374 DOMESTIC 'ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



panied by heavy wind they may throw a good many. Wind alone 

 will do little damage except during the rainy season, when the 

 ground is saturated to a considerable depth and shallow-rooted trees 

 overturn easily. 



In 1908 thirty-eight trees fell across the wires along the 5 miles 

 of the coyote-proof pasture fence that runs through a heavy lodge- 

 pole and yellow pine forest. They were removed and the fence was 

 repaired at a cost of $10. An additional $10 was expended in repair- 

 ing holes made by the spring run-off and by badgers. During 1909 

 only ten trees fell across the fence. They were removed and the 

 fence repaired by one man in one and one-half days, at a cost of 

 $3.75. Badgers had dug under the wire during the fall and early 

 spring in fifteen places. This damage was repaired by driving stakes 

 into the holes and then filling in with dirt. Stakes placed close to- 

 gether will discourage coyotes from attempting to scratch out the 

 loose dirt and crawl through. The entire work of removing trees 

 and filling holes required only two days' labor for one man, at a 

 cost of $5. The cost of maintenance of the 8 miles for the first year 

 was $20; for the second year, $5. 



Efficiency of the Fence Against Predatory Animals. To enable 

 the reader to recall the details of the experimental coyote-proof fence 

 at Billy Meadows, the specifications are repeated: Posts set 2% feet 

 in the ground and 16 feet apart; on the surface of the ground a 

 barbed wire; 3 inches higher a 42-inch woven-wire fence, having a 

 4-inch triangular mesh; 6 inches higher a barbed wire; 8 inches 

 above this a second barbed wire. Total height, 59 inches. 



Plan of Observation. The fence was repaired between May 10 

 and May 15, before the coyotes drifted back to the summer range 

 from the winter and spring ranges below. Before the holes were 

 filled up and the gates closed the inclosure was carefully hunted with 

 hounds. The only animals tracked were bears, deer, badgers, and 

 porcupines. Coyotes had been inside, but had gone out before the 

 hounds appeared. For three days before June 22, when the sheep 

 were put in, the area was again carefully hunted for predatory ani- 

 mals. Bears had been passing through at will, and deer were still 

 inside, but no coyotes had entered, although there were many in 

 the neighborhood after June 1. 



When the sheep were turned loose, June 22, the hunter began 

 his work of patrolling the fence with hounds. From that date until 

 September 27, with a few exceptions, the 8 miles of line was in- 

 spected each morning and a record made of all animals that came to 

 the pasture and the attitude of each toward the fence. This was 

 done both to protect the sheep against bears and to determine the 

 efficiency of the fence against each kind of predatory animal. 



The Hounds. Without hounds it would be very difficult to de- 

 termine whether predatory animals were in the pasture or not, un- 

 less sheep were killed. Accordingly, the hunter was provided with 

 one foxhound, two mixed foxhouncl, bloodhound, and bulldog, and 

 during part of the season two dogs of staghound and foxhound breed. 

 For the work of patrolling the foxhound was relied upon almost en- 



