The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-06-07
HUNTING THE POLECAT.
NOT FAsTIDIoUs, BUT PAYS BETTER
THAN FARMING.

mShb III tIhppluB pOleChbS.
The occupation is not pleasant one
for a person whose sense of smell is
toned up 70 the point Of fastidiousness,
but it pGss far better than farming or
any other vocation that offers itself TO
the back-country dweller.
The trapper, about the middle of
November, sets stone traps and bats
them with pieces of fresh meat A
chickens wing, the "hind-quarter" of
a musk rat, or piece of fresh rabbit
is considered fetching bait The trap
is heavy fiat stone, supported by
notched sticks that are held in place
by spindle, upon the end of which
the bait is placed. In attempting to
take the meat from the spindle the
trap is tripped and the stone falls on
the animal.
The most favorable localities for
setting these traps are under the walls
around pasture lots and near lodges
and old cellars or chimney stacks.
Steel traps are sometimes used. They
are placed in burrows; but it is neces-
sary to carefully conceal them, or the
animal will dig around the trap and
escape.
When deep snow covers the ground,
the skunk remains in its burrow and
the trappers are obliged to wait until
the ground is bare again before hunt
in the animal.
When the polecat is stirring, his
favorite stamping ground is easily
found, for the soil will be turned up as
if by pigs The animal roots in the
ground for worms and roots of grass
and certain shrubs. He is also fond
of eggs and chickens, and he makes
bad work for the farmer when he
manages to get into his chicken house.
He seems to hold the flesh of the fowl
in lower estimation than its blood.
When skunk finds himself in well
filed chicken house he proceeds to kill
the fowls, and as he does SO he drinks
their blood, sometimes so gorging him
self as to be unable to get away, and
he falls into the hands of the person
whose property he has destroyed.
In the fall skunk hunting is quite a
popular sport among the men and boys
of the back-country. The hunt usually
takes place on the ''youngo' the moon. F"
The participants clothe themselves in
raiment for which they care but little,
and, armed with stout club or pole,
from eight to twelve feet long, they
take to the field about nine o'clock in
the evening.
The polecat has an uncanny prefer
ence for cemeteries, and, if moving at
all, he will be found burrowing around
graveyard oftener than anywhere
else. If there is a cemetery within a
reasonable distance, the hunter makes
it his objective point.
When the game is sighted, the hun
ter, moving as stealthily as possible,
advances upon it, and if he manages to
get within striking distance of it with.
out having been noticed, he stamps on
the groudd. The animal, on hearing
the sound, Immediately faces the
enemy. There is a quick blow of the
club, carefully aimed, and the polecat's
days are ended. 1t sometimes happens
that the aim of the hunter is faulty
and the animal is not seriously hurt.
Then it is that the man takes to his
heels and beats an inglorious retreat.
From the fatty substance taken from
the animal some people try an oil,
which they believe possesses wonderful
medicinal properties, and it is freely
used by them in severe cases of Group,
inflammation of the lungs, and rheu-
matte affections.
The true value of the animal lies in
its pelt, which finds ready market.
The pelts are graded in three classifica-
tions, viz: Stripe, half stripe, and
black. In the majority of skunk pelts
there is a white stripe running from
the head to the tail. These are classed
as striped skins. When the white stripe
extends only half way along the back
it is ''half stripe" skin. A black pelt
has but little white in it, and it brings
much higher price than either of the
other classifications.
Within the past few years skunk
skins have made wonderful increase
in value. Formerly the hides went
slowly at ten cents apiece; but the de-
mand has grown for them, and stripe
and half stripe pelt now brings the
trapper from eighty cents to one dol
lar and black skin goes at one dollar
and half
The skins are used extensively in the
manufacture of fur garments. The
monkey skin capes and muffs that we're
so popular a year ago were largely
made of black skunk skins Large
numbers of them are annually exported
to Europe, where they are manufac-
tured into caps and other articles of
wearing apparel Scientific American.