, 1922-04-05
NEW POISON TRIED
HERE ON COYOTES
Compound Made by a Denver
Chemist Used with Success
Killing KILLERS" on
Elk Fork

A new poison for predatory animals
was tried on the Elk Fork coyotes last
week with great success.
Five coyotes were killed in four
days and by now no doubt as many
more have had their last meal of deer
meat.
c. Spencer trapped in this locality
for three years and in thai time
caught only one coyote, SO it is APP
parent that poison is the system. One
freshly killed deer was found by
Charles J. Bayer, predatory animal n
spector, who came up from Cheyenne
in response to the report tina the
coyotes were making killings, and
poison thrown near the spot. The
coyotes had eaten this deer complete
ly. even to the skull. and had been
! gnawing on the hoofs.
Mr.. Bayer brought with him this
new poison which he had just received
from a chemist in Denver connected
with the United States Biological sur
vey who has been experimenting for
a long time for the purpose of OBJ
tanning a perfect poison for this work.
1t would seem as If he had attained
it, for the coyotes not only prefer it
to fresh meat but 1t is a sure and hu-
nan method Of discriminating them.
They jump into the air and die not
often more than Is or 20 feet from
where they have taken it.
1t is encased in chopped beef suet
and as ocn as it dissolves the killers
are gone goslings, which is not over
fifteen minutes.
Contrary to the general belief, Mr.
Bayer states that the poisons they
use do not ruin the fur so tina they
are rejected by the fur buyers. He has
had years of experience in all parts
of the country and is in a position to
speak with authority upon this sub
ject.
Some of the local trappers have
made the criticisms that foxes and
other fu~r-bearing animals will get the
poison as well as the coyotes. but
they are as sure OF getting the fur as
II they had trapped it, besides avoid
they had trapped it. besides eliminat-
ing the long suffering of the animal
Cruel trapping is now being fought
by the National Humane Society. II
these poison balls are not soon found
by the coyotes they dissolve, or
the field mice eat the suet and the
poison goes into the ground 81 the
birds do not get it In a month or less
there is no vestige of poison.
The poisons formerly used. such as
are purchased at drug stores, were
bitter and if the coyote did not get
enough to kill it the first time, it
would not return to the carcass. This
new poison is taken by the coyote in
preference to fresh neat and, attract
ed by the scent, it will dig through
two feet of snow to get it.
The mountain lions appear to have
been cleaned out as no tracks have
been reported this winter. Fourteen
have bee killed on Elk Fork since
1917.
1t is estimated that a lion kills two
or three elk or deer a week, so some
idea may be obtained of what their
elimination has meant to the game in
that section.
The United States Biological Sur
vey has not sufficient money at its
disposal to keep men here with the
poison so they are cooperating with
the Forestry Service and Clifford
Spencer, h is located at the Can
yon Creek ranger station. will go on
with h work. He accompanied Mr..
Bayer on his trip up Elk Fork and will
follow out his instructions.
In this connection it may be said
that there is no one connected with
the Forestry Service who takes his
work more seriously and does his duty
more conscientiously than Clifford
Spencer. He is keenly Infested in
the game n its preservation. and
has given a good deal of thought to
the subject. Like anyone else who
has any knowledge of the situation.
he says that the urgent necessity is a
provision against hard winters and
that lower range is the answer.
II the elk could have the Sheep and
Table Mountain ranges, the country
lying between the North and South
Forks 1t would solve the problem.
Also he states that the Game Pre-
serve boundaries are not marked and
that they should be blazed and posted
so a hunter could make no mistake as
IN Whara ha 10 hupfinO