Dec. 2, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
811 
The Prolific Skunk. 
Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 15.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Due to the numerous deaths in Ari¬ 
zona from the bite of the so-called hydrophobia 
skunk, the Arizona Legislature, which last met 
three years ago, offered a bounty of one dollar 
a head. The bill, however, did not designate 
the particular skunk in question, but merely of¬ 
fered the said bounty on the open word skunk. 
The result threatened to almost bankrupt some 
of the counties. A horde of individuals turned 
up who would rather hunt skunks at a dollar a 
head than follow a respectable calling. Up to 
this time the bounty on wolves, cougars and 
bears had been $20 a head, but this was reduced 
to $10 per capita. A bounty of $5 had been paid 
on wildcats, but this was reduced to $1. 
For about two years some of the counties met 
all demands made on them, but in the end for 
self preservation they were obliged to throw re¬ 
strictions in the way of skunk hunters that vir¬ 
tually drove them out of the business. But while 
the law was being carried out, it is estimated that 
not less than 50,000 skunks were killed in Ari¬ 
zona. There are fourteen counties in the Ter¬ 
ritory, and although I went to much trouble and 
some expense to get at the exact figures, I fell 
far short of the whole. Pima, my home county, 
refused to pay the skunk bounty, consequently 
is many thousands of dollars ahead, although 
great bales of such skins were brought in. They 
were undoubtedly worked off on other counties, 
„ as an affidavit of location would not bother the 
average skunk hunter. The following statement 
will give the readers of Forest and Stream an 
idea of the proscribed animal life to be found 
in Arizona. 
In Yavapai county for the years 1909, 1910 and 
the first quarter of 1911 bounties were paid on 
8,409 skunks, 2,865 coyotes, 1,884 bobcats, 26 
lions, 5 wolves, 3 bear and 202 raccoons. 
Cochise county for 1910 and the first quarter 
of 1911 paid bounties on 4.503 skunks, 14 lions, 
52 wolves, 1.916 coyotes, 553 bobcats, 6 bears and 
57 raccoons. 
In Gila county for the years 1909 and 1910 
bounties were paid in 3,947 skunks, 57 lions, 23 
wolves, 1,423 coyotes and 883 bobcats. 
Yuma county for 1909, 1910 and the first quar¬ 
ter of 1911 paid bounties on 279 skunks, 2 lions, 
1,388 coyotes and 461 bobcats. 
For the same time Apache county paid $2,229 
scalp bounty. Pinal county in 1909 and 1910 paid 
$7,284 in scalp bounties. Maricopa, an adjoin¬ 
ing county, paid out about the same amount for 
1910. Pima county for 1909, 1910 and the first 
half of 1911 paid $9,150. It must be remembered 
that Pima county paid no skunk bounty, but paid 
bounties on lions, wolves, bobcats and coyotes. 
From Mojave, Coconino, Navajo, S'anta Cruz, 
Graham and Greenlee I received no returns, but 
outside of Graham county they would probably 
not be large. 
With the incoming Legislature the law on 
skunks will be repea’ed, and an effort made to 
restore the $20 on lions and wolves. 
Some years ago when the California Legisla¬ 
ture offered a bounty of $5 on coyote scalps, 
Arizona was heavily drawn on for an increased 
supply. It was then understood that 3,000 scalps 
were taken from the southwestern end of this 
county alone, and notwithstanding the heavy 
draft made yearly on these animals, there seems 
to be no diminution of them. The same may 
also be said of the bobcats. 
Herbert Brown. 
Swimming Squirrels. 
Montreal, Canada, Nov. 18.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: Concerning the swimming of 
streams by squirrels I would state that on a re¬ 
cent fishing trip to the Cascapedia, a red squir¬ 
rel swam a ioo-foot space, passing within twenty 
feet of my canoe, and with tail stretched at full 
length he seemed to be perfectly at home in the 
water. 
On the same river and when fishing in a rapid 
of moderate flow we noted a sudden commotion 
in the water about seventy-five feet down stream. 
This lasted 'about five seconds and we could see 
a small head moving away from the spot. As 
the animal climbed the further bank it seemed 
to be a very wet red squirrel and scaled the 
bank as though he was well tired out. We 
judged that a sea trout had undoubtedly en¬ 
deavored to take him in. We caught two sea 
trout with fair sized mice in their gullets. 
In the Laurentians I have known swimming 
red squirrels to climb into the canoe and climb 
over the shoulder of a woman in the stern. This 
was very unexpected and almost caused an up¬ 
set. 
I judge that the mice must swim when they 
wish to pass from island to shore or vice versa. 
Many trout are caught after having taken mice. 
H. E. Stearns. 
The Missouri River Wild Turkey. 
New York City, Nov. 2.- — Editor Forest and 
Stream: In my book “American Game Bird 
Shooting,” I gave what seemed to be a new 
northern record for the wiid turkey along the 
Missouri River, and I have recently come across 
two or three references which seem to show that 
in 1865 and 1866 turkeys were abundant on that 
stream near Yankton. These references seem 
worth calling attention to. 
On page 291 I said of turkeys: “They were 
abundant in Nebraska, reaching beyond the 
northern boundaries' of the State, for Capt. W. 
L. Carpenter found turkeys on the Niobrara 
River, and Dr. Coues speaks of good evidence 
of their occurrence as far north as Yankton on 
the Missouri—about the same latitude as the 
mouth of the Niobrara.” 
Further on I quoted a letter from the late 
Gen. D. L. Magruder, U. S. A., to Col. Hugh L. 
Scott, giving “quite satisfactory evidence that 
turkeys were once found on the Missouri River 
as far north as the mouth of the Cheyenne 
River,” called also the Big Cheyenne. 
While looking over the collections of the State 
Historical Society of North Dakota recently I 
was interested to notice mention of turkeys as 
seen from the decks of steamboats in or near 
southern South Dakota. In the “Log of the 
Steamer Benton, from St. Louis, Mo., to Fort 
Benton, Idaho,” which begins on page 285, of 
Volume II., of the work cited, is an entry under 
date of Saturday, April 1, 1865, as follows: 
“Laid at Middle Bar last night; started up bend, 
got to head; could not get out; came back. 
Sounded. Lowering again, found three feet ten 
inches. * * * Saw a lot of turkeys to-day. Have 
left any amount of bad river behind us for the 
Deer Lodge. Laid four miles above Dacota, 
on Iowa side just above first right hand point.” 
This was near Sioux City, Iowa. Again on page 
291, under date of April 18, is this entry: “Under 
way at early dawn; Capt. Gunsollis shot at tur¬ 
keys.” This was not far from St. James River. 
In the log book of Steamer W. J. Lewis (page 
318) not far from Yankton an entry on April 
19, 1866, says: “Saw wild turkeys on island.” 
While these quotations seem to establish the 
fact that the wiid turkey was formerly common 
in the latitude of Southern South Dakota, Gen. 
Magruder’s reference still remains the northern¬ 
most record for that stream valley. 1 
I hese ancient logs, while extremely brief, are 
interesting reading to anyone who was familiar 
with the old-time steamboat travel on the Mis¬ 
souri River. They are full of allusions to game, 
to Indians and to other old-time matters, which 
are now as much a part of ancient history as is 
Caesar’s invasion of Gaul. G. B. G. 
Raising the Guanaco. 
Dr. Grenfell’s success with European rein¬ 
deer in Labrador and Newfoundland attracts at¬ 
tention to another project which has just been 
made public by Consul Alfred A. Winslow, of 
\ alparaiso, Chile, who calls attention to what 
might be a profitable industry in the United 
States, that of raising guanacos for the most 
excellent wool they produce. In speaking of 
this matter the South Pacific Mail of that city 
says : 
Steps are under way for the establishment 
of a new industry in Belgium, the initial move 
having been made at Brussels of breeding the 
guanaco for its wool, and with such marked suc¬ 
cess that a young male guanaco was recently sold 
there for 380 francs ($73). The animal pro¬ 
duces a fine soft wool four to six inches long, 
and by careful methods a herd of guanacos can 
be made more profitable to the farmer than a 
flock of sheep. As they are indigenous to Ar¬ 
gentina, Chile and Peru, it is not improbable that 
thousands of guanacos that- roam in a wild state 
in flocks on the South American pampas, and 
which are very easily tamed, may be captured 
and cared for as sheep, as their wool is three 
times as valuable as that of the latter, and it 
may become an important export from the west 
coast of South America.” 
These animals are hardy and should stand the 
climate in most parts of the United States. 
Guanaco fur rugs are considered quite valuable 
in this part of the world and would be a luxury 
in American homes. 
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