Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-29

that when the war on predatory ami
mails began in 1918, there were 800
gray wolves in New Mexico. They
know that there are not now more
than twenty gray wolves left in the
state, and these twenty will he relent-
lessly hunted down until not a gray
wolf is left
Many Animals Destroyed
Practically the same is true in all
but one or two of the stock growing
states. Since 1915, when the stock
| men secured federal apprcpriat on
for the use of the biological survey in
destroying these pests, more than
100000 stock-klling predatory ami
mails have been destroyed Fully
three fourths have been coyotes. but
more than 1000 gray wolves are in
| cluded 1t is estimated that each wolf
! on the range destroys not less than
! 81 600 worth of stock each year, and
/ those 2,000 wolves, if they had not
| len. destroyed. would mean loss OF
not less than 100000 to the stock
| man annually. other great stock
! losses would have been caused by the
| 240 mountain lions and great numbers
| of other predatory animals that have
! been killed.
''Wc have every reason TO believe"
/ DR.. Nelson says, that if we are per-
! mitted to continue the work on n
I proper scale we shall. within Il few
/ years, not only completely eliminate
/ the gray wolf, and probably the noun
/ tain lion, from all Of the western rang
| es, hut we will be able to reduce the
/ other predatory animals 10 such an
extent that the losses due to them will
! All this saving is perfectly apparent
| to the stockmen, and they have not
| stinted money in aiding the work.
| States committees and associations
! OF individuals have made liberal al
| preparations to supplement those
made bv the federal government.
| But the losses from rodents, great
as they are, have never been so strik-
inGly apparent The rodent is individ-
pally Insignificant, and comparative
| ly few stockmen realize the value Of
| the forage destroyed by the multiplied
! millions of them. The prairie dos
| alone occupies more than 100, 000, 0OO
| acres of the best range land III the
! Rccfy mountain region, and his range
is ovcrlappcd in places by the ground
! squirrel, gopher and rabbit. The
! prairie dog destroys from 10 to u
| per cent of the grass in any territ Dry
| it occupies. Charles Springer, an Old
/ stocllman aud now chairman of the
I! state council Of defense of New Mex
| leo, estimates that the ranges of New
| Mexico would support 100000 more
/ cattle or 100000 more sheep thar
at present if the prairie dog pest eould
| ls removed.
Cost Of Work Is Slight.
The cost OF destroying the roden
| pests. by methods that the biological
survey has developed, would probabl,
not exceed 6 cents an acre for the
entire territory covered. The rang'
covered in Mr.. SprinGer's estimate il
about 100000 acres. At cost
therefore of $360000, the cattle-car
| rying capacity of the ranges of New
| Mexico could be increased by 100000
/ head. But. in addition to their raw
ages on range production, the roden
pests swarm about cultivated area
and destroy enormous amounts o.
cultivated crops and forage plants
such as grains and alfalfa.
Active campaigns for the destruc
ton of rodent pests are already pro
ceeding on n large scale in most of thu
western states and are increasing rap
| idly among the farming commute
as result of the cooperation be
tween the biological survey and tn
state agricultural extension service
on the ranges, however. want o
available funds and lack Of interest OF
the part of many stockmen is account
able tor q less vigorous campaign il
many states. The stockmen of New
Mexico and Arizona are cooperating
Il in the elimination of rodent pests ant
an awakening is noticeable in SOM
; of the other states. In order to en-
courage this, DR.. Nelson suggested
that the American National Livestocl
rs -ociption nd the various state asso
claims of the west have active sub
committees TO cooperate with tn
biological survey in Investigations o
the rodent problem and in institutini
systematic campaigns for their eradi
cation wherever they are destructive