. Control of field rodents in California. Rodents; Mammals. 44 California Agricultural Extension Circular 138 muskrats annually with-a fur value of around $72,500, which is about two thirds of the total income from fur for all of California. In the eastern United States, where irrigation is not practiced, muskrats cause no particular damage to agriculture; but wherever irrigation or drainage canals are needed these animals are likely to cause trouble by tunneling into levees or ditchbanks. Where muskrats must be prevented from damaging irrigation structures, no. 1 steel traps should be set in
. Control of field rodents in California. Rodents; Mammals. 44 California Agricultural Extension Circular 138 muskrats annually with-a fur value of around $72,500, which is about two thirds of the total income from fur for all of California. In the eastern United States, where irrigation is not practiced, muskrats cause no particular damage to agriculture; but wherever irrigation or drainage canals are needed these animals are likely to cause trouble by tunneling into levees or ditchbanks. Where muskrats must be prevented from damaging irrigation structures, no. 1 steel traps should be set in burrows or—better—on the characteristic "feeding mounds" in water 2 to 3 inches in depth, and should be partly sunk in the bottom material. The trap chain should be passed over a slender pole. Fig. 22.—The muskrat. Its head-and-body length is gi/2 to 12 inches, and the tail "j 1/2 to 10 inches. The tail is narrow, higher than wide, and scaly. The fur is dense, soft, and brownish. A muskrat "house" is shown at the upper left. driven into the bank but leaning over the water; the outer end of the pole should have a crosspiece at the top to prevent the trap chain from being slipped off. A trapped muskrat will usually dive into deep water, so that the chain slides along the pole and the animal is quickly drowned. Some trappers use a bait of parsnip, sweet potato, carrot, or other root vegetable, suspended on a small stick so as to be about a foot over the trap site; but many use no bait whatever. Other methods of capture have been described by Lantz (1923) and Storer (1937). In the past, ditch owners have employed trappers under permit to reduce muskrats, but this has not been satisfactory because trappers did not remain long enough to reduce the animals to small numbers. Encouragement of trapping for fur, followed by employment of paid and supervised trappers where necessary, will give greater protection and ensure that the rodents will do no serious
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