308 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



muskrats, for which they received from 28 to 46 cents a 

 pelt, or about $74,000. Their 1924-25 catch was only 21,000 

 'rats, the average price ranging from 65 to 78 cents a pelt, 

 or a little more than $15,000 for the season. This made 

 their 1923-24 catch average approximately 4 to an acre 

 and the following year about 1/3 of a 'rat to an acre. It 

 might be here pointed out that the Rockefeller Refuge was 

 severely hit by a two-season drought, as was Marsh Island, 

 and the decrease of animal life was caused more by the ele- 

 ments than by trappers. 



The total catch on sanctuaries for the season 1925-26 

 was as follows: 



Marsh Island 



Muskrats 48,376 



Raccoons 381 



Mink 499 



Wild Life Refuge 



Muskrats 234 



Raccoons 6 



Mink 2 



Rockefeller 



Muskrats 357 



Raccoons 196 



Mink 159 



A comparison of the figures for seasons 1923-24, 1924-25 

 and 1925-26 will show that the refuges are rapidly being 

 trapped out and all noxious animals are being removed. 



On the Rainey Refuge, which is a tract of approximately 

 26,000 acres, a leasing system of ridding the lands of the 

 muskrat population was first tried out. From the revenue 

 thus acquired the National Association of Audubon Socie- 

 ties paid the upkeep of the sanctuary. 



The lands were leased to a trapping concern for three 

 years at so much an acre, viz., for 1924-25* the price was 

 set at 40 cents; for 1925-26, it brought 50 cents an acre, and 

 for the exclusive trapping privilege of the 1926-27 season, 

 60 cents an acre was paid. Owing to a non-completion of 

 certain surveys the tract was set officially at 23,490 acres 

 with the proviso of extra land would be included in the 

 price per acre paid. 



