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FUR FARMING.
[Illustration: SOME YOUNG BLACK AND SILVER FOX.]
FUR FARMING
A BOOK OF INFORMATION ABOUT FUR BEARING ANIMALS, ENCLOSURES, HABITS,
CARE, ETC.
_BY_
A. R. HARDING
Published By
A. R. HARDING PUBLISHING CO.
Columbus, Ohio.
Copyright, 1909
By A. R. HARDING PUB. CO.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER. PAGE
I. SUPPLY AND DEMAND 15
II. WHAT ANIMALS TO RAISE 27
III. ENCLOSURES 38
IV. BOX TRAP TRAPPING 53
V. FOX RAISING 63
VI. SKUNK RAISING 83
VII. MINK RAISING 97
VIII. OPOSSUM RAISING 107
IX. MUSKRAT RAISING 115
X. RACCOON RAISING 129
XI. THE BEAVER AND OTTER 137
XII. KILLING, SKINNING AND STRETCHING 146
XIII. DEER FARMING 152
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Some Young Black and Silver Fox Frontispiece
Enclosure in Thick Woods 32
Corner of Enclosure 39
Fence with Wire Turned in at Top 41
Fence Showing Sheet Tin 43
Plan for Combined Enclosures 46
Box Trap for Catching Animals Alive 55
Box Trap with Swing Gate 58
Barrel Trap for Catching Animals Alive 60
Another Box Trap 62
Northwestern Fox Skins 66
Map Showing Where Fox Farming is Feasible 72
Plan for Arrangement of Fox Yards 74
Box Shelter for Female and Young 75
Corner of Fox Yard 77
Fox Yard, Showing Outer Fence 78
Yards of a Maine Fox Farm 81
Corner of an Ohio Skunk Farm 90
Mink Enclosure in Detail 103
Ideal Location for an Opossum Farm 112
Fur Farm Near a Farmhouse 117
Muskrat House in a Marsh 122
Barrel Shelter for Female and Young 134
Fur Farm on Open Ground 135
Elk in Enclosure 163
Tame Deer Eating Watermelon 178
[Illustration: [G. R. Harding.]]
INTRODUCTION.
Ever since Columbus discovered America, furs have been an important
article of commerce, but at the rate of the catch during recent years,
the supply drawn from the natural sources--forest, field and
stream--will soon prove inadequate if not entirely depleted in some
species.
Less than 30 years ago, there were countless thousands of Buffalo upon
the Western Plains. Where are they today? In the 70's and early 80's
they were slain by tens of thousands by hide and robe hunters. Does or
does not such a condition face some of the American fur bearing animals
at the present time? Many hunters and trappers must think that the
supply will not long be equal to the demand, judging from the hundreds
of letters written the Editor of HUNTER-TRADER-TRAPPER, asking
information about raising fur bearing animals.
This work has been hastily gotten out to meet this demand, yet the
sources of information from which the work has been gathered, are
authentic. Much of the habits, nature, etc., of the various animals has
been furnished by Mr. E. Kreps, a trapper of wide experience. Facts have
also been furnished by those that have to a certain extent followed "Fur
Farming" and as well some information has been added from the United
States Government Bulletins.
A. R. HARDING.
Columbus, Ohio, April 1, 1909.
FUR FARMING.
CHAPTER 1.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
For years there has been a belief that the supply of fur-bearing animals
would soon be inadequate to the demand. This belief is well founded and
is apparent when the fact is known that the natural haunts and homes of
the fur-producing animals are becoming less each year. The draining of
swamps and marshes is destroying the homes and breeding places of
muskrat and to a certain extent coon and mink. The saw mill and clearing
of the land is rapidly lessening the natural resorts of coon, bear, wild
cat and opossum in the South and Central States, while in the North,
marten, fisher and lynx are being deprived of their natural homes.
Beaver and otter do not like civilization and leave on signs of man and
his works. This is especially true of beaver; otter linger in waters
fringed with timber longer even if settled.
Some animals, it is true, do well in fairly thickly-settled sections.
Among animals of this kind are red fox, skunk, mink and muskrat. Yet no
fur bearer can hold its numbers against the ever-increasing number of
trappers and the persistency with which they now seek the fur producers.
North America furnishes a large per cent. of the furs of the
world--foxes, mink, otter, beaver, skunk, marten, lynx, coon, opossum,
muskrat, wolves, etc. Considerable quantities of fine furs are still
secured in parts of Russia, in Europe and Siberia in Asia; Australia
furnishes great quantities of opossum, while from parts of South
America, the trade in chinchilla is large. Yet North America has been
for centuries, the great fur-producing continent and now that trapping
is being pressed harder than ever and the natural haunts of the animals
are becoming less each year, the question is,--where will the future
supply come from?
In this connection the following article on The Fur Markets is
reproduced from the April issue of _The Hunter-Trader-Trapper_:
The Spring or March London Sales began March 22 and ended April 2.
During that time American Raw Furs were offered by Hudson's Bay Company;
C. M. Lampson & Co., and A. & W. Nesbitt. In face of the fact that
prices on some articles have advanced so materially that American
manufacturers have bought sparingly, the outcome of the sales was
awaited with much interest by the trade.
A year ago in giving the quantity of goods offered by the Hudson's Bay
Company, this magazine said: "The quantity seems to be decreasing as the
offering this year is less than 1907, and 1907 less than 1906." The
offerings this year are still less than 1908, and for ready comparison
the Hudson's Bay Company offerings at the March Sales for three years
are given:
1909 1908 1907
Otter 5,341 4,968 6,933
Fisher 2,671 3,224 3,228
Cross Fox 1,445 2,678 4,490
Red Fox 2,987 6,598 10,200
Silver Fox 344 526 896
Blue Fox 14 63 88
White Fox 2,058 6,703 11,409
Marten 21,577 29,808 43,798
Mink 10,966 13,091 32,817
Ermine 15,314 14,280 20,737
Lynx 8,856 31,892 56,611
Wolf 3,756 4,207 2,771
Wolverine 718 865 734
Skunk 1,478 5,023 11,430
Bear, Black 3,943 3,740 4,042
Bear, Brown 387 353 432
Bear, Grey 108 123 94
Bear, White 89 59 137
Badger 125 169 322
Raccoon 140 243 600
The combined offerings of C. M. Lampson & Co., and A. & W. Nesbitt were
as follows at the Spring Sales in 1907, 1908 and 1909:
1909 1908 1907
Mink 82,575 134,200 75,600
Skunk 545,284 416,000 615,900
Muskrat 1,238,257 1,015,000 1,018,000
Raccoon 203,155 316,000 69,726
Opossum 225,671 267,000 225,350
Marten 8,168 15,000 18,600
Lynx 1,500 7,550 11,727
Fox, Red 25,600 36,660 31,870
Fox, Cross 1,585 5,021 5,080
Fox, Silver 539 728 1,015
Fox, Grey 13,600 23,270 8,961
Fox, Kitt 1,670 388 655
Fox, White 3,310 14,000 4,785
Fox, Blue 3,630 2,600 3,600
Otter 5,211 9,000 2,916
Fisher 2,914 3,440 1,705
Beaver 14,282 6,800 11,900
Bear 7,240 6,980 5,770
Badger 4,070 4,475 5,905
Cat, Wild 6,925 5,800 7,072
Cat, House 20,344 15,800 17,000
Wolf 21,365 24,150 12,100
Wolverine 350 450 323
Ermine 77,600 77,000 100,580
Civet 19,200 33,000 53,800
The noticeable falling off in the Hudson's Bay Company offerings can be
accounted for from the fact that more "free traders," as the Great
Company calls them, are yearly encroaching upon their territory.
The offerings of Lampson and Nesbitt is short of a year ago with the
exceptions of beaver, muskrat and skunk. The advanced price of muskrat,
no doubt, caused more trapping of these animals than ever before. Again
the fact of the dry fall in many localities bunched the rats, so that
they were much easier caught. The rats offered at the recent sales are
largely fall and winter. From reports, the collection of spring rats
will be very light--in many localities not more than one-fourth of an
average collection.
While the offerings now show some 200,000 in excess of March, 1908, and
also March, 1907, indications are that before the year 1909 ends there
will be a shortage in the total rat catch for the year. Considerable
anxiety is felt regarding skunk, as the number offered was 545,280
compared with 416,000 in March, 1908, which is nearly 130,000 more. This
is hardly a fair test. The offerings at March Sales 1908 were light from
the fact that skunk were not in demand at the beginning of the fall
season of 1907, when a good per cent. of skunk are caught for the
following March Sales. Go back another year, that is March, 1907, and
see what the offerings of skunk were; you perhaps will be surprised to
learn that it was 615,900 or 70,000 more than at this spring's sale. The
offerings of beaver were larger than a year ago, but with these
exceptions, there appears a decided falling off--note the quantity of
fox, coon, marten, lynx--all much less.
Furs are fashionable throughout the entire civilized world, and the
catch seems inadequate on many articles. This is probably responsible
for the high prices. At any rate, some articles have advanced beyond all
previous high record. Prices for wolf, fox, lynx, wild cat and muskrat
are very high, as well as many other American raw furs. Skunk reached a
price that no one expected the past season. Since early in March or
shortly after, too late to get goods into the London Sales, prices were
lowered on skunk, opossum, raccoon and some grades of mink, especially
Southern and Southwestern, but at the same time it should be taken into
consideration that the quality is not so desirable as during the
midwinter months.
Many believe that by far the most of the furs come from the Far North.
This is erroneous. It is true that the most valuable furs, such as
silver, black and cross foxes, lynx and marten, come from that section.
Some of the best otter, red fox and mink are also secured in the far
northern country. Yet fully one-half of the value of the American catch
of raw furs is comprised in the three following articles--skunk, mink
and muskrat.
In the Far North there will be foxes, otter, mink, and marten for some
time to come. But what about that part of the country, say south of the
Great Lakes, west of the Allegheny Mountains, north of the Tennessee and
Arkansas Rivers and east of the Rocky Mountains?--a section which has
been producing about half of the furs.
This section is the great skunk producing one and as well as one of the
best mink and muskrat sections. It also furnishes from the Southern
States within the area outlined, great quantities of coon and opossum.
When those interested in the fur business consider that half the value
of the annual catch is skunk, mink, and muskrat and that the best
producing section has hitherto been the section as outlined, one can
easily see that the supply will not long be equal to the demand.
During recent years, owing to persistent trapping, the fur producers
have been greatly reduced and if not practically exterminated in parts
of the country, are destined to become nearly so. The fact that skunk,
mink and muskrat have been so greatly reduced in the past few years has
caused those interested in the fur industry to ask,--"what of the
future?" with the settlement of the country and the draining of the
swamps, clearing of the forests, etc., which deprives many species of
fur producers of their natural homes, how can it be expected that the
supply will last?
That skunk, mink and muskrat do well in settled sections, there is no
question, but since their pelts are so valuable, more trappers are after
them than ever before. In addition, magazines and books on the subject
are more plentiful than in former years, so that the inexperienced
hunter and trapper has far better success than in past years.
There is always a cash market for raw furs and since the discovery of
America, raw furs have been an important article of commerce. In the
early days, beaver was the leading article and even at this date
thousands of skins are secured annually by the professional trapper in
the swamps of the south and along the streams and lakes of the north.
Scattered thruout the South, Rocky Mountain sections, Northern Canada
and parts of the East, are several thousand professional hunters and
trappers whose annual catch amounts to several hundred dollars each. The
aggregate of these men, footing up to perhaps $3,000,000 or $4,000,000.
In the settled sections are tens of thousands of boys and amateur
trappers with here and there a professional. The annual catch of these
foot up to perhaps $6,000,000 to $8,000,000, or double the catch of the
professionals who leave civilization in September and are not seen again
until May or June.
It is this class (boys and amateurs) that secures the greatest
quantities of fur and as the number of trappers is so large and the
grounds necessarily limited, here is where the animals are rapidly
decreasing and at the present rate are in danger of extermination. In
some sections there has been a wonderful falling off in the catch of
late years, altho the number of trappers is larger.
An industry paying the hunter and trapper probably $15,000,000 yearly is
one that should receive attention. At the present rate of extermination,
some of the fur bearers are destined to soon follow in the wake of the
buffalo. The demand for furs is increasing as the population of the
world is becoming more and more. Again furs are being put to more uses
than ever. While the demand for furs are increasing, what of the supply?
The day, perhaps, is not far in the distance when the demand will call
for two or three times as many furs as today. Where are they to come
from? The natural supply is surely diminishing.
The matter of 'Supply and Demand' is one that there is considerable
difference of opinion upon. Hunters and trappers, as a rule, are of one
opinion and that is that the number of pelts secured upon a certain
territory is becoming less each year. Trappers going over their lines
are surely the ones who know whether the fur is holding out or not.
The number of persons seeking fur is larger each year. In localities
furnishing as much fur as ever, the chances are that the number of
animals left for breeding is less each year. If such is true the day
when these localities will show a falling off in the receipts is not far
in the distance.
Until recently, many dealers and manufacturers believed that the supply
of wild fur-bearing animals was practically inexhaustible--that when
wanted, trappers would go out into the "wilds," catch, skin and send the
pelts to market. These people are beginning to awaken to the true
situation and while they send out price lists, circulars, and traveling
buyers after raw furs, they say it is much harder to secure the goods
wanted than formerly.
A well known dealer in Minneapolis in sizing up the situation, says:
"With the vast fund of information about trapping being sent out and
with improved traps for catching and the great stimulus to trapping
owing to high prices, in five to ten years, there will not be one-fourth
to one-half the fur bearers that there are now, unless stringent laws
are enacted to curtail the trapping."
"Under proper conditions, with intelligent care, no doubt, raising fur
animals can be made to pay. The raiser starting on a small scale and
increasing as their knowledge increases. Most all successful business is
built up by starting small."
The dealer who wrote the above advertises quite extensively for furs.
The territory tributary to that city has always been considered a good
fur producing one. During recent years, the supply has fallen off
materially in face of the fact of improved trapping methods and a
greatly increased number of persons seeking the fur bearers. The same
conditions are true to a greater or less degree in many parts of the
country.
The American people, however, can be depended upon to meet all
emergencies. They have already set about to provide for the future raw
fur supply by raising the animals. As early as 1884, experiments were
made at raising foxes on the islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean,
along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska. The experiments, as a
rule, proved successful and there has been for years a number of
successful fox raisers on the islands of the North Pacific. More will be
said about them elsewhere.
In various parts of North America, experiments have been made,
principally with skunk, altho a few have tried mink and other animals
but only in a small way, or by men who expected to get rich quick and
who did not give the enterprise the care and attention that is necessary
to make a success at any business.