Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-02
MAD WOLVES RANCHER S
TERROR.
Numbers increasing in Tcxns-Enorts
10 Protect Stock md Persons

10 frotcct stock md Persons.
Especial Correspondence st. Louis Globe
Democracy
The ranchmen OF this section are max
ing desperate effort to eradicate the
wolves which infest pastures. Notwith-
standing the fight which has been
wagcd against them for many years their
numbers show an annual increase. They
seem to thrive with the settling up of the
country. They are not only menace
to live stock but of late years rabies
has spread among them to an extent that
is alarming.
Many instances are known OF tina
victim Of ono of these animals dying OF
hydrophobia. since tho establishment Of
n State hydrophobia institute at Austin
three years ago more than a hundred
persons have gone there for treatment
for mad wolf bites.
The wolves are of the coyote species
| They skulk around at night and kill
young calves and make away with lambs
and kids. The last Legislature passed
| a scalp bounty law which carried an
| appropriation of 10000 to pay for the
scalps on coyotes and other wild animals
| which cause serious losses to the stock
men. Gov Campbell vetoed the measure.
! Many Of the ranchmer have hunters
| constantly employed to kill the wolves.
wildcats and other dc1rcdatng wild ami
! mails. This method of eradication Is slow
| and very expensive.
A few years ago Clement Ronterant
an Englshman, purchased a ranch west
OF here He soon found that the coyotes
were carrying off most of his calves and
lambs. He employed Mexicans to cap
| ture half a dozen coyotes alive He
| placed n sheep bell on each of these
| coyotes and turned them loose upon
| his ranch. 1t was Mr.. Ronterant's theory
that the hcled coyotes would brighten
| away all the Other coyotes on the place.
| Instead the helled coyotes attracted other
coyotes to them and in a few days each
| belief coyote had big flock Of follow
ers and these hordes of animals were
playing worse havoc than ever before.
After many efforts the bel!ed coyotes
We're recapturcd and the bells removed
| from their necks
| Mr. Bonterant then tried the expert
ment Of capturing number OF the coy
! otes alive ard placing them in pen
with NANCY dogs which ne had brought
from San Antonio for that special pur-
| pose. The coyotes soon contracted mango
| and were turned loose. The experiment
worked with better success than the orr
which he first tried. Nearly every coy
ote IN southern Texas is now afflicted
! with the mango.
The wolves are such n menace to this
section that many ranchmen have built
corrais around their homes as a means
of protection for thclr wives and children
against attack by the animals. When
-,
not hesitate to enter the open door of the
house or 60 boldly into a camp where
men are sleeping and attack whomsocver
II happens to run across.
A few da.-s ago n party of deer hunters
| were sitting around n campfire over on
the Nucces river The night was dark
and the air chilly. The men We're enjoy
ing tho comforts of camp life when they
suddenly heard the growl OF q coyote
and before any one could alb up n
gun the animal walked into the circle
Of light and passed squarely through the
flames and GOALS of the fire. It then turn
cd and started toward one of the hunters
Before the rlad animal could get to him
the man managed to get hold of his gun
and kill II.
| The coyote when suffering from an at
tack of hydrophobia will attack and bite
full grown cattle. The bite produces
rabies In the cattle and the losses of live
| stock from this cause are considerable.
| It is very dangerous to enter a pasture
where there are cattle which are suffer
ing from hyvlrophobia. The animals
charge everything IN sight.
Tom Hubbard had n gang of Mexicans
Mt wark constructing waterhole, or
tank" as they are called on a ranch
near here recently. The laborers lived
In an open camp and had taken no
precaut!on to prevent attacks from mad
wolves.
One night they were lying asleep upon
the ground around the camp fire when
one Of the mad wolves made Its appear
ance among them. Two of them were
sent to the state hydrophobia Institute,
where they were treated. The other
Mexican refused TO take the treatment
and on the nirth day after being bitten
iAI