ALASKA FISHERY AND FFR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1920. 87 



FOXES. 



The foxes on the Pribilof Islands have regiihirly "been the source 

 of considerable revenue to the United States. The animals run at 

 laro-e on both islands and call for scarcely any outlay of funds and 

 comparatively little labor. 



One of the paradoxical features of the fox life on these islands is 

 that the lar^rer island, with a greater abundance of seal meat and 

 moje accessible beaches, has constantly furnished a snuillor number 

 of skins than St. George Island. Inmiediate conditions can not be 

 assigned as the reason for this peculiar difference because of the fact 

 that the situation has remained the same over a period of more than 

 40 years. Methods of feeding adopted on St. George Island in more 

 recent years have caused a still greater contrast in the size of the 

 catches on the tAvo islands. 



In the assumption tliat the foxes obtain sufficient food from the seal 

 bodies remaining on the killing fields and from the natural food on 

 the seashore, no special effort to feed the animals is made on St. 

 Paul Island. The foxes are trapped with common steel traps during 

 a short season in the early winter. When pos-sible it is always 

 planned to do this trapping before the heavier snowfalls take place, 

 so that the runways may be observed and the traps placed on the 

 ground. The time for trapping is usually selected with respect to 

 the condition of the ground surface and the outlook of the weather. 



TRAPPING SKASOX OB' 1920-21. 



During the trapping season of 1920-21 a total of 1,125 blue and 14 

 white fox skins was taken on the two islands. Of tliis nnml)ei- 123 

 blue and 18 white skins were taken on St. Paul Island and 1,002 blues 

 and 1 white on St. George. In addition, there were reserved for 

 lireeding purposes on tlie latter island 242 male and 240 female foxes, 

 making a grand total of 1,41^5 animals handled there during the win- 

 ter. The a!)ove take is the largest since the winter of 181)2-03 when 

 378 animals were caught on St. Paul Island and 928 on St. George; 

 d\iring that year no reservation of breeders was made, however. The 

 gain in this season's take, as in several past, comes entirely from 

 St. George Island whei-e the herd has been growing rapidly for a 

 number of years. 



With respect to the methods in use at St. George Island, Agent 

 C. E. Crompton has recently submitted a detailed report as foUows : 



.MKTHOO.S KMPl.OYKI) IN THi; MANAGKMENT OK THE BLUE FOXES 0\ ST. (lEOItfi'O 



ISLAND, ALASKA. 



The blue foxos of St. flcorj,'? Islaml. .Vlnsksi, are the stork of what is probably 

 thf* most sufC('S.><ful fox farm in the couiitr.v at the present time, if not the most 

 I)roinising in the world. The history of the ebb and flow of fox life on that 

 ishind and the relation of that fluctuatiou to the inlluences which man has 

 dire<,-tly or indirectly brought to bear form a very interesting nature study. 



Hi.'^tory states that the furs of the seals, sea otters, and foxes were much 

 exploited during the years immo<liately following the Rus-sian di.seovery of 

 the islanrl. but no authentic records prior to 1840 are available. James Judge 

 states that during the 19 years ending with 1860 the average annual catch was 

 over 1.200 aidmals; during the first V.) years of the American tenure of the 

 island the average catch was approximately l.tKK) each season. Trapping was 

 conducted during but four of the six winters from 1S9U to 1800. inclusive, and 



