90 Game Survey of the North Central States 



pioneer family. If the original scarcity had been of only short duration, he would 

 hardly have contrasted it with 1907 conditions. 



It may be stated with even more confidence that the original northern 

 boundary of the cottontail was much further south than at present, and that the 

 cottontail like the quail and the prairie chicken, has accompanied grain farming 

 in its invasion of the Forest Belt. Dates of arrival of the first cottontails in 

 several northern Wisconsin counties appear on Table 19. Thus R. A. Moore re- 

 members their arrival in Kewaunee County in 1859, while various observers in the 

 northwestern part of Wisconsin record their arrival on various dates from 1886 

 to 1922. Errington observed them as far north as Red Lake in Minnesota in 

 1920, but their arrival there was probably earlier. There are said to be no cotton- 

 tails yet in parts of the northern peninsula of Michigan, but this was not 

 verified. 



The northward spread was in some cases hastened by plantings, two of which 

 show on the map (see Wisconsin). These plantings were made by sportsmen 

 who desired to add the cottontail to the local game fauna. 



The Rabbit Meat Industry in Missouri. There is probably more or 

 less commerce in cottontail rabbit meat throughout the more favorable parts of 

 the Agricultural and Hill Belts. It is far more extensive in Missouri, however, 

 than in any other State in the region. 



In Missouri rabbits are killed commercially for meat mostly by farmer boys 

 during the slack winter season, but to some extent also by semi-professional 

 hunters. The killing is mostly with shotguns, but some are trapped in "figure-4" 

 box traps. The kill is collected by local produce houses for reshipment to some 

 regional produce firm, which grades, packs, and exports the rabbits to distant 

 markets. 



The fact that each rabbit is usually handled two or three times makes it 

 difficult to get statistics on the extent of the industry. The figures opposite the 

 8-pointed stars in Missouri are samples of the yearly business of several local 

 and one regional produce dealer. 



Springfield, Missouri, is the largest reshipping center. M. D. Lightfoot, who 

 has handled rabbits since 1900, gave the following description of commercial 

 practice: ] ... .,,,. 



"The rabbits are received from local dealers drawn but not skinned. They 

 average two pounds in weight. They are first graded as to size and freedom from 

 shot wounds, the body-shot individuals being de-graded or culled. They are then 

 packed in barrels, about 110 per barrel. 



"TJie same price is paid for shot as for trapped rabbits. About 70 per cent 

 of the total are shot and about 30 per cent trapped. 



"Up to January 1 about 80 per cent of the shipments go east of Illinois. 

 After January 1 most eastern States prohibit the importation of rabbits, hence the 

 later shipments go to southern and southwestern cities. Springfield shipments 

 formerly went through St. Louis dealers, but now go direct to consuming centers. 

 After January 1 prices usually decline. 



