Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-05-16
WILD DOGS OF CALIFORNIA.

Lancet.
WILD DOGS OF CALIFORNIA.
Pack Of Wild Beasts Started by a Pair
Of Abandoned Farm Dogs.
Over in the hills of Marin county,
CAL, the stockraisers, dairymen and
farmers are suffering from the inroads
Of savage pests such as are perhaps
found nowhere else in the state. For
years the tenants Of the valley and
fcothill ranches have raised domestic
animals and fowls in abundance and
with rare sense Of security, because
coyotes, so troublesome in certain 9TH
er sections Of California, were practi-
cally unknown. But the new pest,
which has been doing most serious
and increasing damage for six months.
Is far worse than the skulking coyote,
who is natural coward. Hiding in
recesses Of the woods by day, almost
az wild as in their original state, and
coming forth at night for inroads upon
the circumjacent farms, Is band Of
fierce dogs. First the turkey and
chicken roosts suffered, then the sheep
fold, and now cattle, and especially
calves, are not safe from the pack.
The story Of the wild dogs Of Marin
is striking illustration Of a return
to nature. 1t proves that after gener-
ations Of breeding and domestication,
the native instinct in the lower ami
mails remains strong and with slight
encouragement the original fierceness
and manner Of life will be speedily in
duced.
1t is said that nearly a year ago
some man moved away from the Lucas
Valley vicinity, and failed to take his
two dogs along with him. The dogs
remained In the neighborhood, and no
one seemed to care to adopt them.
The forsaken Gaines fed as best they
could about the various ranches and
dairies. But, unfortunately for them,
each place had already it's full quota
Of dogs. and upon their repeated visit
to any farm the farmer was on the
watch for them and sent them scurry-
ing with shower Of stones.
Once one was caught in a trap and
whipped soundly with a strap before
it was allowed to skulk away, bowling.
With mankind against them, the two
dogs began hiding in the thickets by
day and emerging only at night, when
there would be fewer attacks upon
them as they skirmished for food.
Gradually the dogs grew wilder and
were seen less often. But the resi-:
dents knew that they were still in the
neighborhood, for evidence Of their
nocturnal visits was often found next
morning. The meat, hung in the open
air higher than a dog would be sup
posed to so after it., would disappear
The pans Of milk left on the porches
would be Tapped dry. Then the meat
was hung in stout, ventilated box
and the milk was kept in the cellar
The chickens which roasted low would
disappear in the night with farewell
squawk. Then the hen-house was
patched up and the chickens were care
fully shut in at night.
| With the farm house and barnyard
offering forage no longer, the wild
dogs, which had now increased in
numbers by additions and propagation,
went after larger game. First the
lamb fold suffered. Sheep herders on
the range would be awakened at night
by a bleating on the pen and would
arrive only in time to catch glimpse
Of a scurrying form in the dark bear
ing off lamb. Sometimes the herders'
dogs would attack and fight the intru-
ders, but they were no match for dogs
that were hungry and had become all
but wolves, and they were bitten and
torn. After one or two encounters the
herding dogs became as much in fear
OF the wild dogs as were the sheep.
Ready shotguns firing yolleys. into
the night made the attacks upon the
folds less frequent, and then the fiocks
Of fullgrown sheep which spent the
night in the open began to suffer.
Next it was the calves which were
killed and partially devoured, as If
panthers were pulling them down.
One afternoon a ranchman sat in his
saddle on the ridge too far away to
lend any assistance, and watched half
dozen Of the fierce wild dogs spring
| from cover and attack a cow in past
ure. With horns and feet the cow beat
off several Of them, but the struggle
was unequal, and finally, with two
savage brutes clinging to her throat,
the cow sank down and was soon
dead. The ranchman put spurs to his
horse and reached the field ir time to
empty his revolver at the dogs and
wound one, but they had torn the car
cass past usage as human food.
Many farmers and stockmen have
lost one or more from their herds.
The remains of a dead dog or two
which had met a terrible death showed
that the pack of brutes often gave
more than fair exchange to the herd
for their dinner. Hunters. In the Mar
in hills have for months moved eau
tiously through the brush in quest of
peculiar game. 1t was wild dog that
they sought, though not for table pur-
poses. Several have been slain in diff
ferent localities, but the pack Of dogs,
which have become as wild and savage
LII, -Ao1