The journals of Alexander Henry the Younger, an English (Montreal-based) businessman engaged in the fur trade for the North West Company, is the best source of information on the animals of the northern Great Plains prior to general settlement.............. Henry spent nine years (1799-1808) in the region,headquartering in a small fort at the mouth of the Pembina River(present Day North Dakota....................Note the records below of the killed animals shipped through his Company during the 8 years 1800-1808

http://ndstudies.gov/gr8/content/unit-ii-time-transformation-1201-1860/lesson-1-changing-landscapes/topic-4-fur-bearing-animals/section-1-introduction

Image 1:  Pronghorn antelope grazed throughout North Dakota until the mid-19th century, but they have always been more abundant in the western part of the state. Pronghorn meat and hides were utilized by Indians in North Dakota, but bison were preferred because they were so much larger. SHSND A0083-0001.

Image 2: White-tailed deer lived throughout North Dakota, but were fairly scarce. Today, white-tailed deer are the most common of the large mammals.SHSND 32105 Box 5-4.

Animal	Binomial name (Latin)	Total hides shipped 1800-1808
Bison (buffalo)	Bison bison	204
Pronghorn	Antilocapra americana	XX  (very rare in Red River Valley)
Moose	Alces alces	358 (some of these may have been elk)
Elk	Cervus elaphus	1103
White-tailed deer	Odocoileus virginianus	2 (Henry saw very few of these)
Muskrat	Ondatra zibethicus	718
Beaver	Castor canadensis	7636
Jackrabbit	Lepus townsendii	1 killed, none shipped
Lynx	Lynx canadensis	191
Wolf	Canis lupus	2868
Coyote	Canis latrans	counted as wolves
Fox	Vulpes vulpes	1155
Swift fox	Vulpes velox	117
Ermine	Mustela erminea	21
Mink	Mustela vison	536
Marten	Martes americana	613
Fisher	Martes pennanti	1137
Wolverine	Gulo gulo	34
Otter	Lontra canadensis	618
Badger	Taxidea taxus	27
Raccoon	Procyon lotor	654
Black bear	Ursus americanus	999
Grizzly bear	Ursus arctos	21

‹ Topic 4: Fur-bearing AnimalsSection 2: Beaver ›

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