ECONOMIC VALUE OF NORTH AMERICAN SKUNKS. 



15 



skins are intrinsically of high value, as they wear well and have a luster 

 which makes them rival Russian sable in appearance. 



Skunk fur has never been very popular in America, but is now grow- 

 ing in favor. For many years almost all the product was taken for 

 European manufacture. True, a good many of the skins came back as 

 ' 'black marten/ 7 and, when plucked, as "Alaska sable/' but when the 

 public learned the true nature of these articles the demand for them 

 was not very great. The processes of dressing and deodorizing the 

 skins are now much improved, so that this fur is gaining in popularity. 

 The present extreme scarcity of Russian sable, resulting from a law 

 forbidding the taking of that fur, favors the market for skunk. 



The oil of the skunk is used in some parts of the country for medi- 

 cinal purposes. It is popularly believed to relieve rheumatism and 

 various affections of the throat when applied externally. There is, 

 however, no great demand for it. 



The flesh of the skunk is sometimes used as food. It was formerly 

 a common article of diet among North American Indians and trappers. 



TRAPPING SKUNKS. 



Trapping is the best method of taking skunks for their fur. Shoot- 

 ing spoils the pelt and generally results in its defilement by the animal. 

 A moderate amount of trapping may be done each winter in many 

 localities without seriously affecting the supply of this fur, and some- 

 times without greatly interfering with the beneficial work of the ani- 

 mals against farm pests. If no trapping were done skunks in some 

 places might become noxious because of their abundance. 



Skunks, being neither suspicious nor cunning, are easily trapped. 

 They are often caught in unbaited traps placed in the paths they 

 travel; yet the head of a fowl, a sparrow, or a dead mouse makes an 

 excellent bait. Trappers use a medium-sized trap (No. 1) and try to 

 take advantage of the peculiar habits and haunts of the animals, plac- 

 ing the trap in such places as the paths they travel to obtain water or 

 near the openings to their dens. The trap should be set lightly (the 

 trigger filed down to fit the notch loosely), and a little light trash 

 (leaves or grass) may be scattered over it with advantage. The bait 

 may be placed on the pan, or a little beyond the trap, or between two 

 traps. The path may be narrowed artificially by setting upright 

 sticks in two converging rows along it and the trap set in the narrow 

 place. 



Skunks when trapped do not often discharge their scent so as to 

 defile the fur, but care is needed to remove them from the traps. With 

 caution one may approach near enough to strike the animal a quick 

 blow across the back, paralyzing the hind parts and preventing the dis- 

 charge. Some trappers use a wire noose attached to a pole. The 

 noose is cautiously lowered over the head of the skunk, and by a 

 quick jerk the animal is lifted and strangled. 



