furbearer

Hunters, hold those hides! A quick-tip guide for predator pelts

For hunters across the north, deer hunting seasons are wrapping up. But That doesn’t necessarily Signify an end to the pursuits afield. Fur handling is the process of removing a hunted animal’s hide for the usage of the fur pelt. For those species that aren’t commonly hunted for human consumption, the usage of the animal’s hide and other remnants are recognized as an acceptable practice when properly regulated.

A Tale of Two Reds: Old-world versus New-world Red Fox

What does the fox say? It depends on which of the 45 subspecies of red fox you ask! As it turns out, an original or “native” red fox subspecies did inhabit montane and glacial areas of North America prior to European settlement; it just wasn’t indigenous to where early settlers were colonizing in the eastern United States.

Chicago's raccoon distemper woes (We built the cities... Part Deux)

City officials in the Riverside neighborhood of Chicago have announced warnings of distemper outbreak in the area’s raccoon population - and the hazards posed to residents, as well as non-vaccinated pets.

We built the cities, but we don't necessarily rule them.

I’ve always been personally fascinated with the adaptability of fur bearers such as skunks and raccoons. In the aftermath of the raccoon’s “great migration” to man’s urban meccas, it’s almost hard to believe they ever inhabited the wildernesses of rural America at all - man was once a rural beast as well.

Last year’s rodent “bumper crop” means predator boom this spring

Just as the acorn mast abundance of two years ago drove a rodent explosion last year, I’m confident the expansion in rodent presence will drive a “cyclical boom” in New England’s predatory species this year.