674 
FOREST A’ N D STREAM 
December, 1919 
Let Us Tan Your Hide. 
And let 1:3 do y^nr head mountlnff, nig:, robe, 
coat, and gloro maklnq. You never lose any- 
thing and generally gain by dealing direct with 
headquarters. 
W'e tan deer shins with hair on for rugs, or 
trophies, or dress them into bucUskin glovo 
leather. Bear, dog, calf, cow, horse or any 
other kind of hide or skin tanned with the hair 
or fur on, and finished soft, light, odorless, and 
made up into rugs, gloves, caps, men's and 
women's garments when so ordered. 
Get our illustrated catalog which gives prices 
of tanning, taxidermy and heed mounting. Also 
prices of fur goods and big mounted game heada 
we sell. 
THE CROSBY FRISIAN FUR COMPANY 
Rochester^ N. Y. 
Sktssnk Bringing 
Highest Prices! 
Right now Is the time to get 
the BIG MONEYl Don't take 
chances. Ship to the largest, 
strongest fur bouse in the busi' 
ness ^ Funsten ~ established 33 
years — known all over America 
for fairest grading and highest 
prices. We receive more furs in 
a week than most houses do in a 
season. SHIP TO 
FUNSTEN BROS. & CO. 
flTFUNSt*EN"^SSr“®* ST. LOUIS, MO. 
ROBERT H. ROCKWELL 
1440 E. 63rd St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
A muskrat half cased. 
serve everything as they go. They have 
good eyesight and power of scent. 
"When caught in traps they will invari- 
ably attempt to amputate the member 
that holds them or will try to twist out. 
T he most successful methods for trap- 
ping muskrats usually get them by 
a front foot or leg. As these are 
delicate, the jaws of the trap will often 
break them. In that case, if the animal 
is not guided into deep water, and held 
there by some drowning device, as will 
be explained later, he will pretty surely 
gnaw off, from the under side, that part 
of the leg which is in the trap and with a > 
few struggles free himself. 
All animals which free themselves 
through amputation usually do so in this 
manner, because that part of the leg 
which is in the trap becomes numb. How- 
ever, an animal will not gnaw off unless 
the bone is broken. 
But as stated before muskrats will often 
twist off their feet and thus free them- 
selves. I am a great believer in traps 
which take a high grip on the leg. This 
is particularly necessary in the case of 
this animal when caught by a front leg. 
The ankle and claw of this member is 
so delicate, the flesh so tender, and the 
skin works so freely over the bone, it will 
often, if caught by a low grip, in shallow 
water or on the hank, twi.st and tare 
loose, leaving its foot in the trap. 
The first impulse a muskrat has when 
caught is to make for deep water. Taking 
advantage of this trait the trapper en- 
deavors to use some sort of a drowning 
device. A common method is to stake the 
chain in deep water. The weight of the 
trap will be sufficient to drown it. If the 
chain is too short an extension chain or 
wire should be used. It may he fastened 
to a stone and the latter thrown into 
deep water. 
Another method is the sliding pole. 
This common device consists of a pole 
over which the ring is slipped, the smaller 
end being run into the bottom of the 
stream or into deep water and the larger 
secured to the bank. 
A couple of short pieces of branch are 
left at the small end so as to preve/it the 
ring slipping off. A few twigs should also 
be left on the pole to prevent any possi- 
bility of the ring being pulled up again 
by the animal. 
But a sliding pole is conspicuous. I 
strongly recommend the following method 
In its place. 
Slip the chain ring over a wire (old 
baling wire answers the purpose splen- 
didly), and anchor in deep water by 
means of a stone or weight of any kind. 
Fasten the other end to a small .stake in 
the water close to the bank, or to a stone. 
Submerge everything. 
Now conceal trap and chain with a 
light covering to conform to the bottom 
of the stream and you have a set that will 
cause no suspicion to an animal and will 
not be discernable from the bank. 
The wire should be twisted in a couple 
of places so as to premit ring to slide only 
\ downward. 
Number I traps are generally used 
for muskrat They are heavy enough to 
hold the animal under water and usually 
have a sufficiently strong grip. 
■^Tiere you can use drowning devices 
the cheaper grades answer as well as the 
more expensive. 
Number ones won’t break the hones as 
often as a larger trap would and are 
cheaper — an advantage in these settled 
districts where you are likely to lose some 
through theft 
It is most advisable, however, for you 
to have a sufficient number of webb-jawed, 
double-jawed, or gnaw and twist proof 
(Continued on page 688) 
Jracks of a muskrat 
