The times., 1901-03-25
WOLVES INCREASE IN CANADA.
Sportsmen Ask for Bounty in Orr
der TO Save the Deer

QUEBEC, March 24.-WoIves are rapid
ly increasing in many parts of the forest
lands of northern Canada This is un-
doubtedly due to the large increase in
the herds of deer throughout the country.
AS these have grown in numbers, so have
the wolves that live upon them.
Fleeing from the ravages of the wolves
the deer have made their way toward the
settled parts of the country, until in
many places they have become nuis-
ance to farmers. in whose fields of oats
and other grain they often do consider
able damage As the deer flee from the
wolves, the latter follow on.4 and so are
found much nearer to civilization than
in years gone by.
A wolf can go without food for GER
tain number of days, but he will then
run desperate risks in order to obtain
food. Hunters say that each wolf con-
sumes on an average thirty deer in the
course of a year. Consequently there is
loud demand for the payment by the
Government of bounty upon the heads
of these brutes
In the Province of Ontario there is
small bounty for the killing, of wolves, but
it is not large enough to induce hunters
to work for it, the natural cunning of the
wolf making it a difficult animal to trap
or kill. The North American Fish and
Game Protective Association is at present
urging the Government of the Province
of Quebec to place bounty of at least
SIS upon wolves, and the Government has
the matter under consideration.
The recommendation is based upon the
belief that SIS would be sufficient in
ducement TO hunters to make a business
of trapping or poisoning wolves The
poisoning is effective when strychnine is
used. but it requires about two grains to
kill a full-sized wolf and as these animals
often travel long distance after being
poisoned, the hunter frequently has his
trouble for his pains, since if snow has
recently fallen, he has very little chance
of tracking his quarry.
The trapping of wolves is quiet a science
and is extremely difficult because the
wolves seem to know nearly as much
about it as the trapper himself. The ami
mai is seldom deceived by the conceal
ment OF trap, and if he cannot safely
remove the bait without becoming entan-
gled he will pass it by no matter how
hungry he may be.
During the latter part of the present
winter the number of deer slaughtered
by wolves has been very large on account
OF the deep snow over which it is impos-
stDle for the deer to pass without sink
ing. They thus become an easy prey
to their ravenous pursuers.
The superintendent of fish and game
for the Province of Quebec announced re
Gently that wolves have made their ap-
pearance in great numbers in the valley
of the St. Maurice, in the region north
of Montreal and in other parts of the
province, causing great destruction
among the red deer. 1t is known also
that they are exceedingly numerous in
the woods north of Ottawa, and also
on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River.
The superintendent of the Algonquin Ma
tional Park reports wolves to be very
numerous there this year and declares
them the greatest enemy of the red deer.
He has had recourse to poison, in some
cases a deer having been killed and its
whole carcass poisoned They are coward
ly brutes, these northern grey wolves,
and seldom attack human beings. unless
they are themselves in considerable num-
bers.