The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-01-20
CLARENDON COUNTY, S. c., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30 1886

MANY Is INC lliIC tiIC oePpOA VIII w
disappointed TO find only a stump OF
LEG in his trap or one Or two toes.
The muSkrat's home, if the stream or
pond has high bank, is little hollow
place under ground FIVE OF six feet from
the waters edge. The entrance is un-
der water. The hallway, after it has
penetrated the bank, Will turn up above
the level Of the water. and there. in the
little dry subtcrranean chamber, he
spends the day il sleeping or is busy
storing away food for winter. The
trapper is happy when he finds the en-,
trance to these houses. He will spend
time in poking with a long stick under
the bank for these places When found
he places the trap under water just in
the entrance. If the rat is caught he
will probably drown, as the weight OF
the trap and his efforts to get away will
tire him, and finally, exhausted, he
sinks below water. In the small ponds
with low banks the muskrats often
build houses of cornstalks or grasses
Whole families live in these cdlflces,
which are sometimes built several feet
above the level of the water. The en-
frances, and there are usually several.
are under water. Inside they are fitted
up into chambcrs-cozy little places
lined with soft grasses A favorite mode
of catching the rat in his own house is
to cut off the top of his domicile and
place the trap in one of the little rooms.
carefully covering it over with part OF
his soft bed The rat when found alive
caught in steel trap will fight furious
", and many blow on the head will
he receive before he will give up. He is
courageous, and on his own part will
make the attack, as young and old
trappers will testify. When there is no
way of escape he immediately gets ready
to resist. 4 dash is made at the trap
per's leg, and if he once strikes howl
of pain will escape the poor traPper,
while the long sharp teeth will hold on
with grip that would shame a bull
dog. Too vcnturesomc amateurs some
time come home with fingers hanging
by shrecs and big holes in their hands.
the result Of too much freedom with
their prey.
The box-trap is the favorite for
streams, as it is easily made, and often
several rats are taken in ono IN SIN
gle night. 1t consists of a long, straight
box, rectangular in shape, made with
entrances at both ends large enough to
admit the rat comfortably. In the ends
are placed gates made of stiff wire,
slanting toward the inside Of the box,
so that it can be lifted up easily by the
rat going in, but cannot be opened out
ward. Spaces are left between the wires
so that the water can run through cas-
ily. The box is sunk in the middle of
stream and securely anchored with big
rocks. Then q row of stakes is driven
from the box to the shore, firmly i'm
bedded in the bed of the stream. They
are usually run a little up the stream so
as to form sort of fence down to the
trap. The rat coming down the stream
finds himself between two walls OF
stakes and can not get through. He
follows along to the trap; then he dives
under in his efforts to get through the
blockade His nose comes in contact
with the wire gate and it lifts easily; he
passes in and on through. At the lower
end he meets the lower gate, which
slants in, and cannot open it If he
turns back the same difficulty meets
him at the other end. In short time
he browns from lack of air. Some
times, in stream thickly inhabited by
rats, the trapper will find his box full
in the morning when he makes his
rounds, and the next night he will
probably find more. In the spring,
when the rats are running and swim
ming long distances, the box traps will
Weld large return for the capital ex-
pended. It is job to keep them in re-
pair, however, and when big storms
come the stakes will likely be washed
out by the floods and perhaps the trap
60 floating down the stream. Here is
where the hard work comes in.
Another manner OF getting the rats is
to flood them out. A small box trap is
placed at the entrance to house, and
Just below the stream damned up so
that the water will rise to such . height
as to drown them out. AS they attempt
to pass out the main entrance they get
in the trap, or if the trapper is good
shot he will kill the animals as they
swim away. Moonlight nights there
is sport in shooting the muskrats as they
are swimming in the ponds.