Mystery Muskrat

By Gabriel L.

Jan. 15^th, 2005

On January 15^th, we went on a field trip. It was about -9ºC and the sun was out. The snow was about 1 foot deep. Rob and I wore our snowshoes, and everyone else decided to just walk in their boots. Six kids and four adults attended.

We started walking through the forest in Pakenham to a beaver pond where we listened for the beavers in the lodge. We think we heard them. Then we went and had lunch. There were two fires. One of them took a while to start, and the other took one match to start. People grilled hot dogs and other things. We saw an immature Bald Eagle flying over the ponds.

After lunch we slid on the ice. Then we went to the floating bog and walked around a bit. Rob collected some twigs with buds on them for our next presentation with Martha Camfield. Then we went to a part where the snow had drifted to about three feet deep, and everybody got stuck except for me and Rob, because we were wearing our snow shoes.

We went back on the path to return to the cars, and Patrick found a dead muskrat lying by the path. A fisher had found it and left it there because it heard us coming. We saw the fisher tracks and marks from the muskrat's tail that was dragging on the ground. We all held the muskrat. It was about 18 inches long including the tail. It was stiff and frozen. Rob said it must have frozen to death.*

We all returned to our cars and drove home. It was a fun day!

*Editorial Note: To Gerry Lee, who came along later, the dead Muskrat on the trail was a mystery, because he didn't see the tracks of the Fisher that had carried it there. He did an autopsy, and found only a slight wound on one leg. He says that last week's rain and melting may have flooded young Muskrats like this one out of their homes, exposing them to all the dangers of the outside winter world. The Muskrat was probably already dead when the Fisher found it.

Past Trips

• Sept. 17, 2005 - Aquatic Animals Galore
  
• Jan. 29, 2005 - Tagging Trees, Lots of Lichens, and Macoun Members Munching on Maple Leaves
  
• Jan. 15, 2005 - Mystery Muskrat
  
• Dec. 4, 2004 - Animal Tracks and Tasty Trees
  
• Oct. 2, 2004 - Sand Pit Excursion in Pakenham
  
• Sept. 18, 2004 - Salamander Hunting During Another Trip to the Study Area
  
• April 24, 2004 - Stalking Snakes in the Study Area
  
• Dec. 6, 2003 - Early Winter in Pakenham
  
• Sept. 20, 2003 - An Early Autumn Trip to the Macoun Club's Nature Study Area
  

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© 2005 Macoun Field Club