The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-10-20
Sum of $377,972 22 Paid Out
For the ScaIps.
State Has Been Digging Up
Cash for Forty Years.
Still Animals Are Quite Numer.
Gus in All Sections.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Wolf hunting is a profitable business
in Minnesota. Since the passage of the
first wolf bounty laws in 1866, wolf
hunters have received from the state
treasury the amazing sum of $377,-
672.22; while from county governments
they have received an additional SOL
269.37.
In other words, S42S,94l.59 has been
paid out for the purpose of wiping out
the timber and prairie wolves which
made life burden for the early settlers,
and which still ravage stock farms in
the northern parts of the state. Even
more than this has been paid out, as
many counties make separate bounty,
of which the state makes no record
The state has been paying wolf boun-
ties for over forty years, and although
Minnesota is now a well settled state,
it is evident that wolf bounties will be
paid for many years to come. There are
now in the hands of the state auditor
for payment bounty claims amounting
to over $4,000, and some of the north
ern counties will receive over $1,000
each in county payments this year.
In the northern part of the state wolf
hunting is a particularly profitable di-
version. Last week trap hunter from
Michigan appeared at the office of State
Auditor Iverson and asked for informa-
ton as to the bounty paid on wolves,
and the counties where the highest
additional county bounty was paid. This
hunter has gone into Itasca, Beltrami,
Isanti, Marshall and other northern
counties, and expects to make fair-siz-
ed income from the Staying of wolves.
The state pays bounty of $3.50 for
each full grown wolf killed, and boun-
ty of 81 for each cub. In Beltrami
county the county pays the same boun-
ty, so that for every wolf killed the
slayer receives cash payment of $l5.
The returns to the state auditor from
Beltrami county show that l5S wolves
and eight cubs have been killed there.
for which the state will pay ST., 1913. The
hunters have already collected this from
the state and have collected as much
more in additional bounty from the
county government
Itasca county pays an additional
bounty of S. for each grown wolf; st.
Louis pays an additional bounty equal
to that of the state; Isanti county pays
So ;Winona county, $4;Wadena, Stearns
and other counties, $3.50
The bounty paid by the state has
been changed at different times. At
first it was Sc; in 1867 it was $40, and
the state paid out $ll,330. This was
too much for the resources of the state
government at that time, and in 1869
the bounty was cut down to So. In 1870
only 500 was paid, and in 1871 only
500.
For five years the state then abolish
ed the wolf bounty and left it with the
counties to pay the hunters. In 1876 a
S. bounty was established, and in 1903
this was raised to $3.50. A female wolf
formerly brought bounty of SIS, but
all full grown wolves are now paid for
at $50 each.
The northern counties do not monop-
Ollie the wolves. Claims are now be-
fore the auditor for seven wolves and
twenty-six cubs killed in Goodhue coun-
ty; six wolves killed in Anoka county
one wolf and thirtycight cubs killed in
Stearns county, and twenty-three cubs
killed in Winona county.