Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05

TIME most exciting jobs to be
found in the service of the
United States government are
those of professional hunters of
wild animals. Uncle Sam keeps from
500 to 400 men and one lone woman
on his pay rolls. who are technically
designated as hunters of predatory
wild animals, These hunters, however.
scorn the use of the word predatory,
as applied to their occupations. and
modestly refer to themselves as hunt
ers of mountain lions. bears. wolves,
coyotes and other varmints."
Besides having the fun of living out
in the glorious open pretty much all the
year round, and every Eetle while send
ing a warmth" to his happy hunting
grounds, these enviable hunters of Uncle
Sans receive a monthly stipend OF
from SEQ to $50. 1t is only a few
OF the sure-shot experts that receive
the latter figure. Out of these salaries
the hunters must find themselves !;
that is nd they f must and .qrn srnb .e "
Ada Tingley, who lives in Idaho, IS
the ONLY lass in all America who has
the nerve to give up the comforts or
happy' home in order TO become gov
eminent hunter of wild beasts. MISS
Tineley doffs her bonnet to no man in
In. hunting service when it comes to
unerring aim OF rifle or pisto. or the
ability to tire,assly trail a feroc1ouS
animal day after day across mountains
and valleys until she gets WITHIN Kill
ing distance. Many time TINS fraii-
looking little woman has worn out some
of her dogs when on the trail OF an
animal that has been guilty of unusual
depredations Thus far in her hunting
career she has accounted for 400 DOB
cats. coyotes and other destructive AMI
mails.
Government officials and the pubic
generally always get aroused when-
ever it is realized that the food sup
plv of the country is being tempered
with or seriously lessened through
some unnecessary or ayoidable cause.
few years ago it was ascertaineo
through Investigations made by the
biological survey of the Department
of Agriculture that certain wild anil
mails were destroying close TO sJo'-
600 900 worth of live stock, mostly
cattle. sheep and colts. every year.
Realizing that the nation could get
along more profitably without certain
wild animals than it could without
beefsteaks and lamb chops. Congress
came to the rescue with an appropria-
tion, and DR.. A. X. Fisher. chief OF the
division of economical Investigations
of the bureau of biological survey.
and DR.. w. Il. Bell. assistant chief,
were told to organize a force to be
composed of the best hunters in the
country and to keep the force busy
until every stock-eating animal was
destroyed.
1t is freely conceded that these two
men are satisfactorily carrying out
their instructions. Their hunters can
be found in all animal sections of the
states of Washington. Oregon. Idaho.
Montana, North and South Dakota.
Wyoming Nebraska, Colorado, Kan
sas, Utah, Nevada. California, Arizona.
New Mexico. Oklahoma, Arkansas and
Texas. During the past year these
hunters shot and trapped 523 wolves,
21,558 coyotes, 1S9 mountain lions.
1887 bobcats, 10 Canada 1ynxes and
- hears.
The skins taken by federal hunters
during the yearttsold for 81, 04S.S0,
making a total to- date of $240.791.65
turned into the United States Treas
ury in connection with this work.
In addition, extended poisoning oper-
atoms were conducted over great
areas. especially in Wyoming. Utah,
Nevada. Arizona and New Mexico.
Judging from the dead bodies found,
the number of coyotes killed in this
way was approximately the same as