Wolves rampant in early Southwest Nebraska

Genealogy seems to lead me to interesting people. This week I found I had a message from a woman thought to be a distant relative on my Davison side. Davison, Davidson, Davisson…just like many surnames from our migrant past, the spelling doesn’t always mean you are or are not related. DNA may help, but not always. Anyway, we exchanged email, information, lineages, names, countries of origin and because we both have a goodly amount of Scottish bloodline everything was looking pretty positive. That is, until it wasn’t! Once I got all of her records, it was quite obvious that the Davisons and the Davidsons were not related in the least. Strangely, their journey through the early states was similar and they actually ended up just one county apart in Ohio on the Kentucky border, but they were two different families. So, now I have a new friend but no answers to my elusive George.

I have watched the reintroduction of wolves for several years and the ensuing clashes between ranchers and naturalists concerning the wisdom of bringing wolves back into their original homes. There is no question that man was responsible for their destruction and the McCook Tribune stories I found are a testament to that. Yes, there were wolves in southwest Nebraska and yes, they were the bane of the settlers and their precious livestock which were their livelihood. The settlers believed that it was either the wolf’s survival or their survival.

“Vailton Notes: We think D. W. Clements must be a hunter of the olden times. He has already brought in three deer from the chase, besides wolves, jack rabbits and the like. Mr. Clements has some very fine hounds.” McCook Tribune, December 17, 1885.

McCook Tribune, July 29, 1886: “Prospect Park: Mrs. Doll had three lambs caught by wolves.”

McCook Tribune, August 10, 1888, Valley Grange News: “Wolves are getting pretty bold on South Side.”

“The citizens of Hayes county will have a grand circular wolf and coyote hunt, November 29th. They will circle ten townships and meet at a common center at a specific time. They say there are plenty of wolves and coyotes in that region and they are confident they can round of many of them within the circle and succeed in bagging them.” McCook Tribune, November 21, 1890.

“Buffalo county pays a bounty of three cents on each gopher scalp and $1 on each wolf scalp. Thus far this year that county has paid for the killing of 12,000 gophers and 300 wolves.” November 11, 1892, McCook Tribune.

December 16, 1892, McCook Tribune: “Mrs. E. F. Hamilton, of Bartley, buried a grown son here on Monday; this is the second son that she has lost inside of a year. Walter being killed by sand caving on him when digging for wolves, and Charlie dying of typhoid fever on Sunday. The mother has the sympathy of her many friends.”

“They have been having a little trouble with washouts on the late extension of the Meeker ditch, but Captain Evans expected to have water on the Hatfield ranch, sometime this week. Wolf, prairie dog and gopher holes always give some trouble when the water is first let into the ditches, especially where the ditches skirt along the heads of canyons or where the bluffs are quite broken.” McCook Tribune, September 28, 1894.

Box Elder news, McCook Tribune, June 15, 1900: “Dwight Wildman has been hunting wolves, these dry days, killing seven in three days. Keep up the good work.”

In 1905 the Nebraska legislature pass a wild animal bounty law introduced by Representative Douglas of Rock county, at the request of sheep and cattlemen of Western Nebraska. The measure provides than any person in the state who kills any wolves, wild cats or coyotes and who presents the scalps, with the two ears and face down to the nose to the county clerk of the county in which the animals were killed, making oath thereto, shall receive bounties as follows: Five dollars for every large gray or buffalo wolf killed; $ 1.25 for every common prairie wolf or coyote and $ 1 for every wild cat. I can’t imagine how the county clerks felt about this bill, but in 1907 a notice was issued by the Nebraska State Auditor that there was no money to pay the bounties.

Finally, on November 7, 1911, Red Willow County put in front of the voters the question of a bounty tax to be used to eradicate wolves, wildcats and coyotes after 95 registered voters in the county had petitioned the commissioners for said bounties. The measure, which was on the same ballot as the poor farm measure, passed with substantially higher support.

SWNGS library is now located at 322 Norris Ave., the Temple building, rooms 2-7. Our monthly meeting will be Saturday, November 7th at 1 PM. All meetings are open to the public and announcements concerning same will appear on our Facebook page.