Figure 31.— The Louisiana trapper uses a 

 pirogue to carry him through the marsh 

 and to bring in his catch ; he may also 

 use it for soaliing and washing his traps 

 before he stores them. 



bottomed boat, or pirogue, is a ne- 

 cessity when trappers are following 

 the network of small ditches and 

 trails through the marsh (fig. 31). 

 Where practicable, mudboats pow- 

 ered by inboard motors are used. 



Traps rust badly, and if not prop- 

 erly treated and stored they last but 

 a few seasons. At the close of the 

 trapping season many trappers 

 soak their traps in water for a few 

 days, dry them, and remove the ac- 

 cumulated rust with a stiff brush. 

 They then dip the traps for a few 

 seconds in hot water to each gallon 

 of which a quart of old crankcase 

 oil has been added. Lastly, they 

 dry the traps and store them in 

 burlap sacks or in barrels. 



Setting the Traps 



The manner of setting traps de- 

 pends on existing conditions and 

 varies with the section of country in 



which the trapper is operating. An 

 experienced trapper looks for cer- 

 tain signs of muskrat activity when 

 deciding where to place his traps. 

 These signs may take the form of 

 narrow channels, or runs, through 

 the marsh between nesting sites and 

 nearby feeding grounds, air bubbles 

 under the ice (fig. 32), bank bur- 

 rows, plant cuttings, roiled or 

 muddy water in leads, tracks (fig. 

 33), defecating posts (fig. 34), 

 plunge holes, and houses and feed- 

 ing huts. Newly constructed houses 

 and old ones with fresh repairs 

 usually indicate occupancy. 



Knowledge of muskrat behavior 

 helps the seasoned trapper. In gen- 

 eral, muskrats are nocturnal and 

 most active from dusk to about 11 

 p. m. and in early morning. Their 

 diurnal activity seems to vary with 

 race and geographic location. 

 Tidewater muskrats feed most ac- 

 tively during floodtide and hole up 

 in their nests at ebbtide. Muskrats 

 of the Virginia and Louisiana races 

 are extremely wary and are seen 

 during sunlight hours only occa- 

 sionally ; those of the common east- 

 ern and Great Plains races show 



Figure 32.— Air bubbles made by musk- 

 rats under the ice are a sign of musk- 

 rat activity and guide the trapper in 

 setting his traps. 



26 



