﻿PROTECTION 
  AGAINST 
  COYOTES. 
  23 
  

  

  objectionable. 
  Probably 
  those 
  on 
  wolves 
  and 
  coyotes 
  have 
  been 
  more 
  

   nearly 
  justified 
  than 
  those 
  on 
  any 
  other 
  animals. 
  While 
  it 
  is 
  certain 
  

   that 
  the 
  larger 
  wolves 
  have 
  greatly 
  diminished 
  in 
  numbers 
  under 
  

   the 
  system, 
  forces 
  far 
  more 
  potent 
  than 
  mere 
  rewards 
  have 
  operated 
  

   against 
  them. 
  Chief 
  of 
  these 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  encroachment 
  of 
  civiliza- 
  

   tion. 
  Coyotes 
  have 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  held 
  their 
  ground 
  under 
  bounties, 
  

   and 
  possibly 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  held 
  in 
  check 
  nearly 
  as 
  well 
  under 
  the 
  

   operation 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  forces 
  that 
  helped 
  to 
  decimate 
  the 
  timber 
  

   wolves. 
  But 
  the 
  observed 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  coyote 
  of 
  contact 
  with 
  settle- 
  

   ments 
  hardly 
  justifies 
  such 
  a 
  conclusion. 
  That 
  the 
  bounties 
  in 
  some 
  

   places 
  have 
  done 
  effective 
  work 
  is 
  undoubted; 
  the 
  question 
  is 
  as 
  to 
  

   whether 
  the 
  results 
  have 
  been 
  commensurate 
  with 
  the 
  expenditures. 
  

   However, 
  the 
  principal 
  objection 
  to 
  bounties 
  is 
  the 
  ethical 
  one, 
  that 
  

   they 
  lead 
  to 
  fraudulent 
  practices. 
  

  

  PROTECTION 
  AGAINST 
  COYOTES. 
  

  

  The 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  means 
  of 
  destroying 
  coyotes, 
  and 
  the 
  

   evident 
  futility, 
  thus 
  far, 
  of 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  combined 
  to 
  completely 
  check 
  

   the 
  increase 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  leads 
  naturally 
  to 
  the 
  consideration 
  of 
  

   means 
  of 
  preventing 
  their 
  depredations. 
  Could 
  domestic 
  animals 
  be 
  

   entirely 
  protected, 
  the 
  coyotes 
  would 
  return 
  to 
  their 
  original 
  bene- 
  

   ficial 
  occupation 
  as 
  scavengers 
  and 
  destroyers 
  of 
  noxious 
  rodents. 
  

  

  The 
  plan 
  that 
  at 
  once 
  suggests 
  itself 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  fencing 
  against 
  them. 
  

   This 
  means 
  of 
  protection 
  from 
  wild 
  animals 
  has 
  been 
  long 
  in 
  vogue 
  

   in 
  the 
  Australian 
  colonies 
  and 
  in 
  South 
  Africa. 
  In 
  Australia 
  rab- 
  

   bits, 
  dingoes, 
  and 
  some 
  species 
  of 
  kangaroos 
  are 
  successfully 
  kept 
  

   out 
  of 
  pastures 
  and 
  crops 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  wire 
  nettings. 
  In 
  Cape 
  Colony 
  

   jackals, 
  particularly 
  the 
  red 
  jackal 
  {Cards 
  mesomelas) 
  , 
  are 
  a 
  great 
  

   hindrance 
  to 
  sheep 
  and 
  ostrich 
  farming, 
  and 
  the 
  success 
  attending 
  the 
  

   use 
  of 
  wire, 
  netting 
  in 
  Australia 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  similar 
  

   fencing 
  into 
  South 
  Africa. 
  The 
  result 
  has 
  been 
  highly 
  gratifying. 
  

   While 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  fencing 
  is 
  high, 
  the 
  advantages 
  from 
  its 
  use 
  

   have 
  been 
  regarded 
  as 
  more 
  than 
  compensating 
  for 
  the 
  outlay. 
  Mr. 
  

   T. 
  T. 
  Hoole, 
  president 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Albany 
  (Cape 
  Colony) 
  Far- 
  

   mers' 
  Association, 
  in 
  a 
  paper 
  read 
  at 
  a 
  meeting 
  of 
  that 
  society 
  ° 
  gives 
  

   details 
  of 
  ten 
  years' 
  experience 
  with 
  jackal-proof 
  fencing. 
  Among 
  

   its 
  advantages 
  to 
  sheep 
  growers 
  he 
  names 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  Decreased 
  cost 
  of 
  herding. 
  

  

  2. 
  Increased 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  wool, 
  about 
  3 
  cents 
  per 
  pound. 
  

  

  3. 
  Increased 
  number 
  of 
  lambs 
  reared. 
  

  

  4. 
  Increased 
  value, 
  owing 
  to 
  early 
  maturity 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  stock. 
  

  

  5. 
  Less 
  liability 
  to 
  contagion 
  from 
  scab. 
  

  

  6. 
  Reduced 
  death 
  rate. 
  

  

  7. 
  Additional 
  security 
  of 
  the 
  flock. 
  

  

  8. 
  Improved 
  condition 
  of 
  pasturage 
  as 
  against 
  deterioration. 
  

  

  a 
  Agr. 
  Jour. 
  Cape 
  of 
  Good 
  Hope, 
  vol. 
  25, 
  pp. 
  560-5G3, 
  1004. 
  

  

  