Varmint of Burke's Garden facts for kids
The Varmint of Burke's Garden was a special name given to a coyote that caused a lot of trouble in a small town called Burke's Garden, Virginia. This happened back in 1952. People believed this coyote killed at least 410 sheep! It was finally caught by hunters in February 1953. This story became a famous local legend.
The Mystery of the Missing Sheep
The "varmint" first got everyone's attention in February 1952. Six baby sheep, called lambs, were found dead in the snow. Farmers had lost sheep before this, but now it was happening almost every night.
Some farmers lost a lot of sheep. Harry Lineberry lost 94 sheep, Bob Davis lost 58, and Jim Hoge lost 50. Bowen Meek lost 42 of his 85 sheep, including all his new lambs. He even had to sell his remaining sheep because of the losses.
In total, the "varmint" killed at least 410 sheep in Burke's Garden. This cost the farmers at least $23,000! For almost a year, no one knew what kind of animal was doing this. People guessed it could be a dog, a cat, a wolf, or even a wolverine. Some people even thought it might be a baboon or a kangaroo based on quick glimpses!
Hunting for the Mysterious Animal
To help catch the creature, the local government in Tazewell County, Virginia asked for help. They called Clell and Dale Lee, who were two of the most famous big-game hunters in the United States at the time. These brothers lived in Arizona, but they were asked to come to Virginia.
Dale Lee was in Venezuela hunting jaguars, so Clell Lee came alone. When he arrived in Bluefield, Virginia, the local farmers were not very friendly at first. However, Mrs. Meek, a farmer's wife, was kind and invited him to stay at her home.
Clell Lee quickly found a track left in a block of ice. He realized it was a coyote! This surprised many people, as no one remembered seeing coyotes in the area before. Clell Lee, along with the sheriff, local farmers, hunters, and game wardens, followed the coyote's scent for about five hours.
The next morning, Clell Lee wanted to start hunting again at dawn. The sheriff said no one in the county hunted on Sundays. But Lee explained that he had found a fresh scent and wanted to catch the animal quickly. They learned the coyote had killed two more sheep that night. Lee placed hunters near the attack site and sent his dogs after the scent again.
A local resident named Alfred Jones, along with Dewey Tibbs and Hugh Cox, finally killed the coyote after a few hours. It happened in the Joe Moss Cemetery. Everyone in Burke's Garden was very happy! They even held a special dinner to honor Clell Lee.
The coyote was quite large, almost 4.5 feet (1.37 meters) long, and weighed 35 pounds (15.9 kg). Its fangs were an inch long! First, it was hung up in the local schoolyard, and more than 3,000 people came to see it. Later, it was moved to a tree near the Tazewell County Court House, where another 7,500 visitors came to look. The coyote was later stuffed and is now on display at the Crab Orchard Museum in Tazewell, Virginia.
A Race to Remember the Varmint
In 1993, Burke's Garden started hosting a special race called the Varmint half marathon. There is also a 5,000 meter race. These races happen every June. Winners receive trophies shaped like sheep. This is a way to remember the damage caused by the "varmint" so many years ago.
