PEESENT ABUXDAIS^CE OF WOLVES. 



13 



the previous night, aud in gathering and disposing of that biinch of about 500 

 head of cattle we had 31 head Icilled. We have alwaj'S estimated our losses 

 hy ^A'olves to be the greatest of those from any wild animals. When the 

 wolves first appeared in this part of the country we paid $50 apiece for 10 of 

 them and considered them cheap at that price. It requires a constant fight 

 to keep them down so as to make the cattle business at all profitable. 



These reports are from Grant County. The records in the county 

 clerk's office at Silver City show the bounties paid on wolves for 

 the four ^^ears from 1902 to 1905, inclusiA^e, at the rate of $20 each. 

 (Table 2.) Previous to 1902 wolves and coyotes were listed together, 

 and the records could not be separated. 



Table 2. — Bounty records for four years in Grant County, V. Mex. 



Year. 



Number 

 of wolves 

 on which 



bounty 

 was paid. 



Bounty 

 per wolf. 



Total 

 amount 

 paid in 

 bounties. 



1902 



11 

 33 



54 

 29 



S20 

 20 

 20 

 20 



$220 



1903 



660 



1904 . . 



1,080 

 580 



1905 



Total for four vears . . 







127 





2,540 







TEXAS. 



In many sections of the plains country of western and northern 

 Texas the large gray wolf is still abmiclant and yerj destructive to 

 stock, as shown by reports from Comstock and 40 miles north, Lang- 

 try, Fort Lancaster, San Angelo, Stanton, Colorado, Henrietta, Mo- 

 beetie, Hereford, Tascosa, Lipscomb, Amarillo, Panhandle, Van 

 Horn, Pecos, Toyah, the southern end of Guadalupe Mountains, 

 Alpine, Davis Mountains, and Fort Stockton. Over southern and 

 middle Texas the smaller red wolf is abundant throughout much of 

 the half -open mesquite country, where it destroys much stock — cattle, 

 colts, sheep, and goats. In the timbered region of eastern Texas, es- 

 pecially in the extensive swamps and bottoms, the black wolf is still 

 abundant and very destructiA'e to cattle and hogs, while it renders 

 sheep raising practically impossible. 



LOUISIANA. 



Wolves are still common in man}^ of the extensive swamps of 

 Louisiana. From Morehouse Parish, in 1901, Mr. Hollister reported 

 that— 



The large wolves are probably as common in the country between Mer Rouge 

 and the Mississippi as they were years ago. The forests are so extensive and 

 the country is so thinly settled that they hold their own with ease. They hunt 

 in droves, sometimes as many as 8 or 12 together, and are very destructive to 

 stock, especially sheep. 



