Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-06
TAKE MUSK RATS
IN GREAT NUMBERS
Trappers Doing Land Office
Business in Skins Along
Mississippi.

Muskrats are being caught ia re-
arkabIe numbers in the sloughs and
lakes OF the Mississippi by Iowa, Wis
cOnsin and Minnesota trappers this
winter Last year. due as it is believ-
ell TO the unusual high water late in
the fall. almost no muskrats were
found That they were not destroyed
but merely migrated to inland waters,
where they were less molested by
hunters, seems to have been the case,
for they are back on the river again
this winter in greater numbers than
for many seasons.
The price OF muskrat skins is at
present soaring along with that OF all
other furs. Where a couple Of years
ago % cents was considered a good
return they are now bringing 40 and
so cents. With high prices and the
great number of muskrats both serv-
ing as an incentive, practically every
fisherman and clammer on the river
not 10 mention a fair representation
Of farmers and townspeople have turn
ed rat hunters and the skins are now
being brought into every upper Mis-
sissippi village and town by the hun
dred buyer at McGregor purchased
700 in a single day last week, all
caught within a few miles of town. y
Delphi, OF Harpers Ferry, Iowa. has
trapped 500 within the last month. An
other trapper in the same locality
caught enough in Is days to net him
$157.
With the ice thin on the sloughs as
i has been for the last month most OF
the hunters in lieu of setting traps for
the muskrats are catching them with
spears. II is the habit of the little
creatures in building their homes OF
rr1 and weeds in the shallow waters
near shore to construct runways from
the bottom of them 10 the deeper wat,
ers where they go to seek lily and 9th,
er aquatic roots for food. The fisher
men can plainly see these runways
through the ice. They watch for the
muskrats TO come into them from their
houses and as soon as they spy one
stick a long slender sharp pointed rod
down through the ice into il. Then
chop q hole and drag the victim
through. A remarkable thing about
lie little animal is the length of time
they say they can remain under water
without rising for air. One trappeI
states that lie saw a muskrat stay
quiet in a runway for Is minutes with
CAT coming up. When he did finally
L. D.,
moment pressed his nose against th5
ice. thereby seeming 70 get cnouef
oxygen to satisfy him. The rats Csugh
aICaE The upper river are in mucl
greater demand and bring a higher
price than those found farther south
Indeed no mUskrats found anywhere
are considered superior to those tha
iDlebit the sloughs along the shore:
- Iowa. Minnesota and Wisconsin. II
iurrier lore they are known by the In
dian name 'Mus-qUash BY far TIT
greater number however. appear o!
the market not as musquash but a!
imitation sea and other costly furs.
Though il is true that many NOR,
muskrats are caught on the upper riv
er than all other Kinds CT fur bearing
animal put together since the beave
nd otter have disappeared, yet a goo,
many mink are still trapped. Mini
Pelts are selling at IS to 81 this win
ter The hunters are also capturing
good many skunk on the hills aloni
the river and few red foxes, gra.
wolves, civits. badgers and possums
On very rare occasions a snowy erm
lie has been found in trap.
The great popularity of white fu
his season has given enhanced valu
10 skunk pelts. The white portion
are cut from the skins and sold Unde
other names while the back that i
left gets onto the market as marter
An enterprising citizen has started
skunk farm on the upper Iowa rive
this year. He has 100 skunk on il a
ready and is keeping them in an enclo'
ure he has set apart for them by
novel fencing scheme. The field
surrounded by three foot wire netting
Inside, close up against the fence 9th
er wire netting is laid fat on tn