RACCOON 
(Procyon lotor) 
HE raccoon belongs to the Carnivora and is closely related to the 
bears. It weighs from 10 to 25 pounds, is of a brownish-gray 
colour with black tipped hairs over the back and dark rings on the 
tail, and, when captured as a cub, is easily tamed. It does not appear 
to have the fighting characteristics peculiar to the mustelidae and, there- 
fore, might possibly be easily kept in a wooded area where numerous 
dens and hollow trees are found. Its habits are somewhat similar to 
those of the bear. It hibernates in winter, so that probably mating 
takes place in the fall, and the young are born about May 1. It 
will eat meat of all kinds, frogs, corn and vegetables. One breeder 
said that he had fed his pair almost wholly on wheat shorts supple- 
mented with table scraps. 
A heavily-wooded area, several acres in extent, with a creek run- 
ning through, affords a favourable site for a raccoon ranch. The fence 
enclosing it should be of No. 14 galvanized woven wire, 2-inch mesh, 
with a substantially constructed overhang. A sheet of iron around the 
top of the fence would also help to prevent escape. 
Brass estimates the yearly production of pelts at 600,000—all from 
America. The northern pelts are best and No. 1 large northern are 
now quoted at $4.50 each, with prices advancing sharply. Near large 
cities the flesh also may be sold for fifty cents or more. 
If the rich mahogany-coloured raccoons could be secured and bred 
true to colour, and if present prices were maintained, a profitable in- 
dustry could probably be built up in northern districts after the neces- 
sary experience had been acquired. 
The fact that raccoons are found in only a few portions of Canada 
does not mean that they cannot be successfully raised in more northern 
regions if food is provided. In general, it is safer to move a fur-bearer 
from a warmer to a colder home than to reverse the process. 
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