PROFIT FROM THE MUSKRAT 85 



practiced eye can often trace them into shallow 

 water. Sink the trap in the trail, partly in the 

 mud or sand where the water is two or three 

 inches deep, and fasten the chain to a stake, or, 

 better still, to a slender pole, reaching into deep 

 water. Fasten the bait to a stick set in the 

 mud, so that the bait is about a foot above the 

 pan of the trap. The animal in reaching for 

 the bait sets the hind foot upon the pan and is 

 caught more securely than if taken by the fore 

 foot. It immediately plunges into deep water, 

 sliding the chain along the pole as far as it will 

 go, and soon drowns. If the chain is fastened 

 to a stake, it should be planted in water a foot 

 or more in depth, so that the animal will drown. 



Besides this water-set for the steel trap, 

 other situations will suggest themselves to the 

 intelligent trapper. One of the best is in the 

 opening of the animal's burrow in the bank. 

 Here no bait is required. Sometimes a spade 

 is needed to cut out a piece of turf and make 

 room for the trap, the top of which should be 

 at least two inches under water. 



When ponds are frozen over, traps are often 

 set in the muskrat houses, the trapper going 



