September, 1943 Brown & YEAGER: 
areas are the Chautauqua National Wild- 
life Refuge in Mason County, the Horse- 
shoe Lake Game Refuge in Alexander 
County and the U. S. Army Proving 
Grounds in Carroll County. All are riv- 
erbottom types in proximity to water. 
Protection in these areas has extended over 
a period of 10 years or more, and on all 
there is now need for the removal of a part 
of the raccoon population in order to pre- 
vent overcrowding. 
Skunk 
‘The taxonomic status of skunks in [Ili- 
nois has never been satisfactorily deter- 
mined (Anthony 1928, Hall 1936, Greg- 
ory 1936, and Necker & Hatfield 1941). 
Whatever their systematic position, for 
purposes of this survey striped skunks 
have been grouped under Mephitis mephit- 
is. “Che spotted skunk, Spilogale, apparent- 
ly does not occur in the state. 
Striped skunks are rather generally dis- 
tributed throughout Illinois. For the sea- 
son of 1938-39, the total calculated catch 
was 49,640, worth $37,230; and in 1939- 
40 the calculated catch was 36,681, worth 
$36,681, table 10. During the two seasons 
covered by the study, skunk prices were 
low, the average being 75 cents for the 
first year and $1 for the second, table 5. 
‘The normal value is nearly twice as much. 
In catch value, skunks ranked fifth among 
Illinois fur animals, with slightly more 
than 3 per cent of the total, table 20. “Che 
true value of the species, however, is de- 
termined only by evaluating its insect-eat- 
ing proclivities and adding this value to 
fur income worth. 
Popularity.—In Illinois only the red 
fox appears to have a position more vari- 
able in public esteem than the skunk. One 
farmer may consider a family of barn- 
dwelling skunks good insurance against 
rats and mice; and his neighbor may con- 
demn them because of actual or assumed 
injury to poultry. Many orchardists in 
southern and southwestern Illinois protect 
skunks because of their services as mousers 
and insect eaters, while sportsmen in the 
same regions demand control of these 
animals in the interest of game birds. Of 
604 answers received as to fur-takers’ 
opinions of skunks, 35 favored fewer of 
the animals, table 10. Only the opossum 
ranked lower in favor as a fur species, and 
SURVEY OF Fur Resource 
469 
only the weasel had a lower rating in gen- 
eral public opinion. . 
Damage and Control.—Skunks are 
objectionable more from the standpoint of 
nuisance than actual damage to property. 
Their nuisance quotient probably reaches 
its zenith when they den under dwellings 
or farm outbuildings, which they not in- 
frequently do. Farm dogs inevitably run 
afoul of farmstead skunks, and the results 
Canape detected: trom atar. | Mosti such 
skunks, with some justification, are not 
reserved until the winter fur harvest. 
Damage by skunks to beehives, lawns 
and pastures, all in quest of insect food, 
is commonly reported. Although damage 
to beehives represents an actual loss, the 
digging of grubs and other insects almost 
certainly prevents greater injury to grass 
and field crops. Occasional to habitual 
destruction of poultry is perhaps the worst 
offense of which skunks are guilty. Ha- 
bitual depredation is usually confined to 
individual animals, the elimination of 
which affords ample control. Because 
skunks are poor climbers, their injury to 
nests and eggs is confined to ground-fre- 
quenting birds. 
Skunk control has recently been well dis- 
cussed by Green & Mills (1941). Where 
practicable, trapping with No. 1 or No. 
114 traps during the fur season is the 
most desirable control, since the animals 
can then be made to yield a cash income. 
Skunks are easily trapped in trails, coop 
entrances, passageways through fences or 
at baited sets in the vicinity of their dens. 
They are also easily taken in box traps, 
in which they may be drowned before 
being removed. In tight bex traps or sim- 
ilar containers they may be killed quickly, 
and without unpleasantness to the killer, 
with carbon bisulphide, ether or chloro- 
form. Shooting with a small rifle is prob- 
ably the most practical way to kill trapped 
skunks, but this method does not insure 
against “‘scenting.’ We consider wide- 
scale control of skunks in the interest of 
upland game or for similar purposes to be 
inadvisable at any time. 
Populations.—In the two seasons of 
the survey, the annual skunk catch showed 
more change by regions than that of any 
other important fur animal. ‘The state as 
a whole showed a decrease in catch for 
the second year of about 26 per cent, table 
10, despite a 331% per cent increase in 
