO BROTHERS IN SOUTH DAKOTA WHO
MAKE 1T PAY.

The wolf-killing championship OF the North
west can, without question be confidently
claimed by Jesse and Lon" Brown living be-
tween here and the Black Hills. who at present
are making from 500 to S140 a week trapping
wolves and coyotes for the libel oounties Of
iered by the cattemen The bounty fund Is
raised by assessing cattemen five cents head
LOT cattle owned by them. John Albers, who
has just returned from the cattle ranges Of the
coded Sioux lands. west of the Missouri River,
gives some interesting information concerning
the operations OF these skilfu wolf-hunters The
vast cattle range between here and the Black
Hllis, extending for distance OF two hundred
and hfty miles, is divided into three wolf and
coyote bounty districts. Thus, between the
Cheyenne River and line drawn north and
south through the centre OF Jackson County a
bounty OF so per gray wolf is paid; from the
centre Of Jackson 10 the centre Of Pratt County
comprises the next district where all gray
wolves killed paid for at the rate OF IS each
In these two districts the bounty for coyotes IS
~ each. The third and last district comprises
the territory east OF the centre Of Pratt County
and extending 10 the mouth Of Bull Creek on
the White River For gray wolves killed in this
region the bounty is fixed at 81, and 30 cents
each for coyotes. In addition to these bounties
the cattlenen board Jesse and Lon" Brown
ard furnish them with the horses needed by
them IN their campaign against the wolves.
These men, who are brothers, a total Of
sixty or seventy steel traps. with which they
catch the wolves and coyotes In a little over
two weeks they recently caught one hundred
and five coyotes and twenty gray wolves They
coyotes are accustomed to rendezvous. and take
such precautions necessary TO prevent
cattle calves and horses being caught in the
traps. They employ peculiar scent 10 draw
wolves and coyotes to their traps This scent is
very powerful the principal ingredient being
musk or something similar 10 it in odor The
four-footed pests Of the range are decidedly
ming and great care has to be taken not to
| arouse their suspicious. The traps after being
set. placed in hollow out spot in the
ground. covered with paper and then hidden
from view by sprnklng light dirt or dust upon
them
A piece Of fresh meat. usually mutton is then
laid close to the trap after quantity Of the!
scent has been placed upon il. This scent has
a peculiarly penetrating Odor and IL the wind is
favorable it will attract wolves and coyotes from
as much mile away. The animals sniff the
air. proceed toward the spot from which the
scent comes and while smelling suspciously
around the scented piece Of meat step into the
trap and caught. Each trap is securely
fastened by a chain, so that il cannot be
dragged away by the captive. Frequent visits
10 the traps are made by the hunters, when the
captured animals are killed and their scalps and
hides taken away as evidence necessary 70 Sc
cure the bounty.
The two ;rappers meet with good success when
they set their traps in prairie-dog towns and
many wolves have been caught there. The rec
ipe for making the peculiar scent employed by
the two is known only to themselves, and
they have repeatedly declined offers of large
sums of money for the information They con-
sent TO sell quantities OF the connection. but only
with the understanding that it be not used in the
territory whore they carry on their operations.
Some years ago il was believed wolves could be
killed by leaving pieces Of poisoned meat in
places where IL would be detected and eaten by
them, but 1t not long before they became
too wary 70 be killed in this manner. Cold meat
no longer has any attraction for them. Young
colts appear 10 be a favOrite article OF diet. In
procuring fresh meat the gray wolves display a
wonderful sagacity and almost human ntell-
gence.
Whenever a pack Of wolves discover band
Of horses feeding along 4 river or creek they
stalk them skilfuly as a hunter would stalk
deer keeping well TO the leeward so that no
tetale scent shall be carried by the wind 20
the acute nostrils OF the horses. Suddenly
wolf Will spring from behind a clump Of bushes.
and with one quick snap hamstring an unsus-
pecting colt Then the whole pack viii rush IN
among the horses which gaIop wildly away 70
the open country. leaving the helpless colt TO be
torn to pieces and devOured by the hungry
brutes. Many cattle are also killed 10y them.
and the meat is eaten only while II is yet warm.
g X. Howard. president OF the Western South
Dakota Stcckmen's Association, who has had
considerable experience with wolves, estimates
that each pack Of FIVE or six gray wolves viii
kill and a steer every other day on an aver
age and he believes the loss to the cattemen
from this source Is considerably greater man
from the winter storms and exposure
Gray wolves are not remarkably fleet OF foot
and occasionally mounted cowboys can run them
down and rope them. Various measures have
been resorted to for the purpose OF Kidding the
cattle range of the pests. Some OF the cattemen
in past years imported at great expense. trained
hounds TO hunt them down. but none Of the
plans adopted met with as good success as the
method employed by Jesse and Lon Brown.
While il is conceded that much or their success
IS due TO the peculiar scent which they place
near their traps TO draw the wolves 10 them
still il requires skill in placing the traps in such
manner as not 10 arouse too much suspicion on
the part Of the wary animals
DEMOCRATIC AND PLUTOCRATIC WATCHES