Kcport of the Department of Lands and Forests for fiscal year ending March 31, 1950 



Page 24 



It will be noted from the above table that the statistics for the last fiscal year, 

 show a marked increase in the number of bears killed. This may indicate that the low 

 period in the bear cycle, was reached in the fiscal year ending 1948. 



There were 750 claims for bounty involving 803 bears, and 122 bear cubs 

 considered by the Department, of which. 1 1 claims representing 1 1 bears, were refused 

 for various reasons. 



The following table shows the number of bears and cubs killed in each of the 

 counties and districts on which applications for bounty were received. These figures 

 do not include the bears hunted and killed by sportsmen, on which bounty is not 

 applicable. T.^ble No. i 



BEAR BOUNTY FOR FISCAL YEAR 1949-1950 



County or 

 District 



Be.ar 



12 months or over 



Cubs 

 under 12 months 



Total 



FUR FARMING 1949 



During the first part of the calendar year 1949, the market for ranch raised 

 mink pelts appears to have struck the low level on its gradual decline from the high 

 wartime prices. These prices insofar as good quality standard mink were concerned, 

 were slightly above the high cost of production. However, by fall, the market showed 

 a steady improvement in demand and price levels, and ranchers once again received, 

 for good quality pelts, prices reminiscent of wartime. 



Silver fox in all its phases, continued to bring prices well below production 

 costs. The depressed fox market has been an asset in one sense, in that it has forced 

 a general housecleaning in the fox industry which was long overdue. Many ranchers 

 who raised inferior pelts have been forced out of the business, the remainder pelted 

 out all but a nucleus of their finest breeding stock. These circumstances would indicate 

 that only the finest pelts will be available when market conditions improve to the 



