In North America, muskrats and raccoons provide slightly more than half the total revenue. Beavers have long been exploited for their fur. The animals have sometimes been destroyed because of the damage they did to forests and the flooding occasionally caused by dams. Ceaseless slaughter led to near extinction of beavers in both Europe and North America. The beaver is still almost extinct in Europe, but is becoming reestablished in Canada and in protected areas of the U.S .
Several states have limited trapping seasons.
Dressing furs is the art of carefully scraping the skins to remove fat and flesh , washing them, and treating them with a series of chemicals that soften and preserve, or tan, the skin. Fur Fiber is the shorter fluffier fur that keeps the animal warm. Guard hair is the longer, coarse, harsh hair that sheds water and protects the fur fiber. Processors repeatedly tumble furs in sawdust to remove grease and clean the furs. A final glazing, ironing or spraying with a chemical and air blowing, puts a sheen on the finished fur.