478 
dog would actually tree a mink and hold 
it long enough to be shot. More common- 
ly, however, minks were ‘“‘treed” in holes, 
windfalls, hollow snags or logs, or in piles 
of debris, and were taken by unstinted use 
of ax or spade. For the state as a whole, 
during the two survey seasons, about one- 
half of the trappers and one-fourth of the 
hunters were successful in taking minks, 
table 11. 
Management.—A trapping season 
Nov. 15 to Jan. 15, or Dec. 1 to Jan. 31, 
is considered satisfactory for this species. 
Destruction of mink dens should be 
stopped, although the loss of ground dens 
is obviously less detrimental to minks than 
the cutting of den trees is to raccoons. A 
general program of habitat restoration fea- 
tured by reforestation, erosion control, wa- 
tershed protection and protection against 
fire and overgrazing would greatly benefit 
mink as well as other wildlife populations. 
Close pasturing of stream and ditch banks 
is very destructive to both mink and musk- 
rat range. Drifts, debris, windfalls and 
brushy growths, where land use permits, 
provide very acceptable mink cover. 
Wide-scale mink control over large re- 
gions, in the interests of poultry or game, 
is inadvisable. 
Long-Tailed Weasel 
Two kinds of weasels are listed by 
Necker & Hatfield (1941) as occurring 
in Illinois. These are forms of the long- 
tailed and least weasel. “The latter, of 
little or no importance in the fur trade, 
occurs in only a few of the northeastern 
counties, with one record from Lee Coun- 
ty. 
Unlike species of more general distribu- 
tion over the state, such as the skunk and 
mink, the long-tailed weasel is concen- 
trated principally in the more northern 
counties. It occurs, however, in every re- 
gion, and in all is one of the less important 
fur animals. In 1938-39, the total calcu- 
lated catch was 8,889, worth $3,111.15; 
in 1939-40, it was 8,796, worth $3,078.60, 
table 12. The decline in the second season 
was only about 6 per cent; all other spe- 
cies except the gray fox, which gained 
slightly in the second season, showed a 
vreater catch decline than the weasel. 
No long-tailed weasels appeared in the 
catch data from the Western Prairie in 
Ittinois NATURAL History SURVEY BULLETIN 
Vol. 22; Art6 
1938-39, and the same was true of the 
Gray Prairie in 1939-40. While we are 
certain that the catch in these regions was 
very low, we are equally certain that a 
few of these animals were taken in the 
areas during the years for which there are 
blanks, table 12. These blanks suggest 
inaccuracies in the data, which a larger 
sample might have eliminated. In the 
Western Prairie Region, the calculated 
catch for the season in which the weasel 
was represented was only 0.04 per square 
mile, and in the Gray Prairie Region only 
0.03 per square mile. The error therefore 
is small. The average pelt value of 35 
cents, table 5, is only about one-third the 
price received for weasel skins at times 
during the previous decade. 
Popularity.—The long-tailed weasel 
is usually considered one of the most un- 
desired fur animals in Illinois. Trappers 
show little enthusiasm for weasels because 
their fur is of little worth and they may 
spoil sets made for foxes, minks and other 
more valuable species. Farmers and sports- 
men consider them the worst mammalian 
enemies of poultry and game. Of a total 
of 124 answers concerning weasel popu- 
larity, 25 favored fewer weasels. Coming 
directly from fur-takers, these answers 
represent a positive indictment. Several — 
years ago, when trappers commonly aver- 
aged $1 for long-tailed weasel pelts, they 
were an appreciated item. As determined 
in the survey, unpopularity was general, 
but most pronounced in the southern part 
of the state: 
Damage and Control.—There is lit- 
tle question concerning the destructive- 
ness of individual weasels. As a species, 
the long-tailed weasel may be considered 
bloodthirsty, and its reputation for ruth- 
lessness in killing is well founded. It 
should be remembered, however, that this 
trait is exercised as readily and as vigor- 
ously on meadow mice as on chickens or 
ducks. Weasels kill thousands of rats and 
mice, and in some situations are good 
friends of the farmer. We recommend 
that destructive weasels be killed as 
promptly as possible and, in view of the 
low pelt value, without regard to season. 
Trapping is probably the most effective 
control, and traps set around a fresh kill 
are almost certain to make a catch. | 
Populations.—Nowhere in Illinois 
can the long-tailed weasel population be 
