White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-01-07
RABIES NOT CONVEYED
BY USING MILK OR MEAT
Continued from Page oae.)

NIb0lluufh IOHb dEt Oatfsi
On account OF these barriers ii vas
not until 1914 that the disease ar-
peared in Baker county, south Of the
Powder River and Eagle River
ranges. But in less than two months
from the time it so appeared it had
swept the state and coyotes died like
flies as far south as Lake county, on
the Nevada line. 1t spread west to
the Cascade mountains and east
through Harvey and Malheur coun-
ties into Idaho. In another year il
had gone as far south as the Colo.
RADIO river and in isolated instances
is known to have crossed 1t.
The loss of cattle. horses and sheep
was enormous. Many cow outfits of
from 1000 TO 1000 head reported
losses within the first few weeks OF
$50 head or more, and close to Ely.
in the White river country. it Is said
that small ranch outfits suffered cat
tie losses or thirty or more head. One
coyote at a ranch near the northern
Nevada line Is known to have caused
the death of six horses, three cows,
two hogs and a dog The horses
were in the barn when at midday the
coyote passed through at their heels,
biting each one; the COWS were In a
corral adjoining, the hogs were at
large and happened to be near and
the dog fought with the coyote and
was bitten. All of this was seen by
ranch employees, who finally killed
the coyote.
Each state visited by the disease
lost millions of dollars worth of
livestock and is still suffering occa-
sional losses.
That rabie will ever be eradicated
from the states where it is present is
doubted. Medical men a first
thought that it would eventually
cause the death of all coyotes, but
this has proved for vari-
Gus easons One is that the disease
does not develop after each and every
bite. Another Is that the female an
imals are comparatively seldom BIT
ten. When a rabid animal approach
es them they will run away and hide.
But when a male coyote is approach
ed by another "on the peck" it will
stand and put up a fight. thereby
getting bitten and generally becom-
ing a victim of the disease. There
will always be plenty of the females
and a few of the males for breeding
and keeping the species from extinc-
ton. A third reason is that IL ap-
pears that after the disease has run
its course for certain periods it be-
comes milder in form and does not
always cause the death of the an
imal. The first year or two that
1t appeared here and elsewhere dead
coyotes were found by the hundreds
and thousands, but now with the dis
ease still known to be present, a
dead one is rarely II ever found.
Within a year or two following the
first great epidemic its effects were
first great epidemis its effects were
reflected on the fur market. Coyote
fur has been used for several years.
never under the name coyote but
generally as gray fox or black
lOA WHen uyeu. Al tue SAINT liIne
fur trimmings and furs In general
became fashionable. These two sets
of circumstances, together with the
war, caused a tremendous boom in
the price of coyote skins in 1859.
Good ones frequently sold for $50
or more. The death from rabies of
probably 10 per cent of the animals
in 1855 brought the first relief to
sheepmen from their depredations,
and the activities of the trappers,
stimulated by such fancy prices,
brought the second. Then followed
the depressed fur prices of the last
three years and simultaneously came
another vast increase Of the animals.
This winter prices are booming
again and every rancher, ranch hand,
old and young, has turned trapper.
This will make them scarce.
In a feeble way the government
has undertaken to assist. but with
an average of not more than one OF
two government trappers to a whole
county, together with starvation sal
aries. offered, the results therefrom
have been negligible.
~ DH- -