French Trade

My big question for this week has to do with the French and their Frontier trading. One of the presentations yesterday talked about how the French used this type of trading down in Louisiana and how overall it was pretty successful. What I am wondering is how the form of trade the French were doing up in Canada was different-- or if it was different-- than down south? It sounds like it was the same thing. The majority of the French trade with the Indians in Canada was for supplies like beaver pelts. Down south they were trading for deer skins and food. I guess there was more trade for profit in Canada, but it did not sound like the French were doing much farming either. So I would appreciate if someone could clear all this up for me.
Also, I would like to know if this Frontier trading the same or similar to what European explorers, and later the mountain men, were doing with the Indians in the Plains and the Rockies. I know that there were a lot of trappers, mainly French, that went west along the rivers into Nebraska, Montana, Colorado trading for pelts and hides. Does this fall into the same category and in Louisiana?