Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 115, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1913 — COUNTY’S WOLF HUNT [ARTICLE]

COUNTY’S WOLF HUNT

Montana’s Pest Run Down by Dogs and Men. Colts and Two-Year-Old Cattle Attacked and Mangled While Still Alive In Corral by the Hungry Animals.

Philipsburg, Mont—A big gray wolf that had been the terror of the stockmen of the Rock Creek country, Granite county, since early fall was finally run down by a pack of dogs and a force of mounted hunters. The wolf was laid low by six shots fired on the run by "Jack” Guinnane, a rancher of Rock creek, and Fred Elkins, a professional hunter from Colorado. Mr. Elkins’ dogs continued the ehase for gray wolfs mate after darkness compelled the men to discontinue. Wolves were never seen in the Rock Creek country before last fall. This pair Is supposed to have come across from the Big Hole country. Many depredations among the stock on Willow and Rock creeks were committed by the wolves before stockmen were aware of their presence in this section. A few stockmen who knew of the characteristic manner in which the wolf attacks his prey started the belief that wolves were actually in the country, and the stockmen of Granite county offered a reward of $75 to any one killing a wolf in the besieged section and afterward raised it to 1100, when the effort to sight a wolf proved unavailing by individuals on the hunt About three weeks ago the whole Rock Creek country rose up to the pursuit, but found the wolf a wily animal to deal with. All day the crowd would tracg the animal and just before nightfall be obliged to give up the chase without a result The wolves committed their depredations in the dark of the early morning, visiting pens or fields where stock might be corraled for safety and devouring from the living animal what meat they needed. Colts and two-year-old beeves were their special prey. Sometimes the victims would escape with the toes of their tafia or portions

of their hand quarters, but would die from the effects of the attack. An attack would be telephoned from one ranch at daybreak, and at the same time fresh tracks of the wolves would be found at another ranch miles away. This made it confusing and discouraging for the stockmen tn pursuit The services of Mr. Elkins, a professional hunter, and his pack of trained hounds were obtained, and since then the wolves have been sighted repeatedly and shot at, but never overtaken until crowded back into the Meadow Creek range. Great relief is felt, and general rejoicing prevails among rachmen throughout the country over the fact that the larger and more vicious one of the pair of wolves has been killed. He measures 5 feet 7 inches from tip to Tsp,“ height 2 TiSmncfiS and weighs 150 pounds. The chase for the female is being continued by the hunters, and it is believed that she will be easily run down, since her “meat getter,” as one of the hunters called the big wolf, is dead.