Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-03
RAVACES OF THE WOLVES
Losses Of Western Cattlsmen Put q:
Millions Annually.
WOLVES INCREASING IN NUMBERS
Not Less Than 500 900 Animals killed
Yearly, Says an omcial Report
of the Forest Reserve
People.

the cattle rangers, who suffer most from
their depredauons, are seeking a better
way of getting rid Of them than by hunting
them with dogs and horses. The forest
reserve people have beer examining the
matter scientifically and the Agricultural
department has just put out bulletin
telling all about wolves and their habits.
This paper says:
For thrilling sport and for a test of
skill and nerve, hunting them can hardly
be excelled, but as a method of destroying
wolves It is costly in horsefiesh, dogs
and the time of the best riders. Never
theless this is often the only method em-
ployed by the ranchmen."
The forest reserve bureau started the
inquiry to learn II the increase in the re-
serves had anything to do with the in
crease in wolves and the conclusion is
reached that II has not. It is declared
that the wolves do not breed as a rule,
in tho mountains, but in the lands, chiefly
bad lands, below the timber line.
They feed as much as possible on cattle
and horses and on what game they can
catch. The cattle occupy the low-lying
country in the winter months and are
driven into the mountains in the summer
The wolves follow these migrations so as
to procure food.
Annual Tribute IL Costly.
The damage done by these animals to the
cattle industry of the country is enormous
Arthur ]. Tisdall Of San Miguel county
New Mexico, who for many years has
been keeping track of the damage done
by wolves In the west, says:
ct is my belief from figures I have
made that they destroy not less than 50O.-
900 animals annually. principally calves
and yearllng cattle. The state and county
bounties result in very little good"
Vernon Bailey. who made the investiga-
ton for the bureau, reports that in a GER
tain part OF New Mexico he learned that
q moderate estimate Of the stock killed by
four wolves of which he got trace was a
yearling COW or a calf every three days or
approximately 100 head of cattle to each
wolf.
Counting all as calves" said Mr.. Bailey,
sat the very low rate of so a head, each
wolf would at this rate cost the ranchmen
1900 a year. This estimate of $4,000 for
the four wolves leaves out of consideration
the five to ten hungry offspring of each
pair, which would begin TO kill stock for
themselves In the fall and would continue
TO do so as long as they lived"
Victor Culberson, another authority in
the same region, estimates the losses on
North Dakota authorities say that the
losses OF cattle in that state from wolves
are about IS per cent of the herds.
what n Nebraska Man Says.
r. NJ. Allen. general manager OF the
Standard Cattle company, with ranches in
Wyoming and Montana, reports that his
company has paid in one year a bounty on
500 wolves, and he estimates that the loss
nnlx aIo l,oa. 80
to as much as s1,0O0,O00 year. A. ]. Both
well. who has lived in wyoming many
years. puts the destruction of cattle at
from 10 to 20 per cent of the herds, and
Lieutenant E. L. Munson of Choteau
county, Montana. says the loss is Is per
cent. ]. B. Bennett OF Stanford. Mont,
says:
"A family OF wolves will destroy about
5000 worth of stock per annum."
From nearly every western state come
the reports that the wolves are growing
more numerous. In ten years Wyoming
has paid bounties on 10000. amounting to
more than $4,000. In 1906 South Dakota
paid bounties amounting TO $4,000.
One county, Grant in New Mexico paid
1850 in bounties on 127 animals. Minnesota
from 1866 to 1895 paid $26O,OO0 on these
bounties. and in the last ten years has paid
on JOOOO OF tne animals.
Records OF bounties are only an indica-
ton of the number of these animals. Hun
dreds are killed on which no bounty is
collected.
Habitat Well Defined.
They thrive in certain well defined re-
gions. and the forestry bureau says me
only way to get rid of them is by getting
track OF their dens and killing the young
haf hafu
and April p. 1906. he found four dens con-
taining thlrty-two pups in the Green river
valley in Wyoming. and there were evil
IDENTIFY two or three other dens in the
valley. He adds:
Forty old wolves would seem q fair
estimate OF the number in this valley
Along the east base of the Wind river
mountains. from Miners Delight to Union
at least nineteen wolves were killed dur
ing the year OF 1906 and FIVE pups were
taken from one den near Lander on May /
1905"
In three other valleys OF the state boun
ties were paid on about Us wolves last
year. Reports from Montana and Colorado
indicate that the wolves are as numerous
as they are in Wyoming and New Mexico
The disappearance of buffaloes seems tC
have caused a large increase in the wolves
according to some authorities. The buf,
faloes were their former prey. but they
have found II easier TO kill cattle thar
buhaloes and hence they have increased al
the more rapidly.
Cattle Easier to XIII.
Although the wolves like game better
than any other raw food. they find Il
easier TO kill cattle than game. They spring
on their victims from behind and the ami
mails are eaten literally alive. Mr.. Bailey
says that sometimes a calf or yearling will
escape with great piece torn out OF IL
ham. while the wolf goes to catch another
animal.
The ranchmen say that the injured ami
mails die usually OF blood poisoning. They
say also that more cattle are killed thar
eaten. because the wolves usually prefer
fresh meat Mr.. Bailey adds:
I'm summer they rarely return for ever
a second meal from the same animal: bu
In winter. when the cattle are gathered
into pastures or stables. they often return
20 a carcass until Its bones are picked"
There are no accurate data as to tn,
amount OF game killed by the wolves. II
the far north caribou. moose and musl
oxen are their victims. while IN the Unite,
States deer and sometimes antelopes an,