MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Vol. 3, No. 1 
Page 2 
R. D. Lord 
W-42-R-9 
Censusing of rabbits and checking of hunters’ bags were continued, particu¬ 
larly on the Allerton Park area, and rabbits were taken to provide additional data 
on age composition and on condition. 
A talk was given to the University of Illinois Sportsman's Club on rabbit 
research in Illinois, and one, on trapping, was given to the Outdoors Activity class 
at the University. A paper was given at the Midwest Wildlife Conference in 
Minneapolis on magnitudes of reproduction in the cottontail rabbit. Another paper 
was given to the Ecology Session of the annual meeting of the American Association 
for the Advancement of Science. 
W-55-R-4 F. Bellrose 
Two aerial censuses were taken of waterfowl in the Illinois and Mississippi 
River valleys in December (December 4 and 14). On December 3, an aerial census was 
taken of ducks in southern Illinois. 
The censuses of December 3 and 4 revealed that there were 712,000 mallards 
in the state, 474,000 of which were in the Illinois River valley and 215,000 in 
southern areas. 
Even though mild weather prevailed and food was plentiful, mallard populations 
in the Illinois and Mississippi River valleys declined about 135,000 by December 14. 
Few other ducks were found excepting 14,000 black ducks and 6,000 American 
mergansers. 
Most unusual was the continued occurrence of about 11,000 blue and snow geese 
along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. Usually only one flock of 4,000 remains 
in Illinois after December 1. 
W-56-R-4 G. Sanderson 
With the mild weather conditions which prevailed throughout Illinois during 
much of December, the raccoon harvest remained at a higher than normal level during 
the month. Prices paid to hunters and trappers for raccoon pelts were better than 
those paid in 1958. Some buyers increased prices paid for raccoons to $1.25 each 
"accross the board." Some were paying as much as $1.65 each for selected raccoon 
pelts. 
Prices paid for muskrat pelts also were somewhat improved over a year ago, 
and as a result of this and the mild weather, more people were trapping this year 
than last year. This also contributed to the increased harvest of raccoons because 
mink and muskrat trappers often try to trap the raccoons first to get them out of 
the way for their mink and muskrat sets. 
