Document Type

Research

Abstract

The marked increase of the Upper Mississippi Valley raccoon (Procyon lotor hirtus N. and G.) in Iowa during recent years is well-known. Sanderson (1951) and recent releases by the Iowa State Conservation Commission suggest a yearly average of about three or four times as many raccoons during the decade 1943-'52 as in the period 1933-'42. The general opinion of hunters and trappers was that such increases were apparent also in Story County, of central Iowa. From raccoon family track and other "signs along streams Costa and Hendrickson estimated roughly two family groups of raccoons to the mile, or approximately 10 raccoons to the square mile traversed by the larger wooded streams in late summer, 1950. Cabalka through participation with three groups of hunters learned that in the autumn, 1951, on 30 square miles coursed by larger streams they took 79 raccoons averaging 17 pounds in weight, of which 41 were males and 38 females. The raccoons were taken at the rate of two an hour of group night hunting.

Publication Date

1953

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

Issue

First Page

616

Last Page

620

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Cabalka, J. L.; Costa, R. R.; and Hendrickson, G. O. (1953) "Ecology of the Raccoon in Central Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 60(1), 616-620.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol60/iss1/84

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Ecology of the Raccoon in Central Iowa

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