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Hi all,
On Mar 21, 2008, at 2:04 PM, Roland McCormick wrote:
> I remember years ago hearing them talk about bringing skunks back to
> the valley to get rid of the mice that were chewing the bark off the
> bottom of small trees that were being planted in new apple orchards.
> The farmers must be happy now that the skunks are back again. I have
> heard my parents say when they were small there were lots of skunks
> around in the valley and a disease swept through them and killed the
> skunks off. There were no skunks around when I was growing up - I
> think they came back from northern NS, but I am wondering if they
> got a little help from some government agency.
Banfield's (1974), "The Mammals of Canada" does have some interesting
information with regard to skunks in the Maritimes. It is believed the
skunks only spread into Nova Scotia after 1850 (perhaps taking
advantage of increasing open land?) and in 1974 they are shown to
occupy only central Nova Scotia, being absent from southern Nova
Scotia and Cape Breton Island. There's no indication government
agencies have played any role in relation to skunk populations in Nova
Scotia, however, they were introduced in Prince Edward Island at a
time when their fur was valuable.
In 1918 skunk pelts sold for a maximum of $9, a small fortune in those
days. In that era skunk pelts were marketed under various exotic names
such as "Alaskan Sable" or "American Sable." When furriers were
required to call them by their actual name (skunk) the market
collapsed. :->
Later, when the market for their fur declined, many were permitted to
escape from fur farms on PEI and promptly became a nuisance. From
1932-1956 approximately 4,000 skunks/year were trapped on PEI and
submitted for a $1 bounty. Banfield reports that in the 1971-72 fur
season 179 skunks were sold in the Canadian fur market for an average
value of $0.28. Now prices are are more robust, and I understand skunk
pelts sell in the range of $10-12/pelt.
All the best!
Chris
Christopher Majka
Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H
3A6
c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi all,<div><br><div><div>On =
Mar 21, 2008, at 2:04 PM, Roland McCormick wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; =
font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; =
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: =
auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff" =
style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"2">I remember years ago hearing them talk about bringing skunks =
back to the valley to get rid of the mice that were chewing the bark off =
the bottom of small trees that were being planted in new apple =
orchards. The farmers must be happy now that the skunks are back again. =
I have heard my parents say when they were small there were lots of =
skunks around in the valley and a disease swept through them and killed =
the skunks off. There were no skunks around when I was growing up - I =
think they came back from northern NS, but I am wondering if they got a =
little help from some government =
agency.</font></div></div></span></blockquote><br></div><div>Banfield's =
(1974), "The Mammals of Canada" does have some interesting information =
with regard to skunks in the Maritimes. It is believed the =
skunks only spread into Nova Scotia after 1850 (perhaps taking advantage =
of increasing open land?) and in 1974 they are shown to occupy only =
central Nova Scotia, being absent from southern Nova Scotia and Cape =
Breton Island. There's no indication government agencies have played any =
role in relation to skunk populations in Nova Scotia, however, they were =
introduced in Prince Edward Island at a time when their fur was =
valuable.</div><div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>In =
1918 skunk pelts sold for a maximum of $9, a small fortune in those =
days. In that era skunk pelts were marketed under various exotic names =
such as "Alaskan Sable" or "American Sable." When furriers were required =
to call them by their actual name (skunk) the market collapsed. =
:-></div><div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Later, =
when the market for their fur declined, many were permitted to escape =
from fur farms on PEI and promptly became a nuisance. =46rom =
1932-1956 approximately 4,000 skunks/year were trapped on PEI and =
submitted for a $1 bounty. Banfield reports that in the 1971-72 fur =
season 179 skunks were sold in the Canadian fur market for an average =
value of $0.28. Now prices are are more robust, and I understand skunk =
pelts sell in the range of $10-12/pelt.</div><div><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>All the =
best!</div><div><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Chris</div><div><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div =
apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: =
normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: =
normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; =
-khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; =
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div =
style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Christopher =
Majka</div><div>Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova =
Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6</div><div><a =