58 The Raccoon 
atic, yielding to the hunter good returns for the amount 
of energy expended. When the fur of the animal 
becomes prime, the hunter, equipping himself with 
a good raccoon dog, a double-barrel shotgun, and 
a sharp axe, prepares for an all-day stay in the woods 
where raccoons are supposed to live. The dog strikes 
a trail and soon arrives at the tree in which the rac- 
coon is, perchance, quietly sleeping. ‘The man follows 
and fells the tree. As it strikes the ground it some- 
times breaks apart,—and instead of one raccoon there 
may be two or three, and occasionally five or six. 
If the tree does not break apart, the game must be 
chopped out. I have known one hunter in a single 
day to capture eight raccoons by this method. 
The young ones are often taken for pets, and I do 
not know of any pet wild animal that furnishes more 
amusement than does the raccoon. I have had two 
at different times, taken from the tree before they 
were large enough to leave it. In cach case the 
animal became very tame, and would come when 
called. But they are something of a disappointment 
too; for after a year or so when you have really be- 
come attached to your pet, he is apt to fall into bad 
habits, such as catching chickens or destroying hens’ 
eggs, making it necessary to chain him. If you 
punish him sufficiently to correct his ways, and do 
