452 
tags, which were supplied by the State 
Department of Conservation, and one of 
which was required to be attached to each 
trap. In the season of 1939-40, even the 
trapper exempt from the license regula- 
tion was required to tag his traps as speci- 
fied above, tags being supplied by the 
Department at cost of production. 
The trapping season of 1938-39 was 
staggered both by zones and by species. 
In all zones, and for all protected fur- 
bearing species on which an open season 
was provided except muskrats and foxes, 
it opened Nov. 15, but closed Jan. 15 in 
the southern and central zones and Jan. 
31 in the northern zone. The muskrat 
season opened Nov. 15 in the northern 
zone, but not until Dec. 1 in the central 
and southern zones. It closed Jan. 31 in 
all zones, 16 days later than the season 
on most other species in the two more 
southern zones. Only in the northern 
zone did the muskrat season coincide with 
open dates for other protected fur animals. 
Foxes, in the northern and central zones, 
were unprotected by a closed season; in 
the southern zone they were included in 
the open season with most other fur spe- 
cies. Certain northern counties paid a 
bounty on foxes. No distinction was made 
between red and gray foxes. No limits 
were placed on the take of any furbearer 
on which an open season was declared. 
Muskrats could be taken only with traps, 
and no trap could be set within 10 feet 
of a muskrat house or den. Dog training 
was permitted during the period of Aug. 
L>stomVlarcias 
In 1939-40, there was no staggering of 
seasons by species. The trapping season 
began Nov. 15 in the northern and central 
zones and closed Jan. 31 in the former and 
Jan. 15 in the latter. In the southern 
and central zones, the fox season coincided 
with that of other fur-bearing animals. 
In the northern zone, there was no closed 
season on foxes. 
‘The codes applicable to the two seasons 
covered by the survey provided for month- 
ly catch reports from all persons, licensed 
and unlicensed, taking fur animals, but 
survey calculations indicated that only 
4,105 fur-takers, or 26 per cent of the 
calculated 15,820 licensed, made these re- 
ports in 1938-39, and only 2,144, or 13 
per cent of the calculated 15,982 licensed, 
made these reports in 1939-40, In 1939- 
Ittino1s NATURAL History SURVEY BULLETIN 
Kol. 22,Ariso 
40 a difficulty arose in the distribution of 
the blank forms, which is believed to ex- 
plain the difference for the 2 years. 
ILLINOIS FUR ANIMALS 
‘The income from the sale of Illinois - 
raw furs, estimated to vary between | and 
2 million dollars annually, is derived with 
little direct investment and in the almost 
complete absence of management. ‘This 
income is distinctive in that it is distrib- 
uted to every county in the state, chiefly 
among people most in need of additional 
funds. The main cost is the time required 
to harvest the crop, which is limited 
chiefly to the rural and small town popu- 
lations. ‘he trapping season fits into the 
slack part of the year and provides a time- 
ly source of cash during the winter 
months, especially the holiday period. 
‘The following discussions of the yield 
and value of Illinois furs are presented by 
species, and constitute the bulk of this 
report. No attempt to include habits or 
life histories has been made. With each 
specific discussion is included a tabulated 
summary of field data, which supplies the 
basis for the discussion. 
‘The average fur prices received by fur- 
takers were found by averaging a large 
series of pelts for each species from each 
region. ‘The average prices thus deter- 
mined are given in table 5. 
At the time of the survey, a number of 
Illinois furbearers occurred in such thin 
populations or were restricted to so small 
a part of the state that the sampling 
methods used were inadequate in evaluat- 
Table 5.—Average prices received by fur- 
takers for Illinois raw furs, 1938-39 and 1939- 
40 (to nearest $0.05). 
AVERAGE PRrIcE ror SEASON 
SPECIES 
1938-39 1939-40 
Muskrat cova $0. 80 $1.00 
Opossum 0.20 0.20 
Racccohe 2.00 2.00 
Sinise eee O75 1.00 
Minki eee 7.00 6.00 
Reéditoxerc ae 3.00 ee es 
Gray fox. Ler Les 
Weasel ay (eee O85 OF35 
Coyotes ine 2.00 2.00 
