February, 1921 
FOREST AND STREAM 
71 
tered out, but gather together in considerable 
groups. In old times it was not unusual to see herds 
that numbered several thousand. Such herds were 
' the mere collecting together on the wintering 
ground of many little groups of antelope that had 
migrated from their summer homes to the protected 
ranges where they passed the winter. 
Though in Mexico and at certain points on the 
southern border of the United States antelope are 
still abundant, the form which used to range on the 
plains seems to be on the road to extinction. On 
the Bison Range, near Dixon, Montana, and at the 
Wind Cave National Park, there are some few 
under fence contributed to these ranges by the 
Boone and Crockett Club. There are a few antelope 
in the Yellowstone Park, some in Western Nebras- 
ka and Wyoming and, according to report, a con- 
siderable number in Northern Nevada and South- 
ern Oregon. Nevertheless, this unique species is 
disappearing and every man who can exercise a 
bit of influence to protect it and to lengthen its 
existence in the United States should exercise that 
influence. 
FUR PRICES AND FURS 
very serious matter. 
The naturalist views the diminution of these 
species with regret, the farmer — although he does 
not know it — is interested in the protection of cer- 
tain small carnivorous animals which destroy ani- 
mals that harm his crops, and the fur trader and 
fur manufacturer feel alarmed at the diminishing 
quantity of fur handled and the tremendous prices 
that are being paid for this fur. 
The economic question is of great importance to 
the country at large, and many people are inter- 
ested in it. The work of trappers, of fur buyers, 
and of the furriers who dress, dye and finally man- 
ufacture the furs into garments, is threatened. The 
sale of furs amounts to many millions of dollars 
annually, and even in a single city the investment 
in plants that deal with furs is estimated at between 
two hundred and three hundred millions of dollars. 
Within the past few years prices have soared. 
Some of us can remember when a boy was lucky 
if he got from six to ten cents for a muskrat skin. 
Lately they have sold at five dollars. Beaver, which 
in 1915 were worth $17, recently sold for $38.50. 
Otter rose from $14 to $101, and red fox has quad- 
rupled in value. There are many other examples. 
As prices increase, the supply diminishes. It has 
been declared that in the winter of 1918 and 1919 
tho supply of muskrats was fifty per cent short of 
normal, and that of the following winter was again 
fift> per cent less. In Wisconsin, trappers in 1917 
tool, 800,000 muskrats, in 1918 less than 300,000, 
and in 1919 about 150,000. The high prices induce 
many people to take to trapping and this results in 
a still further diminution of the animals. We must 
look for a remedy for this. Prices in the raw fur 
market, however, have now fallen. 
Many North American states and provinces have 
close seasons for fur-bearing animals and this helps 
to lessen their destruction, at a time when their 
hides have little or no value. All states should 
have a longer close time and a shorter open season 
than now. Most fur-bearing animals should not be 
trapped before the beginning of January, and the 
trapping should stop about the first of March. Some 
provinces of Canada require a royalty to be paid on 
all skins taken, and these skins must be inspected 
and stamped before they can be sold. This brings 
the catch of fur under the immediate eye of the au- 
thorities and permits some control and regulation 
of the trade. 
In all states it would probably be wise to have 
laws enacted placing all furs in the hands of the 
game or conservation commission. The commission 
should have full power to establish the seasons, 
changing them when needful and even putting com- 
plete protection on any species that seem to require 
it. It would be wise also to establish preserves for 
fur-bearers where they could not be molested at 
any time. Such preserves would serve as centers 
from which the surrounding country might be 
stocked. 
Fur farming has been talked about for nearly 
fifty years and experiments have been made with 
certain species of animals. It does not appear, how- 
ever, that as yet any very noteworthy results have 
been attained except in the matter of rearing black 
foxes. In some places, this has proved profitable, 
but perhaps rather from the sale of living animals 
than from the sale of fur. 
Before long this matter will demand attention by 
business men. The sooner it is taken up, the better 
for the fur trade. 
HUNTING 
THE term “hunting” is one which is used in 
1 many different senses according to locality. 
In England, for example, it has to do with riding 
after hounds, in pursuit of the fox — cross country 
riding in other words — although in old times the 
riders and their packs followed the deer. The 
hunter is of course unarmed. 
In the good old days in America, hunting meant 
still-hunting or stalking; that is, approaching the 
game by stealth, the hunter pitting his woodcraft 
against the keen senses of the large wild game. 
Later it was used in speaking of the chase of the 
buffalo on horseback. Still-hunting having become 
a lost art in the United States, the term has of 
late years had a broader application, being used 
first in speaking of the killing of large game and 
later of the killing of any game, so that today we 
hear of duck hunting, dove hunting, and in the 
course of time we may hear of robin hunting or 
sparrow hunting. 
When a whole community turns out to destroy 
tame and long preserved deer in a settled country, 
as used to be the case on Long Island, that is still 
called hunting ; and so in the old world, when kings 
visit preserves and they have the domesticated wild 
animals driven by stands, from which they kill all 
they can, we hear again of hunting. 
With the increase of population and with the 
changed conditions which modify the sense in which 
the word was originally used, the special signifi- 
cance of this word as of other words used in a par- 
ticular sense will pass away. 
MT. McKINLEY PARK APPROPRIATION 
T^HE Appropriation Committee of the House of 
A Representatives has awarded the sum of $8,000 
to the Mt. McKinley National Park, Alaska, for the 
purpose of game protection. 
While this amount is small, a start in the right 
direction has been made, and, judiciously expended, 
will greatly help to lessen the danger to the wild 
life of that region which the approach of the rail- 
road has made imminent. 
