Kansas

Furbearer

Guide

Prior to 1850, the lucrative furtrade was the most importantfactor influencing European

exploration and settlement of NorthAmerica. For many of us, a greatdeal of mystique surrounds themountain man trappers anduntamed wilderness of this era.While most recognize the historicalsignificance of the fur trade, fewrecognize that it remains importanttoday. And for the most part, thosespecies that were the staple of thefur trade then, still are today. InKansas, these species are monitoredand managed under the designationof “furbearers.”

As their name implies, furbearershave been predominantly recog-nized for the quality or value oftheir fur, though several also pro-vide excellent table fare, oils, musks,and various other products Theyare a diverse group of animals inKansas, encompassing 6 familiesand consisting of 13 legally har-vestable species including beaver,badger, bobcat, red fox, swift fox,gray fox, mink, muskrat, opossum,raccoon, striped skunk, least weaseland long-tailed weasel. Though thecoyote is not classified as a

furbearer in Kansas, it is often asso-ciated with and monitored as if itwere.

Despite our recognition of theirhistorical significance, the promi-nence of furbearers in our environ-ment today is often overlooked.Highly nocturnal and secretive,most are able to persist in abun-dance, even in close proximity topeople, while going relatively unno-ticed. With rare exception, it isactually the presence of people thathas allowed the species to becomeso abundant – first through ourremoval of the large carnivoresfrom Kansas and most of the UnitedStates, then through our addition ofagriculture to the landscape.

All of the furbearer species feedheavily at times on either agricul-tural grains or the rodents associ-ated with them, and most at leastoccasionally prey on poultry or live-stock. Some have even adapted tourban and suburban life. But untilrecently, people had sufficientlyfilled the role of top predator. Now,with rather depressed fur prices anda society that is becoming increas-ingly distanced from the rural, moreself-sustaining lifestyle, furbearer

harvest has decreased such thatpopulations have gone largelyunchecked. These species that havetraditionally been viewed favorablyfor both the material and aestheticbenefits they have provided haveincreased past tolerable levels forpeople in some situations.

Almost ironically, those indiscre-tions that earn furbearers thegreatest disfavor are often the resultof our own habitat manipulations -which aren’t even beneficial tothem. Destruction of wetlands,brushy field borders, and nativegrasslands result in reduced uplandgame or waterfowl populations, yet“too many predators” often take theblame. When our houses encroachupon and fragment their habitat,and they are forced to become morereliant upon the byproducts of ourown existence for survival, we labelthem as nuisances or vermin.Despite the conflicts these speciessometimes cause, they each have aniche to fill in their natural environ-ments, and their adaptability andpersistence in the face of a rapidlychanging world are worthy of admi-ration.

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text by Matt Peekfurbearer biologist, Emporia

photos by Mike Blairassociate editor/photographer, Pratt

Highly intelligent and adapt-able, the raccoon is one ofour most abundant

furbearers. Raccoons associate withall types of water sources and theirsurrounding habitats, and can befound throughout Kansas. They aremost abundant in the east where thehighest interspersion of maturewoodlands, water courses, and agri-culture occurs. Raccoons have alsobecome well adapted to urban andsuburban areas.

With a black mask and a long,ringed tail, the raccoon is easilyidentifiable, but it is the pet rac-coon’s habit of dipping food inwater that earned it the speciesname “lotor,” meaning “thewasher” in Latin. It is thought thatby wetting the toes, the raccoon’shighly advanced tactile sensitivity isincreased, improving the ability toidentify a potential food source.Raccoons are omnivorous, primarilysubsisting on plant materialsincluding corn, milo, acorns, mul-berries, and various other fruits,nuts, berries, and shoots.Seasonally, grasshoppers andinsects are important, and fish,

frogs, clams, and crayfish arepreyed upon when available.Opportunistic nest predators, rac-coons also prey on eggs and settingbirds, occasionally even up to thesize of waterfowl and turkeys.

Raccoons are non-territorial andare capable of persisting at veryhigh densities. Past estimates inprime Kansas habitat have indi-cated more than 40 raccoons persquare mile, though densities of 20to 25 per square mile in goodhabitat are probably common.Despite these high densities, rac-coons are generally solitary with theexception of mothers with offspring.

Typically, three or four youngare born in April or May. Thoughthey do not hibernate, raccoons doden during freezing spells or timesof snow accumulation. Fat reserves,accounting for up to 30 percent ofthe raccoon’s weight, are built up inthe fall to get the raccoon throughthese cold spells and winter in gen-eral. Dens most often consist ofhollow trees, but old buildings,abandoned burrows of other ani-mals, or other available cavities arealso used.

Adult raccoons are excellentswimmers, climbers, voraciousfighters, and have few natural ene-mies. However, they are extremelysusceptible to a variety of diseasesand parasites. By far most impor-tant in Kansas is canine distemper.Although its precise impact isunknown, distemper may accountfor up to half of the mortality inunharvested Kansas populationseach year.

The raccoon is by far the mostimportant furbearer in Kansas interms of total pelt value andnumber harvested. Heavily pursuedby both houndsmen and trappers,the raccoon has accounted for abouthalf of the annual furbearer harvestand from 50 percent to 75 percent ofthe economic return from Kansasfurharvesting in recent years. Theraccoon is also the most economi-cally important species of urbanwildlife, and is responsible to alarge degree for the rapidly growinganimal damage control industry. Inthe South and Southeast, raccoonmeat is a popular food item, andeven here in Kansas, there is limitedinterest in eating the meat.

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Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Bobcats are among the mostsecretive of Kansas furbearers.They range throughout

Kansas, but even where they reachthe highest densities in the south-east, they are only rarely seen.Bobcats are usually only a leapaway from cover, and closely asso-ciate with shrubby edges of riparianwoodlands and field borders,timber, rocky ledges or outcrop-pings, ravines, and other brushy orgenerally broken habitat types.Their spotted fur provides excellentcamouflage in these habitats, andtheir willingness to crouch and hiderather than to bolt across openspaces aids in their elusiveness.

A large tom bobcat will weighabout 30 pounds, and a partialdescription can be found in itsnames – the common name refer-ring to the short, bobbed tail, andthe species name rufus referring tothe reddish coloration of many bob-cats. Both male and female bobcatshave a distinct white spot on theback of each ear, which may serveas a visual cue for kittens to followthe female through dense under-growth. Though kittens are usuallyborn in the spring, bobcats maybreed and have young at any timeof year. Two or three kittens perlitter is average.

Like other members of the catfamily, bobcats are highly adaptedfor predation. Strictly carnivorous,they hunt with keen senses of sightand hearing. Cottontail rabbits are

usually their primaryfood source, but cottonrats, wood rats, and jackrabbits are also preyedupon when cottontails arescarce. Bobcats oppor-tunistically take smallerrodents, squirrels, andbirds, and to a lesserextent, beavers, muskrats,and porcupines. Mastersof ambush, bobcats occa-sionally kill adult white-tailed deer,though they do so frequently onlyin Northern climates when snowconditions favor bobcat mobilityand hunting techniques. Unlikecanids and some of the otherfurbearers, bobcats rarely scavengeand do so only when carrion isfresh. However, they will cache andreturn to larger kills of their own.

Coyotes, great horned owls, andfoxes may occasionally prey onyoung bobcats, but there is no sig-nificant predator of bobcats inKansas, except perhaps for bobcatsthemselves. Much like domesticcats, male bobcats sometimes killand eat kittens or juveniles.Probably the most important nat-ural mortality factor is starvation.Kittens may starve during times oflow prey availability, and inexperi-enced juveniles often have difficultysecuring enough food to survivetheir first winter. Starvation ratesare highest in unexploited popula-tions where juveniles are forced intomarginal habitat on the fringes of

established adult home ranges.Home range sizes are highly vari-able, but probably average 2 to 4square miles for females and twicethat for males.

The bobcat has the highest indi-vidual pelt value of any Kansasfurbearer, and Kansas ranks amongthe top states in annual bobcat har-vest. During the 2001-2002 furbearerseason, nearly 3,600 were harvested.Trappers account for about two-thirds of the annual harvest, andhunters account for most of theremaining third. Because bobcatscould be confused with someendangered species of cats fromother countries, federal regulationsstate that all bobcats must be pelt-tagged in order to leave Kansas.KDWP gathers other information onbobcats during the tagging process,and some of the best furbearer har-vest information we have pertainsto bobcats. Annual pelt taggingreports are posted on the KDWPweb site.

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Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

The Virginia opossum is theonly marsupial native toNorth America. Opossums are

highly adaptable and rangethroughout Kansas, but are mostcommon in the eastern part of thestate where deciduous forest,wooded riparian zones, and watersources are most common. Likesome of the other furbearers, theopossum thrives in and aroundtowns and cities, taking advantageof abundant food and shelter inad-vertently provided by people.

The opossum is identified by itslong snout, typically grayish fur,and long, scaly, prehensile tail. Theyalso have 50 teeth, more than anyother Kansas mammal. About cat-sized, they typically weigh six to 13pounds, with males being some-what larger than females. As a mar-supial, the reproductive process ofthe opossum is unique amongKansas furbearers. Females have afur-lined abdominal pouch called amarsupium in which youngdevelop. After a gestation period ofless than two weeks, up to 17 tiny,naked, and blind young are born.Developed just enough to surviveoutside the uterus, only those ableto crawl into the marsupium andattach to one of 13 or so nipples

may survive. They remain attachedto a nipple in the pouch for the nexttwo months, undergoing most oftheir basic development. Anaverage of seven young make it outof the pouch, and they are fullyweaned and on their own by about100 days of age. Within a short timeafter the first litter has become inde-pendent, another litter is born.

The opossum finds daytimeshelter and refuge for extendedperiods of cold in rock, wood, orjunk piles, hollow trees or logs, bur-rows of other animals, or variousother crevices. Densities of eight to10 opossums per square mile areprobably common in Kansas, butphenomenally high densities of 259per square mile have been recordedin prime waterfowl nesting habitat.The diet of the opossum isextremely diverse, but primarilyconsists of plant matter includingfruits, berries, and grains, andinvertebrates including beetles,grasshoppers, crayfish, and snails.Small mammals, birds and theireggs, and all types of carrion arealso consumed opportunistically.

Though highly prolific, opos-sums experience extremely highmortality and rapid turnover rateswithin the population. In fact, few

survive past one year, and virtuallynone past two. Populations aredrastically reduced by periods ordrought or extreme cold, and arevery susceptible to human-inducedmortality, especially roadkill. Theopossum is a good swimmer andclimber, but lacks in speed andintelligence. A common predatorevasion technique is “playingdead,” which is effective only onthose predators that choose not tokill. The great horned owl is theopossum’s primary predator,though coyotes, bobcats, and othercarnivores will sometimes kill them.Opossums are resistant to rabies,but may be severely impacted by avariety of parasites.

The opossum is a significantfurbearer in Kansas in terms of thenumber harvested, usually rankingthird behind raccoons and coyotes.However, individual pelt value isvery low, so that most are caughteither in damage control situationsor incidental to the pursuit of otherspecies. Most opossums aretrapped, but some are also taken byhoundsmen. Over the past five sea-sons, annual harvest has averagedalmost 27,000.

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Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Coyotes are not legally classi-fied as furbearers in Kansas,but in many ways, they are

monitored and managed as if theywere. Coyotes are actually consid-ered nongame, as a result of historicattitudes and the potential for con-flict with the livestock industry.Coyotes are not afforded the protec-tion of a harvest season like ourfurbearers. But their cunning andadaptability are legendary, and it isdifficult to conceive a more resilientanimal. After surviving decades ofcyanide guns, strychnine-laced car-casses, widespread trapping andshooting, bounties, and the all-outire of mankind, the coyote hasresponded by expanding its rangeeastward into parts of the UnitedStates where it had not previouslyexisted. In recent times, coyoteshave become increasingly adaptedto urban life, and have been impli-cated for attacking pets and evenpeople in a few states where trap-ping bans have outlawed the mosteffective harvest technique.

The coyote ranges throughoutKansas from woodlots in the east,through the grasslands of theFlinthills, to the intensively-man-aged agricultural landscape in thewest. It is easily distinguishable

from other wild members of thecanid family in Kansas by its largersize (usually 25-35 pounds) and col-oration. In captivity, the coyote’slifespan is not unlike that of adomestic dog, but it rarely lives pastsix or eight years in the wild.Mortality is probably mainly due tohunting, trapping, and roadkill, butcoyotes are also susceptible to var-ious diseases and parasitesincluding sarcoptic mange, caninedistemper, and heartworm.

Most coyotes occupy and defenda distinct territory, often with amate, but some are wide-rangingtransients that persist on the fringeof the home ranges of more territo-rial coyotes. Home range sizes varyby food availability, pack size, andcoyote density, but probablyaverage 8-15 square miles inKansas. Coyotes communicate byscent marking and various vocaliza-tions. Their widely-recognized howlhas long been a symbol of the lone-some prairie and adds greatly to themystique that surrounds the speciesin Western and Southwestern folk-lore.

Coyotes usually mate inFebruary or March, and pups areusually born in a den or hollow inApril or May. Four to seven pups

are common, but as many as 17 maybe born when food is especiallyabundant. The coyote has a verydiverse and seasonal diet. Thoughdiet consists primarily of mice,voles, and rabbits, coyotes feedheavily on plums, sunflower seeds,pears, watermelons, and otherfruits, berries, nuts, seeds, andinvertebrates when they are avail-able in the summer and fall. In thewinter, carrion including livestockand deer often becomes an impor-tant dietary component. Coyotesalso sometimes prey on domesticpoultry and livestock in Kansas,though often they are blamed forthe depredations of free-rangingdomestic dogs.

Coyotes have usually rankedsecond or third annually in totalvalue of pelts harvested in Kansas.In recent times, about 15,000 havebeen harvested each year bylicensed furharvesters, with perhapsanother 60,000 to 70,000 taken byhunting license holders. Eventhough the cunning nature of thecoyote makes it one of the most dif-ficult species to trap, foothold trap-ping is usually the most effectiveharvest technique. Coyotes are alsothe most common quarry ofpredator callers.

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Coyote (Canis latrans)

The red fox is the most widelydistributed carnivore in theworld. Although native red

foxes existed in the boreal regions ofnorthern North America at the timeof European settlement, the redfoxes in the United States today areprobably descendants of Europeanfoxes released along the U.S. coastsfor sport hunting in the 1700s and1800s. Woodlots interspersed withcropland are typically thought of asprime red fox habitat, but themajority of red foxes in Kansasinhabit the suburban fringes oftowns and cities, which offer refugefrom coyotes. Red foxes occurstatewide, but are most common ineastern Kansas, where urban areasand woodlots are most abundant.

The red fox is identified by itslong, bushy tail and characteristiccolor – orange to red upper parts,black ears and legs, and whiteunderparts and tip of tail. Weighing10-15 pounds, red foxes are seldomtwice the size of a house cat, buttheir long fur makes them appearlarger.

Red fox reproductive rates arehighly variable, increasing with thelevel of exploitation or mortality ofthe population. In Kansas, thevixen, or female fox, gives birth toan average of five pups aroundApril. The male initially provides

food for thevixen and thepups, and thefamily groupstays togetheruntil the pupsdisperse in thefall. There istypically little overlap between thehome ranges of these family units,but one male will sometimes tend toseveral females.

The diverse diet of the red fox issimilar to that of the coyote, con-sisting primarily of mice, voles, andcottontail rabbits. Red foxes willalso prey on other small to medium-sized mammals and ground-nestingbirds, or scavenge deer and live-stock. Seasonal food items primarilyinclude fruits, vegetables, insects,and eggs. Most notorious for theirdepredations of domestic poultry,non-native red foxes, also pose asignificant threat to native wildlifepopulations, which evolved withoutthe presence of a similar predator.Red fox depredations have alsobeen implicated for significantlyreducing waterfowl survival andnesting success in the prairie pot-hole region of the Dakotas.

Given the red fox’s dietaryoverlap with larger coyotes, it is nosurprise that coyotes may competi-tively displace or even kill their

smaller cousins. Roadkill may alsobe an important mortality factor forred foxes prevalent in urban areas,as is disease. Sarcoptic mange prob-ably has the most significant impacton Kansas populations, but it is thered fox’s susceptibility to thefurious form of rabies that has led totheir status as a pest in many partsof the world. However, red foxeshave not been an important rabiesvector in Kansas.

Because of the red fox’s limitedabundance in Kansas compared toother furbearers, foxes have littleimportance to our fur trade. About500 red foxes have been harvestedannually over the past few seasons,though double this were harvestedseveral years in the mid-1990s. Likecoyotes, red foxes are too wary toenter cage traps, and are most oftencaptured in foothold traps – thoughthey are considered one of the moredifficult species to trap. Huntersaccount for less than one-third ofthe annual harvest.

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Red fox (Vulpes velox)

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The cat-sized swift fox is a rep-resentative of the short- andmid-grass prairie ecosystems

of the United States and Canada.Considered the least wary of theKansas canids, swift foxes wereextremely susceptible to extermina-tion efforts aimed at larger preda-tors, and were either very scarce orextinct from much of their historicrange by the 1950s. However, aspredator control activities taperedoff, swift fox populations graduallyincreased. Today, swift foxes havereoccupied much of the westernportion of their original range.Kansas, Colorado, and Wyomingnow support what is considered thecore of the U.S. swift fox popula-tion.

In Kansas, the swift fox’s currentrange includes the western three tofour tiers of counties. Althoughonce thought to rely on areas domi-nated by rangeland, swift foxes cansurvive in highly agricultural land-scapes as well. Habitat require-ments include flat or rollinglandscapes with short vegetationallowing for visual predator avoid-ance, and soil types suitable for dig-ging dens.

The buff and grayish colorationand small size (about 5 pounds) ofthe swift fox make it easily distin-guishable from other Kansas foxes.Quick and agile, the swift fox’sname refers to its fleetness of foot,which it uses to capture prey andescape from predators. Primaryprey items include jack rabbits andcottontails. Mice, prairie dogs,shrews, birds, carrion, grasshoppersand other insects, and some plantmaterials including sunflower seedsare also consumed.

Swift foxes are the most den-dependent of North Americancanids, and rely on the protection ofdens year-round. Though capable ofdigging their own, they will alsoexcavate the dens of smaller ani-mals. Dens provide shelter fromextreme weather conditions, help toconserve water in an arid environ-ment, and offer protection frompredators for both adults and pups.Pups are born around April, usuallythree to five per litter, and developquickly. They are full grown by fourto five months of age, and dispersea short distance from their parents’home range in their first fall. Homerange sizes are commonly 4-5

square miles. Golden eagles, great-horned

owls, bobcats, badgers, and redfoxes all occasionally prey on swiftfoxes, but it is the coyote that isresponsible for the majority of theannual mortality in most swift foxpopulations. Swift foxes are alsosusceptible to roadkill. Annual mor-tality rates of swift foxes are usuallyhigh, sometimes more than 50 per-cent, and it is rare for a swift fox tolive past three or four years in thewild.

The swift fox has been an unim-portant species to the fur trade inKansas. Since a pelt tagging pro-gram was initiated by KDWP in1994, fewer than 50 per year havebeen tagged. Despite this, moni-toring techniques indicate that swiftfox populations are stable inKansas, and are not unlike whatthey were in the 1980s when harvestestimates were in the hundreds –the difference now being fewercoyote trappers in the field. Swiftfoxes are easily trapped, withalmost 60 percent of the harvesttaken in foothold traps since thetagging program began.

Swift fox (Vulpes velox)

This more distant relative ofred and swift foxes is pri-marily found in the eastern

third of Kansas but has extended itsrange westward into the central partof the state where fire suppressionhas allowed woody cover to becomeestablished. Sometimes considereda representative of the deciduousforest, the gray fox, like the red,prefers brushy “edge” habitat cre-ated by a mixture of woods andfields. Typically, as woods becomemore prevalent than fields, the grayfox outcompetes the red for habitat,whereas reds typically outcompetegrays where fields are more preva-lent. In Kansas, gray foxes are moresparsely populated than reds andmay average two to four per squaremile within their range.

The gray fox species name,cinereoargenteus, is Latin for“grayish silver,” describing its pre-dominant, salt-and-pepper col-oration. With a black dorsal stripeand white underparts turning toorange laterally and up to the ears,the gray fox is the most colorfulKansas furbearer. It is slightly

shorter and stockier than the redfox, but the 10- to 15-pound averageweights of the two are the same.

The gray fox is extremely quickand agile like the red, and is recog-nized by many furharvesters as themore aggressive and less wary ofthe two. Gray foxes are uniqueamong Kansas canids in that theyare excellent tree climbers, a traitthat allows them to escape coyotesor other potential predators, surveyan area for food, rest in safety, orsometimes even to secure a den in ahollow tree. Gray foxes also useground dens abandoned by otheranimals, or various other holes orcrevices in or under rocky outcrop-pings, wood or brush piles, logs, orstumps. Dens are used year-round,but are most important forwhelping. An average of three tofive young are born in April or May,and these remain in the den untilabout six weeks of age. After thatthey begin to leave the den andforage with their parents. Althoughsmall mammals including rabbitsand various species of rodents con-stitute major food items, gray foxes

feed more heavily on plant matterthan coyotes or red foxes and areconsidered more omnivorous thanthe other canids. Where available,corn, apples, wild fruits, and nutsmake up major dietary components.

Although predation by other ani-mals is not usually an importantmortality factor for gray fox popula-tions, disease can be. Canine dis-temper is common in our Kansasraccoon population, and it is prob-ably a major mortality factor forgray foxes. Unlike coyotes and redfoxes, gray foxes have a high levelof resistance to sarcoptic mange.

Due to limited range and sparsedistribution in Kansas, gray foxeshave been of little importance interms of annual fur harvest. Up toseveral hundred may be harvestedduring some years. Most of theseare trapped, but a few are also takenby hunters. Gray fox fur is shorterand more coarse than that of the redfox, and the pelts are not as valu-able. However, there is somedemand for gray fox pelts by taxi-dermists or those wishing for a dis-play fur.

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Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

This popular subject of Westernand Southwestern folklore ismost often associated with

open range or agricultural lands. Itexists throughout Kansas. Badgersare scarce in heavily wooded areasof the state, especially in the south-east, and are probably most abun-dant in central Kansas where thecombination of prey and open landare most suitable.

The badger is the largest terres-trial member of the weasel family inKansas, often weighing 15 to 20pounds. It has a broad and flattenedbody and short, powerful legs. Itslarge forefeet are webbed andequipped with long, curved claws.Pelage coloration includes distinctblack and white facial markings anda grizzled gray body with black legsand feet. The badger’s size,strength, and aggressive retaliatorybehavior make it a formidableopponent for most potential preda-tors, and have earned it the reputa-tion as one of our fiercest mammals.

The badger is physically wellequipped for a lifestyle thatrevolves around digging and is themost fossorial of Kansas furbearers.Badger dens or burrows are con-spicuous, consisting of a large

mound of dirt piled around a 10- to12-inch-diameter hole. Most excava-tions are in pursuit of prey, butnatal dens are specifically con-structed. The young are usuallyborn in April or May after a winterarrest in embryonic developmentknown as delayed implantation.From one to five young are born,with three or four being average.

Solitary except during July andAugust when mating occurs, evenbadgers with overlapping homeranges tend to avoid each otherthrough scent marking and aggres-sion. Badgers may range over sev-eral square miles, but significantlylimit their movements during thewinter months. Though not truehibernators, they will remaindenned for several weeks or moreduring periods of extreme cold,when excavating prey from frozenground would burn more caloriesthan could be gained.

The badger’s diet consists mainlyof underground-dwelling rodentsor other small mammals that can bedug out of their nests or burrowsystems. The badger uses its keensense of smell to locate prey, thendigs a series of holes until the preyis restricted enough to be captured.

Badgers are often associated withcolonial rodents such as prairiedogs or ground squirrels, but alsoprey heavily upon pocket gophers,mice, and voles. Rabbits, birds,eggs, insects, reptiles, and amphib-ians are also taken opportunisti-cally. The badger’s foraging activityproves valuable for many species ofwildlife that lay claim to unoccu-pied badger dens, and the rodentcontrol provided by badgers is oftenbeneficial to man. However, thelarge holes left behind provide aminor threat to livestock and farmequipment, and badgers can be verydestructive in alfalfa fields wheredense rodent populations oftenexist. As a result, they are viewedunfavorably by many agriculturalproducers in Kansas.

The badger is of minor impor-tance to the Kansas fur trade inrecent times, though pelt priceshave more than doubled over thepast two seasons. Annual harvestsof 800 to 1,000 have been typical.Although badgers can be hunted,this is not usually an effectivemeans of harvest or management.Nearly all harvested badgers aretrapped, either at den entrances orincidental to coyote trapping.

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Badger (Taxidea taxus)

The striped skunk is an adapt-able member of the weaselfamily that exists throughout

Kansas. Striped skunks are mostoften found in agricultural fields,pastures, woodlots, and associatedfencerows, brushy edges, and rockyoutcroppings. They also take advan-tage of food and denning sites pro-vided by people, and are commonlyfound in urban and suburban areaswhere they are usually considered anuisance. They are least common inthe arid southwestern quarter of thestate.

Striped skunks are easily recog-nized by their contrasting whitestripe on otherwise black pelage,but there is considerable variationin the width of the stripe. Skunksmay range in color from almost

completely black to almost com-pletely white. They are approxi-mately cat-sized and usually weighfrom 5-10 pounds, with femalesbeing slightly smaller than males.They have a large, bushy tail, asmall head with beady eyes, andlong, curved claws on their frontfeet for digging. As a means of self-defense, the striped skunk emits apungent musk from two analglands. This bright yellow fluidcauses severe discomfort whenstriking the face of a would-bepredator turned victim.

Among the most den-dependentfurbearers, striped skunks arecapable of digging their ownburrow, but usually remodel aban-doned badger or woodchuck dens ifavailable. They also take up resi-

dence in or under man-made struc-tures including dumps, junkyards,rock fences, woodpiles, and build-ings. They are especially reliantupon underground dens in thewinter when they become inactive.Communal denning is common atthis time, with a single dominantmale taking up residence with asmany as a dozen or more females. Itis to the male’s advantage to be inclose proximity to many femalesduring this time, since the shortbreeding season occurs at the firstsign of warm-up in late February orMarch. Reproductive rates are high,with an average of six kittens beingborn in late April or May.

Grasshoppers, beetles, and otherinsects make up the bulk of thestriped skunk’s diet, but mice, rats,carrion, ground nesting birds andeggs, corn, and various types ofplant matter are also consumed.Prey is often acquired by digging,and is usually located by theskunk’s keen sense of smell.

The annual turnover rate is highfor striped skunk populations. Fewskunks live past the age of three.The great horned owl is a primarypredator, although coyotes, bad-gers, and other carnivores also occa-sionally prey on adults. Predation ofkittens by badgers and adult maleskunks has been documented, andstarvation during winter denningmay sometimes be an importantsource of mortality. Skunks are sus-ceptible to several diseasesincluding canine distemper andmost notably, rabies. In Kansas, thestriped skunk is recognized as aleading rabies vector, oftenaccounting for 80 percent of more ofthe animals that test positive for thedisease each year.

Striped skunks were a staple ofthe fur trade into the 1950s, but lowpelt values limit their importancetoday. They are easily trapped, butlike opossums, most are caught indamage control situations or inci-dental to the trapping of otherspecies. Recent annual harvests of5,000 to 6,000 have been common,though harvests averaged morethan 16,000 during a 5-year stretchin the late 1970s and early 1980s.

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Striped skunk(Mephitis mephitis)

The mink is a semi-aquaticmember of the weasel familythat occurs throughout

Kansas. Minks are excellent swim-mers and primarily occupy habitatsurrounding rivers, streams, wet-lands, ponds, and lakes. They aremost scarce in western Kansaswhere water courses are lacking.Even so, they are not entirelydependent upon a water source,and spend a good deal of time for-aging or traveling in wooded orbrushy upland sites. Home rangesvary considerably, but may includeup to several miles of linear habitatalong a water course.

Long and slender with short legsand bushy tail, the mink’s build isnot unlike that of its closest rela-tives and two of our most obscurefurbearers in Kansas, the least andlong-tailed weasels. Minks have

silky, chestnut-colored pelage andweigh two to three pounds, withmales being slightly larger thanfemales. Like other members of theweasel family, minks have highlydeveloped anal glands. They areless proficient than skunks at emit-ting musk, though some considerminks’ scent even more unpleasant.

Like the other mustelids, minksare usually solitary, except duringbreeding season in February andMarch. Usually three or four butoccasionally as many as eight kitsare born around April. Den sites areusually abandoned beaver ormuskrat bank burrows, or crevicesin rock or brush piles, hollow logs,or abandoned beaver lodges.

Minks are highly carnivorousand prey upon a wide variety ofboth aquatic and terrestrial animals.They are tenacious predators and

sometimes kill animals as large orlarger than themselves. The bulk oftheir diet usually consists of mam-mals, with muskrats and mice top-ping the list. Other prey itemsinclude terrestrial rodents, rabbits,crayfish, water beetles, and otherinsects, fish, and frogs. Minks arealso notorious nest predators, espe-cially of waterfowl and domesticchickens. Because they readilycache food, they are prone to killingmore than they can eat, especiallywhen their quarry is confined – likein a hen house.

Few minks live longer than threeyears in the wild. They are some-times eaten by great horned owls,coyotes, bobcats, or foxes, but thefull impact of predation isunknown. Intraspecific aggression(one mink killing another) may bean important source of mortality.Unlike most furbearer species,minks are not significantly affectedby diseases, but they may be sus-ceptible to environmental contami-nants such as mercury or pesticides.

Minks were among the most eco-nomically important Kansasfurbearers until about 1970. At thattime, long-haired furbearers becamemore popular garment items, andsurpassed the traditional mink andmuskrat markets. Currently, har-vest levels and pelt prices are low inKansas, and the mink is of minorimportance to our fur trade. About400 minks per year are harvested inKansas, almost exclusively by trap-ping.

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Mink (Mustela vison)

The muskrat is a widely distrib-uted semi-aquatic rodent thatoccurs throughout most of the

United States and Canada,including all of Kansas. Muskratslive in marshes, swamps, bogs,streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, andother areas where sufficient waterexists to offer them protection frompredators. In Kansas, muskrats aremost abundant in the southcentraland northeastern parts of the state,where the combination of wetlandand riparian habitats are most abun-dant.

Muskrats weigh 2-3 pounds andhave long, laterally-flattened tailsand large, webbed hind feet. Theirthick, waterproof fur is usually lightto dark brown, and is soft and vel-vety. Muskrats prefer still or slow-moving water with an abundance ofaquatic vegetation, which consti-tutes their primary food source.Cattail, bulrush, and arrowheadmake up a large portion of their dietin Kansas, but they are not exclu-sively herbivorous, and will occa-sionally eat fish, crayfish, snails,and mussels.

Like beavers, muskrats primarilyuse bank dens where sufficientlysteep banks are available. Butmuskrats are better-known for con-structing conspicuous houses fromaquatic vegetation. Houses are

occupied in the absence of bankssuitable for denning, or by subordi-nate muskrats unable to secure abank den. Muskrat houses are usu-ally up to four feet in height andabout six feet in diameter, with oneor more underwater entrances thatlead to nesting chambers. They areusually occupied by one territorialfamily during the breeding seasonbut may be occupied by severalfamilies in the winter.

Muskrats are density-dependent,making them the Kansas furbearermost prone to boom-and-bust popu-lation cycles. Very prolific, muskratsaverage two or three litters of youngper year. Normally, there are aboutsix kits per litter, with reproductiverates being highest when sparsepopulations have access to abun-dant food supplies. Most muskratsdon’t survive past their first year,and mortality factors become morepronounced as populationsincrease.

Muskrats are preyed upon byraccoons, raptors, snakes, red foxes,coyotes, and especially minks, andexperience high rates of cannibalismor mortality inflicted over territorialdisputes when densities are high.Despite typically high mortalityrates, populations can continue toincrease until limited by a more cat-astrophic event such as drought,

tularemia, Tyzzer’s disease, or an“eat-out.” All of these can quicklydecimate a muskrat population.

At moderate densities, muskratsprovide a valuable service for manyspecies of fish and waterfowl bykeeping cattails and emergent vege-tation from choking out surfacewater in shallow, marsh-type wet-lands. But eat-outs occur whenmuskrat densities increase beyondtheir habitat’s carrying capacity,and wetland areas are completelydenuded of vegetation by feedingmuskrats. Most common in thesouthern U.S., eat-outs can signifi-cantly degrade wetlands for yearsand negatively impact many speciesthat rely on the wetland ecosystem,including muskrats.

The muskrat was historically oneof the most important NorthAmerican furbearers in terms oftotal pelt value and number har-vested, but has diminished inimportance to the Kansas fur tradein recent years. During the 1980s,the Kansas annual harvest averagedmore than 30,000 muskrats; in thepast five seasons, the annualaverage has been about 7,000.Muskrats are considered one of thebest-eating furbearers and areprized for their meat by somefurharvesters.

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Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

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The most highly sought-afternatural resource in NorthAmerica during the 1700s and

1800s, the beaver’s dense fur wasused to make the felt hats consid-ered so fashionable in Europe.Beaver populations were danger-ously low by the late 1800s, butthrough conservation efforts, haverebounded even to the point ofoverabundance in some areas. InKansas today, beavers inhabit var-ious waters throughout the state.

Noted as the largest rodent inNorth America, beavers commonlyweigh 40-60 pounds and have beenknown to reach weights of nearly100 pounds. The beaver is the mostspecialized of all rodents for life inthe water. Its flat, leathery tail andlarge, webbed hind feet are per-fectly suited for swimming, andmembranes in the ears and noseclose while underwater. Thebeaver’s dense, tan to chocolatebrown fur traps air to keep wateroff its skin, providing insulationfrom near-freezing water tempera-tures during cold winter months.

Beavers usually live in familygroups consisting of an adult pairand one or two generations ofyoung, totaling four to eightbeavers. The young, or kits, are usu-ally born in April or May, andaverage three or four per litter. The

home range or territory of the groupusually consists of a pond or astretch of river or stream, and isscent-marked with castoreum(emitted from the castor sacs) anddefended against intruding beavers.

In northern climates, beaversoften live in “lodges,” but in Kansaswhere steep banks are common,beavers usually burrow dens intothe side of pond dams or riverbanks. The beaver’s “food cache”can usually be found nearby. Thefood cache consists of a pile of sticksand branches collected in the falland stashed underwater for winteruse. The cache is the beaver’s onlysource of food when the water’ssurface has iced over. The cache isalways located close to the den,which is the beaver’s air sourceduring these times.

The beaver’s instinctive dam-building behavior makes it one ofthe most ecologically importantwildlife species. The dams, whichare constructed with sticks andmud, back up water to flood wood-lands or surrounding habitat. Whilethese beaver ponds help maintainwater supplies during droughtperiods and create excellent habitatfor a variety of fish and wildlife,they often conflict with the interestsof man – especially when theflooded area consists of roadways,

parks, or valuableagricultural land.

Exclusively herbiv-orous, beavers feedon a variety of plants,grasses, forbs, andeven agriculturalcrops. But it is theirtaste for tree bark that

has drawn them the most attention,and in some cases, ire, over theyears. Beavers utilize many speciesof trees, but young willows and cot-tonwoods are among the most pre-ferred in Kansas. Felling treesallows beavers access to the smaller,more nutritious branches in thecanopy, and provides materials fordam, food cache, and lodge con-struction.

Beavers seldom venture far fromthe protection of water, and warnothers of danger by slapping theirtails on the surface of the water. InKansas, only bobcats and coyotesprey on adult beavers, though otherspecies may prey on the kits.Tularemia is a disease that can neg-atively impact beaver populations,and beavers are common carriers ofthe Giardia parasite that causes ahuman water-borne illness knownas “beaver fever.”

The beaver is an economicallyimportant furbearer because of thevalue of its pelt and the damage itinflicts through flooding and tree-cutting activities. About 10,000Kansas beavers have been harvestedannually since the mid 1990s, manyof which are taken in damage con-trol situations. Beavers may betaken only by trapping, and theirharvest season is longer than that ofother furbearers. They are widelyregarded as one of the most palat-able of Kansas furbearing animals.

Beaver (Castor canadensis)

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With abundant furbearerpopulations through-out most of Kansas,

furharvesting opportunitiesabound. In fact, furbearers areprobably one of our most under-utilized natural resources, andthe benefits of their harvest arenumerous. Most furbearerspecies are responsible for var-ious depredations or propertydamage, and furharvestingduring the legal seasons acts asthe primary means of furbearerpopulation and damage control.Regulated harvest also provides

generally rural participants withfur, meat, and income in an envi-ronmentally friendly manner.Furharvesting is often consid-ered a recreational pursuit, butas with hunting, “recreation”does not adequately describe thecultural and social importance offurharvesting in the lifestyles ofmany participants. Perhaps mostimportantly, furharvesting helpsto propagate the positive valuesassociated with furbearerspecies.

There are about 4000 licensedfurharvesters in Kansas,

including hunters, trappers, andhoundsmen. Of these, trappersaccount for the vast majority ofthe harvest of all species exceptfor raccoon and coyote. Most ofthe furbearers harvested inKansas are eventually shippedto Russia, China, or South Korea,often through Canada, but thereare three primary outletsthrough which most of theKansas furbearer harvest is mar-keted. Pelts are usually shippedto one of several major fur auc-tions in the northern U.S. andCanada, sold at one of the two or

Furharvesting in Kansas

three fur auctions held annuallyin Abiline by the Kansas FurHarvesters Association (KFHA),or sold directly to one of the 30licensed furdealers in Kansas.For most furharvesters inKansas, these fur dealers pro-vide the most critical link to theextensive foreign markets forwhich the current fur tradeexists.

Furbearer pelt values are notwhat they were during the furboom years of the 1970s and1980s, but fur market analystsare currently more optimisticthan they’ve been in over adecade. Pelt values of somespecies have nearly doubledover the past few years, and areexpected to continue to rise.About $300,000 worth of peltswere sold to Kansas fur dealersalone during the 2001-02 season,not to mention the value of peltsthat were kept and tanned orshipped to out-of-state auctions.This is a far cry from the multi-million dollar sales to Kansas furdealers through the mid 1980s,but all things considered, now isa great time to be a Kansasfurharvester.

The pie chart on the left shows the species composition of approximately 41,000 furs purchased by Kansas fur dealers during the2001-2002 furharvesting season. The chart on the right shows species contributions by percent to the total of approximately $300,000worth of furs purchased by Kansas fur dealers during the 2001-2002 season.