438 Ittinois NATURAL History SURVEY BULLETIN Vol. 22, Art. 6 
priming phenomenon characteristic of the ally during staggered seasons, trappers are 
species, is often postponed 15 to 30 days faced with the unfortunate alternatives 
after the opening of the season on other of destroying or pelting valuable furs. 
animals. It likewise often extends the same Even if such animals are not drowned, and 
length of time beyond the close of the sea-_ later escape or are released, they may die 
son on other animals. In theory, the plan of injuries or, in the event of recovery, 
is good, and such a season will result in be in a condition too poor to breed. 
the taking of a larger percentage of more Prior to the initiation of project 1-R,- 
nearly prime muskrat furs. The imprac- it was known that certain fur species in 
Illinois, especially raccoons, were reaching 
low population levels in many localities. 
ca a In view of this situation, there was agita- 
ee tion for a completely closed season, a re- 
duced season, bag limits, elimination of all 
raccoon trapping and various other meas- 
ures, received mainly from sincere and 
well-meaning groups or individuals. In 
the absence of reliable and scientific infor- 
mation, it was impossible to act with full 
intelligence on these suggestions or to set 
fur trapping and hunting seasons fair both 
to the resource and to the appreciable 
number of people partly supported by it. 
The general objectives of the survey, 
restated from the Preliminary Project 
Statement for 1-R, included information 
on the following points as they pertained 
to Illinois: 
1. Annual yield of pelts by species. 
2. Annual income of fur-takers from 
the fur resource. 
3. Methods of trapping, hunting and 
marketing furs. 
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5. Number of unlicensedeemieeeiaeres 
6. Fur animal cycles. 
Information derived was to serve as a 
basis for recommending sound fur animal 
laws and offering suggestions for practical 
fur animal management. 
| WILLIAMSON 
Hise] @=Maproteltlinoieshowinemuenth eee SURVEY PROCEDURE 
zones applicable to the game and fish codes of . : 
the state. In the attainment of the fur survey’s 
objectives, limitations of time and person- 
tical application comes from the impossi- nel necessarily affected procedure. Only 
bility of keeping muskrats out of mink one full-time man for a 13-month period 
sets during the first part of the season and was available for the work. Since it was 
minks out of muskrat sets during the last desired to include the entire state in the 
part of the season. Many minks and _ survey, full coverage, even of sample coun- 
muskrats are drowned after being caught, ties, was precluded. It became necessary, 
and drowning is one of the best of all therefore, to devise a sampling procedure 
trapping techniques since it largely elim- that permitted rapid coverage, yet one 
inates the escape of captured animals and _ yielding reliable data of a quantitative 
is desirable from the humane standpoint. nature. ‘his involved two general steps: 
When animals are unavoidably taken illeg- the division of the state into fur survey 
