The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-04-16
Has Collected Over $4,000
Bounty from States, Coun-
ties and Ranchers - Never
Shot Wolf in My Life. Les
meiSter Declares.

The worlds record Us Il wolf hunt
er is claimed by Adam Lcsmcistcr,
living near Harvey, Pierce county.
His record is 1901 wolves since
1898, and he welcomes challenges 10
his record. His kills include mostly
coyotes, taken on the prairics of
North and South Dakota, but also in
cludc lS gray wolves and AZ buffalo
wolves.
Lesmeistcr can back up his claim
to the worlds championship as a wolf
hunter. He has bounty receipts to
show that during the last twenty
five years he has collected $2l ,237.50
bounty in North Dakota, $2,525 in
South Dakota and $3.50 from Sheridan
county, and in addition, he says, ne
has been hired especially for the job
by numerous ranchcrs.
Lcsmeister came by the business
of wolf hunting naturally. His faith
err was a native of Russia, and he
hunted wolves near Odessa. The first
dogs used by Lcsmcister in the Unit
ed States were Russian and German
wolfh ounds.
The North Dakota hunter embarke ed
lived near Eureka, South Dakota,
with his parents, when but boy.
His first wolf was killed when out
on the prairies with his father. The
family moved to North Dakota IN
1898, and Lesmeister began to build
up the splendid farms he owns near
Harvey and to hunt wolves in his
odd moments.
Never Shot Wolf.
Lesmcistcr boasts that he never
shot wolf in his life. His dogs do
the work. He has, however, hal
some close encounters. When he
went in wolf den at one time after
litter he encountered the mother
wolf Having a club he pinned the
mother wolf against the back of the
cave and then clamped his hands
over her jaw, and held on until others
dug him out.
Having been hunting wolves for
35 years Lesmeister has learned a
lot about their habits. He docsn't
have much respect for Il coyote. A
coyote won't dig his own holes, ne
says. He will find Il badger hole
and dig it out for his mate. Any
good wolf dog, too, can outrun and
Outright any wolf, he declares.
Prairie wolves, or coyotes, live
chiefly on young rabbits. young
prairie chicken, gophers and
birds, Lesmester says. They
will sneak into flock of sheep and
kill young lambs and also will attack
calves two or three days old, but
only if the calves are considerable
distance from their mothers. he said
A prairie wolf is cunning in evad-
ing capture by man. If human hand
touches carcass a wolf will not &c
near it. He will detect the touch of
a human hand to steel trap and
gloves must be used in trapping, the
wolf hunter said The prairie wolf
is suspicious. If a mere Russian
thistle is put in front of a hole and
touched by "a human hand. wolf
will stay in the hole and starve, OF
if the mother wolf is outside the
hole, she will let her young starve
A fox, on the other hand, the hunt
er says, will dig himself out of the
hole in another direction
Always Back Home.
Every wolf has home. They will
wander off eight or ten miles in the
winter time, but always come back
to have young ones in the latter part
OF May and June. The male wolf
usually stands guard in some buck
brush in front of the hole. The
young wolves have to shift for them
selves early in life. Usually in two
months after birth young wolves are