﻿GENERAL 
  ADMINISTRATIVE 
  REPORT. 
  35 
  

  

  Hunters 
  and 
  Trappers. 
  

  

  A 
  Kst 
  of 
  the 
  hunters 
  and 
  trappers 
  of 
  the 
  Kodiak-Afognak 
  region 
  

   would 
  include 
  practically 
  every 
  native 
  man 
  and 
  every 
  boy 
  over 
  12 
  

   years 
  of 
  age, 
  for 
  they 
  all 
  hunt 
  and 
  trap 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  each 
  season. 
  A 
  

   list 
  compiled 
  in 
  December, 
  1912, 
  contained 
  223 
  names, 
  classified 
  by 
  

   locaHties 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  Ousinka 
  settlement, 
  Kodiak 
  post 
  office 
  21 
  

  

  Karluk 
  trappers, 
  Uyak 
  post 
  office 
  34 
  

  

  Uganik 
  trappers, 
  Afognak 
  post 
  office 
  9 
  

  

  Little 
  Afognak 
  trappers, 
  Afognak 
  post 
  office 
  11 
  

  

  Afognak 
  trappers, 
  Afognak 
  post 
  office 
  93 
  

  

  Kodiak 
  trappers, 
  Kodiak 
  post 
  office 
  6 
  

  

  Wood 
  Island 
  trappers. 
  Kodiak 
  post 
  office 
  13 
  

  

  Eagle 
  Harbor 
  and 
  south, 
  Kodiak 
  post 
  office 
  30 
  

  

  Total 
  223 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  opinion 
  is 
  that 
  these 
  people 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  have 
  no 
  scruples 
  

   about 
  hunting 
  or 
  trapping 
  out 
  of 
  season, 
  and 
  they 
  will 
  do 
  so 
  if 
  they 
  

   think 
  they 
  can 
  avoid 
  being 
  caught. 
  They 
  were 
  in 
  .the 
  habit 
  of 
  going 
  

   into 
  the 
  field 
  with 
  their 
  guns 
  and 
  traps 
  several 
  days 
  before 
  the 
  season 
  

   opened, 
  ostensibly 
  to 
  build 
  or 
  repair 
  barabaras, 
  but 
  in 
  reaUty 
  to 
  hunt 
  

   foxes 
  and 
  land 
  otters. 
  

  

  Since 
  the 
  Department 
  now 
  has 
  a 
  representative 
  stationed 
  at 
  Afog- 
  

   nak 
  who 
  acts 
  as 
  fur 
  warden, 
  conditions 
  have 
  much 
  improved. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  open 
  season 
  begins 
  each 
  trapper 
  will 
  put 
  out 
  10 
  to 
  50 
  

   traps 
  for 
  foxes 
  and 
  land 
  otters, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  as 
  many 
  more 
  for 
  ermine. 
  

   After 
  heavy 
  snows 
  have 
  fallen, 
  trapping 
  is 
  abandoned 
  because 
  the 
  

   alternate 
  thawing 
  and 
  freezing 
  covers 
  the 
  traps 
  with 
  ice, 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  

   will 
  not 
  operate. 
  Trapping 
  then 
  gives 
  way 
  to 
  hunting, 
  which 
  con- 
  

   tinues 
  with 
  varying 
  interest 
  until 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  season. 
  At 
  first 
  the 
  

   trappers 
  manifest 
  considerable 
  energy 
  and 
  enthusiasm 
  and 
  give 
  

   faithful 
  attention 
  to 
  their 
  traps; 
  but 
  after 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  weeks 
  their 
  

   zeal 
  languishes 
  and 
  they 
  return 
  to 
  their 
  homes, 
  leaving 
  their 
  traps 
  

   set 
  and 
  without 
  attention 
  for 
  several 
  days. 
  During 
  these 
  intervals 
  

   of 
  neglect, 
  animals 
  are 
  caught, 
  die 
  in 
  the 
  traps, 
  and 
  the 
  skins 
  become 
  

   ruined 
  either 
  through 
  decay 
  or 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  bears 
  and 
  eagles. 
  

  

  Some 
  of 
  the 
  trappers 
  sell 
  their 
  furs 
  for 
  cash; 
  others 
  trade 
  them 
  for 
  

   groceries 
  and 
  clothing; 
  while 
  still 
  others 
  hypothecate 
  their 
  catch 
  for 
  

   provisions 
  and 
  then, 
  forgetting 
  who 
  grubstaked 
  them, 
  sell 
  where 
  they 
  

   can 
  get 
  the 
  best 
  price. 
  Nearly 
  all 
  the 
  skins 
  are 
  sold 
  as 
  fast 
  as 
  caught. 
  

   There 
  were, 
  in 
  1912, 
  three 
  principal 
  buyers 
  at 
  Kodiak 
  and 
  three 
  at 
  

   Afognak. 
  

  

  Some 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  Afognak-Kodiak 
  region 
  as 
  to 
  

   fur 
  production 
  can 
  be 
  gained 
  from 
  the 
  following 
  statements: 
  

  

  