WHO SAW SKUNKS? 



281 



merce in wild birds and animals killed or 

 captured in violation of local laws. At 

 present the State laws are rendered almost 

 entirely useless, owing to the fact that the 

 poacher kills or traps the game and ships 

 it to a distant market in packages so dis- 

 guised that neither carrier nor local game 

 protectors are able to detect the contents. 

 When these shipments arrive at the mar- 

 ket they are of no value unless exposed for 

 sale, and as soon as exposed, if shipped in 

 violation of the laws of the States, they can 

 readily be the subject of prosecution by 

 the authorities charged with the enforce- 

 ment of the laws. This additional power 

 in the hands of men engaged in the protec- 

 tion of our birds and beasts will, in my 

 opinion, do more to stop this nefarious 

 traffic than any method that has yet been 

 devised. 



The farmers of the country who are in- 

 terested in the preservation of their feath- 

 ered friends will all favor such a measure. 

 Concerted action all along the line, by the 

 lovers of our birds, will insure the passage 

 of this bill. 



As to the introduction of locally extinct 



species, or new species, through the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, I can only ex- 

 press my belief. We know that when a 

 game club introduces birds they are ruth- 

 lessly destroyed by persons having no in- 

 terest in their preservation. The new- 

 comers are looked on as being imported 

 for the recreation of a wealthy gun club, 

 and therefore a proper subject of destruc- 

 tion. I hope and believe that a different 

 sentiment will be shown when such birds 

 are looked on as the subjects of national 

 concern. Every boy and man will feel 

 that these strangers, are the property of 

 the nation at large, and that everyone 

 should take an interest in seeing that they 

 are suitably protected until such time as 

 they may be abundant enough to be the 

 objects of occasional pursuit. Above all, 

 the protection of our remaining natural 

 resources must be the subject of an en- 

 lightened public sentiment. Meetings like 

 this to-night are the starting point from 

 which such sentiment may proceed, and I 

 am sure the results of this annual meeting 

 of the League of American Sportsmen will 

 be seen and felt in all the years to come. 



WHO SAID SKUNKS? 



RAMSAY MACNAUGHTON. 



Ever since my article on "Skunk Farm- 

 ing for Profit" appeared in Recreation I 

 have been bombarded with letters from all 

 parts of the country, asking for further in- 

 formation on this subject, and I therefore 

 send you these additional notes. 



Skunk farming, while a new idea to the 

 majority of readers, has long been known 

 to quite a number. The subject is fre- 

 quently discussed in the large wholesale 

 fur houses in New York City. And, by 

 the way, live lists of some of the big fur, 

 houses show that over 15,000 persons are 

 engaged in hunting, trapping and collect- 

 ing furs in the United States and Canada. 

 Where population is densest and fur-bear- 

 ing animals least expected, they are often 

 found. For instance, a large number of 

 trappers are found in New Jersey. It is 

 from this goodly army of trappers, the fur 

 merchant, and works on zoology that the 

 would-be skunk farmer must get some of 

 his facts. 



Within a few years T have known of 8 

 or 9 successful skunk farms in Pennsyl- 

 vania, and upward of 100 scattered through- 

 out the United States. Many men engaged 

 in raising skunks have called on me from 

 time to time. They invariably compared 

 their skunks to cats and kittens or barn- 

 yard fowls. As with any other pursuit, 



those having taste and talent will find noth- 

 ing in the occupation to object to, much to 

 admire, and a substantial net profit. Nat- 

 urally many questions have arisen from the 

 article on "Skunk Farming for Profit," 

 many of them sensible and « reasonable 

 enough, others that are not answerable 

 here. 



The questions of freight, expressage, or 

 method of shipment can best be answered 

 at nearest railroad station. The ever-willing 

 postmaster of remote little country places 

 will reply on enclosed postal card, telling 

 who in his neighborhood invites corre- 

 spondence regarding such skunks as are 

 wanted to stock up with. Almost any 

 farmer's boy can tell the tastes and habits 

 of skunks, and that information is a com- 

 plete key to raising them successfully in 

 confinement. For those who want to go 

 deeper, a course of reading in natural his- 

 tory will be valuable. 



Skunks are not quarrelsome, and only 

 hunger, neglect or discomfort will make 

 them so. Like any domestic stock, their 

 tranquillity and good nature indicate that 

 they are thriving. They are no more 

 inclined to bite than cats are. and the 

 timid can wear stout buckskin gloves 

 when handling them, as is the prac- 

 tice in taming gray squirrels or oilier 



