AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BIIJ^ M»24. 319 



Some of t\w old cows are more vicious tlmri th«' bulls. Wo have 

 found that on several of the reservations where there are hi«on the 

 cows are inclined to he more sava<je than the hull<. 



Mr. Hi'iiivNAN. If they were liandl«M| properly lhr\ \s<nild j;et 

 gentle like <attle ( 



Doctor Nkl.hox. Oh. yes; they wouM; they could he made tjontle. 



I"<MH) MA HITS <»l UIKDS AND VMM MS 



Mr. Andkkson. We will now take up the item on page 2.15, inves- 

 ti<;ation of food animals, \orth America. 



J)octor Nf.i.son. riie main w(»rk under this appropriation i-. that 

 of eontrol, lessening; the losses due to depr«'dations (»f predatory wild 

 animals, such as mountain lions, wolves and others, on live stock, 

 and the destruction of cro|)s and foraj^e hy rodents. There is a p^reat 

 vnri(^tv of thc^c imininU, 



PKKIIATOKV AMM.VL WOUK. 



In our predatory animal work, which I will take uj) fii-st, we are 

 maintaining]: an orjjani/ation throu<;hout the western I nited States, 

 with an inspector in charge in eacii Slate, and under him we have 

 employed hunters who are poisoning and trapping and shooting 

 these predatory animals. 



During the last year we actually took the skins or sfal|>s of nearlv 

 31,000 of these animals, in addition we j)Ut out an enormous number 

 of poison baits, which, judging from the number of animals subse- 

 (luently found by stockmen in the ranges, undoubtedly resulted in 

 tne killing of more than 00,000 additional coyotes and bobcats. 



Mr. BuciiAN'AX. You do not spend any money on jack rabbits 

 and ground squirrels ? 



Doctor Nelson. Yes; and later on I will take that up. 



Mr. Buchanan. All right. 



Doctor Nelson. Our men put out 1.229,000 poison baits during 

 the year in their campaigns against the predatory animals, and the 

 number killed was very great. We received from the skins of these 

 animals, which are Government property, S34.202, which, added to 

 that previously received, make a total of §283,000 that we have 

 turned into the Treasury for the skins taken by our hunters. 



Mr. Anderson. How many animals do you say you killed this 

 year ? 



Doctor Nelson. W'e actually took the scalps and skins of 30,986. 

 and in addition the use of more than a million poison baits resulted 

 in killing an enormous number of additional animals, of which we 

 get reports from the stock men who tind the dead animals scattered 

 over tne range. The reports in many places are that the coyotes 

 and other stock-killing animals have practically disappeared, so that 

 stock men are able without losses to run sheep, for instance, in open 



grazms 



Witn respect to our work in western Texas Mr. Hudspeth informed 

 me that he considers that the predatory work in that region has 

 added $") or more an acre to tln^ valueof the land, owing to th(>freed(mi 

 with which stock can be grazed. It does not require the same number 

 of herders as when predatory animals are present. 



22(y2S — 2*2 21 



