Survey of the Illinois Fur Resource

Fur animals in Illinois, as in perhaps every other state, are of importance from viewpoints other than income. In one form or another there is nearly always the problem of predator control, which is brought up most frequently by farmers and sportsmen decrying real and alleged inroads of foxes, skunks and other carnivores on poultry and game birds. In Illinois, control is vigorously opposed by fox-hunting groups and to a lesser extent by central and southern orchardists, who appreciate the rodent- and insect-destroying habits of these animals. Sincere conservationists of certain convictions also oppose control. Illinois has little or no beaver damage, and no appreciable problem due to stock-killing coyotes. Wild dogs, sometimes reported as "wolves," are many times more destructive to domestic Illinois livestock than are coyotes. During recent years, members of coon-hunting* clubs, especially in the northern half of the state, have desired more sport and in some cases have supported movements designed to eliminate the raccoon from the trappers' list. Perhaps the chief need for an impartial, fact-finding study lay in the necessity for providing reliable information on which to base theoretically sound, but still practical, fur laws. This need is particularly acute in Illinois due to the great north south length of the state and the consequent appreciable variations in the dates of fur priming. Because of these variations, the state has wisely been divided into three zones, namely, northern, central and southern.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe