Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-06-15

the Livingston Enterprise, that noun
tain lions, like wolves were increasing
In numbers with the settlement Of the
country and the great increase In the
number OF head Of cattle and sheep
upon which the animals prey.
Cattle were In good physical condi-
ton In the Sun River country during
the winter Of 1685-66, was the report
brought to Helena during the month
Of January by Benjamin Rumney. He
was the proprietor Of a large ranch
near Sun River, and owned 200 head
Of stock. 1t was his testimony that
the wolves around Choteau increase
about as fast as the old are poisoned
off, and the stockmen complain great
" Of the number OF calves and year
hngs destroyed by these animals.
They are q Species said MIR. Rum
ney, "of wolves known as the gray or
buffalo wolf, and while they viii not
attack human beings, they are power
fuI in destroying cattle Of two years
growth, and frequently larger and older
cows"
Writing from Billings ON Jan. II, 1886,
a writer signing himself an "Anon,"
stated that wolves Still abound In
great numbers on the range. Some say,
hire men; put them to killing the big
jawed cattle, and poison the flesh and
scatter it all over the range. BY this
means cattlemen would derive some
benefit from this class Of stock"
The question Of destroying wild ami
mails became a grave matter. was the
editorial comment made by s. A.
Adarney, publisher of the Stockgrowers'
Journal at Miles City. In our ter
ritory alone" he wrote, stock worth
many thousand dollars is annually de-
Youred by wolves and other wild beasts.
In a country like this-incapable Of
dense ation-there Is
no prospect that these ravenOuS ami
mails will decrease as time passes by,
as they have done before civilization
in other parts Of the Union. On the
contrary they will continue to increase
N the mountain receSseS and on the
broad prairies, where no man is seen
except once in q great while, and it
will require concerted action on the
part of those most interested to stop !
heir ravages upon the livestock of the |
country. The most feasible method OF
'idding the country Of these destructive |
seems to be the lavish, /
and persistent use of poison. |
stockmen throughout the range coun-
ry should exert themselves constantly |
% spread poison over the land and thus
ave many dollars worth Of stock from |
destruction The persistent and lavish
Use of poison will finally thin out-or if |
Sept up, eradicate the wolves, wild cats /
md mountain lions which now inflict
Teat loss to the rangemen."
He held that it was a matter well
worth serious consideration and active
measures. Let every man who rides the
ange or has men riding it, regard it
IS his special duty to spread as much
destruction in the form of poison as
1t viii finally tell, and much
money viii be saved annually to the
tockmen."
Subsequently, the Montana Stock
rowers' association took cognizance
I the situation and assisted materially
n encouraging the enactment Of laws
y the territorial legislature that would
ring about a determined warfare
.gainst the predatory animals. As the
ears went by and the cattle population
it became profitable business
or hunters of wild animals to reduce
he number Of killers The range was /,
radually cleared of wolves.