Out here in California, you will see these heaped up twig dens in Oak Woodlands. These dens are made by Dusky Footed Woodsrat's (Neotoma fuscipes). They build these dens up and some reach 5' in height and a huge circumference. Inside there is a sleeping den and they line the bottom with California Bay Laurel leaves to drive off parasites like fleas and Mites. They also have a dedicated treasure room. Also known as a Trade rat or a Packrat. they like shiny objects and will swap you out, taking something shiny from your camp and leaving an acorn or other item. I shot this pic of a den on a hike this morning: Woodsrat Den by WOODSDEVIL posted Oct 3, 2020 at 12:57 PM The den will have a couple of openings along the bottom and they go in and out, and you can tell if it is active if there is fresh green materials around the opening. they tend to gnaw twigs on a 45 degree and you will see them dropped nearby still green. Never seen one out in daytime unless dead. they tell me they are a nocturnal critter These were a prime small-game meal for California Indians and this is how they hunted them: They would fashion a pole from a straight wood, maybe Elderberry, and about 4'-5' in length, then notch one end. One hunter would push the pole gently into the den and probe for the rat while 2 or 3 other hunters stood by with a bow, JIC the rat fled. If the man with the pole felt the squishy rat, he'd give that pole a twist and bind it up in the rats skin and effectively trap it and marry it to the ground. then they'd bust up the den, kill the rat and take any edible acorns for booty. These rats can be quite good-sized and plump. I have found them dead on the trailside, some 8"-10" in length and fat, length not incl. tail BTW. A few would make for good eating. this pic is from the Pacific Grove Natural History Museum up by Monterey, CA [CREDIT]: Woodsrat by WOODSDEVIL posted Oct 3, 2020 at 12:57 PM As to preparation, there was no cleaning. A fire was built and the rat thrown into the flames. Hair was burnt off and they let it cook until it popped like a JIFFY POP bag. Then it was eaten completely, even bones pulverized for the calcium content. The Hunter-Gatherer lifestyle was rough, and no caloric values were passed up. the average life expectancy was about 35 years, though some Indians lived to ripe old ages. In our own local cemeteries, the Europeans and Americans were not skinning them by much, many headstones showing late 30's or mid-40's in the 1850 Statehood era. Just some stuff I thought you all might find interesting about how Indians survived.
