BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 421 



PRKDATORY ANIMALS. 



Organized field operations against predatory animals were in 

 progress during the year in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, 

 Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

 South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Kequests 

 for assistance have also been received from Louisiana, Wisconsin, 

 Minnesota, North Dakota, and Indiana. As a result of demonstra- 

 tions given in Missouri the State legislature appropriated $15,000 

 for cooperation with the bureau in the destruction of predatory ani- 

 mals through the State Board of Agriculture and also provided that 

 in further cooperation the State game department might expend 

 funds at its disposal. South Dakota for the first time provided a 

 cooperative fund of $30,000 for use during the ensuing biennium. 



In connection with its work on the national forests and other 

 Federal lands, the bureau has enlisted the cooperation of other 

 Federal, State, and private agencies in order to correlate all efforts 

 in an effective drive for the destruction of predatory animals on 

 Federal, State, and private lands, thus giving general protection 

 to livestock. State agencies taking part have included departments 

 of agriculture, livestock commissions or boards, game commissions, 

 extension departments of the States, county organizations, stock- 

 men's associations, and individuals. Cooperation with other Fed- 

 eral agencies which control areas of Federal lands included the Forest 

 Service of the Department of Agriculture, the Office of Indian 

 Affairs, and the National Park Service of the Department of the 

 Interior. The Bureau of Plant Industry and the Bureau of Chem- 

 istry, of the Department of Agriculture, have rendered important 

 assistance in connection with laboratory investigations. 



Improved poison combinations and their systematic distribution 

 have been so successful that poisoning is rapidly superseding other 

 methods of predatory-animal control. The great increase in terri- 

 tory that can be covered by poisoning campaigns, as now conducted, 

 for. the first time offers a possibility of eliminating coyotes over 

 vast areas. This has hitherto appeared doubtful, owing to the num- 

 bers and wide distribution of these pests. More than 200,000 square 

 miles were covered by organized poisoning operations during the 

 year, and at carefully established poison stations on this area more 

 than 1,703,000 siDccially prepared poison baits were distributed. 



Present methods in poisoning operations are the result of gradual 

 development and are based on both laboratory and field investiga- 

 tions. From the beginning it has been recognized that the develop- 

 ment of an effective poisoning procedure would be essential to the 

 ultimate handling of the coyote problem. The results now being 

 obtained surpass even the expectations at the beginning of the ex- 

 periments. 



Inspectors and field assistants have given special attention to 

 cooperative work with stockmen's associations, which employ men 

 to establish poison stations and distribute the baits in accordance 

 with demonstrations and directions given them. Stockmen and then- 

 ranch foremen have also been trained in modern poisoning and 

 trapping methods and have participated more extensively than eve 

 before in the actual work. 



