WILD LIFE PROTECTION — WALKER 



339 



The land fur bearers are a group of maniuials that are utilized 

 in a rather uniform manner and are subject to certain fairly con- 

 stant factors and the changes in the value of their skins in the course 

 of a year can be shown grapiiically in what might be termed "The 

 Cycle of the Fur." The graphs are not intended to be exact but 

 rather to illustrate the underlying principle. They are based upon 

 statistics of Alaska furs, supplemented by an intimate knowledge 

 of fur conditions in the territory. They have also been modified to 

 meet suggestions made by fur dealers and trappers. Each graph 

 represents a general average for the various species in southeastern 

 Alaska over a period of years, but can also represent equally well an 

 individual fur bearer. 



The practical application of these is obvious, namely to indicate 

 the proper period for open seasons. It will be seen that the peaks 

 of primeness do not coincide 

 for all the animals. This 

 clearly demonstrates the need 

 for the fur seasons being ad- 

 justed for the various species 

 if the maximum values are to 

 be derived from the animals 

 taken during open seasons. 

 The next problem is to dem- 

 onstrate to the public why it 

 is good business to prevent 

 encroachment on the breed- 

 ing reserve; and if the stock 

 has already been depleted it 

 is even more important to in- 

 dicate where use must be 

 curtailed in order to restore the proi)er capital t)i" breeding stock. 



To illustrate this, the fur bearers have again been drawn upon for 

 an example. It is well known that in general the trapper takes 

 the greatest portion of his total catch during the earlier part of 

 the season; and that the daily catch declines as the end of the season 

 approaches. This, of course, is due to the fact that there are more 

 animals available for him at the opening of the season and that 

 they are less wary and thus more easily taken. To illustrate this 

 point and another still to be brought out, let us assume that on a 

 given area 1,000 skins of a fur bearer might be taken during a 

 3-months' open season. The first month there would probably be 

 575 tak(>n, the second month 375, and the third month 50. 



In the example just given it lias been indicated that 1,000 skins 

 would be taken on the area. Let us assume, however, that the tak- 



Ist Mo. 2nd Mo. 6rd, Mo. 

 Approximate average monthly distribution 

 of 1000 land far bearers taKen duri'n^ 

 a 3 months trapping aeasori 



FiGUkB 7 



