Milford chronicle., 1931-02-27
Tramping The Marshes
For Elusive Muskrat

The muskrat is of two uses to
| mankind. He is hunted consistent
ly for his fur which is used to make
coats and trim other garments, and
in some communities the flesh is
used for food
Muskrats are hunted as an occu-
patton during the winter on most
of the marshes around Milford
where the rats fur and flesh are
sold. Prices are now the lowest
since the World War when they
were up to 81. For black skins
about So is paid while only 81 is
paid for the red fur. Meat is sold
for soc pair.
The trapping of the black rat is
to say there are not hearty so
many cG :he ,;ark ones as of the red
when cneck-up comes.
Hunting these little denizens of
the marsh is one of the most dis
agreeable of tasks and is certainly
hard work. Traps are visited when
the tide is out and the mud flats in
which the snares are set offer de-
cided obstacle to the hunter wad-
ing through them in hip-boots.
Rats are about the cleanest ami
mails known. Their principal food
is gra:s roots found growing on the
marshes, called three square
grass" and they wash everything
they eat
Let us start at the first of the sea-
son and see what is done. First, a
marsh must be rented from some
one owning land along Il creek or
river having a tide. Land along the
MispilliOn River is very good ana :
is trapped from Milford all the way |
to the bay on both sides. Traps are |
set in the doorway of the muskratS'
houses. If the trapping marsh is in
saltwater the trap is placed in
about three inches of water. If
possible the trapper tries to catch
his rat by the hindfoot as it is big
ger and stronger and the animal
cannot very well chew off his back
leg. BY this method the rat is Civ
en- a quick death by drowning.
When hunting him in the marshes
having tide, many times the tide
will go out and Mr.. Muskrat will be
caught, but not in the water In
such cases he will chew off his foot
if he can get to it.
Another method is to locate paths
under the grass, or runways as
they are called, in which snares
called snOOges are set. They con-
;ist of loop made of copper wire
into which the rat sticks his head
when following these paths. This
releases a trigger" and the rat is
lung suspended from a pole stuck
n the mud to which the wire is fas-
ened. The rat is hung by his own
weight. This keeps his skin dry
md brings a quick death.
AS long as one of these animals
S alive his fur does not become wet.
neither does his hide, but upon be-
ng killed he Immediately gets wet
f left in the water. Raccoons are
mother species of animal that do
he same thing.
The weather has much to do with
he trapping of muskrats. In rainy,
Loudly weather, slightly warm, they
re caught easier and in greater f
Iuantity. The early part of the S
light is the best time, as they be- =
in roaming around looking for t
OOd then.
The muskrat like the coon has a L
mall front foot, but a large back t.
ne and in swimming the back foot C
rags lower than the rest of the a
ody The average rat will weigh Ii
bout 2% pounds, but occasionally t.
ig ones will run as high as 81 or 4 t
ounds, although this is unusual +
n building a house the rat makes d
wo entrances, both under water,
here he is more at home than on "
and The hut usually consists of Il
averal rooms rising about two feet fl
bove the level of the water so that
il may enter the place. Ample Fl
pace is provided for storage of W
lod, for sleeping quarters, and for 1
nursery. Sticks and grass ce- Il
tented together with mud consti- l:
lite the building materials. Often