CHAPTER SIX 



THE FUR INDUSTRY OF TODAY 



Today Louisiana annually produces more pelts of fur 

 animals than any other State in the Union, it exceeds 

 in this regard any one province or territory in Canada, 

 it leads all States in the production of muskrats and mink, 

 it is approached only by Arkansas in the yearly take of rac- 

 coons and opossums, a record of importance and one Lou- 

 isianians have a right to be proud of. 



But the sub-tropical State of Louisiana has even a 

 greater record — during the past several trapping seasons it 

 has produced more pelts of fur animals than have all of the 

 provinces and territories of the Dominion of Canada com- 

 bined — with Alaska's catch thrown in for good measure. 



Noting only the important fur bearers, the Louisiana 

 list comprises the following species and number taken in a 

 representative season, and one that can be compared with 

 other territories for the same year, as well as the value of 

 the catch to the trappers: 



Species 



Muskrat 



Opossum 



Raccoon 



Mink 



Skunk 



Otter 



Miscellaneous pelts 



The miscellaneous pelts that go to make up Louisiana's 

 total output include wolf, fox, weasel, etc. 



For the sole purposes of comparison, the following fig- 

 ures may be quoted. 



Alaska in the 1924-25 season produced 285,545 

 pelts of all kinds. (Figures from U. S. Biological Sur- 

 vey.) 



New York, latest available figures 344,283 pelts. 

 (Conservation Commission of New York figures.) 



