The Detroit times., 1911-01-02
WHEN IS A WOLF?
IS BURNING QUERY
Upper Peninsula Hunters Said To
Have Collected Bounties When
Prey Has Been Coyotes.

MARQUETTE, Mich, Jan. 2.-That
many OF the wolves" Oh which boua-
~ is paid in the upper peninsula OF
Michigan are nothing moie nor less
! than coyotes is the opinion of off,
Gals OF the biological survey OF the
United States department OF agricul-
ture. This opinion is based on an ex-
animation OF hides and skulls sent 10
Washington.
Some time ago County Clerk Frank
G. jerks, OF this city, sent mounted
wolf to one OF the government biolog-
lists, at the latter's request, and he
shortly received a letter from the de-
partment, stating that the skin was
undoubtedly that OF a coyote. The
writer stated that he was suspicious
that the state was being defrauded by
persons importing coyote skins into
the upper peninsula to collect bouG-
ties on them, as, SO far as the gov
ernment biologists knew, there were
no coyotes at large In the forests or
upper Michigan.
Mr.. jerks made a CAREFUL investi
CATION OF this particular case and
found that beyond a doubt the animal
had been legitimately trapped by a
| homesteader in this county, showing
that IL the animal was a coyote there
are wild coyotes in the upper PENN
sula. Since this experience, the gov
eminent officials have received coyote
skins from Menominee county, and
the biological survey Is now almost
ready to admit that wilc coyotes are
found in this section, as well as dim
Der wolves. In fact, the specimens
sent recently to the department would
indicate that of the two coyotes are
the more numerous, especially in the
southern part of the peninsula.
At the present time, Marquette
county pays 81 and the state $25 for
every wolf killed. AS no particular
kind of wolf is specified in the Michi
gan laws, and as a coyote is mem
Der OF the wolf family, the head OF
the government biological department
is OF the opinion that the county
clerks are warranted In paying the
wolf bounty for coyotes. However,
there are those who believe that the
! legislature should place special
! county on coyotes. IL is said that
; the coyote does less harm than the
! timber wolf and that IL is no more
than right that the bounty on coyotes
should be placed at amount less than
$25.
A letter recently received from the
biological department at Washington,
which gives a clear idea Of what many
| of the so-called wolves" OF the upper
peninsula really are, reads as follGws:
II have submitted the skin sent me
to Prof Bailey, who Immediately pro-
nounced it the ordinary coyote. we
are much interested in knowing the
township where these coyotes were
killed and the person who killed them.
However, | have no doubt about your
being entirely justified In paying
bounties on these coyotes. The Mich
igan law makes no distinction be-
tween the plain wolf and the timber
wolf. as is the case In number OF
states, and, in the absence OF such
distinction, in my Judgment, you
would be no more justified in refusing
10 pay a bounty on coyote wolf than
the gray timber wolf. You are mis-
taken about the damage done deer by
the coyote. Except in cases OF wound
ed or injured deer, or possibly lawn
that had strayed from its mother, the
coyote does no damage. On the other
hand. the timber wolf lives almost ex-
clusively on deer, and in some IN
stances domestic stock"
In connection with the subject or
wolf bounties, it is suggested that the
Michigan and Wisconsin laws should
be the same as to the amount paid Tor
each wolf. At present, Michigan pays
S25. while the bounty in Wisconsin Is
but So. This difference makes IT
ereaI temptatio nfor persons killing
wolves in northern Wisconsin to bring
them across the line and get the S25
bounty paid in this state. 1t is claimed
that thousands OF dollars have been
Illegally taken OUT Of the state treas
ury in this manner.