Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-07-08
TRAPPING MUSKRATs.
How the business Il Conducted by New
Jersey and Maryland Trappers.


How the business Il Conducted by New
dorsey and Maryland Trappers.
Many young lady who moves
around in the proud possession OF a
presumed scalskin cap or muil is very
grievousiy mistaken. The articles in
question:. in nine cases out OF ten.
never saw Alaska in any form. New
Jersey or Maryland furnished tho ma
terial to make them, for the hide OF the
despiscd and humble muskrat, when
dressed by skilliul hands, makes the
best imitation OF scalskin, M imitation
so close, that the true is only separated
from the false after the most careful
examination. 1t is I'M equally cgrcgious
error to imagine that the New Jersey
fisherman becomes dormant in winter
time. On the contrary, he is wide
awake and occupies his time trapping
muskrats. The salt marshes on the
line of the Jersey coast are full OF
muskrats, and the supply seems to he
lUcNuduSllulC. 4huShldNN llO hd'ul'iN
hcrbivorous. They feed on land and
water plants alike, in some instances
using root stems and fruit. They are
noted enemies OF the "bottom ground"
farmer, for it is in his fields that corn
grows most plentiful, and OH that
cereal muskrats love TO feed. They cat
corn at any time after it is planted,
taking the seed from the ground or tho
young plant from the furrow. The
greatest damage is done after the ear
Is well formed. Their food is not en-
tircly vegetable, for In winter and in
early spring they subsist TO great cN-
tent OH 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
he may be seen swimming across the
pond or down the stream with his head
Just above water. 1t is an ugly,
yicious-looking animal with ugly claws
and long white teeth. He is a fair
swimmer, and his capacity for staying
| under water is extraordinary. His
home, il the stream or pond has high
bank, is little hollow place under
ground. five or six feet from the
waters edge. and the entrance Is
under water. The halfway, after
it has penetrated the bank, curves
gradually upward, and at itS end. in
his snug little subterranean chamber,
the muskrat spends his day in sleeping
or in storing away food for winter. II,
makes the trappcr happy when he finds
the entrances to these houses When
he finds one he places his trap just in
the entrance. Ii the rat is caught he
will probably drown. as the weight of
the trap and his efforts TO escape will
tire him, and hc will sink below water.
a favoritc method Of catching the
mu>krat in his own house is TO cut oil
the top of his dOmicilc and bury the
trap in the center Of his mossy bed.
The box trap is the iavoritc one for
streams, rs il is easily made, and sew
cral rats are often captured in a single
night 1t consists of long straight
box. made with entrances at both ends
large enough to admit muskrat
easily In the ends are fixed gates
made Of stout wire, slanting toward
the inside of the box which can be lift
ed up easily by the rat going in but can
not he opened outwardly. The box is
sunk i'm the middle of stream and sc-
curcly anchored by big stones being
placed OH its top. Then stakes are
driven from the box To each side Of the
stream. The muskrat finds his way
barred by the stakes, swimS into the
trap, discovers he can not get out, and
browns. The muskrat is no coward.
Ii hc is taken on dry ground and the
jaws of the trap have caught his lee
pretty well down near the toe, the rat
not being able to pull away will gnaw
of his leg just above where the trap
holds it. When found alive he fights
desperately and requires many blow
ON the head to silence him. When
there is no other way of escape, he
makes a dash at the trapper's leg. and
il he once catches hold, his sharp white
teeth sink into the bono and his strong
jaws cling to the unfortunate hunter
with the tenacity of a bulldog. Too
venturesomc amateur trappers often
find their way home with fingers hang
ing in shreds and big holes in their
hands, the result of fooling with cor
nercd muskrat.-M Y. Mail and E5-