Muskrat, in their wild or natural homes, seldom leave the water more than a rod or two, so that a pond a considerable distance from any stream, would be a comparatively safe place to raise them, without any enclosure. The danger would be, mainly, that after the animals became quite plentiful, some would perhaps leave, for instinct seems to teach them that some should seek homes not so crowded. This has happened in their natural breeding places where they became very plentiful.
How large and where to build enclosures for fur farming, must be decided by each individual. One party may have a creek, pond or lake, perhaps a swamp, already inhabited by muskrat, and all that is necessary is to keep other hunters and trappers off. On navigable rivers or lakes having an inlet and outlet, we believe in most states any one can trap so long as he is upon the water. In other words, the water does not belong to the land owner and he cannot keep others off; but any small lake or pond may be enclosed. On this point it would be well to see some lawyer in your county, as different states may have different laws.
A wooded bluff containing some den trees for coon, and hollow logs, stumps, etc., for opossum and skunk, would be an ideal place for a fur-farm. The location of the farm should be within sight of the home of the raiser, in case a dog should get within or a thief should visit the farm. To guard against stealing at night your dog would give the alarm, or you could have an electric appliance connect the farm with the house.
Islands in large lakes offer a splendid place to begin raising fur-bearing animals, and especially those that do not like to get their "fur wet" or that naturally are not swimmers. In this class are the various kinds of foxes, skunk and opossum; marten, it is true, are not included in the swimming class, but the successful marten raiser perhaps will be found, if at all, in the higher altitudes where the snow gets several feet deep during the winter months, and the ground is covered with snow eight or nine months each year—such is the ideal and natural home of the marten.
Skunk and opossum are two animals that do not travel much in extreme cold weather, so that an island in a lake or large river, could be used with no fencing. It perhaps would be best to put up a wire fence but it need not be so substantial as if it were not surrounded by water. Of course islands in rivers that overflow, would not be suitable. There are, however, islands in the Great Lakes and elsewhere, that can be used for raising both skunk and opossum with little or no cash outlay at the start.
If islands are used for foxes (except in salt water where the water does not freeze), the same precaution in fencing must be taken as elsewhere. Foxes travel during all kinds of weather and the first night the ice formed sufficient to bear their weight, they would be very apt to leave.
Coon could not be successfully raised on an island. They do not travel much during severe weather, but unless the island happened to be some distance from the mainland, they would likely swim to shore. Mink would be at home on an island where there was fish, frogs, etc., with drift and log piles to wander through, but as they are good swimmers, there would be nothing gained by starting with this animal on an island.
Skunk and opossum seem to be the only animals that can be safely raised on an island without the same precaution taken in fencing and enclosing, as upon the mainland. These two animals, while not the highest priced furred ones, for various reasons will prove to be as profitable, or more so, where conditions favor, than many other fur-bearers.