The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-15

too. were constantly dropping out. and
driving out the sick and weak. and these
were easy prey. Since the passing Of the
buffalo the wolf has naturally turned his
attention 10 cattle. sheep and horses. 10
has been said that the depreciation COM
nsitted by the wolf and coyote pes, against
the aoeks and herds In the past twenty
years in this state would amount to many
millions. II Is estimated that each full
grown wolf win require about three two
year-old steers or their equivalent In .
year. During the last ten years their
numbers have been greatly reduced.
thanks TO the heavy bounties that are
offered.
One OF the most peculiar things about
the wolf Is that he will often approach
a man on the prairie without apparent
fear. Such thing happened 10 me while
driving In an open buggy with frieni.
We were passing the head OF a sharp hue
small couiee. when "a large gray wolf came
up within a hundred feet OF us. lie sat
on his launches while we passed hiEn.
and then followed Us for n quarter OF
mile. t-otting behind the buggy like a
dog. When we stopped. he stopped and
when we shouted at him he merely
pr.cked up his ears. as IL only mildly In
terested In us Finally he disappeared
over a hill. and only east quick glance
over his shoulder as he disappeared.
have often heard others tell OF similar
experiences. and no one seems 20 be able
TO account for such actions In most
cases the wolf does IL when n man Is
unarmed. but cowboy near Fort Ben
ton shot one last fail under similar cir
cumstances. l wonder II Seton Thompson
knows of this peculiar trait OF his friend
For the past ten years trappers have
been able to make n good thing out OF tiss
business OF killing the coyote and tho
wolf. after clearing from = 900 90 500
for the winters work Now that they
are more scarce and more wary. IL 10
impossible TO make so nuch. ard one
trapper In this county cleared s9eoo from
the fall to the Isl OF July last year.
Poisoning has been almost entirely ahan-
doned as the little beast are. as an osd
trapper told me. Ion 20 1T Traps set in
sand near the dsns and around bait srs
often successful. many are shot. but shs
great majority sre killed IN June. while
young pups. The hunter locates the den.
and then with spade and pick digs 10 the
end. often finding as many six or
eight pups As thee bring o. "a piece.
he - well rewarded. An old trappcr near
here Who hunted last winter IN the rough
brakes OF Arrow Greek caught several
hundred by means Of n weii-trsined sheep
dog. which he had taught 70 so into the
den and bring the pups out. Anothss
peculiar thing about the wolf l. that II
II unknown for a mother to hght for he,
pups. Wolves and coyotes alike viii de-
sert the den and keep out % sight snf
range while the young ones are being
dug out.
Cowboys report that there - n very
large dog wolf that iIas his cen IN the
brakes OF the Missouri river near ths
mouth Of the highwoof and n - reported
that he has AZ time killed fgii-Fro~s
horses and steers II such j. the case. 70
must be extremely rare % else the VIC
tins we're weakened from age or lack a
food
The present bounty ~ g for these des-
iructive pests ir small enough. and ~ u
oou,d b. arranged thst an inserzfats ard
international bounty n q or even as
could b. offered. the country would ~
"a - them IN few ysarr. II would ~
impossible for anT one state % % tha
for the reason that hunfsrs from e'esf
states and Canada world hsfnx 'he his~s
IN - efairn fhe bornsY ~ the Canz6iss
sus ruf,css state governments cvaf
unite ard Offer re g. bounty. = void
soon step fhe e1irferce - fhs coyofs
ard -oif. and -nfiio-s - eoiiars worth a
beef and mutton world - Saved % -
two countrisz-H y n Anaconds
csa-sarF