Figure 22. — Marsh raccoons prey exten- 

 sively on young muskrats. 



age the trap sets. Electric fences 

 may be employed to contrql graz- 

 ing. The extent to which grazing 

 can be effective in opening up dense 

 stands in marshes is questionable, 

 owing to the soft muck bottom char- 

 acteristic of such formations. At 

 times cattle can be used to advan- 

 tage in bulrush and giant cutgrass 

 {Zizaniopsis miliacea) , but this re- 

 quires capacity grazing plus tempo- 

 rary drainage to be fully effective 

 in deep marshes. Grazing heavy 

 sawgrass ( Cladium jamaicense ) 

 marsh, even in periods of moderate 

 drought, is exceedingly difficult. 

 In addition, the sawgrass is unpal- 

 atable except for the very tender 

 new growth that follows a burn. 



Controlling enemies of the 

 muskrat 



Foxes, raccoons, and minks may 

 be economic liabilities in muskrat 

 management. Where they are 

 found the cause of serious loss, ex- 

 cess numbers of them should be re- 

 moved in accordance with State 

 laws, preferably by trapping dur- 

 ing the open season. At this time 

 their pelts are prime and bring the 

 best prices. Some economic re- 

 turns can thus be realized from the 

 animals removed ; at the same time 



16 



undue pressure on the muskrat is 

 reduced. 



Wherever the mink is abundant 

 it is rated the most serious enemy 

 of the muskrat. In the marshes of 

 the Atlantic coast the red fox and 

 the marsh-dwelling raccoon exact a 

 heavy toll, especially of the young 

 ( fig. 22) . The raccoon is one of the 

 worst predators in the Gulf Coast 

 marshes, and it is also a bad trap 

 robber. Over its range the coyote 

 is reported to prey on the muskrat. 



Marsh-owners and trappers in 

 some sections report that the wild 

 razor-backed hog at times has been 

 such a serious drain on muskrat 

 numbers — tearing open the houses 

 and eating the young — that special 

 hog hunts have been organized. 

 The black snake, water moccasin, 

 alligator, garfish, and snapping 

 turtle account for many muskrats 

 and on more northern marsh areas 

 the pike and muskellunge are occa- 

 sional predators. 



Birds of prey to some extent feed 

 on the muskrat. Chief of these are 

 the red-tailed hawk, the marsh 

 hawk, and the great horned owl; 

 but the principal damage is to the 

 trapped animals. The bald eagle 

 has been charged with feeding on 

 muskrats. Examination of an 

 eagle's nest by one Maryland marsh- 

 owner disclosed more than 40 musk- 

 rat traps in the nest, proving at 

 least that this bird is a trap robber, 

 like the "buzzard" and the crow. 



Estimating Muskrat Numbers 



Fluctuations in muskrat 

 populations 



In years of normal rainfall and 

 temperature, muskrats may become 



