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Show OFFICIAL HUNTERS BUSY REPORT CONTAINS INTERESTING AND VALUABLE DATA Stockmen In Hearty Sympathy With Hunter Policy of Forest Reserve, Many Predatory Animals Killed Tho district forest officials are in receipt of the current hunter reports from the Ashley forest in -northeastern Utah and the same contain sonic very interesting figures as well as instructive instruct-ive information regarding a branch of the forest servico of which little is generally known. Assistant Forester L. F. Kniepp, who is here from Washington, D. C, and Assistant District Grazing Chief A. C. McKain of the local office, are familiar with the forest service hunter hunt-er and his duties, and gave out some interesting facts In connection with that individual and what he is dally accomplishing in the solitude of his surroundings. There are 32 official hunters now in the employ of the forest service who are actively engaged In the destruction de-struction of predatory animals, such as wolves, coyotes, bear, bob cats, mountain. moun-tain. Hon and other beasts which prey upon the stock of the range and are annually responsible for heavy losses. loss-es. According to Naturalist Vernon Bailey, of the biological survey, a wolf destroys upon an average of two animals per week, In some sections, usually colts or calves, either killing them outright or maiming them so that they are useless afterward. In all stock regions it Is a common sight to see a domestic animal crippled for life by having a huge chunk of flesh torn from its flank or shoulder by the ravenous rav-enous fangs of a wolf. According to Mr. Balloy, an active wolf costs the stockmen of the district infested about $20 per week in domesticated animals, or In the neighborhood of $1,000 a year. A coyote preys upon smaller things, sheep, chickens, etc., and is accordingly charged with $100 per year for his keep. Bob cats are more dangerous than coyotes, but do less damage than the large grey wolf. With these facts in view, it is not strange that stockmen are In hearty sympathy with the hunter policy of the forest service, nor that they enacted en-acted Innumerable protests against the threatened withdrawal of a portion ot the hunters a short while ago when the funds available for that purpose were somewhat depleted. In the report of Hunter Frank L. Briedcnstein of the Ashley forest of Utah, the direct benefit to the stockmen stock-men of that district is shown in big figures. This man has destroyed more than 400 predatory animals during tho months of October, November and December. De-cember. His last report show s '73 coyotes trapped and killed; , 10 b cats; 2 grey wolves and a large number num-ber of each of the foregoing which-were destroyed by poison scattered . over the district but were not found,' and recorded. The officials estimate ,'that the work of this single hunter lhas proved a saving of at least 510,00n.to the stockmen of that region this year. "Mr. Briedensleln is nfaklng a good record for himself," said Mr. Kniepp, "and the stockmen of that section appreciate ap-preciate it. A few weeks ago he killed a strange animal which has not yet been classified by either himself or the oldest Inhabitant thereabouts. . It was an animal considerably larger than a gray wolf, Us pelt being more than five feet in length. The sides and legs of the beast resembled a coyote, but the feet were thoso of a black Newfoundland dog. There was also a heavy strip of thick, curly black hair down the back and the same was also scattered over the body to some extent, fhe tall, however, was neither dog's nor coyote's, being only a few Inches in length and covered with short hair. The animal was skinned with a view of having It mounted, and tho pelt and skeleton ha9 been forwarded to the biological survey for identification and mounting. mount-ing. It attracted much comment from everyone who examined it." |