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  COYOTES 
  IN 
  THEIR 
  ECONOMIC 
  RELATIONS. 
  

  

  The 
  last 
  item 
  alone 
  he 
  regards 
  as 
  more 
  than 
  repaying 
  the 
  entire 
  

   cost 
  of 
  erection. 
  Under 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  herding 
  on 
  the 
  open 
  veldt 
  it 
  

   becomes 
  necessary 
  to 
  protect 
  from 
  wild 
  animals 
  by 
  driving 
  the 
  sheep 
  

   to 
  a 
  kraal 
  for 
  the 
  night. 
  In 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  kraal 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  

   soon 
  trodden 
  bare, 
  and 
  deep 
  parallel 
  paths 
  are 
  worn 
  in 
  the 
  surface. 
  

   In 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  the 
  torrential 
  rains 
  wash 
  the 
  paths 
  into 
  what 
  are 
  called 
  

   ' 
  sluits 
  ' 
  — 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  ' 
  arroyos 
  ' 
  of 
  our 
  own 
  Southwest. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  keeping 
  

   sheep 
  in 
  vast 
  herds 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  much 
  deterioration 
  of 
  the 
  ranges, 
  

   due 
  to 
  overcrowding, 
  and 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  herding 
  has 
  absorbed 
  much 
  of 
  

   the 
  profits 
  of 
  sheep 
  raising. 
  The 
  process 
  of 
  withdrawing 
  lands 
  for 
  

   homesteads 
  and 
  the 
  various 
  reservations 
  has 
  diminished 
  the 
  free 
  range 
  

   and 
  increased 
  the 
  crowding, 
  until 
  flock 
  OAvners 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  protec- 
  

   tion 
  have 
  been 
  compelled 
  to 
  purchase 
  lands 
  for 
  range 
  purposes. 
  The 
  

   clay 
  of 
  free 
  pasturage 
  on 
  public 
  lands 
  is 
  fast 
  passing, 
  and 
  with 
  pri- 
  

   vate 
  ownership 
  of 
  ranges, 
  fencing 
  must 
  be 
  resorted 
  to 
  to 
  confine 
  the 
  

   flocks. 
  The 
  additional 
  expenditure 
  necessary 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  fences 
  

   proof 
  against 
  coyotes 
  would 
  be 
  inconsiderable 
  when 
  all 
  the 
  advantages 
  

   are 
  properly 
  weighed. 
  

  

  INVESTIGATIONS 
  CONCERNING 
  COYOTE-PROOF 
  FENCING. 
  

  

  The 
  Biological 
  Survey 
  has 
  undertaken 
  an 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  

   feasibility 
  of 
  successfully 
  fencing 
  against 
  the 
  coyote. 
  If 
  a 
  coyote- 
  

   proof 
  fence 
  of 
  sufficient 
  cheapness 
  and 
  durability 
  to 
  be 
  practicable 
  

   can 
  be 
  brought 
  into 
  general 
  use 
  for 
  pasturage, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  reason 
  why 
  

   the 
  sheep 
  industry 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  revived 
  and 
  greatly 
  

   extended. 
  If 
  such 
  a 
  fence 
  should 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  prove 
  efficient 
  

   against 
  dogs, 
  the 
  benefit 
  would 
  extend 
  to 
  the 
  whole 
  country 
  and 
  result 
  

   in 
  an 
  enormous 
  increase 
  of 
  the 
  productive 
  resources 
  of 
  our 
  farms. 
  A 
  

   coyote-proof 
  feuce 
  would 
  prove 
  valuable, 
  even 
  if 
  its 
  use 
  Avere 
  re- 
  

   stricted 
  to 
  corrals 
  and 
  small 
  pastures 
  for 
  eAves 
  during 
  the 
  lambing 
  

   season. 
  

  

  The 
  AA^riter, 
  under 
  instruction 
  from 
  the 
  Chief 
  of 
  the 
  Biological 
  

   ISurA^ey, 
  spent 
  several 
  AA 
  T 
  eeks 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  during 
  October 
  and 
  Novem- 
  

   ber, 
  1904:, 
  making 
  such 
  investigations 
  as 
  AA 
  T 
  ere 
  possible 
  during 
  the 
  

   limited 
  time 
  at 
  his 
  disposal. 
  For 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  testing 
  the 
  ability 
  of 
  

   coyotes 
  to 
  pass 
  over 
  or 
  through 
  fences 
  a 
  unique 
  experiment 
  was 
  made. 
  

   The 
  place 
  selected 
  AA 
  T 
  as 
  Chattanooga, 
  Comanche 
  County, 
  Okla. 
  South 
  

   of 
  the 
  toAvn 
  lies 
  the 
  great 
  Pasture 
  EeserA^e, 
  a 
  large 
  area 
  practically 
  

   without 
  fences 
  to 
  interfere 
  with 
  the 
  chasing 
  of 
  avoIa^cs. 
  Since 
  coyotes 
  

   were 
  abundant 
  and 
  the 
  coat 
  boys 
  skilled 
  in 
  their 
  chase, 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  diffi- 
  

   cult 
  to 
  procure 
  the 
  needed 
  animals 
  in 
  an 
  uninjured 
  condition. 
  

  

  The 
  experiment 
  was 
  made 
  with 
  all 
  the 
  forms 
  of 
  fence 
  that 
  could 
  

   possibly 
  be 
  obtained 
  or 
  built 
  Avith 
  the 
  limited 
  resources 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  

  

  