Tongass National Forest

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Fox Farming on Admiralty Island

Big city fashion created an economic possibility for Territorial Alaskans.

Fur pelts from fox, mink and martin could provide a simple livelihood for those hardworking and spirited enough to try. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the 1910s and peaked in 1925. By the time the Great Depression began taking hold in 1929 and through its end in 1939, many people made their way north to Alaska. Some tried their hand at fur farming.

Farming styles changed over time from pens on the larger islands to free roaming on smaller islands and then reverted to keeping animals in pens once again. As pens were used less, free roaming animals on the islands were subject to poaching. Those that weren't poached escaped, while others succumbed to parasites. Animals on virgin islands did well for the first 2 to 3 years, after which parasites and diseases become prevalent with no cure available.

Fox feed included fish, often waste from a nearby cannery, mixed with cereals that were shipped from the Lower 48. With the low market price and the high cost of feed and freight, there was a move from use of the larger islands to smaller islands. This also afforded better control of stock and farms were generally less expensive to operate.

As fur values decreased, many fur farmers returned to raising stock in pens. Advantages of pen raising methods include the control of the farmer over his stock, the ability of the farmer to locate near communities where schools, cold storage facilities, and supplies were available as well as part time employment. If near a community had a cannery, the farmers could make use of the scrap fish and fish trimmings that were available at little or no cost, as well as the availability of cold storage facilities.

Some 300 islands or groups of islands in the Tongass were under permit at one time or another. On Admiralty there were ????? . Typical improvements on the islands included a 3- to 5-room frame house, a number of feed pens along the beach, one or two outbuildings used as skinning sheds and for the preparation of fox feed and tool storage, a smokehouse, dock, garden, boat/skiff. Other improvements might include a small fenced enclosure for six week old pups and for holding foxes for pelting. An estimated value of the enterprise was approximately $4,367 (in 1937). An average number of foxes per island was 47. Pelting occurred in December and pelts were usually shipped to Seattle or London .