Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-02-02
COYOTES AND DOGS
KILL SHEEP AND GOATS
These Loses Make This Industry
Unprofitab BILE in Rogue River
Valley.

hOSue hlVeT Nalley mas IHe duNdu-
tages in its mild climate and the hun
dreds of thousands OF acres OF open
range in the hills aud mountains to
become one Of the great goat and
sheep districts of the Pacific Coast,
but these great ranges are vacant and
there are not to exceed so bands Of
goats and sheep in the entire Valley,
which has an area as large as the
state of Connecticut This unusual
condition is not due to the fact that
there is no profit in goats or sheep.
With mohair at 30 to "a cents pound
and goats selling at from "a to $40
each, and wool "a to 26 cents pound
and sheep 50 to $6, and the oak brush
land supplying free pasture IL months
in the year to the goats, with but
the expense of little feed during
stormy weather, and the open land
affording the sheep feed for the tax
ing, with only a small expense for
pasturage and feed during the Winter
months, makes certain big profits in
these kinds of stock.
But there is not a farmer in jose
phine county. who had experience,
that, even with all this encouraging
showing, are enthusiastic over goat
and sheep raising. All have the same
statements and complaint to make
that there is big money in the bust
ness were it not for the loss caused
by inroads Of the coyotes and the dogs
in the fiocks. The farmers that keep
sheep or goats, for the angora goats
are SO finely bred and have such heavy
coats of mohair that they. have neither
the pugnacity nor agility Of the old
time scrub goat, are compelled to
bring them in from the range each
evening, Winter and Summer, and
put them in highfenced corrall tc
protect them from the coyotes and
dogs. This EXPENSE, together with
the loss of the goats cause during the
day time, for these marauders are
abroad by day as we'll as by night,
is so heavy that the industry yields
but small profit beside what there
would be were conditions more favor
able.
While the coyotes are getting more
numerous each year and more bold in
their attacks on sheep, goats, pigs
and poultry, yet there is no doubt that
dogs kill many shesp and goats that
the coyotes get the blame for. On the
depredations that dogs do, the Pacific
Rural Spirit of Portland has the fol-
lowing to say:
One of the most annoying losses on
the farm is caused by sheep killing
. dogs. 1t is said that some states con-
tain more dogs than sheep; that dogs
are protected while the sheep are not.
In some sections of the country
there is a maudlin sentiment in re-
gard to dogs that should be corrected.
> a good dog is a valuable animal, but
? not one dog i'll 10 is worth its board
5 and lodging. Apparently there is
. only one solution TO the uog problem,
) anu Ihae 10 w ieooSniHinS uoS as un'
, legal property OF It's owner SO long al
1t remains on its owners premises,
but if caught away from home the
logs right to further existence Is for
feited. A dogs place is at home, i,
is of no value to its master unless il
r is taught to stay at home. Dogs thai
r are taught TO mind seldom or never
5 kill sheep, but few dogs are so edu
I Gated. IL is the worthless cur, mon
, grel or otherwise, that does the mis-
chief.
, Few men are capable Of training 8
dog. The average man can no more
: make dog mind than he can make
!, his cane fly; usually in the effort th'
r cane flies toward the dog, then fur
I ther discipline is out OF the question