The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-27
PURSUIT OF PELTS.
RECKLESS HUNTERS DO GREAT
HARM nv LOUISIANA.
Build Fires to Drive Out Game and
Destroy Pasturage and Prop
erty-Exterminating
Animals.

The demand for furs has caused an !
invasion of southern Louisiana by /
hunters in search OF minks, raccoons, |
'possums and even rabbits which threat
ems to exterminate these animals as eff
fectually as the millinery hunters have
exterminated the water fowl of the
gulf coast, says the New York Sun.
The ravages OF the bird hunters were
so great as completely to annihilate, in
two seasons, four varieties of terms pc
culiar to Louisiana. One OF these va
rieties was killed entirely for it's tall
feathers, which furnished very hand
some aigrette.
The Audubon society finally inter-
fered and secured from the legisls-
ture protection for non-game birds
which they did not previously enjoy.
and this has stopped the slaughter, but
not until several species had been com
pletely exterminated
The energy of the fur hunters is
likely to lead to similar hostile legis-
lation, if not by the legislature at any
rate by the police juries or governing
bodies OF the several parishes. The
hunters have been far more active than
usual this year, and for the first time
are hunting possums for their skins,
There is no particular objection to
their killing the animals. except from
the negroes, who regard them as grean
delicacies; but the manner in which
the hunters have carried on the work
No. 20
deal Of indignation and to invite pro-
hibitive laws.
The coon is particularly fond of
fish and shrimps, and as a consequence
the swsmps, marshes and prairies on
the gulf coast are filed with them,
and make a splendid field for the hunt
ers. The population Of this region is
| composed mainly of fishermen, who do
I not hunt, and when the fur hunters
started in this year they found a Dig
business awaiting them.
Unfortunately, they have tried to do
/ it on too large a scale. The Louisiana
coast is covered with a coarse grass
frequently five and six feet high. and
when this is set on fire the coons are
driven out and can be shot like pleas
ants in a preserve.
The prairies have been fired in al
directions by the hunters The result
has been to cause heavy losses to tbs
stockmen who feed their cattle in thes'
prairies and to the Iumbermen and th'
fishermen.
In Vermillion parish. which has owe
a million acres of this prairie, the fire
started by the fur hunters have de
stroyed nearly all the winter pas
turage of the cattle, and the injury Il
the stocknen will mount up to tn
hundreds of thousands Of dollars. tn
police jury has prohibited coon hunt
ing in the parish as a consequence
The police juries of all the coas
parishes are likely to take action sim
liar to that of Vermillion, not in orde
to protect coons and rabbits, but to pro
tect the inhabitants against the reck
lessness of the fur hunters. But 70
this action these animals, now prob
ably more abundant in southern Louis
lana than in any other part of tn
country, would be wiped out this veal
The recent raid on the coon, pos
sums and mink is due to the great d,
mand for furs and the destruction {
fur-bearing animals in the northwes
The price paid for pelts is so goo
that the hunting Of 6oons and possum
is highly profitable, and a good hun
er makes from IS to SIS day
1t is more Profitable than shootin
| ducks or other game. The carcass
are thrown away after being skinne
or else they are converted into OF
They furnish lubricating oil worth
n cents a gallon. and good sized coo
will yield nearly half a gallon OF oi
| Coon skins have been selling fl
several years, bringing from 20 to
cents. 'Possum skins have never bee
sold in this region before the presei
year, but are now in demand at fro
H 10 to 20 cents, and even rabbit ski
bring cents apiece.
Squirrels have heretofore been wit
out value, but in the last few mont
/ there has been q demand for squi
rels' tails. The minks have alwa
been in demsnd, but they have be-
few until recently.