The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-26
WOLVES ARE PLENTY
Are Increasing in Numbers From Year
to Year-New Mexico Cattleman
Places Loss in United States From
Wolves at 100000 Head per Year.

Writing from the Bell Ranch, San
Miguel County, N. Mex, Arthur J.
Tisdall, il a letter to the Biological
Survey, dated December 26, 1897,
said:
1 would call your attention to the
excessive damage lone by wolves all
over the Western States and Terri
torres, especially where cattle and hor-
ses run on the range. 1t is my belief
from figures 1 have made that they de
stroy not less than 100000 animals
annually, principally calves and year
ling cattle. l have been fighting this
pest for years, and keep them down
fairly well in whatever locality my in
terests lie at that time. The State
and county bounties result in very lit
tie good.
Additional field reports from New
Mexico gave the wolves as numerous
in 1899 at Portales and Roswell; il
1901 in the Pecos Valley about Carls-
bad; in 1902 along the east slope of
the Guadalupe, Sacramento and White
mountains, and at Corona and CARR
zozo; AID in 1903 near Montoya, and
as common about Santa Rosa, in the
Captain Mountains on the Mesa Jam
anes, and in the Pecos River Noun.
tains, and as less common in the Taos
Manzano, and were fairly common
and doing great damage to stock in
the Bear Spring Gallina and Datil
mountains. In September, 1906 they
were found in considerable number
just north of the ella Forest Reserve
where they were killing cattle at an
alarming rate. A Mexican owning a
small ranch north of Luna said that
they killed II head of his cattle, main
ly calves, during the summer.
On the ella Forest Reserve in May
1906 wolves were fairly common in
the upper Mimbres, Sapello Creek,
Rocky Creek, and Diamond Greek val
leys. At least 4 crossed the North
Star Mesa between Sapello Creek and
the Mimbres every few nights appar-
emily killing stock on every round.
Judging from my own observations
and from what l could learn from the
ranchmen, a moderate estimate of the
stock killed by each of these 4 wolves
would be a calf or a yearling Or a cow
every three days, or approximately a
hundred head of cattle a year to a
wolf. Counting all as calves at the
very low rate of $40 a head, each wolf
would at this rate cost the ranchmen
ST, 900 a year. This estimate OF $4,000
for the 4 wolves leaves out of co1sid-
Grafton the 5 to 10 hungry ~off-springs
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.
From the same section of the ella
Reserve, on the SapeIlo Creek, Mr.. |
Victor Culberson, President and man
ager of the G o S Cattle Company.
writes under late of June 3, 1906:
We estimate the losses on our ranch
by wolves to be at least 10 per cent
Three years ago, while gathering up
steers to be turned off and holding
them in a small pasture, we found
one morning 8 yearling that had been
killed during the previous night. and
in gathering AID ~disposing of that
bunch of about 500 head of cattle we
had 81 head killed. We always es-
timated our losses by wolves to be
the greatest of those from n wild
animals. When the wolves first ap-
peared in this part of the country we
paid $50 apiece for 10 of them and con