The suburban citizen., 1902-02-01
THEY'RE BREEDING WOLVES.
It Pays Better Than Hogs, Nebraska Far
mers Find.

mers Find.
The large number Of claims coming
into the State Auditors office for boun-
ties on wolves and coyotes has led
to the discovery that some farmers
and ranchers in the western part of
Nebraska have gone into the business
of breeding these animals for the
bounty market.
In one instance q man was found to
have raised more than 100 wolves
last summer from several animals he
had trapped and penned up for that
purpose. Other cases We're unearthed
where from fifteen to sixty of these
animals had been reared In October
and November they were killed, and
their scalps presented for redemption
at the office Of the County Clerk of
each county.
The State law authorizes the County
Clerk to pay SO from the county fund
for each coyote or wolf scalp presented,
and he certifies the fact TO the AudiS
tor. who pays 81 additional. Four
dollars for each wolf or coyote pays
better than hog raising. and naturally
the farmers have turned their attention
to this industry.
The law was passed years ago when
the wolf and the coyote were the great
foes of the cattle and sheep men. In
The last ten years $150,000 has been
paid by the State alone as bounty.
The Legislature Of 1899 appropriated
100000 for the purpose. OF this amount
$4,000 was Immediately demanded by
holders of old claims. The remaining
$4,000 was gone within six months,
and when the last Legislature appro-
priated $4,000 it was at once swal-
lowed up by holders OF old claims.
There are now on file with the Auditor
claims aggregating $4,000. and by
the end Of next year this figure will be
doubled.
This figures indicate that instead Of
being killed off the wolves are increas-
ing. The explanation is now simple.
What makes the State authorities
the angrier is that there is nothing to
prevent a man from running a wolf
ranch if he desires to- and with the
market unlimited and the price fixed at
a very remunerative figure, the bust
ness presents opportunities that attract
capital. The only drawback is that
a man must wait for his money.
The law says that the State shall pay
81 and the county So for every scalp
with the two ears and the face down
to the nose, and makes the County
Clerk the man who, when proof is pre-
sented that the wolves were killed
within the State, certifies to the num-
Der. In the less densely populated
parts Of the State, where the wolf and
the coyote find their habitation, the
Office of the County Clerk is not so re-
munerative that the occupant may not
be tempted to assist in the enterprise
in the matter Of certifcation or if he
has any qualms about his oath, he
may be careless as to how the scalps
are disposed Of after he has passed
them.
Auditor Weston says that in one case
to which his attention has been called
the County Clerk threw the scalps
out Of the window after he had re-
ceived them, and they were again
picked up and presented to him. This
could be continued until physical ex-
haustion set in il thought wise.
The certificates on file in the Audi
tors office show claims ranging from
one to 1O3 wolves, with many men
down for sixty in a bunch. The result
will probably be a recommendation
from the Auditor that the State pay
all the pending claims and repeal the
law.-New York Sun.