September, 1943 
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Fig. 19.—Raccoons accept artificial dens if 
the dimensions and location are satisfactory. 
The best locations are probably near water. 
The raccoon shown here is at the bottom of a 
den box placed in the Urbana Township Wild- 
life Area, Champaign County. 
Coon hunting is a night sport too well 
publicized to require lengthy discussion 
here. The writers desire only to mention 
that a sizable business is represented in 
.the coon dog breeding and training indus- 
try, and that coon hunters in general 
pursue the sport more for the pleasure it 
affords than hope of pecuniary reward. 
This was true especially during the era 
of low prices in which the survey was 
made. Hunters, in order to perpetuate 
their sport, to say nothing of the resource, 
should refrain from cutting den trees or 
timber of any sort; there seems to be a 
growing sentiment to this effect. Very 
cold or very dry weather tends to make 
poor coon hunting; the severe drought 
followed by cold weather and deep snow 
in 1939-40 may account in part for the 
reduced raccoon catch for that season. 
‘The scarcity of raccoons has caused 
numerous coon-hunting clubs, especially 
in the northern part of Illinois, to demand 
restocking by the state. In response, the 
Illinois State Department of Conservation 
in 1939, at its game farm near Mount 
Vernon, began artificial propagation of 
this species. 
Brown & YEAGER: SURVEY OF Fur ResourcE 
467 
Raccoons are trapped in both baited and 
nonbaited or “blind’’ sets, usually in 
water. Fish, rabbit and similar meat at- 
tractors are commonly used. ‘Traps set 
on logs, particularly in the vicinity of 
water, are usually productive. Den sets 
are not common, due to their inaccessibil- 
ity. A strong trap, such as the No. 2, is 
needed because the raccoon possesses great 
strength and makes a courageous fight for 
freedom. Confirmed coon hunters are apt 
to look upon trapping as unsportsmanlike, 
and feel that trappers encroach upon their 
sport. In Illinois, especially in the south- 
ern half of the state, there is considerable 
dissention between coon hunters and trap- 
pers. 
Management.—The most obvious 
need in restoring raccoon population is an 
improved habitat. his, when it involves 
the production of tree cavities, becomes a 
long-time program. Very desirable steps 
in restoring. forest cover are being taken 
by the Illinois State Division of Forestry, 
the U. S. Forest Service and the U. S. 
Soil Conservation Service. To be most 
valuable to raccoons, plantings should be 
of hardwoods and located in the vicinity 
of water. 
Cutting of den trees should be stopped. 
In localities where bluffs do not occur, 
and the topography is too flat and the 
soil too poorly drained to permit satis- 
factory ground denning, there is no prac- 
tice more destructive to present and future 
raccoon populations than den-tree cutting. 
It should be remembered that 40 to 60. 
years are required to grow a den tree, even 
on good sites and with rapidly growing 
species such as soft maple. Conditions un- 
suitable to ground denning exist through- 
out the prairie regions, including most of 
the stream bottoms. 
The utility of artificial dens has not 
been adequately studied, but the writers 
feel that they may have an important 
place in management, fig. 19. For exam- 
ple, if a practical and satisfactory den 
box can be developed, young timber stands 
that are in the vicinity of water but that 
lack natural cavities could be turned into 
productive habitats. Acceptable boxes 
should have minimum inside dimensions 
of 12 by 15 inches. The entrance hole 
should be 6 inches in diameter and the 
cavity at least 3 feet deep. Such boxes 
made in quantity from No. 1 cypress 
