The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1916-11-23
TRAPPING BEAVERS TO
: SAVE FARMERS NOT VERY
LUCRATIVE PR REPRESSION

lHc dFtEdStf 'lnUESVludl. WIN HAS
been asked to fork over. for a beaver
collar or real beaver coat, or any
thing else in which the little masonic
tailed critters hide enters has visions
of GoIconda when it is reported that
State Game Warden William Reko
has appointed professional trappers
to garner the little yarmints who have
been making life miserable for so
many Missouri slope farmers.
AS a matter of fact, Mr. Reko ad-
vises, the campaign Offextermination
will no more than barely pay for it.
self. Pelts at this time Of year are
not prime" They do we'll to bring
$500, in spite Of any idea the layman
may have formed Of the value Of this
much coveted fur. Beaver pelts are
at their best in March, when they will
probably average $500 the hide. Just
now, when the state game department
is compelled by the numerous comp
laints of farmers to do what the laws
of North Dakota prohibit any ordin-
airy individual from doing-i. e. trap
beavers during a closed season
whichiWill notrS3expire for several
years. no fur buyer will pay top
price for. the pelts., i .sl, III.
Trees Versus Beavers
Among al North Dakota fur-bear
ing animals, beaver are, aperhaps, the
most i7;vallable. TIE \ question the
state game and fish wardens have
had to decidefis whether. beaver are
more important in the development
OF the state than trees Beaver are
plentiful and native sStos the land.
Trees in many regions are foreign to
the soil and must be carefully cult
waited. An ambitious beaver can east
ly put ten-year-old tree out of bust
ness in an hour. Furthermore the
industrious little creatures, build
dams across any stream which they
may take a fancy to; flood the bot
tom lands and drown the farmers
crops The old-time ranchman, who
had so many cattle that he didn't
care to county EN-, and to whom a
COW more or less meant little, ad
mired the beaver, because he did dam
up the creeks and create a natural
reservoir which furnished the herds
with drinking water during the dry
season. The present day stockman
finds tho beaver-dam an expert trap
for his pure-blood stock, The bar
rier is most deceptive; the big Here
ford or ShOrthOrn, or Durham or Hol-
stein ventures out on the apparently
dry land, crashes through the brush,
is Gagged, and dies there. The mod.
crn stock-nlan finds an occasional
well and windmill much more econ
omical than the beaver reservoir.
And even he today, has deserted the
Aquatic mason. "
State Game Warden RekO has two
experienced trappers engaged west
Of the river exterminating the excess
beaver population. They may turn.
over to the state game and fish de.
nartment enough pelts to pay for their
services, but they are not expected
to earn any great profit. 27Tf
Warden Reko has : rejust turned
from a meeting Of the state fish and
game board at Fargo where it was
recommended that tive-years closed
season be adopted to preserve prairie
chicken in the first congressional dist
riot. RekO does not hope for great
deal from closed season on prairie
chicken He feels they are doomed
in all of the more thickly populated
sections OF the state, He does be-
lieve that an open season on beaver,
which would result in their almost
complete determination. or, at least,
in greatly reducing their number,
would be most advisable.