from the Red Lake district, where there have always 

 ben some scattered beaver families. The increase at 

 present is quite rapid, and since there is no need for 

 more than the present number of beaver in the park it 

 seemed best to trap out some of them, sell the skins 

 and use the proceeds to help protect the park, espe- 

 cially since no appropriation for the purpose was made 

 available at the last session of the legislature. The 

 Forestry Board has complete charge of the wild ani- 

 mals, as well as the timber and lands in Itasca Park, 

 and authority was granted for the trapping and killing 

 of a certain number of beaver. The Attorney General 

 ruled that the skins might be sold and the proceeds 

 used to protect the timber and game in the park. The 

 Game and Fish Commissioner, Mr. Avery, agreed to 

 hold the auction as an accommodation to the Forestry 

 Board; so all that remained to do was to capture the 

 animals. This it was arranged to do at the time best 

 suited to the work. 



It was arranged that the trappin'g should be done 

 near the boundaries of the park, and particularly in 

 the localities through which the beaver ordinarily mi- 

 grate into outside territory. A great many sugges- 

 tions were received as to the best time for trapping, 

 some recommending late fall and other midwinter. 

 Fall trapping, however, would result in catching many 

 kits quite immature and of little value. Trapping 

 through the thick ice in winter is difficult and expen- 

 sive, and both fall and winter trapping would be cer- 

 tain to result in catching about as many females as 

 males. From what we knew of the beaver, therefore, 



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