MINOR FUR INDUSTRIES. 123 



Popular feeling has been educated to the extent that a trapper who 

 uses poison incurs the enmity of his fellows. If a trapper is seen 

 going into the woods with a light pack this indicates that he has 

 no traps and he at once becomes an object of suspicion to all other 

 trappers and prospectors until he proves his innocence. In the 

 winter of 1910-11 one trapper on the Newana River was reported 

 to the district attorney's office for using poison, and a half-breed 

 in the same region was suspected of doing so. The trapper left the 

 country and the half-breed is beheved to be obeying the regulations 

 now. 



The fur buyers who frequent the lower Yukon and the Kuskokwim 

 have been too much disposed to purchase all skins offered them, 

 whether prime or unprime, but they are now beginning to realize 

 that this is poor business. The promulgation of a regulation against 

 the shipment of unprime skins will no doubt greatly improve condi- 

 tions in this respect. 



White trappers as a rule will not catch an animal with an unprime 

 skin if they can help it. The Indians are less particular. As they 

 use as food the flesh of many of the species of fur animals they will 

 be disposed to pay very httle attention to close seasons or the condi- 

 tion of the fur but will kill the animals at any time when they may 

 desire them for food. However, if the trader will refuse to purchase 

 unprime skins the Indians wiU doubtless do less trapping out of 

 season. 



Dealers on the Arctic coast claim that under the regulation regard- 

 ing white foxes none can be caught in that region. From November 

 to March there are continual snow storms and heavy winds which 

 render trapping impossible. They claim that very little trapping 

 can be done until toward the last of February and that the fur 

 remains thoroughly prime until in May. 



o 



