Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1902 — Liberal Wolf Bounties Needed. [ARTICLE]

Liberal Wolf Bounties Needed.

The $lO bounty on wolves has resulted in their very great diminution in this county. Only a few were killed in the county last year, as .compared with the year before and this year the number will probably be still less. If all the counties bordering on the Kankakee would keep up liberal bounties, the wolves would soon be as rare as wildcats. But if most, or even several of these counties, follow the mistaken policy of Lake county, in removing the bounty, then in those counties the wolves will grow numerous again and keep the whole region re-stocked, In fact, a more short-sighted policy than that of repealing the wolf bounty because wolves have become scarce, would be hard to conceive. If only 3 or 4 wolves are left alive in a county it would be far better to pay SSO each to have them exterminated, than to let their numbers increase to dozens, and then get their increase killed at $lO each. The cheap way is the expensive way, in dealing with wolves, not to speak of the damage they do when they are numerous, in killing sheep and poultry, and breaking up the nests of such desirable birds as quails, prairie chickens etc. All the counties in this section should have an agreement, and offer permanent uniform bounties for wolves and foxes; and bounties large enough, especially for grown wolves, to make it an object for hunters to pursue and kill them, at every opportunity.