September, 1943 
taking on the part of all residents was 
uniformly recorded. Return trips and 
much night and week-end work were 
necessary 1n order to obtain all records. 
5. In 1938-39, the calculated number 
of Illinois fur-takers, defined as individuals 
taking furs by their own efforts, was 
29,431; in 1939-40, the total was 27,021. 
About 9,500 individuals each year took 
furs by hunting; all other fur-takers were 
trappers. 
6. Fur-taker density in the eight re- 
gions varied from 0.33 to 0.83 per square 
mile, the greatest density being in the 
Glacial Lakes Region north and west 
of Chicago. The lowest density was in 
the west-central part of the state, be- 
tween the Illinois River and the Black 
Prairie. For the state as a whole, density 
was about one fur-taker per 2 square 
miles. 
7. Illinois trapping laws in 1938-39 
were staggered both by zones and species; 
in 1939-40, they were staggered only by 
zones. [he basic season was from Nov. 
foeto jane 15 or 31. In 1938-39, 15,472 
licenses were sold; 18,277 were sold in 
1939-40. Slightly more than one-half of 
the Illinois fur-takers in the two seasons 
were licensed. Unlicensed fur-takers were 
mainly legal operators on their own or 
rented land, where they were exempt from 
the license requirement. he number of 
fur-takers operating illegally was difficult 
to determine, but apparently varied by 
localities from almost none to 10 per cent 
or more of the total number. 
8. Average raw fur prices for the two 
seasons, determined by averaging amounts 
received for a large series of pelts of 
each species from each zone, were low. 
9. A summary of the catch, value, 
population fluctuation, popularity and 
other pertinent data relating to Illinois 
fur animals for 1938-39 and 1939-40 is 
given in table 22. 
10. Badgers and coyotes occurred in 
such small numbers that the sampling 
methods used did not give reliable data. 
Otters, beavers and badgers were accorded 
full protection. Beavers, reintroduced in 
southern Illinois in 1935, were found to 
be increasing in numbers. Otters and bob- 
cats occurred in very low numbers, if at 
all. House cat numbers were estimated 
at 1,500,000, at least one-half of which 
were free to hunt out of doors the year 
Brown & YEAGER: SURVEY OF Fur ReEsourRCE 501 
around. ‘This species, perhaps the most 
common predator in the state, was of 
practically no value in the fur trade. 
11. Individual animals of any of the 
Illinois fur species may be more injurious 
than beneficial to man, but no species 
could be classed as wholly destructive. 
Foxes and weasels, under conditions pres- 
ent at the time of the survey, were prob- 
ably the most destructive fur animal spe- 
cies in the state. Control of destructive 
individuals, if necessary involving killing 
at any time of year, is advocated but, 
when possible, trapping and hunting in 
season are recommended as control meth- 
ods. Usually the services of experienced 
trappers can be enlisted. 
12. Habitats for most Illinois fur 
animals appeared to be deteriorating more 
or less steadily at the time of the survey. 
‘The most noticeable example was the rac- 
coon habitat, which was being subjected 
to heavy lumbering. Drainage of low- 
lands was reducing the area of muskrat 
and mink range, but the use made of 
ditches by these two species partly com- 
pensated for this loss. Muinks had been 
sharply reduced in numbers during the 
preceding decade because of the continued 
high prices of the fur. Opossums and 
foxes seemed well adapted to conditions 
existing at the time of the survey, and 
their numbers, due partly to low fur 
prices, were stationary or were increasing. 
13. Methods of taking furs varied by 
species and regions. More than three- 
fourths of the annual fur take was by 
trappers; the remainder by hunters, oper- 
ating day or night, with or without dogs. 
Night hunting was commonest in forested 
regions, because raccoons and opossums, 
the two species taken most by night 
hunters, were most abundant in this habi- 
tat. Farm-boy trapping showed a material 
decline in Illinois; a large part of the 
fur catch was by experienced trappers who 
averaged 33 years old. he volume of the 
catch was found to be greatly influenced 
by weather, fur prices and industrial con- 
ditions. 
14. The average annual value of the 
Illinois fur resource in 1938-39 and 1939- 
40, summarized in tables 15 to 20, in- 
clusive, was over $1,200,000, which repre- 
sents a capital value of over $30,000,000 
at 4 per cent interest. The fur income 
for the two seasons reported on was un- 
