298 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture, 1900. 



Present Fighting Organization. 



During the fiscal year 1920 a force varying from :'>')() to 

 ton skilled hunters was employed under the direction of dis- 

 trict inspectors of the Biological Survey. The work is now 

 organized into 1)5 districts, each with a trained inspector in 

 charge, as follows: 



1. Arizona, 8. North Dakota and 



2. California. South Dakota. 



3. Colorado. 9. Oregon. 



4. Idaho. 10. Texas. 



5. Montana. 11. Utah. 



6. Nevada. 12. Washington. 



7. New Mexico. 13. Wyoming. 



The hunters of the various districts are paid in part from 

 the Federal Treasury and in part from cooperative funds 

 supplied by State appropriations and from contributions 

 from live-stock organizations and individuals. The amount 

 thus provided by cooperators in the year 1920-21 totaled 

 $272,509. There has been a steady, consistent increase in the 

 funds provided by State appropriations, by stockmen's as- 

 sociations, and by individuals for cooperation with the De- 

 partment in this work, as the direct benefits derived from the 

 systematically organized operations became evident. Present 

 prospects indicate that the cooperative funds will be ma- 

 terially increased for the ensuing year. 



Study and experimentation by experts have resulted in 

 gn at improvement in the methods and practices employed 

 in eradicating predatory animals. The poisoning cam- 

 paigns have increased in number and have been more effec- 

 tively organized each succeeding year. Their success has 

 been such that in many areas stock growers arc urging 

 their application during the appropriate season. These 

 campaigns have been followed by a marked decrease in the 

 number of coyotes in the sections poisoned, with a corre- 

 sponding decrease in the losses of sheep, cattle, pigs, colts, 

 and poultry. Reports from stockmen indicate that on 

 many ranges and lambing grounds the former heavy annual 

 losses have become negligible or have been entirely elimi- 

 nated. 



