Sources of Furs
Furs come from almost every part of the world. The chief exporters are the Scandinavian countries, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Russia, and China. United States furs include mink, fox, raccoon, beaver, muskrat, sable, fisher, lynx, nutria, opossum, coyote, chinchilla, and rabbit. Leading fur-producing states are Alaska, Louisiana, Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Iowa, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
Animals are either bred for their fur or are trapped. They are seldom shot for their fur because of possible damage to the pelts.
In colonial America, most of the furs were supplied by Indians and white trappers who spent their winters tending lines of traps. Today, most trapping is done by woodsmen and by farmers who operate trap lines to supplement their incomes. The most important trapping areas in North America are Canada, the northern United States (including Alaska), and Louisiana. Trapping is closely regulated by state and provincial governments.
Approximately 90 per cent of the furs used by the United States fur industry are from fur farms. Mink, fox, chinchilla, nutria, and rabbit are raised there. The animals are fed a well-balanced diet. Animals selected for pelts are placed in individual enclosures, called furring pens, in the fall. Here their fur reaches its prime (best quality) condition.
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