Vol. 5 , No. 6 
Page 3 
Figures obtained for the Sanctuary area show that opening the 
area to hunting during the 1960-61 season did not change the total 
mortality rate although hunters caused an estimated 44 per cent of 
the fall population to die. 
The project assistant has obtained 33 rabbits for use in the reproductive 
phase of this project. Thirty are being held for future use and three are current 
ly under observation and study in the enclosure. 
5. Investigations of Furbearers R. J. Ellis 
Approximately 1,500 raccoons from two large fur houses were selected at ran¬ 
dom and autopsied during the fur season of 1901-62. It was possible to separate 
1,436 of these into sex and age classes. The resulting data were arranged to show 
changes in the sex ratio which might be attributed to age classes, hunting zones, 
or hunting periods. Table 2. According to information in Table 2, a noticeable 
tendency existed in both zones for females to be harvested earlier than males. 
When the entire season is considered, the sex ratio in the sample was nearly 1:1. 
The only exception to this condition concerns juveniles from the southern zone 
where a ratio of 1.25 males per female occurred in the sample. 
Table 2. --Sex ratios of 1,436 raccoons examined at the Bauer Fur Company, 
southern hunting zone, during the 1961-62 fur season and expressed as males per 
female. 
Period and 
Northern 
Southern 
Entire 
Cl assification 
Hunting Zone 
Hunting Zone 
State 
First Half of Season 
Postyear 1ings 
0.72 (98)* 
0.44 (88) 
0.58 (186) 
Preyearlings 
0.71 (280) 
1.08 (245) 
0.86 (525) 
A11 
0.71 (378) 
0.86 (333) 
0.78 (711) 
Second Half of Season 
Postyear 1ings 
1.42 (138) 
1.28 (182) 
1.34 (320) 
Preyearlings 
1.42 ( 189 ) 
1.48 (216) 
1.45 (405) 
A11 
1.42 (327) 
1.38 (398) 
1.40 (725) 
Entire Season 
Postyear 1ings 
1.07 (236) 
0.91 (270) 
0.98 (506) 
Preyearlings 
0.94 (469) 
1.25 (461) 
1.08 ( 930 ) 
All 
0.98 (705) 
1.11 (731) 
1.04 (1,436) 
*Numbers in parentheses indicate sample 
s i ze. 
6. Waterfowl Inventory F. C. Bell rose 
Project inactive during June. 
