Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1922-03-16


this season. Laws for the protection
and conservation of fur bearing ami
mails are gradually being amended
and added to with the object of per-
mitting as much trapping and hunt
ing as possible, at the same time leav-
ing margin for seed" enough to rem
der the yearly increase about normal.
The principal fur bearers III this
part Of the state in the order of num-
bers and value of their furs are as
follows: skunk, muskrat, mink, fox,
raccoon, weasel, badger and wolf.
There are a few families of otter
along the Wisconsin river. The trap
ping OF otter has been prohibited for
number of years and should be for
good many more in order to allow
them to get away from the danger OF
determination. Beaver, once plentiful
in this locality, as can be seen by the
traces of their dams and meadows on
all the creeks and smaller streams,
have for many years been extermina-
| ted.
largely here in the United States,
although up to a dozen years ago this
| fur was all exported, finding a market
in Europe. Its splendid wearing quail
tiles, added to the fact that IL is the
/ only natural black fur produced in
| North America in any quantity, with
| the exception of the bear and rare
black fox. make skunk fur in good
| demand. IL is made up into articles
for ladies' wear and was sold former
ly under the more pretentious name
OF Alaskan sable, or Hudson Bay sa-
BILE, but during the last few years
skunk has come into its own and is
at present sold under it's own name.
Muskrats in the past were ex-
tremely plentiful and are also very
prolific. They inhabited the great
areas of swamp and marshlands
throughout the middle west and were
! caught and brought to the market in
incredible numbers. AS late as 1911,
| around five million were. sold IN Lon
don and Leipsig, but they were not
used in this country, being regarded
as too cheap. The over supply kept
the price down to ten or fifteen cents
! per skin to the trapper for many
years.
The last dozen years has marked
a change In the muskrat's social
standing. The drainage and reclama-
tion of nearly all of the favorite
| dwelling places of these little ami
mails, together with a process first
used by the French furrfers a few
years ago, have greatly diminished
the supply and created a new demand.
BY this process the better grades are
plucked, and dyed to make the fam
GUS Hudson Seal' which is claimed
by many experts to be of better wear
ing quality and even more beautiful
than the genuine Alaskan fur seal.
! Muskrat is really a very fine and
handsome fur and now, instead of be-
ing worn only by the peasant classes
of northern Europe, it is popular with
the stylish and well-to-do classes in
our own country. During the war
muskrats reached a price of four or
five dollars each, to trappers, and
this season they sold for around one
dollar and seventy-five cents each.
Mink has found a rather steady
demand and the skins are used largely
in this country. 1t is very beautiful,
iglossy and durable fur. The price has
shown gradual upward trend, owing
to a gradual a falling off of the
supply, and a continued demand
They are higher today than ever be-
fore except one season during the
war; a lady's mink coat of the bet
ter quality and length would cost up
wards of one thousand dollars.
The fox, the most widely distribut-
ed Of any wild animals, being found
in all countries throughout the north
ern world, famed of old for It's craft
and cunning. in legend and fable, and
justly so, still exists in practically un-
diminished numbers in all its haunts
despite the fact that IT has never
been protected, i'm this country at
least. Instead, as is the case in this
part of the state it often has boun-
ty on its head. The fur Is very light,
fluffy and handsome but does not
wear as well as the varieties men
toned above. 1t is used for muffs and
neckpieces, as well as for robes. Most
of the poorer grades are dyed black,
bl' or brown.
Others On the List
Raccoon or coon, as this animal is
commonly called were in the days
of our pioneer forefathers, so plenti-
full throughout the country that their
skins were often used as a medium of
exchange, in place ef money. They
have slowly dwindleG away before the
march Of civilization until today. if
1t were used as currency, one coon
skin would bring as much as two doz-
en- of them did in the earlier days.
Weasel, in their winter coat of snow