Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 194
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194 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES.
The farmer suffers not only
from loss of sheep, but also from
barnyard fowls, calves, pigs andl
even colts. Many farmers have
lost bands of calves by allowing
them to stay out over night. A
litter of young pigs is one of the
favorite dishes of the coyote. He
will creep into a pig pen in thel
night and kill as many as a dozen
pigs in a few ninutes. lIe catch-
es poultry by lying in wait in the
brush near a farm house. THe has
been known to lie crouched up ill
a clump of brush for hours at a
time waiting for a chicken to for-
ace near enough for him to
grab it without endangering his
own life by getting within gu,'
range of the farmer. The coyote
is fond of eggs and is a very sly
nest robber.
Sheepmen suffer their greatest
loss of sheep in the lambing time.
when it is necessary to let the
ewes stop on the range while the
you ng lambs are being born. and
are getting strong enough to
graze with the rest of the herd.
It is necessary for the sheep own-
ers to build pens in which to keep,
ewes and lambs. This more
than doubles the expense of lamb-
ing and even at that the coyote
sometimes get through the fences
and slaughter the entire herd of
ewes and lambs. The only safe
means is that employed by the
most of the large sheep owners is
of employing men to surround the
lambing pens and keep the co-
yotes away. Where four men
could easily take care of the lamb-
ing of a big band of sheep the co-
yote makes it necessary to em-
ploy more.
)Dan Smythe, of Smythe Bros.,
sheep owners of Pendleton, said
recently that he estimated the co-
yote pest to cost his firm $25,000
a year. This amount includes the
value of the sheep which are
slauhtered by the pest and the
additional cost of protecting the
sheep. Mr. Smythe says manysheepowners pay greater anionllts
than that each year.
Invades Williamette Valley.
Tlhe coyote is rapidly becoming
a pest in the \Villianlcette Valley
and it is feared that in time to
come lie will present a very dif-
ficult problem for t he rural peo-
p)le to solve. It'til recently he
was not able to (ross the Cascade
MLountains, because in the stretch
of country from Eastern Oregon
to the Williamnette Valley he could
find buit little to eat. As the (an-
yons andl blasinis in the m mountains
have been settled l)up the food sup-
ply for the coyote has been cx-
tended, until Inw it is possible
for him to make the entire trip
from Eastern Oregon to the' Wii-
liamette Valley without going
hungry. Even in IMultnomnah
County the coyote is now found.
At Mount Scott and Gresham.
slheepman have lost sheep within
the last few months. One farmer
recently lost a band of thirty
sheep worth $20 each. This was
near Mount Scott.
West of the Cascades the coyote
has a big advantage in his favor
which, with his cunning, makes
him a pest that is almost impos-
sible to destroy. lie has the thick
underbrush, which affords him a
good place to keepl out of range
of the gunners and dogs. As for
traps, he knows how to evade
them, and he knows how to avert
most of the other contrivances
made for his destruction. So
with his development in the Wil-
liamette Valley he wil present a
serious problem.
West of the Cascades sheep are
not run as they are in Eastern
Oregon. Instead of bands of from
500 to 2500, they range int bands
of from 25 to 50 and have no herd-
er. This makes them easy prey
for the coyote. At present the
coyote has cut so much of a figure
in the Williamnette Valley that it
is estimated 50,000 more sheep
could be grazed hlere if he had not
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Menger, R. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses, book, 1913; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143558/m1/198/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.