Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-06
WOLVES IN FARMYARDS.
Kill Cattle in Montana-Hunt in Big
Packs.

For some unknown reason woiyfs
are coming bac!; into our section Of the
state" said Frank Metzcl. prominent
as 4 Stockman and ranchman of tho
upper Ruby valley for many years.
''and they are creating considerable.
havoc. They think nothing nowadays
Ut coming into a barnyard and making
4 kill and number of valuable ami
mais nave recently been destroyed ~
Lllc VallIintS.
only Il Il " days ago pack InNad-
cd on@ OF the pastures near Tie &. y.
Larabic Brook NUuk ranch and killed
two finely bred colts while their dams
were prwcrlesS to prevent it. and with
ranch hands less than half i mil"
AWAY. There are q number Of other
incidents i'll tho valley where they in
vaded tie corralS and killed calves.
and il il nothing infrequent for kill
ing to DC mace in pasture.
";'ntii within the last few years our
section IF the country had ben free
from this curse nf the range. and it Is
only la isolated cases that gray
wolf was ever reported. Now they 80
III packs and hunt systematically. :
can remember the older men Of tho
valley telling 3i seeing wolf packs IN
the early 1U'S, but those Old-tiIno
hunters were 50 relentless III thsir
hunt of the animals that few escaped.
and it was believed that the entire
wcIf tribe Of that part Of Montana was
practically eXterminatcd. 1t is only
Turing the last few ycars-Since the es-
Enlistment Of the forest reserve syS-
t,nl-that the wolves have hcCotuc par
ticularly pernicious. There is some
talk Of the forestry bureau putting III
Il trali'cr Ia hunt the wolves in the
Madison reserve this winter. ="
The situation regarding the wolves
in The upper part Of the Ruby valley
Is really serious one, and the stock
men of Ike county arr feeling TIE loss
ilcrnly. for !, Nolf is almost as big as
a 81. i,crnard dog and has an appetite
| in proportion. 1t takes q lot To- feed
him. ana he generally likes to feed on
warm flesh and do the killing himself.
! or else lc i'll on it. He is rot IL coyote
~ ,la.- the iacl:al and feed OFF carbon.
! For a while l secuted at the idea of
wolves being in the valley III numbers.
| but mad occasion to change my mind
| few weeks ago. l was above the
upper canyon looking after some stock.
ana campcd near the Carruthars cab
MS. before daylight | got up and
found that the horses had moved out
of the little valley aud I started after
them. Before had gone mor> than u
mile il began To get light, and IN IL"
Sagrbrush not over 2u0 yards away, L
could make out thirty or forty objects
movin.: about. which. ] miStOoh for
deer Thinking it queer thai deer
should he iii such a locality | went a
little nearer to investigate. Then my
hair stood on end, for | could see THAI
| they were wolves, all big, Saunt, hum
Srl-lonking chaps.
Seeing nc, ;hcy sidlcd slowly away.
| trotting on Il hilltop, where they cams
against the skyline and | could dis
tinguish them clearly. ] counted eiSh-
teen in the burch, and fully that many
more went below tho skyline, so that
! they were lost in the shadows. That
was my first sight of wolves. but 1
! can assure Won I do not want to see
any more Of the critters. especially
| when | am on foot and unarned. -
Anaconda Standard.