In the 1975-76 season, half the pelts were muskrat; 

 another third of the total consisted of raccoon and 

 nutria. Raccoon accounted for 50 percent of the total 

 value, muskrat for 18 percent, and nutria, red fox, 

 and coyote for 6 or 7 percent each (table 4.9). 



With the exception of the opossum and nutria, all 

 the above species are widespread, occurring in at least 

 70 percent of the area of the Nation. The opossum is 

 spread across perhaps half of the country, primarily 

 in the East, and the nutria is restricted to the South 

 Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and to the West Coast. Pri- 

 vate lands, and especially riparian areas, provide 

 most of the habitat for furbearers. Exceptions are 

 Alaska, where public lands are most important, and 

 the Rockies, where critical habitats are spread among 

 all ownerships.'^ 



The demand for furskins is governed by trends in 

 fashions. The current, relatively high demand is 

 expected to continue for some time. It is felt by many 

 that existing population levels of furbearers are ade- 

 quate to support demand during the next decade or 

 so, at least for most species. However, at this time 

 there is a particularly sharp dispute over the status of 

 existing populations of bobcats, which are in high 

 demand as a source of "spotted cat" furs. 



Supply of Other Small Mammals 

 and Upland Game Birds 



This group includes hunted upland birds and small 

 mammals other than furbearers. About 40 million 

 rabbits and hares, squirrels, and quails, and perhaps 

 12 million pheasants, 3 million grouses, and 1 million 

 partridges are harvested each year. The small game 

 species attracting more than a miUion hunters each in 

 1975 were:2o 



Species 



Number of hunters 





Millions 



Rabbit, hare 



10.2 



Squirrel 



8.6 



Quail 



6.0 



Pheasant 



5.9 



Dove 



4.7 



Woodchuck, 





ground squirrel 



3.1 



Crow 



2.5 



Grouse 



2.3 



"Sisson-Lopez, P. J., and A. T. Cringan. An analysis of the 

 U.S. fur trade. Dep. Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State 

 Univ., Fort Collins, Colo., 57 p. 1979. 



Table 4.9 — Harvests and commercial values of pelts of furbearers sold in the contiguous States, 



by section, 1975-76 



Commercial value 

 to trappers and 

 fur-farmers 



Furbearer and 

 commercial value 



Northeast 



North 

 Central 



Southeast 



South 

 Central 



Rocky Mountains 

 and Great Plains 



Pacific 

 Coast 



Total 



Proportion of 

 commercial value 















Percent 

 1 



Beaver 



31 



96 



9 



3 



37 



14 



188 



Coyote 







36 







30 



97 



13 



176 



6 



Gray fox 



28 



64 



21 



42 



6 



2 



163 



2 



Red fox 



33 



141 



12 



7 



77 



1 



272 



7 



Mink 



15 



133 



11 



55 



19 



3 



235 



2 



Muskrat 



1,666 



3,012 



300 



853 



405 



179 



6.416 



18 



Nutria 



10 







15 



1,532 







13 



1,570 



7 



Opossum 



139 



270 



51 



208 



57 



3 



729 



1 



Raccoon 



330 



1,800 



190 



687 



212 



13 



3,232 



50 



Other' 



21 



54 



10 



108 



54 



10 



259 



6 



Total 



2,273 



5,606 



619 



3,525 



964 



251 



13,240 



100 



15 



55 



Millions of dollars 



30 



15 



123 



'Includes 15 species yielding less than 100,000 pelts each- 

 Source: E. F. Deems, and D- Pursley (eds.) North American furbearers: their 



management, research, and harvest status in 1976. International Assoc, of Fish 

 and Wildlife Agencies, Univ.. fvlaryland Press, College Park, 1978. 



122 



