The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1910-08-28
Beasts Have Become So De-
structive Professional
"KiIIers" Employed.
INCREASING IN NUMBER
STockMEN ESTIMATE THAT
EACH YEAR THE WOLVES KILL
BETWEEN 100000 AND 10000
IN STOCK.
eY SIDNEY ESPV.


Washington, Aug. 27.-Wolves have
become SO great in numbers and des-
tructiveness in wild domains of the
west that Uncle Sam has been forced
to employ small army Of profes-
sional hunters and trappers to rid the
country Of this ever hungry beast. Al
though good results have been re-
ported there is nothing to indicate
that the wolf family is showing signs
Of becoming extinct or of being re-
duced-in numbers.
The wolf and his near relative, the
coyote. are looked upon by the gov
ernment officials as the most destruc-
tive of the wild animals in the United
States. They are always hungry. and
as result of their taste for sheep.
lambs and choice young cattle.
ranchmen are losers to the extent of
many thousand dollars annually.
Conservative estimates by the
stockmen place their losses each year
at between 100000 and 100000.
This does not include the vast num-
ber OF deer, antelope and other game
which annually fall prey to these var
mints. However, coyotes and wolves
are not the only predatory animals.
Bears get away with considerable live
stock, while mountain lions and lynx
are looked upon as exceedingly des-'
, tructive game. One bear in the ~k1,in-
ity of the Bitter Root National Forest
is known to have killed twenty-six
head Of cattle in one season.
All Experienced Men.
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 salaries
last year is evident from the fact that
, they killed or otherwise destroyed
1926 coyotes. 220 wolves, 571 wildcats
!, 1OS bears, 96 mountain lions and 81
| lynx
Because of the enormous losses
suffered by stockmen on the western
cattle ranches and the destruction
of game on the various forest and
game preserves and national parks
| through the depredations of wolves
the biological survey of the depart
ment of agriculture has for the past
, year been working in cooperation
with the forestry service.
Aside from what the government is
doing in this direction. several of the
states affected are employing hunt
ers and are offering bounties for dead
wolves and coyotes Local stockmen's
associations and individual counties
are also paying bounties. In some
cases three bounties are paid on each
wolf. In the Upper Green River Val
ley in Wyoming the ranchmen pay
SO on each wolf pup and $40 on each
grown wolf and on $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 SO to $40 in
addition to the county and state
bounty. Governor Brooks Of Wyom-
ing paid six years ago on his ranch
in Natrona county, $40 each on fifty
wolves in one year, and considered 1t
a good investment, since 1t practically
cleared his ranch of wolves for the
| Time. 1t 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 mon
ey and drift to the sections where
the bounties are highest.
| Working Uncle Sam.
Some small ranchers practically
support themselves in part from the
wolf harvest, and 1t is not uncom-
mon 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 it was mainly response
BILE for the government creating its
own force of reliable hunters The
frauds which have frequently wasted
the funds appropriated for the des-
truction of these animals almost VI