﻿28 
  COYOTES 
  IN 
  THEIR 
  ECONOMIC 
  RELATIONS. 
  

  

  When 
  we 
  began 
  to 
  fence 
  against 
  them 
  the 
  coyotes 
  were 
  literally 
  driving 
  sheep 
  

   out 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  Horses 
  and 
  cattle 
  have 
  taken 
  their 
  places, 
  but 
  

   return 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  profit 
  sheep 
  did 
  prior 
  to 
  the 
  coyote's 
  inroads. 
  Exces- 
  

   sive 
  rains 
  in 
  winter 
  and 
  irregularity 
  of 
  landscape 
  preclude 
  the 
  practicability 
  

   of 
  close 
  herding. 
  With 
  us 
  it 
  was 
  either 
  abandon 
  sheep 
  or 
  fence 
  the 
  pest 
  out. 
  

   Fortunately 
  we 
  adopted 
  the 
  latter. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  fence 
  used 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Clarke 
  is 
  expensive, 
  the 
  complete 
  

   success 
  of 
  his 
  experiment 
  is 
  of 
  much 
  interest. 
  In 
  most 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   West 
  woven 
  wire 
  would 
  be 
  cheaper 
  than 
  pickets 
  and 
  would 
  require 
  

   less 
  labor 
  in 
  its 
  erection. 
  Where 
  the 
  land 
  is 
  as 
  uneven 
  as 
  that 
  just- 
  

   described, 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  woven 
  wire 
  may 
  be 
  impracticable. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  D. 
  W. 
  Hilderbrand, 
  of 
  California, 
  who 
  has 
  built 
  coyote 
  fences 
  

   for 
  ranchmen 
  in 
  the 
  San 
  Joaquin 
  Valley, 
  recommends 
  a 
  3-inch 
  mesh 
  

   woven 
  wire 
  fence 
  36 
  to 
  40 
  inches 
  in 
  height, 
  with 
  two 
  barbed 
  wires 
  on 
  

   top, 
  5| 
  inches 
  apart, 
  and 
  one 
  at 
  the 
  bottom. 
  He 
  recommends 
  that 
  

   the 
  posts 
  be 
  set 
  20 
  to 
  30 
  feet 
  apart. 
  

  

  From 
  data 
  now 
  available 
  it 
  seems 
  reasonably 
  certain 
  that 
  a 
  fence 
  

   constructed 
  of 
  woven 
  wire 
  with 
  a 
  triangular 
  mesh 
  not 
  over 
  6 
  inches 
  

   across, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  28 
  to 
  42 
  inches, 
  supplemented 
  by 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  tightly 
  stretched 
  barbed 
  wires, 
  would 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  coyote-proof. 
  

   It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  make 
  exact 
  estimates 
  of 
  the 
  cost. 
  Woven 
  fences 
  differ 
  

   in 
  weight, 
  price, 
  and 
  durability, 
  and 
  freight 
  charges 
  on 
  materials 
  

   depend 
  on 
  the 
  distance 
  from 
  distributing 
  points. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  posts 
  

   and 
  labor 
  varies 
  much. 
  An 
  estimate 
  based 
  on 
  so 
  many 
  variable 
  fac- 
  

   tors 
  is 
  of 
  little 
  value, 
  but 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  $200 
  per 
  mile 
  would 
  prob- 
  

   ably 
  allow 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  materials. 
  

  

  Further 
  experiments 
  with 
  wire 
  fences 
  will 
  be 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  Bio- 
  

   logical 
  Survey 
  in 
  cooperation 
  with 
  sheep 
  growers 
  in 
  the 
  West, 
  and 
  

   the 
  results 
  will 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  public 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  practicable. 
  The 
  

   matter 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  great 
  economic 
  importance, 
  and 
  the 
  Survey 
  will 
  

   welcome 
  correspondence 
  with 
  persons 
  interested 
  in 
  the 
  subject. 
  

  

  O 
  

  

  