With the above facts in mind, it can be easily understood that approximately only fifty per cent of all muskrats born ever reach maturity. In spite of all this, they manage to hold their own and are found in fair numbers in the rat producing sections.
The animal instincts of the muskrat are not as keenly developed as those of the designing fox or the wary mink. Unlike the beaver and otter, it is not afraid of civilization and thrives in the most thickly settled sections.
Nature in its entirety is wonderful. It is not unlike a vast panorama of charm and beauty. Here we find the ancient law — the survival of the fittest — a reality. Many people surmise the muskrat to be very uninteresting. But those people who are willing to devote a little of their time to the nocturnal study of the animal will surely acknowledge it to be a very interesting little creature. Where can we find the lover of nature whose heart would not be thrilled as we quietly make our way along some moonlit stream in the late fall (this being the time of year when 'rats are very busy) to get a glimpse at the home life of this little fur bearer? As we approach the familiar patch of cat-tail flags, we hear the persistent crunch-crunch-crunch of tireless little jaws, as they grind away at the juicy morsel of flag or water lily. We pause to listen, our little friend seems to be no more than twenty feet away. Further upstream we hear another and another in fact; the rushes seem to be alive with them. Some of them are cutting down the stems of wild rice and flags, while others are dragging the material away to build and repair their houses with it. We stand motionless, as we discern a V-shaped streak of silvery lined ripples playing on the moonlit waters, heading directly toward us from the opposite shore. We know that the dark object at the head of this undulating formation is a muskrat, evidently bound on joining its friends at their feast in the rushes. Hark! There is a sudden commotion in the flags, followed by a splash and a plunge; then all is still, the grinding has ceased, the silvery ripples have faded away and the water is smooth and reflectent, not unlike a great mirror. We are surprised and wonder at the cause of the sudden alarm, which drove the 'rats to the sheltering depths of the river. Had we not remained perfectly quiet? We turn, just in time to see a monstrous owl glide noiselessly by the moon.
Fig. 1
Chapter 2.
Trapping Muskrats — Open Water Methods.
There are numerous methods employed in trapping the muskrat; most of them will prove successful when they are used under the proper conditions, time and place. The muskrat being a member of the amphibious class of animals, consequently traps must be set in or very near the water to attain the best results. This, however, does not mean that traps set at random will bring results, but, on the other hand, when sets are properly placed at signs, then the novice can rest assured that he will be rewarded for his efforts.
When a trapper decides to operate on a certain stretch of water, his first duty would be to study the signs of the animal, from the abundance or scarcity of which he can closely estimate the number of animals present in that particular locality, also the size of territory he can handle, and the number of traps required to cover the same.
What are signs? They are the visible indications which betray the presence of the animals, such as tracks in the muddy margins of the shore (see Fig. 1), feed beds, houses, dens, slides, the freshly cut stems of aquatic vegetation and excremental matter on logs, drift wood, rocks, and other objects lying in or near the water. To become expert at reading signs requires practical experience; theory or book knowledge alone will not do. The success or failure of any trapper can be measured by his ability to read the signs of the animals he is seeking and his knowledge of their nature.