The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-03-05
MAD WOLVES RANcHERs' r
ROR.
Numbers Increasing in Texas-Effort
to Protect Stock and Persons.

The ranchmen of this section arr
making a desperate effort to eradicat
the wolves which infest their pastures
Notwithstanding the fight which ha
been waged against them for many
years their numbers show an annual in
crease. They seem to thrive with thu
settling up of the country. They ar(
not only menace to the live STOCK
but of late years rabies has spread
among them to an extent that is alarmt
ing.
Many instances are known of thu
victim of one of these animals dying Of
hydrophobia. Sinuce the establishment
of state hydrophobia institute al
Austin three years ago more than I
hundred persons have gone there foi
treatment for mad wolf bites.
The wolves are of the coyote species
They skulk around at night and kf
young calves and make away VIZ
lambs and kids. The last LegislaE FUR
passed scalp bounty law which car
ried an appropriation of 500, 0G I'd
pay for the scalps of coyotes and otheI
wild animals which cause Serious loss
to the stockmen. Gov. CampbeAM
toed the measures
Many of the ranchmen have hunters
constantly employed to kill the wolves
wildcats and other depredating wild AM
imals. This method of eradication il
slow and very expensive.
A few years ago Clement Bonterant
an Englishman, purchased ranch ives
of here. He soon found that the coy
otes were carrying off most of his
calves and lambs. He employed Mexi
cans to capture half dozen coyotet
alive. He placed a sheep bell upon eac4
of these coyotes and turned them looSA
upon his ranch. 1t was Mr.. Bonterantl
theory that the belled coyotes woul
brighten away all other coyotes on thi
place. Instead the belled coyotes a4
tracted other coyotes to them and in
few days each belled coyote had biz
flock of followers and these hordes
animals were playing worse havoc tina
ever before.
After many efforts the belled coyote
were recaptured and the bells remove
from their necks.
Mr.. Bonterant then tried the expe
ment of capturing number of
coyotes alive and placing them in a
with NANCY dogs which he h
brought from San Antonio for t.
special purpose. The coyotes soon CO.
tracted the mango and were turn
loose. That experiment worked wi
better success than the one which
first tried. Nearly every coyote
southwest Texas is now afflicted W.
the mango.
Mad wolves are such a menace
this section that many ranchmen hs#
built corrals around their homes as
means of protection for their wives
children against attack by the aiming
When afiicted with the rabies coy
does not hesitate to enter the OF
door of house or go boldly init
camp where men are sleeping and
tack whomsoever it happens to
across.
A few days ago party of deer hlA
ers were sitting around campfire
on the Nueces river. The night
dark and the air chilly. The men v
enjoying the comforts of camp
when they suddenly heard the GIT
of a coyote and before any one Ct
grab up gun the animal walked
to the circle of light and pa
squarely through the flames and
of the fire. 1t then turned and sta
toward one of the hunters. Before
mad animal could get to him the
managed to get hold of his gun
kill it.
The coyote when suffering from
attack of hydrophobia will attack
bite full grown cattle. The bite
duces rabies in the cattle and the ID
Of livestock from this cause are
siderable. 1t is very dangerous I'd
ter a pasture where there are
which are suffering from hydroph
The animals charge everything
slight.
Tom Hubbard had a gang of
cans at work constructing a
hole, or tank" as they are Gale
ranch near here recently. The
orers lived in an open camp ant
taken no precaution to proven
lacks from mad wolves.
One night they were lying aslee
on the ground around the cam
when one of the mad wolves mae
appearance among them. Two of
were sent to the State Hydrophobf
stitute, where they were treated.
other Mexican refused to take
treatment and on the ninth day
being bitten died.-Encinal CT
correspondence st. Louis Globe-I
crat.