118 FISHERY AND FUR INDUSTRIES OF ALASKA IN 1912. 



Trapping for white foxes is carried on almost exclusively by the 

 natives. They use no. 2^ traps. North of Point Hope they do not 

 do any trapping until December, and as the weather is likely to be 

 stormy Lq the middle of the winter, most of their trapping is done in 

 March, The natives and traders claim, and it is believed justly, 

 that, on account of the liigh northern latitude, the fur is in the best 

 condition in Alarch and that it is prime even into April. In recogni- 

 tion of these conditions the open season for foxes in the region tribu- 

 tary to the Arctic has been extended to April 1. 



WOLVERINE (tENA INDIAN NAME, "nEETSIL"). 



The wolverine is found sparingly throughout the interior of Alaska, 

 but occurs all along the Alaska range. Although it prefers a high, 

 wild, rocky country, it is sometimes found in more open regions. 



While the wolverine will rarely catch or kill any live animal 

 (except perhaps young moose and caribou) it will feed readily and 

 ravenously on any animal it finds dead. It will rob the natives' 

 caches of their supply of meat and fish, cunningly steal the bait from 

 the hunters' traps and any animal that it finds caught in the trap. 

 It wiU steal anything, whether of food value or not. In order to do 

 successful trapping in any region the trapper must first rid the 

 district of wolverines. If this is not done the trapper will find not 

 only the bait stolen from his traps but the animals caught will also 

 be stolen if there happens to be a wolverine in the neighborhood. 



The wolverine is such a greedy animal that its capture is usually 

 not difiicult. Sometimes, however, it shows much cunning, often 

 eluding the trapper for an entire winter. Because of the great harm 

 it does in destroying the trapper's catch, the general feeling in Alaska 

 is that the wolverine should not he protected. 



A large trap must be used for wolverines, owing to their heavy, 

 broad feet. 



The pelt possesses considerable value, the price now being $8 to $10. 



Recently a good many wolverine pelts have been brought into the 

 lower Yukon and Nome from Siberia. Some are sent to Seattle and 

 San Francisco and later resold to Alaska traders. Those brought to 

 Nome are usually distributed to small traders who dispose of them 

 for local use. 



LAND OTTER (tENA INDIAN NAME, "mELAZONA" OR "mEZIHA"). 



The land otter, like the beaver, has been, and perhaps stUl is, in 

 danger of commercial extinction in Alaska. There are, however, 

 several places in which it is stUl found in considerable numbers. It 

 is common in the tundra about the lower Yukon and Kuskokwim 

 and is found in some numbers at the headwaters of the Tozitna, 



