bESTRtJCTIOX OF STOCK BY WOLVES. 17 



central Wyoming my experience has been that these wolves kill from 

 10 to 20 per cent of the annual increase of the herds." 



Lieut. E. L. Munson, of Chouteau County, Mont., writing in Recrea- 

 tion," says : 



It is said that in this county the loss from wolves and coyotes is about 15 per 

 cent. * * * Wolves in this vicinitj' seldom kill sheep, as the latter are too 

 carefully herded. They get a good many young colts, but prey especially on 

 3'oung cattle. 



Mr. J. B. Jennett, of Stanford, Mont., says in Recreation:^ "A 

 family of wolves will destroy about $3,000 worth of stock per annum." 



HORSES. 



A considerable number of colts and a few grown horses are killed 

 by wolves, but the number is insignificant compared with that of 

 cattle. Evidently this is not a matter of choice of food, for trappers 

 generally agree that woh^es prefer horseflesh to beef, an opinion that 

 my own observations fully substantiate. The explanation is doubt- 

 less to be found in the method of attack from the rear, long and 

 successfully practiced on the buffalo and equally successful with 

 cattle, but not generally with grown horses. Colts, however, are 

 often 4villed by wolves. On the other hand, mountain lions kill more 

 horses than cattle, because their catlike method of springing at the 

 head and throat succeeds better with horses than Avith cattle. 



SHEEP. 



Herded sheep are rarely troubled by wolves, which are kept at a 

 distance by the presence of herders and dogs. Occasionally, how- 

 ever, an unguarded herd is raided and a large number of sheep are 

 killed, but so rarely that in oj^en country sheep men have little fear 

 of wolves in comparison with coyotes and wild-cats. In timbered 

 regions wolves kill more sheep, and small herds are not safe even in 

 pastures unless inclosed with wolf-proof fences. In extensive sec- 

 tions of eastern Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, and in the northern 

 parts of Michigan, AVisconsin, and Minnesota, few sheep are raised 

 on account of the abundance of wolves. 



GOATS. 



In parts of Xew Mexico, Texas, and Colorado small herds of goats 

 that range uaiguarded suffer considerable loss from wolves. 



HOGS. 



Hogs are killed in great numbers b}^ wolves in the timbered bot- 

 toms and swamps of eastern Texas and in Louisiana and Arkansas. 



a Vol. 7, p. 293, 1897. b Vol. 8, p. 38, 1898. 



