Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-22

control the outbreak or ra bIes tbe t,cls
nop'!s nave Increased to II point where
.hey 40 serious damage to crops ANA
| IL liz necessary to start u new war M,
INC Jack rabbits by means or uoi.on
ihere ~ no question. however. thnt thc
predatory Wild animals do vastly moro
narm IMAM good: they form in fact one
w lne reading sources OF loss to tho
western stock grower.
Damage by Wolves nnd r.,,r.
mere are some sections in the South.
west where II Is not possible IN rnis.
horses because OF the r,vnpc. M ,L
mountain lions Gray wolves do crcn,
damage to the cattle herds Inn glass
case at the headquarters of the Biolu
slcaI survey there Is kept the skull of
an an pia gray wolf who ate $4,000 worth
OF cattle before he was trapped This
Won had only two toes on one foreroot
so II was possible to recognize his
work by the tracks around cnrb kin
mere are doubtless numerous other
wolves on the range whose mcu, hills
run as high.
The Western States have been n.h,.
ing the predatory animals without sue
CESS Tor many years. Most of the work
nus becn done on the bounty system
winch Offers II reward for the sc:lp Of
chch wolf or coyote. In some states
,his system has been In operation for
twenty-five years. and the relative
losses To day are grea,cr than thc,:
were In tile beginning In the las,
year. the Biological Survey has started
work on new comparative nrr,hoh
which promises to solve tho problem.
The new system calls for the traDninr
ana poisoning OF Wild animals by sal
AIRED hunters using tho best mctbods
ana DOING away with the bounty syY-
tenn
The great drawback to tho bounty
system * the fact that tho trappcr
makes his living from the villa ami
inhlH. aud " he Kills them out he de-
stroNs his source OF profit Al.o bc
wants to kin the greatest possible num-
per or animals in the least possible
tiin". SO lie works against the young
and unsophisticatcd animals who prob-
ably do not XIII many cattle anyway.
and leaves the old and wary Cattle
killers alone. because IL takes too much
time and trouble 10 CATCH them Thesc
old animals bring forth littcrs of Young
each year. and thus furnish the tram
per with fresh sources Of bounty sea
son after season. As AN official of the
survey puts il. il is NOR. like s,oc,,-
raising than animal killing.
Divided Into survey Districts.
The survey has divided the twelve
big Western stock raising states into
min" districts. each under the super-
vision Of an inspector. and worked nv
sa'aried 'rappers. who draw no bounty
solely lS
the results they get. The catching OF
one wise old Wolf may hc "A harder lob
aud worth more TO tho cattle business
than the trapping OF "a dozen young
ones and the inspector In charge
knows II and gives credit tccordinr,,
Wherever possible. the States arc be-
Ing induced TO revoke their bounty laws
ana make AN appropriation to CO.
operate with the survey instead Thro.
states are already working on this sys-
tenn, and others arc expected TO FOL-
low shortly. IN Montana i'm the last
hNe years ss6p,""0 has been spcn, on
the old system. and the losses arc as
big AS ever. Or Fisher. who 20 IN
charge Of TN" Wild animal worl, for tho
survey toid the Montana stockmcn that
II III" survey had that amount Of money
To spend Ga flvc years. they would
guarantee TO Kill out all the wolves
and most Of the coyotes II seems TO be
"hiy q matter Of time until the survey
plan Will be adopted all through the
west, and II promises to solve the
problem.
The larger predatory animals arc
only one side Of the question OF ami
NAL control Prairie dogs and ground
squirrels do hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars OF damage to crops every year
The survey has worked out II system
OF poisoning them a. a COS, OF . cents
AN acre. Methods OF destroying such
species AZ tho Eophcrs and tho field
mice and tho land crabs have been de-
vclopcd. The survey is working to-
ward that balance OF nature which
shall he the most favorable for the
works OF man: but one OF the most
effective methods. and the one tina,
calls for nationwide cooperation Is
the preservation Of the species tina.
prey on IN" species that do the damage