462 
half of the trappers and over two-thirds 
of the hunters annually took opossums. 
It is apparent that opossum and raccoon 
hunting can be closely correlated by re- 
gions, tables 7 and 8. 
The sport of possum hunting is well 
known and is perhaps as popular and as 
widely practiced in southern Illinois as in 
the southern states. Unusually dry weath- 
er during the fall of 1939 over most of Ili- 
nois, followed by unusual cold, probably 
explains the reduction in catch for that 
season in all regions except the Western 
Prairie and the Northwestern Sand Prai- 
rie, where more favorable hunting condi- 
tions during the first part of the season 
may partly explain the slight increase in 
catch over that of the preceding year. 
In all regions of the state, but especially 
in the River Bluffs and Bottoms, Gray 
Prairie and Western Prairie, opossum 
hunters can feel reasonably certain of some 
sport on almost any good autumn night. 
In the river type region and locally in the 
other two regions named, it is not uncom- 
mon for a hunter or group of hunters with 
dogs to take a dozen or more opossums 
in one evening. The procedure is simple. 
The dog or dogs are turned loose, and the 
hunters wait until the “tree bark’ is 
heard, which is usually at some small tree, 
but may be at a sink hole, old woodchuck 
den or hollow log. Dogs sometimes bay 
opossums on the ground, and such opos- 
sums are usually killed and sometimes 
destroyed by the dogs before the hunter 
can come upon the scene. Fur-hunters, 
especially during the days of high prices 
for opossum pelts, usually attempt to bag 
the catch before extensive damage is done. 
Opossums in trees are usually taken by 
shooting the animals or chopping the trees 
down, but sometimes simply by shaking 
the trees until the animals drop to the 
ground. Those “treed” in the ground are 
commonly abandoned. A persimmon grove 
is a favored place for taking opossums 
at night. In the chopping of trees, night 
hunters cause a loss that is fairly common 
in southern Illinois. 
‘Trapping opossums, at least during the 
era of low prices, is chiefly incidental to 
the trapping of minks, raccoons, skunks 
and foxes. Many trappers resent even in- 
cidental capture, and some trappers throw 
away opossums so taken. Sets, when made 
for opossums, are placed at thé entrance 
ILtLino1s NATURAL History SURVEY BULLETIN 
Vol. 22Arte@ 
of dens, on logs or at waterholes. They 
are usually baited, since these animals take 
readily almost any sort of meat foods. 
Management.—Perhaps the greatest 
value of the opossum is the buffer effect 
it has on raccoon hunting. Night hunters 
in practically all parts of the state can de- 
pend on this species for a certain amount 
of sport, whereas raccoons are decidedly 
scarce except in the riverbottoms and for- 
ested parts of the Western Prairie, North- 
west Hills and the Central Sand Prairie 
regions. Some sportsmen, interested chief- 
ly or only in raccoon hunting, object to 
the abundance of opossums since it inter- 
feres with their sport. 
In view of current market conditions, 
it is certain that the opossum is in little 
danger of greatly reduced numbers. Its 
prolificness, adaptability and omnivorous 
food habits enable it to withstand any 
likely hunting or trapping pressure. The 
present laws are satisfactory. 
Raccoon 
The raccoon is the most characteristic 
forest fur animal in I]linois. It is common 
to fairly abundant in all extensively wood- 
ed regions of the state and scarce else- 
where. The catch per square mile in the 
River Bluffs and Bottoms, the largest 
wooded region, was 1.93 raccoons in 1938- 
39 and 1.55 in 1939-40, while the catch 
per square mile in the Black Prairie Re- 
gion, with the smallest acreage of forest 
cover per unit of area, was only 0.09 and 
0.07 raccoon for the two seasons of the 
survey, table 8. 
For the season of 1938-39, the total 
calculated catch was 42,412 raccoons, 
worth $84,824; and in 1939-40, 34,577 
raccoons, worth $69,154, table 8. Dur- 
ing these two years, the value of raccoon 
fur was low, the average price per pelt 
being only about $2, table 5. An average 
value of $4 or $5 per pelt is a more nearly 
normal price. The annual income from 
this species for the two seasons of the 
survey was only about 614 per cent of the 
total annual worth of the fur resource in 
Illinois, table 20. 
Popularity.—Without doubt the rac- 
coon has wider appeal to the American — 
public than any other furbearer, with the 
possible exception of the beaver. It can 
properly be considered the best “all 
