Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/590

 570

��Popular Science Montldi/

���A catch made in the Gallatin National Forest, by an expert hunter of carnivorous animals. Coyotes are the most numerous, but wolves, bears, mountain-lions and wild-cats abound

��Hunting Destructive Animals in National Forests

UNTIL the work was taken over recently by the Biological Survey under the provisions of an act of Con- gress, the systematic hunting of carnivor- ous animals in the national forests of the country was one of the tasks of the Forest Service. Expert hunters and trappers were einploNcd for this purjiDsc, and the accompanying illustration sliows a catch made by one man in the (iallatin National Forest. In assigning the work to the Biological Survey, Congress pro- vided an ai)pri)i)riatin of $125,000 for this imri)<)sc-.

Althonj^h i)ri\',ilc citizi-ns have .ihvays i)i'eii |)irmi(ti(l to hntit in the national forests, carnivorous animals liave at times abounded in ctTtain of the W'l-stern reservations in such great mimbers that their de|)redations j)rve<I a serious menace to stock-raisers. The luinters and trappers emplo\'ed i)y tin- (iovern- ment devote liieir entire timi- to shooting

��and trapping, and many pelts are ob- tained by them. Coyotes are the most numerous of the carnivorous animals on the majorit\- of the reservations, and wolves, bears, mountain-lions and wild- cats abound in the order named.

How the Firing of Heavj' Guns Affects Animals

A(il'. i\M.\\ vet(.-rinary surgeon has m,i(U' some curious and interesting l)ser\ations upon the p.sychological effect produced on animals by the firing of big guns. He considered the horses and ilogs used for military purposes, and llie game in the area of warfare. Soon .liter the war it was notioini that large numbers of horses and esiH-cially dogs mii;raled into countries bi-Nond the si-at of hostilities. The wild Ixiar, the badger, bear, reel deer and roebuck followed, but strange to say the hare, whosi' timidity is |)roverbiaI, refii.sed to leave its home. Birds which remained nnfrighteiUHl were owls, falcons, sparrow-hawks and crows.

�� �