East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-11-25

crease in the number Of bear scalps
and their state treasurer called at
tention to the large number reported
by four or five Of the towns, and add
ed that, should the other 234 towns
be equally successfully in breeding
wild animals for the state market in
proportion to their tax levy, it would
require state tax of nearly two mil
lion dollars to pay the bounty claims
Even New York withdrew the re-
wards on bears in 1895, not because
they had become unnecessary, but
because the number Of animals kill
ed steadily increased each year.
Idaho last year enacted a law pro-
vding for the hiring of expert
hunters and trappers. In a letter
addressed to DR.. Noble, the state vet
erinarian, asked concerning the
success of their present undertaking,
and was informed by DR.. Noble that
his opinion of the present law was
that it was quite unsatisfactory for
the reason that it was quite impos-
sible to get competent hunters and
trappers.
Montana some years ago attempted
through the efforts of their state
veterinarian, DR.. Knowles, to infect
the coyotes of that state with sarcop-
tic mango. In reply to a letter re-
garding the success of this undertake
ing, DR.. Knowles states that after
successfully injecting a number of
coyotes and wolves they were allow
ed their freedom, certain forms be-
is distributed among the stockmen
Of that section, to report whether
from their observation, any infected
coyotes had been seen. 1t seems that
but little success attended this un-
dertaking and that today Montana
is attempting to lessen the loss from
predatory wild animals by the use Of
the bounty system.
Coyotes Almost Immune.
Therefore, it seems that plague
eradication up to the present is de-
scidedly impractlcableS due, largely,
susceptible to but few diseases of a
highly contagious origin, and the one
disease that we know they are sus-
ceptible to is highly transmittable to
all animals and man. and is known
as rabies, or hydrophobia; hence the
positive exclusion of this measure as
a pest eradicator.
From the further knowledge that
any legislative assistance the state
might decide to offer the stockmen
would not be available for some
months after the legislature, which
is due to meet some time within the
coming two years.
Also, 1t is quite evident that the
losses which will be experienced in
the coming year of 1909 will be i'm
mensely greater than in any previous
year, and we are forced to wonder
what measures the flocksmen of Ore
gon must or can take to protect them
selves from these needless losses.
Fortunately each flocksman has at
some time Of his career been success
full in killing a few Of these pests,
and when we stop to consider that
there are in the east Cascade section
of oregon some 500 flocksmen run
ming sheep, and If these owners would
average the destruction ofJ25 coyotes
each for the winter of 1907, and ap-
proximately that half of this number
should be females, which would av-
erage six pups each during the sum-
mer, this would account for the de-
struction of some $1,000 coyotes.
What Is the Remedy?
The question is, How can this de-
structon be brought about? Po'son-
ing seems to be the only practicable
method and the success Of It depends
largely upon the expertness Of the
operator. The overlooking of such
apparently unimportant features as
handling the bait at all times with
new gloves, being careful not to spit
or expectorate around the region Of