Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-03
PLANNING BIG WOLF DRIVE.
Government Sanctions determination
on Wichita Preserve.

on Wichita Preserve.
| Lawton. Okla, Jan. 2.-Secretary
James Wilson of the department OF ag-
riculture has adopted the plan OF the
western sportsman for the eNtermllla-
ton of coyotes and wolves IN the ma
tional preserve of the Wichita noun
tains in Oklahoma. Today, under the
| direction and supervision OF Colonel
e. T.. Morrsey, forest supervisor of
the Wichita forest reserve, one of the
greatest wolf drive in the history oil
the west will be pulled off.
The following letter OF instructions
has been received from Clifford Pinchot
/ government forester at Washington
and it has the approval signature of
Secretary Wilson: You may organize
drive for wolves and coyotes in the
| Wichita game preserve You will select
the men, taking their names, and the
dogs to accompany you and allow no
others to take part in the drive. The
dogs selected should be those which
have been trained to hunt these ami
mails and which will not hunt the deer
and antelope and other animals which
it is desirable to protect. If at any
time you find the deer are becoming
frightened or endangered you will stop
| the drive.
| Rules Governing Drive.
! You will explain Co those assisting
in the drive that the United States VIII
not be liable for any expense in con-
nection with it and that any failure
on the part of any of them to observe
your directions and orders during the
drive will render them liable to prose-
cution under the act authorizing the
setting apart of the preserve
| In addition to these instructions SUE
pervisor Morrisey has planned all the
details of the drive and is advertising
for competent and reliable men with
trained dogs. He has appointed cap
| tains to lead the different divisions
on the several sides of the preserve
and with these men every person de-
string to participate in the drive must
register his name. He and his dogs will
be under the direction of the captain.
Colonel Morrisey himself will have
charge of the west division, while A. G.
Cooper of Fort Sill, county game war
den and game protector of the military
reservation, will be a captain on the
be allowed in the drive.
The general plan of the drive Is the
same as the plans heretofore put into
effect in the Indian pasture reserva-
ton in the south part of Comanche
county, Oklahoma. Lines are to be
formed on each of the four sides, each
under a captain. They gradually and
slowly close in, driving the wolves and
coyotes before them toward the center
until the central Enclosure has become
small enough that a general attack
can be made without the loss Of very
large number of animals. AT signal
from the commander every man enters
the chase and the dogs are all re-
leased.
The Wichita game preserve was or
iginally the Wichita forest reserve and
! was set aside for game preservation by
an act of congress last year. 1t con-
tains over 10000 very rough acres.
overrun by Wolves and Coyotes.
1t is in the very heart Of the Wichita
mountains, where there are few level
tracts. The difficulties of the drive
will be great, but the novelty and
spirit of sport and adventure will not
deter the participants from enjoyment
and doubtless a hundred or more
wolves will be killed or captured.
Coyotes and wolves exist in the game
preserve not by the hundreds but by
the thousands. Their determination
has been vexatious problem to cattle
men for half century and to farmers
since the settling of the country few
years ago. The big pasture" plan is
the most feasible and best, while the
"Abernathy'' stunt of capturing the
animals alive is an exciting and sue
cessful novelty in vogue. John Aber-
nathy himself will doubtless take part
in the drive. The forest supervisor is
instructed by the department to re-
peat the drives during the winter and
spring months until the wolves are
practically exterminated SO that other
game can safely be placed in the pre-
serve.