September, 1943 
considered dense. The heaviest catch for 
the two seasons of the survey was in the 
Glacial Lakes Region, where the yield 
averaged 0.82 weasel per square mile per 
year, table 12. The next heaviest catch 
was in the Northwestern Sand Prairie 
Region, with takes of 0.41 and 0.89 pelt 
Brown & YEAGER: SuRVEY OF Fur RESOURCE 
479 
be situated in the vicinity of farm out- 
buildings. Haystacks, brush piles and 
windfalls are also preferred units of the 
habitat, the animals probably being at- 
tracted to such places because of the abun- 
dance of mice. In the River Bluffs and 
Bottoms Region, weasels frequent the 
Fig. 25.—Rolling terrain and comparatively limited agricultural use of the land character- 
ize the Northwest Hills Region. This and other northern Illinois regions produce most of the 
long-tailed weasels taken in the state. 
per square mile in the two years. “The 
Black Prairie yield was 0.23 and 0.15 pelt 
per square mile, mainly from the northern 
half of this region. In all other regions 
the catch was very low. 
‘The writers have no explanation for the 
apparent regional fluctuation in the catch. 
Few trappers expressed an opinion on the 
changes in long-tailed weasel population. 
Of those who did for the season of 1938- 
39 as compared with the previous season, 
28 reported an increase, 28 no change and 
8 a decrease, table 12. With a continued 
poor demand for weasel furs and with 
normal populations of rodents and rabbits, 
it is reasonable to expect some increase in 
weasel numbers. 
Habitats——The long-tailed weasel is 
an upland furbearer. Rolling. farms, pas- 
tures and brushland apparently provide 
the best Illinois habitats, figs. 5 and 25. 
Fencerows of shrubs or stone provide typi- 
cal farmland den sites; dens may often 
steeper hillsides as well as the farmed and 
pastured areas. In all regions, dense cover 
adjacent to fields or grassland provides 
favored range. 
Trapping.—Long-tailed weasel trap- 
ping is very simple and in Illinois is prob- 
ably not deliberately practiced outside of 
the northern counties. A large part of 
the catch is incidental, especially in con- 
nection with skunk trapping. Weasels are 
readily attracted by fresh, bloody meat 
bait. Traps of small size, such as No. 1, 
are usually placed along fencerows, stone 
fences and piles, wood lots, brushy areas, 
ditches and creek banks. Very little, if 
any, of the catch is taken by hunting. 
In the two-season survey, white weasels 
amounted to approximately 28 per cent of 
the calculated catch; a small percentage 
of the pelts were mixed, and by far the 
largest percentage were brown. Lake 
County, with 36 per cent, showed the 
largest percentage of white pelts. ‘The 
