Chapter 5.
Handling and Grading Muskrat Fur.
Thousands of dollars are annually lost to trappers on account of the improper handling of raw fur. This is due to both ignorance and carelessness on the part of a certain class of trappers. If these amateurs would pay a little more attention to the proper way of killing and skinning the animals, and the proper fleshing, stretching and drying of the skins, they would realize from 5 to 10 per cent more on their furs.
When animals are found alive in traps they may be dispatched by a few sharp blows on the head with a stick, which should be smooth and free from knots and stubs, otherwise the fur is liable to be damaged. An animal when caught will often retreat under the banks or between root snags, and then there is always danger of the catch escaping by its violent struggles when the trapper attempts to dislodge it from its retreat. A .22 caliber pistol will prove very handy for just such emergencies; a bullet between the eyes from such a weapon will subdue the animal, whereupon it can be safely hauled out. There is no danger of decreasing the value of the fur when using such a small firearm.
Trapped muskrats are sometimes attacked, killed and torn to shreds by mink or owl, as these nocturnal prowlers are very fond of the flesh of these animals. When traps are not promptly looked after early in the day, magpies and crows will often stage a mass attack and peck and harass the poor victims to death. Such catches are a total loss to the trapper, who is in most part to blame, because of his carelessness in attending traps and his failure to arrange the sets so the entrapped animals may drown and be thus concealed from view.
Before skinning an animal, examine the carcass and make sure that the fur is clean and free from foreign matter. When an animal is bespattered with dried mud, proceed to remove the same by thoroughly brushing the fur; fresh mud and blood stains can be removed by rubbing and rinsing the carcass in cold water. Burs and other foreign matter should also be combed and brushed out. When this has been accomplished, we are ready to skin the animal.
There are two methods employed in skinning the various fur-bearers, namely, "open" and "cased." The former method is used on the larger animals, such as bear, wolverine, mountain lion, etc. The latter method is used on the smaller animals, which include our friend the muskrat. The blade of the skinning knife should possess a very keen edge at all times, so that there will be no ragged edges on the pelts. It is much easier and more agreeable to skin an animal right after it is killed, while the body heat is still retained. Never allow an animal to lay unskinned for more than twenty-four hours, as it is liable to taint, which has a tendency to cause the fur to slip. Such pelts would have little or no value.
To skin the muskrat, cut the skin loose around the hind legs near the feet where the fur ends, then rip down the back of the hind legs to the root of the tail and loosen the fur around the same. Do not skin the tail of the muskrat, as this has no fur value. Now lay the knife aside and peel the skin with your fingers by drawing it down towards the head. You will find that it will peel very readily, with a little flesh here and there threatening to adhere to the skin; most of this can be held back by pushing the fingers of one hand against it, while pulling the skin with the other. To loosen the skin at the front legs, work the thumb of your right hand between the skin and the flesh on the underside of the main joint of the leg, and pull; the skin will come off very easily. The knife comes into play again when the ears are reached. These must be cut off at the base, close to the head. When cutting the skin loose around the eyes, care must be exercised to avoid dilating the apertures. Now peel down to the nose and jaws, and with the knife assist in peeling the skin from these members. The job of skinning is now complete and we have what is termed a cased pelt with the fur side in.
It is a deplorable fact that a large percentage of trappers do not use the knife when removing the skin from the head of the muskrat. They simply pull it off by sheer force, with the result that the skin generally tears off right back of the ears, which leaves a badly damaged pelt. Such pelts when marketed are thrown into the lower grades and sell for about 40 per cent less.
When the pelt is ready for fleshing, it is placed on the fleshing board. This board should be made of one-half-inch material about thirty inches long, four and one-half inches wide at the base and three and one-half inches wide at the shoulders. The upper end of the board should taper to a rounded point. The edges should be rounded and sandpapered, so there may be nothing to injure the fur. A mink fur stretcher makes an ideal fleshing board for muskrats, because it is just about the size and shape required.
Place the skin on the board fur side in, and with a dull knife proceed to remove all loose fat and flesh. An old table knife is a very handy tool for this purpose. When using a jackknife, care must be taken not to score or tear the pelt. The skin should be held taut with the left hand, while manipulating the knife with the right. Scrape by working from the head towards the base, or vice versa, being careful not to scrape the muscles behind the shoulders too close, because the ends of these are firmly attached to the skin. When all superfluous fat and flesh have been removed, the pelt is ready for the stretcher.