The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-11-15
VERMONT FUR SEASON
Trappers Expect to Reap Harvest
During Next Few Months

! lTdppcTS expect 10 hcdp TldINeS1
During Next Few Months
For the FIRST time since the days of
The early settlers. when the coon
skin cap was the common headeear
Of man and boy and the skins OF
Wild animals formed considerable
portion OF every citizens limited
wardrobe, the fur-bearing animals of
Vermont have experienced q period
CT protection by law This closed
season ended November /. and dur.
ing the next six months the trappcrs
viii be at work in the mountains and
! cunning against the instinct OF The
Wild life Of the woods
The cons andy increasing demand
for nrs CT All kinds, and the conse-
quent appreciation in value, caused
some Of the farseeing members of
the last Legislature to put before
thai body an amendment TO the fish
and game laws, which Should extend
the protection Of the department TO
certain species OF animals which it
/ had here tofore been legal TO Kill al
any time.
All OF these animals were enemies
/ O ne farmer
'fh foxes, minks and skunks des-
troyed his poultry and the coons ate
his corn. and it was considered good
bu mess policy 10 Eill the war.
minis Whenever and however their
destruction could be accomplished.
The plan to protect the furbearlng
lnmals hed he approval or the fish
md game commissioner, who pro
duced statistics to prove that the fur
crop in Vermont was worth mere
han 100000 TO those who put IL in
he market These figures were SO
startling thar when the amendmen;
anne up for final discussion 1t me.
Win h,.ic opposition from HE MON
bcr8 VINO represented the rural com
munlties
The legislation was enacted. not g
restrict the rights of the agricaJur-
sts, but to asst them in securing
better income from their furs. The
an endmen, was drawn 10 check the
iadiscriminate trapping in many sec
ions during the early fall and late
spring No fur is prime until cold
weather prevails. The skin of n
mink killed in early October will not
sell for more than 81, while il the lit
,le animal had been allowed TO live
o few weeks longer it's value would
have Increased fourfod
Nearly all the fur sent to marke.
from Vermont is trapped by boys
and young men who live on the
mountain farms or along the rivers
aal VINO earn q little pocket money
bg his method. The individual
ce'chea are small, but ut the prices
@h.ch have prcgaQed ia recent years
iAo aggregate income in some favor
go sections is considerable
The open season for martin mink,
raccoou fisherca and mushrat is
from November TO May !. The
same open season prevails for fox
and shaak and otter may be trapped
between November l and March l.
Thare is no open season Tor beaver
1ut as net one specimen has been
taken in the State during he past
century legislation for the prot ecuon
Tho animals Is ,mmaterial
More musbra; fur is trapped in Yer
moat than any other variety The
rats ac common in all sections of
The state and are caught with less
effort thar Is required in the capture
ui amy other animal. Two years AGO
one trapper in Bennington trapped
moc than 100 mushrats in less than
q m.n,h - the time This crop wa8
harvested the price for mushra, furf
Reached Che top notch figure of so /
te'.s ay.C.e. aLicA gave ,hc 'tIapper /
a eooi income tor about three wccAs /
rttt
~ Ser he most valuable fur trap. /
pod ia vermont is mink II has stnad I
Fly increased IN price during recent 1
yt'rs and the supply is decreasing /
though not so rapidly as would De-
supposed. No better mink fur can
te had than that trapped in Vermont
ln the South and West the animal
gsows Go @ larger size. bur The fur D.
coarse Wd ,hc color is not nearly
good as that cf The northern New /
ENGLAND mink.
During the past two years mink
haze sold az $3.50 to Slo. foxes. 50 To
sS: MARTY S TO $ll; raccoons. 81 to
81. skunks 81 70 $3.50. bobcats. 81.
mushiats. go TO - cents. wea7cls. 40
cents TO 81. At these prices 10 is moi
necessary for the farmer boy 10 be
especially successful 10 obtain q mlr.
> good supply OF poke, money
Would Make Them Better Il They
Could