The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28
OFFICIAL WOLF
HUNTERS IN WEST
Are Employed By Government
To Exterminate Beast
MAKE SLOW PROGRESS
Conservative Stockmen Place TheiI
Annual Losses At Between $780,
900 and 500, 900 ON Account
of Wolves
BY SIDNEY EsPEY

Washington, August 27.-(Special. y
Wolves have become so great In numbers
and destructiveness in wild domains of
the west that Uncle Sam has been forced
to employ a small army of professional
hunters and trappers to rid the country
of this ever-hungry beast. Although good
results have been reported there Is moth
ing to indicate that the wolf family is
showing signs of becoming extinct or of
being even reduced-in numbers.
The wolf and his near relative, the
coyote, are looked upon by the govern
ment officials as the most destructive of
the wild animals in the United States.
They are always hungry, and as re-
suit of their taste for sheep. lambs and
choice young cattle. ranchmen are losers
lars annually.
Conservative estimates by the stock
men place their losses each year at be-
tween 100000 and 100000. This does not
include the vast number of deer, ante
lope and other game which annually fall
prey to these varmints. However, the
wolves and coyotes are not the only pred
atory animals. Bears get away with con-
siderable live stock while mountain lions
and lynxes are looked upon as exceed
ingly destructive game. One bear in the
vicinity of the Bitterroot National forest
is known to have killed 2s head Of cattle
in one season.
To reduce the depredations of these
wild animals Uncle Sam has employed
force of men experienced as hunters
and trappers.
That these paid hunters earned their sal
aries last year is evident from tho fact
that they killed or otherwise destroyed
1905 coyotes, 220 wolves. 81 wildcats, 10S
bears, SO mountain lions and 81 lynxes.
Because OF the enormous losses suffered
by stockmen on the western cattle ranges
and the destruction of game on the va
rious forest and game preserves and ma
tional parks through the depredations of
wolves. the biological survey of the de-
partment of agriculture has for the past
year been working In cooperation with
the forestry service.
Aside from what the government Is do
ing In this direction, several Of the states
affected are employing hunters and are
offering bounties for dead wolves and
coyotes. Local stockmen's association
and individual counties are also paying
bounties. In some cases three bounties
are paid on each wolf In the upper
Green river valley in Wyoming the ranch
men pay $40 on each wolf pup and 500 on
each grown wolf and $40 on each female
pup. Fremont county adds So to each of
these and the state of Wyoming SO more.
Many OF the large ranchers pay a private
bounty of $40 to 800 in addition to the
county and state bounty. Governor
Brooks OF Wyoming paid. six years ago,
on his ranch in Natrona county, SO each
on 80 wolves In one year. and considered
It a good investment, since 1t practically
cleared his range of wolves for the time.
It invariably happens, however that when
cleared out of one section, the wolves are
left undisturbed to breed in neighboring
sections and the depleted county is soon
restocked.
A floating class of hunters and trap
pers receive most OF the bounty money
and drift to the sections where the boun-
ties are the highest.
Some small ranchers practically support
themselves In part from the wolf harvest,
and 1t is not uncommon to hear men boast
that they know the locations of dens, but
are leaving the young to grow up for
higher bounties. This is the opinion of
the government agents In that country.
and 1t was mainly responsible for the
government creating its own force of re-
liable hunters. The frauds which have
frequently wasted the funds appropriated
for the destruction of these animals al
most vitiate the wolf records of some of
the states
The methods usually employed by Uncle
Sans hunters for the destruction of
wolves are hunting with the rifle or with
dogs and horses, capturing the young in
dens. trapping and poisoning.
Hunting with dogs and horses has often
been described by former President
Roosevelt from his own and his associ-
ates' experience. For thrilling sport and
a test of skill and nerve, 1t can hardly be
oxcelled according to those who have
engaged In It But as a methods of de-
stroying wolves. it II costly in horse flesh,
dogs and the time of the best riders
Nevertheless, this Is the only method
employed by the ranchmen.
Many wolves are killed by poisoning
and the forestry service believes more
would be killed in this way II the methods
followed were less crude Strychnine is
generally used with nothing to disguise
its intense bitterness, the powder either
being inserted in bits OF meat or fat or
merely sprinkled on a fresh carcass In
most cases the wolf gets a taste of the
bitter drug and rejects It. and. II the
dose II swallowed 1t may be too small to
be fatal or so large as to act as an
emetic.