The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-11-13
MATCHING CUNNING
AGAINST WILD LIFE
Vermont Trappers Have Six Months
III Which to Take Fur Animals
Value of Pelts Increasing.


For the first time since the days of /
the early settlers, when the coonskin
cap was the common headgear of a
man and boy and the skins of wild
animals formed a considerable portion I
of every citizen 5 limited wardrobe, +!
the fur-bearing animals OF Vermont
have experienced period of protee
ton by law This closed period ended
Nov !. and during the next SIX
months the trappers viii be ut work in
the mountains and along the streams
matching their cunning against the
wild life of the woods
The constantly increasing demand
for furs of all kinds, and the conse
| quent appreciation in value, caused
some of the far-seeing members Of the
| last Legislature to put before that
| body an amendment TO the fish and
game laws, which should extend the
| protection of the department to GER
| ain species Of animals which it had
| heretofore been legal 10 XIII at any
! time
All Of these animals were enemies
Of the farmer
| The foxes, minks aud skunks de-
| stroyed his poultry and the coOns ate
his corn, and it was considered good
business policy to kill the 'varmints :
Whenever and however their destruc
ton could be accomplished.
The plan to protect the fur bearing
animals had the approval Of the fish
and game commissioner, who produced
statistics 10 prove that the fur crop in
/ the small state OF Vermont WAS annual
~ worth more than 100000 To those
who put il in the market. These fig
ures We're so startling that when the
amendment came up for final discus
sion it met with little opposition from
The members who represented the rural
communities
The legislation was enacted not tC
restrict the rights OF the agriculturists
but to assist them in securing "A better
; income from their furs. The amend
2 ment was drawn to check the indis
criminate trapping in many sections
| during the early fall and late spring
. | No fur is prime until cold wcathc
prevails. The skin of n mink killc,
Il in early October. viii not sell for NOR
than -. while If the little animal ha,
been allowed to live few week
longer its value would have increase
: four fold
Nearly All the fur sent to the MAJ
ket from Vermont is trapped by boy
Il and young men who live on the mour
/, tain farms or along the rivers, an
II who earn a little pocket money by tn
70 method. The Individual catches a
. small, but at the prices which hay
u prevailed in recent years the aggrt
gate income in some favored section
~ is considerable.
The open season for martin. min
'e racroon, lishcr-cat and muskrat is fro
II Nov l to Nav l. The same op,
season prevails for fox and skunk M
otter may be trapped between Nov.
and March ]. There is no open 50
son for beaver, hut as not one spec
I'll men has been taken in the state dU
rs ing the past century legislation +
Of the protection of the animals is mm
teriaI
More muskrat fur is trapped in Y,
mont that any other variety. The re-
IN are common in all sections Of the sta
ed and are caught with less effort til
Dd - required in the capture OF any otl
animal Two years ago a trapper
Bennington trapped more than
muskrats in less than a month.
81 the time this crop was harvested I
price for muskrat fur reached the
notch figure Of 50 cents apiece, viii
gave the trapper good income
about three weeks work.
BY far the most valuable fur trapI
y. in Vermont is mink 1t has stead
rs increased in price during recent We
aks and the supply is decreasing, thor
hot not so rapidly as would he suppos
ty, No better mink fur can be had u
ern that trapped in Vermont In
IAN south and west the animal grows t
the larger size, but the fur is course {
the the color is not nearly so good
rial that of the northern New Engl;
the mink.
on Twenty years ago it was not posi-
it'll 10 trap a pelt in Vermont, other i
ime that Of the black bear, that could
tlce be sold for much moro than 81. Dur
in the past two years mink have 5
for $40 TO $50. foxes SO to SIS II