Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-05-26
THE Willy MUSKRAT.
How the Little Animal is
Trapped by Night.
The Muskrat's Haunts and Habits, and
Use to Which His Skin is Put

The Muskrat's Haunts and Habits, and
Use to Which His Skin is Put
Many young lady who moves around
IN the pround possession of a presumed
sealskIn cap or mulf is very grievously
mistaken. The articles in question, in
nine cases out Of ten, never saw Alaska
in any form. New Jersey or Maryland
furnished the material to make them, for
the hide of the dcspiscd and humble
nuskrat, when dressed by skilful hands,
makes the best imitation Of sealskins, an
imitation so close, that the true Is only
separated from the false after the most
careful examination. 1t is an equally
egrcgious error to imagine that tho New
Jersey fisherman becomes dormant in
winter time. On the contrary, he Is
widcawake and occupies his time trap.
ping muskrats. The salt marshes on the
line OF the Jersey coast arc full OF musk.
rats, and tho supply socms to be mex.
haustablc. Muskrats are naturally herl.
ivorous They feed on land and water
plants alike, in somo instances using
roots, stems and fruit. They arc noted
enemies of the "bo.tom ground" farmer,
for it is in his fields that corn grows most
plentiful, and on that cereal muskrats
love to feed. They cat corn at any time
after it is planted, taking the seed from
the ground or the young plant from the
fuTow. The greatest damage is done
after the car is well formed Their food
is not entirely vegetable for in winter
and carly spring they subsist to great
extent on the flesh of river musscls. The
muskrat does not come out Of his lair in
the daytime, save on rare occasions
Sometimes on very dark cloudy days hc
may be seen swimming across the pond
or down the stream with his head Just
above water. 1t is an ugly vicious look.
ing animal with white claws and long
white teeth. He is fair swimmer and
his capacity for staying under water is
extraordinary. His home, if the stream
or pond has II high bank, is little hol-
low place under ground, five or six feet
from the waters edge, and the entrance
is under water The hallway, after it
has penetrated the bank, curves gradual
ly upward, and at its end, in his snug
little subtcrrancan chamber, the muskrat
spends his day sleeping or in storing away
food for winter. 1t makes the trapper
happy when he finds the entrances to
these houses. When he finds one he
places his trap just in the entrance. If
the rat is caught he will probably drown,
rs the weight of the trap and his efforts
to escape will tire him. and he will sink
below water. A favOrtc method Of
catching the muskrat in his own house is
to cut off the top of his domicilc and
bury the trap in the centre of his mossy
bed. The box trap is the favorite one
for streams, as it is easily made, and sew
cgal rats are often captured in single
night. 1t consists OF long straight box,
made with entrances at both ends large
enough to admit a muskrat easily. In
the ends arc fixed gates made of stout
wire, SiaNting toward the inside of the
box which can be lifted up easily by the
rat going in but cannot be opened out
wardly. The boz is sunk in the middle
of 4 stream and securely anchored by big
stones being placed on its top. Then
stakes mc driven from the box to each
side of the stream. The muskrat finds
his way barred by the stakes, swims into
the trap, discovers lie nn)t get out,
and browns. The muskrat i, no coward.
If he is taken on dry groun and the
jaws of the trap have caught his leg pref
ty well down near the toe, the rat not
being able to pull away will gnaw off his
leg just above where the trap holds it.
When found alive lie fights desperately
and requires many blow on the head to
silence him. When there is no other
way Of escape, he makes dash at the
d. trapper's leg, and ii he once catches hold,
his sharp white teeth sink into the bone
and his strong jaws cling to the unfortu-
nate hunter with the tenacity of bull
dog. The great trapping grounds for the
muskrat, however, are along the low
lands Of Dorchester county, Maryland,
bordering Fishing Bay and its numerous
tributaries, especially the Backwater and
Nausquakin rivers. Thes, marshes en-
brace portions of Lakes, Straits, Draw
bridge and Bucktown districts, and in
area cover thousands of acres. The fur
of the muskrat, which is of two kinds,
brown and black, the black being the
most valuable, is sold to travelling deal
ers for twelve to eighteen cents per skin.
About IS, 600 skins have been sold in
Dorchester county this season, and the
trappers are still busy. But no STRIPPING
can hope to embark in the muskrat.trap-
ping business for it is one of hardship
and exposure, and the returns are small
indeed. --Ne,c York Mail and Express.
4 nasnarnfa Mnsa