The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-09-29
Raising Fur Bearing
Animals Big Industry
Over 1900 Permits Issued to Min
nesota Breeders by Fish and
Game Department

Less IMAM nVe years ago a pro-
position to ranch muskrats, beaver
and other fur bearing animals on
a volume basis and for large
commercial production was met
with boots and yells of derision.
Today there are-over twelve hum
dred Fur Breeders Permits that
have been issued by the State
Game and Fish Department to in
dividuals and companies that have
forseen the actual depletion of
any species under the old system
and recognize that the circum-
stances force the raising of fur
bearing animals, principally musk
rat and beaver, under ranch con-
troll in their natural habitat, if the
world demand for raw furs is to
be met.
Thus we find Minnesota about
to realize on a natural resource,
taken from lands otherwise WORTH
less, bringing about the rapid de-
velopment of ranches devoted en-
tirely to the raising of our pro-
life and valuable species.
Fur Breeding Permits are is
sued by the State only to respon-
sible firms and individuals who
must meet the requirements of law
relative to fencing, Improvement
and control of their properties. The
extent of the business involved
can be determined by the num-
Der of acres that have been thus
licensed and are under the control
of these permits.
The fact that some of our
largest fur houses are seeking to
control or buy marshes of their
own for the commercial raising of
muskrats puts the stamp of ap-
proval on the proposition as a
practical business venture and the
wise-cracking skeptic is no longer
in evidence after Inc secures knowl-
edge of the high standing of the
new industry and becomes ac-
quainted with the organizations
that are developing their projects
in this state.
In this country there are num-
Der of individuals that have be-
come interested in learning about
the new business and have begun
in small way. Many have join
ed forces with the largest COM
panies that are well organized and
financed to develop large acreages
of swamp land.
The Orange-Cam Ranch in
Canada is producing one million
pelts yearly according ito an ar
ticle in the Northern Fur Trade
magazine, and another well known
corporation in Michigan, estab-
lished in 1923, did a business of
$1,500,000 last year according to
a statement of its president before
a convention of fur breeders held
In Minneapolis last April. Govern
ment statistics state that this
country is now importing raw furs
and there was a shortage in the
United States last year of forty
to fifty million pelts. The demand
is far in excess of any possible
prductin. The industry is favored
and endorsed by the Dominion
Government and encouraged by
Minnesota's own State Conserva-
ton Department.
In Minnesota the largest exclu-
sive Muskrat ranching concern is
the Ten Thousand Lakes Fur
Farms Corporation with seven
properties of from five to eight
hundred acres in course of the de-
velopment. These ranches are
located at Brainerd, Aitkin, Clear
Lake, Anoka, and Duluth. The
company holds seven state Fur
Breeders Permits for each of their
properties and according to A. A.
Robbins, it's president, the new
industry is bound to become a
valuable asset to Minnesota's re-
sources and involves conservation
and perpetuation of natural pro-
duct of the state in which every
citizen will receive a direct bene-
fit.
The lowly muskrat is slowly and
surely coming into it's own as an
aristocrat among fur bearing an
imals and it is no longer in style
to poke fun at his possibilities. It
is not being done any more.