Chapter 4.

Opportunity and 'Rat Ranching.

The annual catch of North American raw furs has a monetary value of approximately twenty-five million dollars. The number of pelts required to reach such a figure must necessarily be very large. Trapping is done, more or less, by many people, in many walks of life, who follow the sport for both profit and pleasure; from the professional pelt hunter, down to the farmer's boy, who during the winter indulges in trapping as a side line, tending his traps between chores.

The fur business is and always has been an important cog in American industry. It furnishes employment for thousands, from the trapper to the buyer, manufacturer and retailer; but there is now a cloud of depression threatening on the horizon of the industry. Fur-bearing animals, which at one time roamed our prairies, streams and woodlands, in seemingly unlimited numbers, are now rapidly becoming very scarce, where a few years previous they were very plentiful. The beaver and several other species of fur bearers are already threatened with extinction and are doomed to follow in the wake of the passenger pigeon and bison, unless something extremely radical is done in the way of game preservation in comparison to present-day methods. What has brought about this rapid diminution in the ranks of fur-bearing animals? It is the rapid advance of civilization which deprives the fur bearers of their natural haunts. It is the inventive genius of Americans, who, with highly efficient traps, guns, especially prepared poisons, smoke-torpedoes and other ingenious devices, contribute to deplete the ranks of the animals; the numerous fur houses throughout the country, flooding the mails with their propaganda urging everyone to trap. We can hardly scan the columns of a paper or magazine during the fur months but what our gaze will fall upon an alluring display of raw fur advertisements. These announcements are continually calling for unlimited quantities of raw furs; they are ever urging men and boys to push their trapping operations to the utmost. These concerns are giving free advice to beginners; they offer free instructions in the art of trapping the fur bearers. All this has had but one result: The fabulous prices paid for raw furs and the extensive advertising in recent years have kindled a crusade on our fur bearers which has developed a crisis. When trapping is carried on to the extreme folly of taking the animals which should be left for breeding, then our natural supply of "wild fur" shall cease to be perpetual.

And that is just what is taking place, in spite of the legislation passed in favor of the fur bearers--in spite of the laws which have been enacted for their protection by the various states and territories. In the light of this fact, the question arises: Where are the millions of pelts to come from that the world needs each year? The time is not far off when the demand will exceed the supply. How can we keep an industry alive that can use millions of dollars' worth of raw furs annually, thus furnishing employment for thousands of people? There is only one remedy, and that is--fur farming.

Fur farming is by no means a new idea. Farsighted men experimented with fur bearers early in the seventies. Many people advance the theory that the animals will not breed or thrive in captivity; but this argument is not sound; we need only remember that all our domestic animals were wild creatures at one time.

True, fur farming, like any other business, has its drawbacks; but these impediments are rapidly conquered by the persistent and energetic study and scientific research of enthusiastic men, who are devotedly interested in the welfare of the animals, and the evolution of the industry to a higher and better standard. In any case, the injury is not beyond the remedy. For example, some of the early pioneers in the business felt very much dejected when they discovered that the animals did not fur properly in captivity. This was later found to be due to crowded and improper quarters, improper drainage and the lack of shade about the enclosures. This has been remedied to the extent that ranch raised fur now excels the "wild" in quality and beauty. This testimony is verified by the fact that the sum of $3,800 was paid for the pelt of a single "ranch bred" silver fox; a sum that has never been realized for the pelt of a wild fox of like variety.

Cannibalism among the animals was another evil fur farmers had to contend with. This was traced to be due to the feeding of improper foods, and especially underfeeding.

Abortion must also be guarded against. During pregnancy strangers must be kept away from the ranch, because during this period females become very suspicious of them and are nervous and restless, often injuring themselves when thus excited. This trouble is most common among animals which were procured in the wilds. Each succeeding generation of ranch raised stock becomes more and more domesticated; consequently the keeper finds it much easier to win their confidence.

Practically all the failures in fur farming are due to the lack of experience of the people thus engaged; their failure to take the proper interest in the animals, so they may understand them and their requirements.

There are now numerous fur farms located throughout the northern part of the United States and Canada. These establishments propagate and improve the breed of fox, skunk, muskrat, raccoon, mink and opossum.

Fox ranching is the leading branch of this industry. There are many ranches which specialize in high grade foxes, such as black, silver, cross and red. Prince Edward Island is the center of this industry; the most valuable foxes in the world are ranched here, being the result of careful and selective breeding. John A. Lea, of Summerside, P. E. Island, is recognized as one of America's leading authorities on the question. He is a man of wide experience and knows the animals like a mother knows her flock. In his "Facts About Foxes" Mr. Lea says:

(a) "Fox ranching is an industry begun in P. E. Island in the 80's.

(b) "Raising domesticated silver foxes is now an established success.

(c) "Since 1909 millions of dollars have been paid in fox dividends.

(d) "The domesticated silver fox is tame and easily cared for.

(e) "Foxes will eat anything the ordinary dog will eat.

(f) "The average litter is from three to four pups.

(g) "The total annual increase is about 100 per cent.

(h) "It is possible to breed up or improve any kind of foxes.

(i) "The foxes now ranched on P. E. Island are valued at $6,000,000.

(j) "These foxes earned $2,500,000 for their owners in 1920.

(k) "The average profit to the fox rancher is about 40 per cent annually."

The above facts show that fox ranching Is not a dream, but an established success, paying large dividends on the capital invested. This is also true about fur farming in general. There are many cases on record showing the wonderful results obtained by men who experimented with skunk, mink and muskrats.

Especially Is this true of the muskrat. I shall endeavor to set forth here the possibilities 'rat ranching offers to those of small means. In the large salt water marshes along the Atlantic coast and Chesapeake Bay, 'rat ranching has been carried on systematically for many years. This marsh land which was at one time considered practically valueless is now yielding large returns annually. The animals are protected from possible poachers by the authorities and land owners. They are trapped only when the fur is at its best. The owners see to it that enough animals are left for breeding. Wicomico, Dorchester and Sommersett Counties (Maryland) compose the center of this industry. The value of the catch in any one of these counties runs Into thousands of dollars yearly. And It must be remembered that this is from land which at one time sold from state or government at thirty cents an acre.

The following are extracts from a letter by a well known manufacturer of game traps, who owns a large muskrat preserve In Maryland. I shall put down these statements, not to encourage anyone to go there, as the ground is well occupied and trappers are numerous, but merely to serve as an Illustration of what can be done with the numerous swamps, ponds and small lakes scattered throughout the rest of the United States and Canada, and which are now considered practically worthless:

"Good muskrat marsh in Maryland, where the writer's place is located. Is selling now for from twenty to thirty dollars an acre... As a general proposition the owners lease their marshes to the trappers for a certain part of the catch, which has up to the present time been anywhere from one-half to two-thirds to the owners... The marshes never dry up, because they are only a very few feet above sea level and a great many of them are overflowed at times by extremely high tides... My 'rats are in an open marsh and I do not furnish them any feed, or look after them in any way, except to try to keep the dogs and foxes out of It and to catch the hawks, owls and eagles that prey on them. The marsh furnishes plenty of natural feed, and the only thing that is necessary to do is simply to keep their enemies away and they take very good care of themselves... There are a great many natural marshes along the east coast of the country, in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia especially, these marshes have been inhabited by muskrats probably since their creation."

Now then, from the above statements we can readily conceive that the raising of muskrats is the simplest form of fur farming, requiring very little capital to get started. For these reasons: First, it does not necessitate the construction of expensive pens and enclosures; second, animals need not be fed--the food supply is natural; third, a keeper is not required--the animals take care of themselves.

As prospective 'rat ranchers, our first duty would be the selection of the proper site for the ranch. This would naturally be in the form of a lake, marsh or pond. Many farmers have such a body of water on their land; these vary in size from a few acres to several hundred. Those who contemplate raising 'rats, but do not own a proper site, could easily buy one at a reasonable figure, as most people consider such property of little value. Before buying a pond or marsh which you are not familiar with, investigate whether it has any inlets, such as springs and small streams. A marsh or small lake which is likely to dry up during a drought is not to be considered, as the 'rats would then be forced to leave it. Some of these waters have no visible means of support, yet they hold the same level of water year after year. This seems to be due to the nature of their location or else they are fed by inner springs. When in doubt about a certain marsh or lake, better talk with several neighbors who are familiar with it, before buying; they may, from observation, be able to give you reliable information about the water supply.

Many lakes and ponds which are possessed of an inlet and outlet are often burdened with a very high level of water, and then again at other times not enough. This water could be held to a normal level by putting a dam across the outlet. This dam, however, would need protection against the burrowing mania of the muskrats, as they would soon have it looking like a sponge; the only difference would be, that the sponge holds water, while the dam would not. Such a dam could be amply protected with a solid covering of rocks. These should average in size anywhere from a baseball to a man's head, and should cover the dam to a depth of about two feet. This layer of rocks should also extend along the bottom of the stream on both sides of the dam to a distance of about twenty feet. The building of such a structure would require some hard labor and time, but would well pay for itself where the ranch in question is large enough to warrant its construction.

Following the selection of the proper site, our next consideration would be the food supply. Most lakes, marshes and ponds are naturally conducive to wild rice, flag and water lily growth. These aquatic plants are the mainstay of the muskrat's food supply; they also represent the material of which they construct their houses.

Should the prospective 'rat ranch be devoid of such vegetation, as is sometimes the case, the owner should at once take steps to encourage its growth by Introducing some flags and water lilies. These should be planted in about one foot of water and one yard apart. It is advisable to plant them along the shore, in several patches of two or three rows each, and numbering about fifty plants to the patch. These plants, when once started, will multiply very rapidly and spread into deeper water. The best time to do this work of transplanting is in the spring, just before the plants start sprouting. During the summer green grass is eaten by muskrats with great relish; therefore, mixed grass seed should be sown liberally wherever the banks are barren. The seed of wild rice should also be sown in the fall of the year, shortly after it is gathered. Wild rice will grow in deeper water than flags, and all that is necessary to start it is to scatter the seed in a depth of several feet of water. It is good policy to sow some wild rice every fall, even when the supply of food is ample, as 'rats are very fond of the myriads of young tender sprouts which shoot up in the spring. In waters where the food supply must be developed, it is advisable to keep muskrats away for at least one year, because their presence would greatly hamper its progress.

When the food supply has been well established, we are ready to stock up our ranch. The 'rats can be purchased or procured by trapping. As a general rule, 'rats will already be found at home in a prospective ranch, which boasts of plenty of water and food; they find such a place by force of instinct, though the nearest stream may be fifty miles away.

We need pay no further attention to them, except to destroy their enemies, which in this case are, chiefly, the birds of prey. Sometimes these pirates of the air will establish headquarters at some muskrat marsh, and remain for weeks at a time. Selecting some lofty perch from which they can scan every angle of their acquired domain, they will often remain perfectly motionless, for hours at a time, only to hurl themselves upon the unwary muskrat as it makes its appearance on the water.

These intruders must be caught--but how? Occasionally we may be able to "check" up on one of them, with our old scattergun; but this is the exception to the rule, as these birds are far too wary to be approached in the open. Therefore we must resort to steel traps for their destruction. This is not as difficult as it would seem at first thought. Knowing their habit of alighting on the highest point of vantage while awaiting their prey, we proceed to set up poles in our marsh, which are about eight inches in diameter at the top. On the tops of these poles we conceal our traps (preferably jump traps), by covering them with water-soaked chaff or leaves. Pegs are driven into the sides of the poles, upon which we ascend when tending the traps. These poles need not be very high when they are set up in the open; eight or ten feet above the water would be sufficient, when there are no higher objects near. The erection of one such pole would suffice for every ten acres of territory.

The animals must also be protected against poaching and free trapping. It is a good idea to post signs of warning against trespassing on the premises. There should not be much trouble on this point, however, because people, as a whole, respect the property and rights of their fellow men.

When the animals are thus protected, they will increase very rapidly. A marsh or pond which is covered with a mixed growth of aquatic vegetation will naturally support a greater number of muskrats than a deep water lake where such vegetation can only be found along the shores.

Good marsh land has been known to produce an average of one hundred 'rats per acre annually, and in some instances even more, but such a yield is above the ordinary. Statistics show the average yield of 'rat pelts to be about fifteen per acre yearly. This number of animals can be safely trapped without fear of encroaching upon the necessary quota of animals required as breeders. Of course there are some waters that produce a much larger yield per acre, and these must be trapped accordingly. In a marsh or lake of low banks the 'rats are compelled to build houses. The owners of such a ranch can closely estimate the number of animals present by counting the houses and then multiplying the result by four.

Though the muskrat will tolerate more crowding than other fur-bearing animals, the owner should prevent overcrowding, otherwise some of them would leave for parts less crowded. Some raisers, while gathering their annual crop of fur, make it a point to trap only two-thirds of their grounds, and when this is exhausted of muskrats they quit. This method assures the owner sufficient breeding stock for the next crop, and at the same time prevents crowding the animals.

'Rat ranching is a business which does not require much money or effort to build up, and when once established there is very little to do, except to trap the muskrats during the proper season. The best time, in fact the most profitable time to do this, is in the early spring, when pelts are strictly prime and the fur is at its best.

Judging from the ever-increasing popularity of muskrat fur and the consequent rise in value, "rat ranching" can certainly be considered a profitable undertaking. Let us, for example, take into consideration a fifty-acre marsh, producing the low average of fifteen 'rats per acre. This would represent an annual crop of about seven hundred and fifty pelts. To trap this number of animals would require about thirty days. For eleven months out of the year, the owner would be free to take up any line of endeavor he may choose to follow. Considering the small amount of capital and time required for the establishment and upkeep of such a "vivarium," is there any other form of farming or stock raising more profitable? We venture the answer without fear of contradiction--there is absolutely not.