The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-26
TOPICS Of STOCKNEN
determination of Wolves, Land
Leases and Sanitary Measures.
AN EXHIBIT OF WOLVES
CATTLE INDUSTRY THREATEN
ED By THIS PEST.
Now Spreading From Wyoming Into
Adjoining States, and On, Some
Ranges Outnumber the Cattle
Discussion On the Leasing of Arid
Lands-Majors' Address.

Denver, Colo, Jan. 25.-The range
cattle show at the stock yards is re-
ceiving marked attention from the cat
tlernen in attendance at the National
Live Stock convention. The yards were
filled all day. Trades were confined all
most exclusively to the cattle in the
yards, but there was a whole lot OF
talking between the range men OF the
north and the breeders of the south
west. The situation is nearly a dead
lock. The Texas men are holding out
for last years prices and northern men
are standing pat.
The prices last year were SIS for
calves, $40 for yearlings and $25 for
twos. The big Texas breeders insist
that they must have hat figure this
year or they will hold their cattle, and
the northern men insist that they can
not afford to pay the money. Five years
ago Montana o nearly so, 900 cad
Of Texas cattle. Last year she took
less than 1900 head. The northern
ranges are depleted and the stockmen
up there are anxious to restock, but
thus far there have been no contracts
made.
Resolutions recommending a uniform
bounty law for the determination of
predatory animals in all the western
states and territories formed the sub
ject for discussion at the opening Of the
convention today. An interesting fea-
ture was IN exhibit of wolves, the chief
offender against cattlenen. The dis
play included tanned skins, mounted
animals and live wolves in their saw
age state and only a few days in cap
tivity.
The discussion was opened by A. J.
Botwell of Wyoming. who recommend
ed legislation with the following fea-
lures: First, permanency of the wolf
bounty law; second, a bounty large
enough to warrant men in following
wolf killing for a business; third, a uni
form law in all of the states infested
by the animals.
WOLVES INCREASING.
Mr.. Boutwell, said: MY own expert
ence with these pests covers a compar-
atively limited period of time, my
ranches being located in central Wyo-
ming, a section of country practically
free from wolves until within the last
few years. They seem to have been
heard of first in the more northern sec
ton of the country within the last
decade, and their advance southwark
las been gradual but certain, until now
the ranges in central Wyoming have
nearly as many wolves as cattle occu-
plying them. That this proportion of
wolves to cattle has suddenly become
SO enormous is owing to the fact that
within the past W. years the greater
part of the cattle belonging to the
larger range companies have been
shipped from the state, the wolves re-
naming to prey upon the smaller herds.
They now pretty we'll cover eastern
Montana, the Dakotas, all of eastern
Wyoming, as far south as the Colorado
line, while they are beginning to ap-
pear on the ranges of northwest Colo
RADIO. I have not heard of there being
any in Utah, nor have n appeared as
yet on the ranges in the state of Ne
vada.
In central Wyoming my experience
has been that these wolves kill from
10 to 20 per cent of the annual increase
of the herds. The class of stock preyed
upon by them is generally calves, colts
and yearlings, though occasionally a
band attacks and devours older ami
mails and sometimes even kills full
grown cattle. They are generally most
destructive in spring. summer and fall
months, during which period, too, they
are more easily trapped, poisoned, sdCt
or captured with the lariat."
Poisoning and trapping, ne said, were
lot very successful, because h wolf
would not eat cold meat, preferring TO
do his own killing. He told of the I'M
successful efforts during centuries past
to eXterminate wolves in Europe. IN
France 500 is paid for each wolf killed.
Russia pays $3.50 per head, and yet the
annual damage to stock in Russia from
wolves is from So 500. 600 TO 81. $50, 900. Mr..
Boutwell, recommended that the asSo-
citation make an effort to ecure uni
form bounty laws in all range states.
Said he, in closing:
Important features of the proposed
legislation should be-: First. perma-
nency of the wolf bounty; second, the
bounty on wolves killed should be large
enough to warrant men in following the
business of wolf killing: third. all ap-
preparations fer the purpose of paying
state rewards should be large enough
to carry the law into effect from one
legislature to another. thus making the
warfare against wolves a persistent and
effective movement in the west. until
the race is finally and completely ex-
terminated"
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.