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 each 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 dq 



