PUR PACTS 241 



The muskrats from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Northern 

 Illinois and East Canada are very fine in quality and are usually 

 very good in color. This class of muskrats is often used natural; 

 that is they are not sheared and dyed but are made up in the natural 

 color. Muskrats from other sections are also used for this purpose, 

 but a great many of them are sheared and dyed seal color and are 

 known as Hudson Seal which is described in another chapter. The 

 art of dyeing the muskrat seal color has been developed to such a 

 state that many women prefer the Hudson Seal to the Alaska Seal 

 with a result that the price of muskrat has advanced considerably 

 and the skins are in big demand. 



In the earlier days muskrat were of little value and then they 

 were divided into three grades, spring, winter and fall, and were 

 usually sold at an average round price with the kits out. Now, 

 however, the price of muskrat is high, in fact, muskrat is as high 

 today as mink were 15 or 20 years ago and the result is that muskrat 

 are now graded just as carefully and into the same number of grades 

 as other fine furs and is really valued by the square inch. In other 

 words, they are divided into the standard grades. The muskrat 

 is usually at its best in the late winter and early spring, when 

 the pelt is thin and the fur thick. However, the early winter musk- 

 rats are usually better in color although the pelts are not quite as 

 thin as the spring muskrat. The fall muskrat is thick and heavy in 

 pelt and not so thick in fur, the flesh or pelt side is usually blue and 

 this class of rat is not so desirable for shearing and dyeing and making 

 into Hudson Seal. 



In former times a great many small kit muskrat were taken, but 

 as these have very little value, trappers have learned the wisdom 

 of passing them up until they are full grown with the result that the 

 percentage of kits coming to market is decreasing every year. The 

 fine dark colored muskrats with reddish pelts are the most valuable 

 and of the finest quahty. 



There are still some hunters who take muskrat by shooting. 

 Muskrat that are shot or speared are not as valuable as those trapped, 

 as the shot holes and spear holes damage the pelt and reduce their 

 value. The muskrat also fight among themselves and in some cases 

 rip the fur and the pelt so that when the skin is taken off, it is full of 

 holes and these skins must be graded as damaged and are graded 2, 

 3 or 4 according to the number of shot holes or damaged spots or the 

 number of cuts in the skin. 



