The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-10-13
RIDDANCE OF COy5HS
Results Of Agricultural De
partment's Tests in
Oklahoma.


Professor David r. Lantz, assistant
in the biological survey of the United
States department Of agriculture, has
returned to Washington after finishing
more than a years work in southwest
erh Oklahoma studying the habits OF
coyotes End deviAmg means Tor thcr
destruction 10y farmers and ranchmen.
says Chattanooga (Oka) dispatch to
the Kansas City Star lie has been
ascertaining II fence Of reasonable
cost can be built for the protection Of
live stock and poultry from depreda-
tions OF these marauders of the west
ern prairies. Improbable though 1t
may seem. coyotes have increased in
numbers in Oklahoma since the coun-
try was settled. This condition pre-
walls in other western states whore
wild land has been reclaimed by set
tlemenf.
"'Fhe state OF Kansas" says Profess
or Lantz. where settlements are com
paratively old and where mans wei
fare against The coyote has been long
continued. affords an excellent illus
tration OF the animals ability 20 main
tain its numbers under seemingly ad
verse circumstances. Most of the couu-
ties Of the state for many years have
paid bountios for killing coyotes, and
conditions have been reached where
there is little huctuatiOn in the total
amount paid from year to year The
returns of the animals killed for the
7 Tt.I
TO June 30, 1904 shows that nearly 20,
900 coyote scalps were presented for
bounty. The bounty was 81 for each
scalp
The prey of coyotes is mostly pigs,
sp. young calves and poultry. Coy
~ Sa- little courage. although they
will ra,d a barnyHrd IN daylight Their
seeming boldness is due more to ga
miliarity with their surroundings than
| 10 native fearlessness. They are too
suspicious TO be easily trapped or pot
soned. although in portions of Mexico,
where the natives for years have prac-
/ ticed systematic poisoning, the coyote
/ is becoming rare. Coyotes breed once
a year Their mating season Is late
IN January or early in February. The
/ young range IN number from four 10 a
| dozen The coyote eats both animal
and vegetable food. They are great
| pilferers OF watermelOns In Okahoma.
! always choosing ripe melon.
Practically the only benefit derived
/ from coyotes by the farmer In Okln-
homa is their destruction Of rabbits.
which they pursue and devour when
/ carrion is scarce or food more easily
| obtained cannot be found. The big
| Jack rabbit FOR n short distance is
swfier than a coyote, but lacks endur
apcs Professor Lantz says that while
a single coyote would not be able to
] run down a jack rabbit but hunting
together, taking advantage of the tend
! ency OF the hare to run Ia a circle.
they are sh!e 10 capture II. Eyewit-
nesSes 60 such performance state
that they tight over the division OF the
rabbits carcass, but Ihat all obtain
share
Professor Lantz was especially in
terested IN providing at reasonable
cost coyote proof woven wire fence
for the protection OF domestic animals
While al Chattanooga he conducted a
number OF experiments in the big pas
ture," where President Roosevelt hunt.
cd last spring. 10 test the ability Of
coyotes 10 escape from Enclosures lie
had particularly In view the protection
OF sheep, having been told that in the
sheep country in the southwest the an
nual losses from wild animals amount.
Oh IN ..g ltn
more thickly settled western states the
loss Is sbout per cent.
A long lane was FIRST built. with
sides seven feet high, made with poul.
Try netting Of small mesh Fourteen
cross fences OF heights from thirty to
siXty-siK inches and Of various designs
were built at intervals along the lane
They were arranged so that the COY
otes, Introduced at one end OF the lane.
should have presented 10 them gradual
ly increasing difficulty 10 passing the
fences Two coyotes we're released sin
gy into the lane. and their progress
and methods OF passing the cross
fences were carefully noted.
The coyotes rAu with their noses
close to the grOund and seemed 10 have
no knowledge sf jumping. Neither OF
them succeeded in getting over fence
more than thirty-slx Inches In height.
The method was one OF climbing as.
sisted by the hind feet rather than OF
jumping All attempts to pass the OBJ
struetions began with efforts TO get the
muEzle through openings. IL the entire
head could be thrust through and there
was room enough for the shoulders to
spread out literally the whole wolf
was able to follow Both went through
rectangular openings 3 by u inches
and = by 8 inches. but the larger ami
NAL failed to pass mesh . by inch
es The smaller animal went through