Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-08

- ~ W. - -. aNl'I!l N.-~" III or
der 10 help tho far Western states rid
themselves OF tho predatory ANIMALS
that arc destroying their live stocil
Uncle Sam has recently Increased his
activity as a trappcr until he now has
one Of the most enicion; organizations
In the world FOR catching wild animals
Tie trapping Of AL sorts OF creatures
from sparrows and mice To grizzly
bears and timber wolves has been care
fully studied by the naturalists Of tho
lholoe ical survey. and II there is any
thing YOU want To know about the sub
ic"t they are pr"pai ed TO inform you.
f;y recent act OF Congress. q sum
or money was appropriated for cN-
terminating the predatory animals or
the Western States. where millions OF
collars worth OF live stock ar. de
stro%ed Ivy wolves pnnthers. coyotes.
bobcats and bears every wear. IN
wy orninE alone over 81 oon. 600 worth
OF sheep arc destroyed aunGallv by
Wild animals chiefly coyotes. rher,
are many sections 81 lii. West whcrc
these little wolves regularly Kill apout
20 per cent % the spring lambs. In
some OF the mountain districts Of New
MEXICO panthc's. or mountain liors as
they are locally called. kin n"srl: all
OF the colts born The rauSc.
For = long time, heavy boGuti"s nave
been offered b. most Of ,he Western
states for the killing OF u "s" ANIMALS.
and the professional "woi' hunter has
become wcll-Ituowu hguv" ~ the
West. The work. however. II unt suf-
tcicitly we'll organized to hi,uG tn"
best results. and q great dcai Of fraud
has been piactiCed. toe - IL Is Quit"
possible TO make artificial wolf 'sca'rs.
biological survey In Charge.
The needed element OF organization
has been iUtrod"ced ~ tn. biological
survey. The Who'll. Of the western
country where daniaG" is don" lay
predatory animals has been divided
int" eight sections, and Ar :nsp"ctor
ana number ~ trappe,s lave been
stationed in each There ~rr more
than 10" OF ihes" government trap
rcrS in the field to-day. They arc care
fuliy selected from among til. local
hunters ANA ;rappcIs. and a VERY eff
ic!ent corps has been built 40. Each
,raDper receives SO . month, and thc
r-!s OF the animal, taken belong 10
The government. The b-st Of these
are added 70 the collection 81 Tho Va
,ioual Museum. for which the Bioloc-
ical survey has undertaken l" max"
:, complete collection 81 ~" native
fauna OF The tinted Sro."s.
the area 10 II" coveted embraces
all 81 the Western, states from Teas
"a the Canadian border, ~ VIII take
Ions time 20 eNterinimate the pests. but
rand progress !. hein. made. Ia tNe
-i> months from luiN !" January last
OVER 1000 animals We're taken u. the
government hunters since tn 'irSt 81
january ;he force "f ,iapp.rs has been
considerable Increased. so that doubt
loss q much large, numb-, Of animals
Will oe taken IN the neXt six months.
All OF these pelts were sent 10 Wash
jneton. where those not desired for
,h+ government scientific collections
we're sold a, puhlic auction. bringing
nriCg al s. 20 each Most
of ,Lcu we're wolf ana COYOTE skins
though there we're . considerable mum
Der Of bobcats and bears ana a few
skunls.
The work has recently been extend
ed into Nebraska and North Dakota.
and IL may he carried into the ancient
State Of Maine. where one would not
exn..., wild ,nim.ls to menace indus
~ i'm, where wolves are reported as
hriun ycry abundant
u
II is III" sheepieh tha' suiei '''"s'
heavily ana regularly from 'nc prf"a
tory ANNA Is. ohceP "re aoAo'ut'iE
defenseiess ana easily s'a'hPe"eo'
The long -horneh range catl'c are iiue''
better able TO take care OF themselves
hut many calves ana some iui'-S'"" u
stock are des'roEed oF wolves caV'
year. one or the government t"p
pers not long as' succeeded III ca'ch
ing AN old timber woit ina, was Is
beet The total annual loss "i NY
stock from predatory ANNA ~ eH''
mated at $l3.ooo,ccc In '""it'ni
this. many deer ana "thc'
game animals and killed by mem
For many years the bioios'ca' sur
vey has been des'sn ming traps ana .t'-
porting them from iore'Eh ,o.'', ,s,
with view to discovering lile beS'