BLUE-FOX FARMING IN ALASKA 
15 
the notch (6) and the bevel (8) faced with metal. All moving 
parts should fit accurately and work freely. 
The entrance (2) and exit (12) may be interchanged to meet 
conditions of installation. Where this is done, however, the posi- 
tions of the beveled notch (8) and the square notch (6) on the 
trigger (7) will have to be reversed. 
Some ranchers make use of a box-trap similar to that shown in 
Figure 18. This type of trap is simple to construct, but is not very 
satisfactory for general use. It is sometimes used to capture foxes 
that have become too wary to be caught in trap-feed houses. In the 
front part is built a sliding door, temporarily held up by a nail in 
a slot. A wire fastened to this nail extends to the rear of the trap 
through a series of screw eyes, which serve to keep it straight. On 
the end of the wire the bait is fastened. When a fox enters the trap 
and gnaws at the bait the nail slips from the slot and drops the 
door. A treadle or pan is sometimes used instead of bait. To re- 
Fig. 17. — Details of construction of trap for feeding house. Operation described in text 
move the foxes, the lid (which is the board propping up the trap 
in fig. 18) is taken off. 
BREEDING STOCK AND EQUIPMENT 
The number of foxes to be purchased to stock an island depends 
very largely upon the financial ability of the person engaging in the 
industry and upon the size of the island. Some island ranches of 
100 or more acres have been started with only 1 or 2 pairs of breed- 
ers; but this is impractical, for the reason that much time is involved 
in waiting for a sufficient increase to permit the taking of pelts or 
the selling of breeding stock. A 50 to 100 acre island may ordinarily 
be stocked with 10 to 20 pairs of foxes. Good breeding stock can 
usually be purchased for $300 to $400 a pair. 
A moderate-sized dwelling of logs or frame construction for the 
caretaker and his family can be built for $500 to $2,000, depending 
largely on the cost of labor. Large islands sometimes require more 
than one dwelling to provide proper distribution of caretakers. A 
combined feed, storage, and cook house, frame construction, will cost 
$300 to $500. Smokehouses cost $500 to $700, depending upon the 
plan. Trap-feed houses, which should be erected at numerous points 
