Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-03
THE TERROR OF RANcHERs.
Mad Wolves Increasing in Texas
Efforts to Protect Stock and Persons.

1
Mad Wolves Increasing in Texas
Efforts to Protect Stock and persons.
The rauChmen of this section arc
making a desperate effort to eradicate
| the wolves which infest their pastures.
Notwithstanding the fight which mas
been waged against them for many
| wears, their numbers show an annuai
increase. They seem to thrive Win
| the settling up of the country. Ihey
are not only menace to the live stoch,
but of late years rabies has spread
among them to an extent that is alarm
| ing.
| Many instances are known OF the
victim OF one OF these animals dying
of hydrophobia Since the establish
ment of a State hydrophobia institute
at Austin three years ago more than
hundred persons have gone there Tor
| treatment for mad wolf bites.
The wolves are of the coyote species.
They skulk around at night and XIII
young calves and make away with
lambs and kids. The last legislature
passed a scalp bounty law, which car
ried an appropriation of 100000 to pay
for the scalps Of coyotes and other
|
to the stocllmen. Gov. Campbell vetoed
the measure.
Many OF the ranchmen have hunters
constantly employed to kill the wolves
| wildcats, and other depredating wild
animals. This method of eradication IL
slow and very expensive.
a few years ago, Clement Bonterant'
an Englishman, purchased a ranch
. II
c0votes We're Carrying Off most of hia
calves and Lambs. He employed Next
cans to capture halls a dozen coyotes
alive. He placed a sheep bell upon
each of these coyotes and turned them
loose uron his ranch. 1t was M. Bon
terants theory that the helled coyotes
would brighten away all the other coy
otes on the place Instead, the belled
coyotes attracted other coyotes to then
and in u few days each belled coyote
had a big flock of followers. and these
hordes Of animals were playing worse
havoc than ever before.
After many efforts the helled coyotes
were rscaptured and the bells removed
from their necilS.
Mr.. Bonerant then made the cXperl-
mcnt of capturing 4 number OF the
coyotes alive and placing them IN a
pen with NANCY dogs which ne had
brought from San Antonio Tor tina:
special purpose. The coyotes soon con-
tractcd the mango and were turned
loose. That experiment worked WIN
better success than the one which he
. first tried. Nearly every coyote IT
Southwest Teas is now afflicted with
the mango.
Mad wolves are such q menace Il
this section that many ranchnen nave
built corrals around their homes as {.
means of protection for their WlVr:
, and children against attack by the
animals. When afflicted with Tho
rabies Il coyote does not hesitate e
enter the open door of q hous,, or e.
boldly into camp where men are sleep
ing and attack whomSOeVcr IL happens
to run across.
4 few days ago party OF deer hunt
ers We're sitting around Il camp frs
over on the Nueces River. The night
was dark ana the air chilly. The mcr
; were enjoying the comforts OF camp
, life, when they suddenly heard tbs
eroNl OF q coyote. and before anyone
could grab up 4 gun the animal walked
into the circle of light ana passet
, souarely through the flames and coals
of fire. 1t then turned and started
, toward one Of the hunters. Gefore the
mad animal could get To him the mar
, managed u get hold of his gun an(
. kill it.
y, The coyote when suffering from al
attack OF hytrorhobia VIII attack and
bite full-grov,n cattle. The bite pro
duces rabies in the cattle, and The loss
, OF live stock from this cause are con.
siderable. Ii IS very dangerous 10 en-
ter o pasture where there are cattle
which are suffering from hydrophobia
> The animals charge everything IN
sight.
roln Hubbard had a gang Of Next
cans at work constructing water hole
or tank" AS they are called. on a
ranch near here recently. The labor
ers lived in an open camp and had
taken no precautiOn TO prevent attacks
s from mad wolves.
One night they were lying asleep up
: on the ground around the camp fire
: when one Of the mad wolves made IFS
: appearance among them. Two of them
!; were sent to the State Hydr"phobia
(: Institute, where the were treated. The
other Mexican refused 10 take the
treatment, and on the ninth day after
being bitten died.-St. Louis Globe
| Democrat.