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Trapping.and Fur Take 
The total value of the fur take, together with the incidental State 
bounties on weasels, grey foxes, and an occasional wild cat, annually amounts

to thousands of dollars. Just how large this sum is cannot even be approxi-

mated at present, Fur resources are recognized as an important source of

additional income to an integral portion of the Forest's population--the

scattered *ural residents. Definite steps are in mind to evaluate the fur

income to these people in connection with a more accurate trapper census
out- 
lined below. 
Methods- for finding the total number of trappers on the Forest to date 
have given only the roughest approximations, Cooperation involving the State

Board of Game Commissioners and the local fur buyers is being worked out,
and 
a better system is expected to produce reliable figures in the future. 
 
-9- 
 
g them on the areas worked were inspected in detail. Two impor- 
ns of the Forest, the Kinzua Management Unit, and Elk County have 
cally completed. 
method used in making this survey follows: The observer tallied 
igns, and tracks. He also classified the streamside cover as to 
he various fur-bearers, recorded all beaver houses and dens, and 
them as old, new, or abandoned. 
I figures for Forest's population were based upon the assumption 
al proportion of beaver would be encountered in the survey of the 
treams as were found to date by the survey. This proportion is 
1.! right according to rough field checks. 
r fur-bearers found along streams have been censused by a slightly 
ethod. Tables were drawn up dividing the streams on the Forest 
different size classes, The number in the average family for 
on, muskrat, and opossum was then set up, and an allowance of a 
per section of stream was determined, based upon the value of 
ide cover for each of these species. Many miles of cover classi- 
s at hand from the beaver population survey upon which to base 
he unsurveyed portion of the Forest was figured in proportion to 
from the streams covered. 
s realized that this method does not give an accurate census, but 
ion table based on stream size, cover, and family units was care- 
up with due consideration to the habits of all the species and 
c conditions on the Allegheny as found during the past season. 
lt that the figures are reasonably accurate. 
s are being made to arrive at more reliable figures for these 
repeatedly patrolling various sections of typical streams to find 
average populations.