39 
American Agriculturist, January 12, 1924 
How to Trap the Muskrat 
One of the Most Popular of the Fur Bearers 
T H'E demand for muskrat 
fur is stronger than for 
a ny other kind, because it is used so exten¬ 
sively in the making of medium priced coats 
and other fur garments. As a result these 
pelts are becoming more valuable every year, 
Snd the demand for this fur is sure to remain 
strong and firm. 
The muskrat lives in upward sloping holes 
in the banks of lakes, ponds and running 
streams. They can swim quite a distance 
under water, and during warm weather it is 
easy for them to swim to their feeding grounds. 
They swim both with their heads out of the 
water and entirely below the surface. After 
going quite a distance along under water they 
put their noses out of the water somewhere 
among the grass or weeds, and after taking a 
good breath, they draw back under the water 
and swim on in the direction they are going. 
But if they are not scared they will swim with 
heads out of the water. 
The muskrat’s house always has an opening 
down into the river, creek or pond, under the 
ice, so they can go in and out at pleasure. 
When necessary to 
make long journeys 
in winter, under the 
ice, the muskrat 
starts with a full 
breath, goes until it 
has to breathe again, 
then comes up 
against the under 
side of the ice and 
lets the air out, and 
it gathers in large 
bubbles against the 
ice. In a very short 
time this bad air is 
purified by the ice 
and cold water, when 
the muskrat breathes 
it in again, repeating 
this performance as 
often as necessary 
during the journey. 
Getting Him Under 
the Ice 
You can easily 
take advantage of 
this peculiarity of 
the muskrat. When 
it is frightened out 
of its home and dives 
under the ice, follow it along the ice, or beside 
a narrow stream, and when you see the animal 
rise up and put its nose to the under side of 
the ice, wait until it has breathed against the 
ice; then strike the ice with a long stick at this 
place and drive it away before it takes the air 
back. In a short time it will drown. Then 
chop it out through the ice. 
Muskrat dens are sometimes hard to find, 
since the opening is under water, the den 
sloping back and upward into the bank, but 
good trapping methods will bring you many 
pelts just the same. 
Using Apples for Bait 
To catch muskrats put an apple on the 
sharpened end of a stick and stick this into 
the mud at the edge of a stream where the 
water is three or four inches deep. Let the 
apple be from two to six inches above the 
water. Try this a night or two at different 
plares along a stream, with at least two traps 
set near the stick, and if the animals are there¬ 
about you’ll soon begin to catch them. Stake 
the traps as far out in the stream as possible, 
to drown the animals quickly. When first 
caught a muskrat makes a plunge for deep 
water if it is within reach, and drowns before 
it gets over its fright. 
A rocky place in the middle of a running 
stream where several rocks jut out of the 
water is another good place to catch muskrats. 
Set your traps around on flat rocks two or three 
inches below the surface, chain to rocks, and 
place bits of apple, parsnip, cabbage or turnip 
around on the rocks above the surface. Tie an 
apple, parsnip or turnip to a rock by a string, 
place a trap or two within the string’s length 
of the place, and the animal, in pulling at it, 
will circle around and get into the trap. 
When streams are frozen over, and there are 
no open places for muskrats to pass in and out 
ixcept what they themselves keep open, go 
along one of these streams'until you come to a 
place where the water runs swift. Here the 
ice will be thin and the stream shallow. 
Break a hole ctnd set the trap just under the 
hole. If the water is over four inches deep 
scrape up earth and rock to make it that 
depth; Run chain up or down stream under 
the ice to its full length, and at that place 
break a small hole and drive your stake down 
until top is even with ice. Naturally all the 
rats, mink and other water animals that travel 
the streams will more than 
likely go in and out at 
the hole where your trap is. Let the trap 
be a stout one, as you are apt to catch a mink 
or otter. It isn’t necessary to bait this trap. 
Another good set is to place your trap at 
the den where you see fresh signs, in about 
four inches of water, and have a sliding pole so 
as to drown them as soon as caught. Or set 
the trap in the sand near the mouth of their 
dens, and scatter shelled corn or bits of apple 
in the sand around the trap and inside the 
jaws. 
Go along the bank of a stream with a spade 
and make some little mounds at the water’s 
edge, and set your traps on these. Muskrats 
are much given to sitting on elevated objects 
just in the edge of shallow water. If there is 
danger of someone stealing your traps get 
into the water with a boat or wade in with 
your rubber boots and make the mounds out 
in the water, if not too deep, by raking up 
mud and broken rock from the bottom. Bait 
with shelled corn, apples, parsnips or turnips. 
Another good set: Take your spade and dig 
a trench from the 
water’s edge back 
into the bank a foot 
or two. Let the 
bottom of the little 
ditch be level, and 
deep enough for the 
water to stand two 
or three inches deep 
over the bottom. 
Put an apple, a 
parsnip and a turnip 
in the back end of 
the trench, and set a 
steel trap about five 
inches in front of this 
bait. By using a 
strong trap you may 
catch a coon, mink or 
otter. Where the 
bank is too steep to 
dig this ditch a small 
pen can be made at 
the edge of the water 
with sodden chunks 
or rock. Leave the 
end next to the water 
open. Cover with 
bark or sticks. Put 
the bait in the back 
part and set a trap 
five or six inches in front of it, just under the 
surface of the water. If the water is clear 
cover trap with something, as you may catch 
some other more suspicious animal. 
Let this pen be narrow, so an animal can’t 
get to the bait without putting a foot into a 
trap. Stake your trap as far out in the water 
as possible, so whatever you catch will drown 
before it has time to gnaw or twist a foot off. 
The colder the weather the more careful 
should you be to keep several holes open in the 
water near the bank. A good place for these is 
near the sprangled roots of a tree growing at 
the water’s edge, and partly in the water. 
The bank here should be long and sloping above 
and below the tree, but gradually getting 
steeper near the tree, in order that water 
animals traveling up or down stream along the 
bank will see the hole in the ice. If the water 
is too deep here to set traps on the bottom 
under this hole, set several around it on the 
ice, also along the bank nearest the hol£, just 
at the edge of the water, covering them with 
moss, pine needles, damp leaves, feathers or 
cat fur, baiting the place with corn, parsnips, 
apples, or almost any kind of green vegetables. 
Skin muskrats, if possible, as soon as caught. 
If frozen they will have to be thawed out. 
Stretch the pelts evenly, and moderately 
tight, and tack to boards immediately, with 
the flesh side out. The stretching is necessary 
in order that the pelts will not dry too thick. 
GOOD JANUARY BULLETINS 
OU will find in the following list several 
bulletins which might be of much interest 
and service to you. They are free of charge 
and can be obtained by addressing the Bureau 
of Publications, United States Department of 
Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
Farmers’ Bulletin, 181, Pruning; 828, Farm 
Reservoirs; 847, Potato Storage and Storage 
Houses; 947, Care and Repair of Mowers, 
Reapers, Binders; 1036, Care and Repair of 
Grain Separators; 1040, An Illustrated Poultry 
Primer; 1091, Lining and Loading Cars of 
Potatoes for Protection from Cold; 1117, 
Forestry and-Farm Income; 1131, Tile Trench¬ 
ing Machinery; 1160, Diseases of Apples in 
Storage; 1194, Operating a Home Heating 
Plant; 1387, Laws Relating to Fur Animals for 
the Season 1923-24. 
By ISAAC MOTES 
Taking a “rat” from under a sluice bridge 
How Federal Land Banks 
Help Farmers Get Ahead 
T HROUGH membership in a mighty cooperative loan sys¬ 
tem, nearly 300,000 farmers are paying off their mortgages. 
Through the twelve Federal Land Banks these farmers are 
securing better terms and lower interest rates. Besides, every 
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Money for these mortgage loans is gotten through the sale of 
Federal Land Bank Bonds. Money invested in these Bonds helps 
to build up the farming business by providing needed capital. 
Federal Land Bank Bonds have all the safety of good farm 
mortgages, plus additional guarantees. 
Federal Land Bank Bonds are free from all taxes, except 
inheritance taxes. Interest received from them is free from 
income taxes. 
You can turn Federal Land Bank Bonds into cash on short 
notice or use them as security for a bank loan. 
Federal Land Bank Bonds yield a regular income, payable 
twice a year. Price and interest rate on request. 
Federal Land Bank Bonds may be had in denominations 
to fit your bank account: $40, $100, $500, $1,000, $5,000 and 
$10,000. Your choice of coupon or registered form, delivered 
by registered mail. Correspondence confidential. Remember, 
the words “The Federal Land Bank” appear at the top of 
every bond issued by a Federal Land Bank. 
Should you desire a Federal Farm Loan, apply to the Secre¬ 
tary-Treasurer of the nearest National Farm Loan Association. 
Your County Agent can give his name and address. 
Write today for free pamphlet, “Getting 
Together To Get Ahead.” Address the near¬ 
est Federal Land Bank or the Fiscal Agent 
at Washington, D. C. Support your only 
national cooperative lending and investing 
system, by putting your surplus funds into 
Federal Land Bank Bonds. 
Springfield, Mass. 
New Orleans, La. 
Wichita, Kansas 
Federal Land Banks are located at 
St. Louis, Mo. Louisville, Ky. 
Berkeley, Cal. St. Paul, Minn. 
Omaha, Nebr. Baltimore, Md. 
Colombia, S. C. 
Houston,Texas 
Spokane, Wash. 
Fiscal Agent 
Federal Land Banks 
Washington, D* C. 
LET US TAN 
YOUR HIDE. 
Horse or Cow hide. Calf or other skins 
with hair or tur on, and make them 
into coats (for men and women),robes, 
rugs or gloves when so ordered; or we 
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Harness or Slaughter Sole or Belt Leath¬ 
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Colors, Gun Metal, Mahogany, Russet or 
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great for birthday, wedding and holi¬ 
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LET US FIX YOUR 
WORN FURS 
freshen, repair and reshape them 
needed. Furs are very light weight, 
therefore it would cost but little to send them in to us 
by Parcel Post and get our estimate of cost; then we 
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Our illustrated catalog and style book combined give3 
a lot of useful information. It tells how to take off 
and care for hides. About our safe dyeing process on 
cow and horse hides, calf and fur skins. About dressing 
fine fur skins and making them into neckpieces, mutis 
and garments. About taxidermy and Head Mounting. 
The Crosby Frisian Fur Company. 
571 Lyell Ave., Rochester. N. Y. 
We Want Your Cow 
or Horse Hide 
And we will tan and make you a 
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order. We make and remodel ladies’ 
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and Price List FREE. 
Galloway Coats and Robes for Sale 
at Wholesale Prices. All work 
guaranteed. 
References — Citizens State Bank, 
Milford, Ind. 
MILFORD ROBE & TANNING CO. 
237 Elm Street, Milford, Ind. 
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ROCHESTER FUR DRESSING CO. 
523 West Avenue, Rochester, N. Y. 
