The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21
A PLAGUE OF GRAY WOLVES
INCREASING DAMAGE DONE ON THE
CATTLE RANGES.

GtSTCo Dtdbt lnNb FuII DOWu NhNtte, nut
Sometimes Meet Their Match In Texas
Steers-A Desperate Battle in the Snow
Changes in the VOLTS Habits.
Strange to say. while the buffalo has been
wiped of the face OF the continent and tho
antelope Is found now but rarely. the gray
wolves have increased in number upon the
plains" said +. l.. Archer OF Denver. THE
building OF railroads In oil directions. with
towns and cities on their lines. and the occupy
Ing OF every available stream. valley and water
hole by ranchmen have had tho effect upon tho
wolf TO make him more cunning and bold. He
Is near enough to the dog In his nature to adapt
himself to the presence OF humanity. and he
shows the same saRacity in plunderine that
the dog does In serving mankind. In tho
old DAYS tho wolf followed the buffalo
herds In thoir migrations and kept near
them wherever they went. No number
OF wolves would venture to attack 80
much rs a buffalo calf while IL was with the
others. for the buffaloes travelled like an army.
with the bulls in front and rear and tanks.
ever ready to defend the COWS and calves
against the attack Of anything but man. 1t
was for the stragglers-the very old. or tho very
young. or the disabled buffaloes which fell out
OF the nerd-that the wolves lurked and waited.
In the winter. when pressed by hunger. a pack
OF wolves would muster courage to attack and
pull down one OF the solitary old bulls that in
their declining years had been outfought and
driven from the herd by the younger ones but
as a rule the wolf preferred to dine OF ~oarrion.
or go q good while hungry. to risking his skin
for fresh meat.
1T was years after the stockmen had gem
orally occupied the Western country before
the wolves began to make serious lnroads on
the stock. By degrees they found that beef
was as much to their taste as buffalo meat,
that a COW was easily pulled down and killed.
and that cattle. scattered In little punches over
a wide range. did not organize to protect one
another as the buffaloes used to do In their
great herds. From killing calves and cows the
wolves came to the tackling OF bulls and steers.
30 that now over wide tracts Of country there
is no safety for any cattle on the ranges. except
on ranches which are constantly patrolled by
range-herders with frearms. who take q shot
at every wolf that shows his head within
shooting distance. The slaughter OF wolves is
not great by this method. but the cunning
beasts realize what the whtzzing OF a bullet
signifies. and 1t makes them fight shy Of the
locality. To set a trap or a poisoned bait for
wolves is not OF much use. for they pass IL by
where they can kill their own meat 30 easily.
Moreover. many OF the wolves have become
blood drinkers, and on killing a COW or q steer
will eat none Of the flesh. but suck the blood
from the carcass and go on to the slaughter Of
Not'iVs iui'o oh 81 u illtuutu
to drive the wolves into q common centre have
repeatedly been organized. but the results
have been trining. the wolves inclosed Slipping
away between the hunters long before the
lines draw closely together. Attempts TO hunt
them with hounds have proved destructive to
the dogs. with few casualties to the wolves.
Commonly the wolves make thor attacks
In packs OF from three to ten or twelve In mum.
her, her n In 6ill LIZ st q COW ,s or steer that h offers w tiSgh1t
sMG 9r m in iro %8lv q wS sIRs stssll Ins a spetbt ehInd
Ies. Just above ,S%E the the gam samnb &f i Tor the 9M''n Purpose s," ot
ham ;stsiHn Sa oE i; t II noIvS ras Gj,, numbers nltnn sn,,I as 3
bite Of a wolf is like a fnife-stroke and the
n irs' !Ssp are Sf repe ssSSr sh ,hf s sSeSoni T. w hot; the the
p%ounced on by the whole pack. every wolf tear-
Swapping at any of the others who crowd too
graded stock,, that sutrer most from the attacks
The NATIVE native .t t%i' a arf iess sseas saa aft 70 ro 5nsR
f fssEeY 4. s ed u SE :. III ! ss 4Ss,Is T.i Fl eS Sjsss'! an, S$5
came against him from the day he was weaned
is no n'cnMtc; s even IN =, .h hen alone: for Or a. q p AK Of
their 'ddin3er slseSherc. for the Texans.
issues and stand back to back against all
lions or grizzly bears as readily as they would
poodles or coyotes. when they or the cows and
G Got ss n nIG snSSs's H@Pthi Il an ths HH %rfsn sa,'I Rt Ses
rs they were in the early days when great
herds fs1ns t of st PILGRIMS tRs rn mere d aiTi tSs yes ,bwos from
and. unless some means is found to check the
raynS"s o. ThGIves they may yet prove to be the
nSA lriend q mine y6es had a cattle ranch at
ShiilSs' SSo sah1i n Ysn K 1as 80. +. tbS sstie a r 9SRrF BED
tween nye Texas steers and seven wolves, y
there IN VAS Fs t%C fsst q syst .no os!s on 9 the eli sp ( oar nna d
Level with TIE ste SsG S We're two eGw' md, three
blown bare by the wind. had, ali lain down to
FsS 4,d They nsy1 T ,nsm so ), stI, ,,tt,;, n hIm 5 an tSn, , had
siScf b.S was sonl in . the s,' sa S ? h. }oo ,sS,a: s AK
out Of the head Of a eahoa near BY and wore
RRst aasld t0w yet s the s] ssttIIs; WIN WIN e 81 t ahs'd xSiss:
and follow closely all their movements. They
tSrnaa hRa the sn "a hard .ihs tine in e & P 20 iss sne bei M9s
at sSEGi1y 'ia am S, by. they h IKE kent o on s mt n ,hSey were ere
s snd m TsEs iyi sHFy Sns 81 he tSs' t e! S' sSsa !e sts1tsd
on; widening out into q line IS they did 50; Up
now one Of the COWS and a steer rose 70 their
feet and faced the wolves. shaking their
lDTUS. Ull SblLt VI lnt tIt WST6 kCVtlIE UP
rs the wolves struck the bare spot.
Three q the wolves jumped in front Of the
50 keeping their attention engaged. while tho
other four sprang upon ono OF the yearlings
just getting to It's feet and pulled It down. The
ranchman could SEQ the four wolves together
upon the %yearlinR. and then the rest Of tho
cattle coming all g their feet shut them from
their moyements but the steers at once closed
and drove them from their prey. The
wolves had NO trouble il getting away
tho field; they kept to the bare spot-it. was
about half an acre In extent racing round tho
cattle and feintinR to attack them on every
side, but lodging away whenever q steer made
the attention OF the other cattlo. three OF the
wolves, coming together as II at ii sigma, leaped
upon another oil. the yearlinRs. one seiEing Il
by the throat and the other two tearing at rs
wolves. and then two or three Of the steers,
charging as before. drove them OF.
THE aim OF the wolves plainly was to dis
able the two weaker animals: knowing that
others moved away, But the cattle were get.
ntna If NuhtinO thai IN NUna litfla pf ihA Gtiffnnse