,,science ,,of ,,trapping  ,,describes  
,,the ,,fur ,,bearing ,,animals1 ,,their
 ,,nature1 ,,habits ,,and               
,,distribution1 ,,with ,,practical      
,,methods ,,for ,,their ,,capture4  ,by 
,e4 ,,kreps4  ,,revised ,,edition4      
,published by ,a4 ,r4 ,,harding1        
,publisher #ajf ,walnut ,street ,st4    
,louis1 ,mo4  ,copyright4 #aiji4 ,by ,a4
 ,r4 ,,harding ,,pub4 ,,co4             
,,contents4    ,i4 ,the ,trapper's ,art 
,,ii4 ,the ,skunk   ,,iii4 ,the ,mink   
,,iv4 ,the ,weasel   ,v4 ,the ,marten   
,,vi4 ,the ,fisher   ,,vii4 ,the ,otter 
,,viii4 ,the ,beaver   ,,ix4 ,the       
,muskrat   ,x4 ,the ,fox   ,,xi4 ,the   
,wolf   ,,xii4 ,the ,bear   ,,xiii4 ,the
 ,raccoon   ,,xiv4 ,the ,badger   ,,xv4 
,the ,opossum   ,,xvi4 ,the ,lynx       
,,xvii4 ,the ,bay ,lynx or ,wild ,cat   
,,xviii4 ,the ,cougar   ,,xix4 ,the     
,wolverine   ,,xx4 ,the ,pocket ,gopher 
,,xxi4 ,the ,rabbit   ,,xxii4 ,tracks   
and ,signs   ,,xxiii4 ,handling ,furs   
,,xxiv4 ,steel ,traps    ,,list ,,of    

,,illustrations4    ,the ,author with a 
,catch of ,furs   ,trap ,set in ,correct
 ,position at ,den   ,the ,balance ,pole
   ,the ,skunk   ,the ,mink   ,mink ,set
 under ,log   ,the ,white ,weasel   ,the
 ,marten   ,a ,marten ,set   ,the       
,fisher   ,the ,otter   ,otter ,trap    
,set under ,ice   ,the ,beaver   ,trap1 
,set for ,beaver   ,beaver ,trap ,set   
under ,ice   ,the ,muskrat   ,the ,red  
,fox   ,water ,set for ,fox   ,dry ,land
 ,set for ,fox   ,the ,coyote or        
,prairie ,wolf   ,scent ,set for ,wolf  
,bank ,set for ,wolf and ,coyote   ,the 
,grizzly ,bear   ,the ,raccoon   ,the   
,badger   ,the ,opossum   ,the ,lynx    
,the ,wild ,cat or ,bay ,lynx   ,the    
,cougar   ,the ,wolverine   ,the ,pocket
 ,gopher   ,burrow of ,pocket ,gopher   
,the ,rabbit   ,rabbit ,snares   ,tracks
 of ,furbearing ,animals   ,tracks of   
,furbearing ,animals   ,tracks of       
,furbearing ,animals   ,tracks of ,game 
,animals   ,canadian ,pattern           
,stretching ,boards   ,steel ,traps     

,illustration3 ,the ,author with a      
,catch of ,furs4    ,,introduction4     
,among the many outdoor occupations1    
trapping the furbearing animals is      
perhaps the most pleasant and in many   
instances is also very profitable4      
,although trapping was one of the       
earliest industries of this country1 the
 occupation has not passed away1 along  
with the vanishing wilderness1 for there
 is more trapping done today than at any
 time during the past4 ,scattered all   
over ,north ,america1 in both the       
thickly settled portions and the more   
remote districts are thousands of       
trappers who are each season deriving   
both pleasure and profit from this      
unique calling4  ,trapping in itself is 
an art4 ,many of the wild creatures are 
exceedingly wary and the trapper must   
match his reason against the instinct1  
the natural wariness and the acquired   
knowledge of the animals4 ,this wariness
 alone has saved some species of animals
 from extinction1 and although man is   

superior to all brute life1 such        
intelligent animals as the fox and the  
wolf frequently prove a match for the   
most expert of trappers4  ,in order to  
be successful1 one must know the wild   
animals as a mother knows her child4 ,he
 must also know and use the most        
practical methods of trapping1 and it is
 my object to give in this work1 the    
most successful trapping methods known4 
,these modes of trapping the furbearing 
animals have for the most part been     
learned from actual experience in       
various parts of the country1 but ,i    
also give the methods of other          
successful trappers1 knowing them to be 
as good as my own4 ,i am personally     
acquainted with some of the most expert 
trappers in ,north ,america and have    
also followed the ,indians over their   
trap lines and in this way have learned 
many things which to the white man are  
not generally known4  ,e4 ,,kreps4      
,,science ,,of ,,trapping4    ,,chapter 
,i4  ,,the ,,trapper',s ,,art4  ,during 

past ages many of the wild creatures of 
the forest and stream were hunted and   
captured in various ways by the         
inhabitants of the wilderness1--the     
flesh of these animals being the        
principal food of many tribes of savages
 and the skins being used for clothing2 
but it was only after furs became a     
staple article of wearing apparel among 
civilized nations and the traders had   
learned of the profits to be made in the
 fur trade that wholesale and systematic
 trapping began4 ,for many years after  
the commencement of the fur trade in    
this country1 the occupation of trapping
 was monopolized by the native          
inhabitants1 but later some of the      
bolder of the white race pushed into the
 wilderness and learned the trapper's   
art4  ,to-day there are thousands of    
trappers scattered over the ,united     
,states1 ,canada1 ,alaska and ,mexico   
and the catching of wild animals for    
profit is no longer considered to be an 
occupation fitting only for the savage1 

for there is scarcely a farmer1 ranchman
 or other person whose calling brings   
him close to nature who is not more or  
less interested in the fur-bearing      
animals4 ,wild animals are not all      
hunted for the sake of their furs4      
,there are some such as the wolf1       
coyote1 mountain lion and wild-cat which
 have become positive nuisances because 
of their destruction of stock and for   
such the government and in many cases   
the stockmen pay a bounty4 ,the capture 
of wolves and coyotes especially has    
become a profitable business4  ,as to   
the profits to be derived from this     
occupation1 there are professional      
trappers in the ,north1 ,south and ,west
 whose catches amount to from five      
hundred to two thousand dollars or more 
each season1 but the number who do as   
well as that is comparatively small4 ,by
 far the greater number of trappers are 
those who follow other occupations and  
devote only their spare time to the     
capture of wild animals and they are for

 the most part farmers and country boys 
who in this way add considerable to     
their yearly income4  ,it is not at all 
necessary to go into the wilds in order 
to do successful trapping1 and almost   
any farming section will be found to be 
a paying trapping ground4 ,indeed1 the  
country man or boy will in most cases do
 far better in his own home district    
than he would by going into some place  
with which he is not familiar even      
though the fur-bearing animals be more  
plentiful there than at home4 ,in his   
own territory he will learn the haunts  
of each kind of fur-bearing animal1 its 
route of travel1 the dens1 etc41 and    
this knowledge will be of great value   
when the actual trapping commences4  ,of
 course all of the various species of   
animals will not be found in any one    
section but where one is missing there  
will be some other found in fair        
numbers4 ,muskrats are most numerous as 
a rule in the settled parts of the      
country and wherever the muskrat is     

found there the mink is also4 ,skunks   
are found almost everywhere and the ease
 with which they may be captured makes  
the trapping of them a lucrative        
business4 ,foxes are found in most of   
the hilly sections and while they are   
not so easily captured1 one can make a  
success of it if he gives the matter    
careful study and uses sufficient care  
in setting and attending the traps4 ,in 
many parts of the ,south the raccoon is 
found in abundance as is also the       
opossum and the otter1 the wild cat and 
other animals are found more sparingly  
in many parts of the country4  ,the     
trapper no matter where he is located is
 certain to meet with many hardships but
 it is a pleasant calling for all of    
that and there is a certain amount of   
pleasure in even the roughest           
experiences4 ,once one has followed     
trapping for a few seasons it is almost 
impossible to give up the wild1 free    
life4 ,the study of the habits of the   
wild creatures which is necessary if one

 wishes to become a successful trapper  
brings one into close touch with nature 
and the work is extremely fascinating4  
,in the early days before the steel trap
 came into general use1 the deadfall and
 the snare were used almost exclusively 
for the capture of the fur-bearers1 but 
at present when steel traps have reached
 a high state of perfection1 are sold at
 prices which place them within the     
reach of all1 they are preferred by most
 trappers and many of the most expert   
have discarded the wooden traps         
entirely4 ,however1 both the deadfall   
and the snare are good traps for certain
 animals and it is well to know how to  
make and use them for one may sometimes 
see a good place in which to place a    
trap but may not have a steel trap      
along4 ,in such cases the knowledge of  
how to construct a practical deadfall   
will be of value4 ,it is true that many 
of the fur-bearing animals are too      
cunning to be captured by such a        
contrivance but some of the most wary   

fall easy victims to the snare4 ,some of
 the most expert fox trappers use the   
snare in preference to the steel trap   
but the number is comparatively small4  
,many styles of traps have been invented
 and some of the most promising styles  
were placed on the market but it is     
doubtful if any trap will ever be       
designed which will equal in popularity 
and general usefulness the old time jaw 
trap1 commonly known as the steel trap4 
,these traps have been improved in many 
ways until at present they are almost   
perfect and are made in sizes and styles
 to meet all requirements and all       
conditions of trapping4  ,the jaw traps 
possess decided advantages over all     
other styles of steel or wooden traps4  
,they are light and compact and may be  
moved from place to place without       
inconvenience to the trapper1 will      
capture the most wary animals as well as
 the most stupid and will work perfectly
 under all conditions whether set in the
 water or on dry land1 on the snow or on

 a log or stump or the side of a tree4  
,they may be used with or without bait  
and if the proper size of trap is used  
and it is set in the right way it will  
capture almost any animal that comes    
that way4 ,what other style of trap     
possesses all of these advantages8  ,as 
most of those who have never done any   
trapping know practically nothing       
regarding the use of traps ,i will      
outline briefly the methods usually     
employed for the capture of fur-bearing 
animals before proceeding farther4      
,most of the animals which are caught in
 traps are decoyed by means of a        
bait1--something in the line of food    
which appeals to its appetite1--so      
placed that in attempting to reach it   
the animal places its foot in the trap4 
,the most common way is by setting the  
trap in the entrance to some natural    
enclosure1 such as a hollow log or      
stump1 a hollow between trees1 or a hole
 in the rocks1 or under a stump the bait
 being placed in the enclosure beyond   

the trap4 ,failing to find a natural    
enclosure1 the trapper constructs one1  
using such material as may be found on  
the spot4 ,it is advisable as a rule to 
make as little disturbance as possible  
and to give the enclosure a natural     
appearance4  ,it sometimes happens that 
an animal can not be induced to approach
 a bait and in such cases the blind set 
is resorted to1--in other words the trap
 is set without bait in a trail where   
the animal travels or at the entrance of
 its den4 ,failing to find such a place 
the trapper carefully studies the route 
of the animal and selects a place where 
some natural or artificial obstruction  
will crowd it into a certain spot where 
he carefully sets his trap in such a way
 as to catch the animal the next time it
 comes along4 ,these blind sets are as a
 rule very successful and many trappers 
use such methods exclusively4  ,in      
setting steel traps1 great care is      
advised for the one who learns to do    
this most neatly1 leaving everything    

natural is1 as a rule1 the most         
successful4 ,one should always be       
certain to get the trap in the right    
position for to miss catching an animal 
not only means its loss for the time    
being but many of them will become wiser
 from such experiences and their capture
 will be more difficult afterwards4 ,the
 trapper is wise also who gives         
sufficient attention to the fastening of
 the trap1 thus reducing the animal's   
chances of escape after it is once      
caught4  ,to properly set a steel trap  
on dry land one should dig a nest for   
the trap1 deep enough to allow the      
covering to be flush with the           
surroundings and just a little larger   
than1 and of the same shape as the trap 
when set4 ,this hollow should be lined  
with dry leaves or moss and the trap    
placed therein4 ,to make the trap rest  
solidly so that there is no danger of it
 being tipped over also to make the jaws
 set level1 the spring should be twisted
 around towards the jaw which is held   

down by the trigger or dog4 ,the trap   
should then be covered with some light1 
dry material in keeping with the        
surroundings1 a few dead leaves or a    
sheet of paper being used first to      
prevent the covering from rolling under 
the pan and in that way prevent the trap
 from springing4 ,instead of doing this 
some trappers place a bunch of cotton or
 dry moss under the pan but ,i do not   
think this advisable4    ,illustration3 
,trap ,set in ,correct ,position at     
,entrance of ,den4  ,in all cases when  
setting traps at dens1 on trails or at  
the entrances of enclosures1 the trap   
should be so placed that the jaws will  
be lengthwise of the animal's approach  
so that it will step between the jaws   
and not over one of them4 ,if the       
setting is reversed the rising jaw will 
sometimes throw the animal's foot out of
 the trap4  ,there are various good     
methods of fastening and the proper one 
to use depends on the nature of the     
surrounding and the species of animal   

that one is setting for4 ,water animals 
should be drowned as quickly as possible
 after they are caught and in order to  
secure this result the sliding pole is  
used4 ,this is simply an inclined pole  
leading into deep water and of a size   
that will enable the ring of the trap   
chain to travel easily its entire       
length4 ,the most common way of using   
the sliding pole is to thrust the small 
end into the bed of the stream and      
fasten the other end securely to the    
bank4 ,the pole should have a few       
branches near the small end to prevent  
the ring from sliding off4 ,all water   
animals when caught in traps plunge into
 deep water immediately and the ring of 
the trap chain sliding down the pole    
makes it impossible for the captured    
animal to again regain the shore4 ,in   
order to make this outfit more certain  
when setting for large animals such as  
otters and beavers1 a stone of six or   
eight pounds should be tied firmly to   
the chain but not near enough to the    

trap to interfere with the action of the
 swivel4  ,in trapping for muskrats and 
mink the usual practice is to simply    
stake the trap the length of the chain  
into the deepest water available1 the   
weight of the trap being sufficient to  
hold the animal under water4  ,for land 
animals the trap may be fastened to a   
clog4 ,this is simply a chunk of wood1 a
 pole1 brush or stone1 the object being 
to hamper the animal in its movements   
and prevent it from getting a dead pull 
on the trap and chain4 ,in fastening to 
the clog the staple may be used or the  
chain may be dropped through the ring so
 as to form a loop which is slipped over
 the clog1 a few snags being left stand 
to prevent the chain from being drawn   
over the end4 ,when setting for bears   
the ring is slipped over the clog1--a   
pole1--and fastened with a spike or     
wedge4 ,some trappers prefer to use a   
pronged iron drag and this is especially
 desirable when trapping for the more   
cunning animals such as the fox1 coyote 

and wolf as the drag may be covered     
without leaving much sign4 ,a stone may 
be used in the same manner by securing  
with wire to the end of the chain4  ,for
 the animals mentioned the traps are    
sometimes staked down solidly1 the stake
 being driven out of sight but this     
gives the animal a dead pull and they   
will sometimes escape4  ,such of the    
fur-bearers as are likely to escape by  
gnawing or twisting off a foot may      
sometimes be held securely by the use of
 the spring pole or better still1 the   
balance pole4 ,the spring pole is a     
small springy sapling1 trimmed of its   
branches and planted firmly in the      
ground4 ,the trap is fastened to the    
small end which is drawn down and held  
in that position by being hooked lightly
 under a crotched stake or a link of the
 chain may be hooked to a headless nail 
driven in the side of the stake4 ,in    
theory this device works nicely but in  
practice it is not found to be perfect  
as the wood will lose its spring if kept

 bent for some time1 especially in      
freezing weather4    ,illustration3 ,the
 ,balance ,pole4  ,the balance pole is  
more faithful in its action4 ,it is     
simply a long slender pole fastened in a
 crotch or tied to the side of a        
sapling1 the trap being secured to the  
small end4 ,it is so balanced that the  
weight of the butt will not only lift   
the trap but the captured animal as     
well4 ,it is fastened down in the same  
way as the spring pole and is released  
by the struggles of the animal4  ,in    
order to keep steel traps in perfect    
working order they should have a certain
 amount of attention4 ,repairs will be  
necessary at times and before the       
trapping season commences one should    
look them all over and see that they are
 in good condition4 ,the triggers should
 be so adjusted that the pan will set   
level4 ,all parts should work freely and
 the trap should neither spring too     
easily nor too hard4 ,rust on traps is  
not desirable and may be prevented to a 

great extent by boiling the traps       
occasionally in a solution of evergreen 
boughs1 maple1 willow or oak bark or    
walnut hulls4 ,this will give the traps 
a blue-black color and they will not    
rust for a considerable length of time4 
,new traps will not take the color very 
well but they should be boiled just the 
same to remove the oil also the varnish 
with which some manufacturers coat their
 traps4 ,some trappers smoke their traps
 before setting believing that the odor 
of the smoke will smother that of the   
metal4 ,this however is not in my       
opinion a good idea as clean iron has no
 odor and the smell of smoke enables the
 animal to locate the trap1 thus having 
just the opposite of the effect desired4
  ,others again1 grease or oil the traps
 which is also bad for the same reason  
and another thing worth considering is  
the fact that a greased trap does not   
have as good a grip as one which has not
 been so treated4 ,for my own part ,i   
would rather have my traps red with rust

 than to have them oiled1 and if it is  
necessary to oil the joints of a stiff  
working trap1 use some oil having       
practically no odor1 never strong       
smelling substances such as kerosene4   
,as to the number of traps that one can 
handle1 this depends on conditions4 ,the
 kind of animals that one intends to    
trap for1 the nature of the country1 the
 method of setting and tending traps1   
the amount of fur to be found1 etc41    
must all be considered4 ,the muskrat    
trapper who is in a good location where 
traps may be set from a boat or in the  
marshes where muskrat houses are        
plentiful as on some parts of the       
,atlantic ,coast1 can easily handle from
 seventy-five to a hundred or more      
traps1 looking at them once a day4 ,the 
marten trappers of the ,northwest       
sometimes use five or six hundred traps1
 but the traps are not set far apart and
 the trapper spends a number of days in 
going over the line4 ,in the thickly    
settled districts there are             

comparatively few who use more than five
 or six dozen traps for they must be    
seen each day1 and for beginners from   
two to three dozen traps will be        
sufficient4  ,as before mentioned1 steel
 traps are made in various sizes so that
 they may be used for all animals1 from 
the smallest to the largest4  ,the ,no4 
#j is the smallest size and is intended 
for such small animals as the pocket    
gopher1 the rat and the weasel4 ,if the 
spring is of fair strength as it is in  
the higher grades they may also be used 
for muskrat and marten4 ,they are used  
extensively by the marten trappers of   
the ,rocky ,mountain region4  ,the ,no4 
#a is known as the muskrat trap and is  
the best size for this animal4 ,it is   
also used for mink1 skunk1 opossum and  
marten4  ,the ,no4 #a #a_/b is a very   
popular trap as its size and strength   
adapt it for general use4 ,it is known  
as the mink trap1 but the tendency among
 trappers is to use the #a #a_/b for    
larger game and the ,no4 #a for mink4   

,it is the best size for skunk1 and if  
the spring is of fair strength1 it will 
hold the fox1 coon1 fisher and lynx as  
well as all smaller animals4  ,the ,no4 
#b1 which is the smallest size of the   
double spring style is known as the fox 
trap4 ,it is also the best size for coon
 and is sometimes used for otter        
especially in the ,north but in my      
opinion it is too small for regular use 
on otter4  ,next in order is the ,no4 #c
 which has been named the otter trap1   
and it is the proper size to use for    
this animal4 ,it is also used for       
catching the coyote1 beaver1 wild cat   
and lynx and is a very popular trap in  
the more remote sections of the country4
  ,the ,no4 #d trap was originally      
intended for the capture of the beaver  
and is the proper size for that animal4 
,the higher grades of this are also used
 to a great extent for trapping the     
timber wolf1 also for otter and coyote4 
,the best trap for wolves1 however1 is  
the #d #a_/b which was designed         

especially for trapping these animals4  
,it is considerably heavier than the    
,no4 #d and is fitted with a longer     
chain and a pronged drag4 ,this size is 
also used for taking the cougar or      
mountain lion4  ,the bear traps are     
known as the ,no4 #ej1 the ,no4 #e and  
the ,no4 #f4 ,the ,no4 #ej is the       
smallest but is sufficiently strong for 
the black bear4 ,for those who prefer a 
larger trap for this animal1 the ,no4 #e
 will prove satisfactory1 and it will   
also hold the grizzly1 but is rather    
small for that animal4 ,the size best   
adapted to the capture of the larger    
varieties of bears is the ,no4 #f1 which
 will hold almost any living animal4    
,in addition to the traps mentioned1    
there are a number of special styles    
designed to meet the demand from those  
trappers who desire special traps for   
some certain animals4 ,among these may  
be mentioned the clutch traps1 the      
single spring otter traps and the traps 
with offset jaws4  ,it should be        

understood that in writing the foregoing
 description of traps1 ,i had in mind   
the higher grades only4 ,in the         
following chapters devoted to the       
capture of the various animals1 the     
proper sizes and brands of traps to use 
will be given4    ,illustration3 ,the   
,skunk4    ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,the       
,,skunk4  ,the skunk is an animal of the
 weasel family1 and is found throughout 
the ,united ,states and the southern    
parts of ,canada4 ,a full grown specimen
 will usually measure sixteen or        
eighteen inches1 from the nose to the   
root of the tail1 which is about twelve 
or fourteen inches long and quite bushy4
 ,the color is a glossy black1 with     
usually1 a white ,v-shaped stripe       
extending from the top of the head to   
about half the length of the back4      
,often1 this stripe is quite broad and  
extends the length of the body1 while in
 others the stripe is missing1 there    
being only a white spot on the head1 and
 a white tip to the tail2 this latter   

marking being found on all specimens4   
,in some of the ,pacific coast ,states1 
a variety is found having only a single 
white stripe running the entire length  
of the back4 ,there is also a small     
species found in parts of the           
,mississippi valley1 which has white    
spots1 instead of stripes4 ,this animal 
is known to the fur trade as well as the
 trappers1 as the civet cat1 although   
the true civet cat is quite a different 
animal4  ,the skunk has become quite    
famous1 among country folks1 because of 
its powerful scent1 which is found in   
two glands near the root of the tail1   
which the animal can eject at will4     
,this scent is perhaps the most powerful
 and offensive of all odors1 and the use
 of it is the skunk's only means of     
defending itself against enemies4  ,the 
skunk makes its den in the ground1      
usually along a gravelly hill-side1 and 
it sometimes makes use of the den of the
 woodchuck4 ,in thickly settled         
countries where the dens have been      

destroyed by hunters1 they often make   
their homes under barns and             
out-buildings1 and even under dwelling  
houses1 much to the discomfort of the   
inmates4  ,the skunk is a nocturnal     
animal1 searching for food only at night
 and remaining in its den during the    
day4 ,during the cold part of the       
winter1 they remain in their dens1      
coming out only on warm nights1 until   
after the middle of ,february1 when     
their mating season commences1 and the  
males travel1 at this time in almost all
 kinds of weather4  ,the young are born 
in ,april and ,may1 and there are       
usually from four to ten in a litter1   
though occasionally there will be a     
larger number4  ,their food consists    
mostly of insects1 grubs1 young birds   
and eggs1 and when they have an         
opportunity to do so1 they will kill and
 eat poultry1 etc4 ,they are also fond  
of carrion1 and even the flesh of their 
own kind4  ,in the northern states the  
skunk becomes prime about the last week 

in ,october1 while in the extreme south 
they are probably not prime until the   
last week in ,november4 ,in the north   
they commence to shed their fur about   
the tenth or fifteenth of ,march1 while 
in the south they shed still earlier4   
,during very cold weather1 when the     
skunks have been confined to their dens 
for a considerable length of time1 the  
warmth of the dens has a tendency to    
injure the fur4 ,the males also fight   
among themselves and their fur is often 
injured in this way4 ,at other times the
 fur is spoiled somewhat1 because of too
 small an entrance to the den1 the fur  
having a rubbed or woolly appearance4   
,it is the fine black skins taken when  
in the best condition1 that are the most
 valuable4 ,skunks are1 perhaps1 found  
in the greatest numbers in the eastern  
states1 and the trappers from that      
section1 make more money from skunks    
than from any other animal4  ,in winter1
 one may track them to their dens1 and  
if the den is a good one1 may find any  

number of skunks1 up to a dozen1 in the 
same den4 ,it is a common practice to   
dig the den open and kill all the       
inmates1 but as this method means the   
destruction of a good den1 it is not    
advisable to do so4 ,the best way is to 
trap them1 as in this way the den will  
not be injured1 and it is almost certain
 that you will find skunks in the same  
den each season4 ,such a den is worth   
money to the trapper4 ,the oil of the   
skunk1 if rendered carefully1 without   
burning1 is useful1 and is often used by
 country people as a remedy for croup4  
,the most common method of trapping the 
skunk is to set the trap in the entrance
 of the den1 without bait1 but where    
there are many dens1 or where the dens  
are hard to find1 it is best to use     
bait4 ,in setting the trap in a den1 it 
should be set just inside the entrance1 
unless the mouth of the den is small1   
when it should be set just outside4 ,the
 trap should be set with the jaws       
lengthwise of the hole1 so that the     

skunk steps between the jaws1 and not   
over them1 as by stepping over the jaw  
the foot is likely to be thrown out of  
the trap1 by the jaw1 as the trap       
springs4 ,this rule also applies to all 
traps set in dens or enclosures of any  
kind4 ,the common way of fastening is to
 stake the trap or fasten to a clog1 but
 the balance pole is better4  ,no great 
care is necessary in covering the trap1 
as the skunk is not suspicious1 but it  
is always best to use care1 especially  
in setting baited traps1 as one never   
knows what animal may come along4 ,on   
one occasion ,i caught a fox in a trap  
set for skunk4  ,it is a good idea also1
 when trapping at dens1 to put a small  
scrap of bait inside of the den1 as many
 skunks that are traveling about1 only  
look in and turn away1 and if the trap  
is set inside1 will not be caught4 ,if1 
however1 there is a small bait inside   
the den1 the skunk will attempt to get  
it1 and will be caught in the trap4     
,the traps most used for skunks are the 

,no4 #a and ,no4 #a #a_/b4 ,there are   
also some special traps manufactured for
 these animals1 having double jaws or   
webbed jaws1 to prevent the animal      
gnawing off its foot4  ,traps set for   
skunk should be visited every day1 as   
otherwise the captured animals are      
likely to escape4 ,they seem to struggle
 more on dark stormy nights1 and during 
such weather1 one should get around to  
his traps as early as possible in the   
morning4  ,sometimes one can find a     
well-defined trail leading away from the
 mouth of the den4 ,in such a case1     
several traps may be set in the trail1  
thus doubling or trebling the chance for
 a catch4  ,when good dens cannot be    
found1 dig a hole under an old stump1   
and place a bait inside1 setting the    
trap directly in front of the hole and  
cover with dry dirt4 ,sprinkle some     
scent about1 on the stump and ground2   
use care in setting as you are likely to
 catch a fox1 providing the trap is     
carefully set and covered1 and the stake

 driven out of sight4 ,for bait use     
tainted meat of almost any kind4        
,another good way is to find a spot of  
sandy ground1 and set the trap in a     
small hole1 covering with sand4 ,cut the
 bait into small pieces and scatter it  
all around the trap1 also1 if you have  
it1 sprinkle some scent around4 ,the    
trap may be fastened to a brush drag1   
and the brush set up to look as though  
it were growing there4  ,if you can find
 a tree or stump with two spreading     
roots1 set the trap between these roots 
and fasten the bait on the side of the  
tree1 about ten inches above the trap4  
,still another way is to make a small   
pen of old1 rotten wood1 stones or      
stakes1 setting the trap in the         
entrance1 and placing the bait in the   
pen beyond the trap4  ,any natural      
enclosure1 such as a hollow log1 a hole 
in the bank1 or in a wall or pile of    
stones1 makes a good place in which to  
set a trap4  ,skunks may also be taken  
in box traps1 deadfalls and snares1 and 

they seldom become scented when caught  
in such traps4  ,for bait1 the following
 are all good3 muskrat1 skunk1 chicken1 
birds of any kind1 rabbit1 squirrel1    
mice1 rotten eggs or fish--tainted bait 
is always to be preferred for skunks1   
fresh bait being second choice4  ,to    
make a good decoy1 take one-half dozen  
rotten eggs1 and the scent of one skunk1
 and mix thoroughly4 ,a mixture of the  
male and female scent is probably best4 
,many of the decoys recommended for the 
fox are also good for skunk4 ,the scent 
of the skunk itself1 is one of the very 
best to use4  ,most trappers object to  
having the scent of skunks on their     
clothing and for this reason ,i give the
 following methods for killing the      
captured animals1 so that they will not 
throw their scent4 ,if the trap is      
staked1 or fastened to a clog1 cut a    
club about four or five feet long1 and  
approach the animal very slowly1 using  
care not to make any quick movements4   
,if the skunk raises its tail1 as though

 it intended to throw its scent1 stop1  
and stand perfectly still until it drops
 its tail again1 when you can go nearer4
 ,in this way if you are careful1 you   
can easily get within striking distance1
 when you should deliver a good smashing
 blow across the back4 ,if the back is  
broken1 the muscles which operate the   
scent glands will be paralyzed1 and     
there will be absolutely no danger of   
getting a charge of perfumery4  ,some   
trappers fasten their traps to the end  
of a ten or twelve foot pole1 and by    
approaching carefully1 can pick up the  
pole1 when by going slowly1 the skunk   
may be led to the nearest water where it
 may be drowned4 ,lead the skunk into   
shallow water1 gradually working it into
 deeper1 holding its head under until   
nearly drowned1 then let it have a      
little air1--just a breath1 and push it 
under again1 keeping it there until its 
struggles cease4 ,if the animal is      
caught by a front foot1 it may be       
carried to the water1 as a skunk can    

seldom throw its scent if lifted off the
 ground1 and not allowed to touch       
anything with the hind feet or tail4    
,another method is to cut the animal's  
throat with a small1 very sharp1 pointed
 knife blade1 attached to the end of a  
ten foot jointed pole4 ,approach the    
animal carefully and place the point of 
the knife against the side of the       
animal's neck1 just over the jugular    
vein4 ,push steadily against the knife2 
as soon as the blood flows freely1 move 
away and allow the animal to die4       
,perhaps the quickest method is to shoot
 the skunk in the center of the back1   
with a #bb caliber rifle or pistol4     
,this breaks the back killing the animal
 almost instantly1 and there will be no 
scent whatever4  ,if the trap is        
fastened to a balance pole you can kill 
the animal by a blow across the back4   
,never shoot them in the head1 or stride
 the head with a club1 as they are      
certain to throw their scent if killed  
in this way4  ,if the fur of the skunk  

has become scented1 ,i use the following
 method for removing the scent3 ,build a
 fire and throw an armful of evergreen  
boughs on it so as to make a dense      
smoke4 ,hold the scented animal in the  
smoke for about five minutes1 using care
 to keep it away from the fire or the   
heat will curl the hair4 ,after the     
skunk is skinned hang the skin in an    
airy place for a few days1 when there   
will be practically no smell left4      
,before skinning or handling the skunk1 
rub your hands with some kind of grease4
 ,after the animal is skinned1 wash your
 hands well1 using soap and hot water2  
there will be no scent remaining on the 
hands4 ,benzine or gasoline will also   
remove the scent from the hands or      
clothing4 ,cider vinegar is also said to
 be good4 ,if the clothing is buried    
over night in damp ground1 the scent    
will usually draw out4  ,the track of   
the skunk is peculiar and is not likely 
to be mistaken for that of some other   
animal4 ,although a member of the weasel

 family1 it does not travel by a series 
of jumps as does the weasel1 mink1      
marten1 etc41 but maintains a steady    
walk1 and the foot-prints will be an    
even distance apart and spread          
considerably so as to make a wide trail4
 ,the length of step is about five      
inches and the footprints will measure  
from one to one and a half inches in    
length1 according to the size of the    
animal4    ,illustration3 ,the ,mink4   
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,the ,,mink4  ,the   
mink is a small carnivorous animal1     
belonging to the weasel family4 ,it is  
found throughout the ,united ,states and
 the greater part of ,canada and        
,alaska4 ,a distinct species is also    
found in ,europe and ,asia4 ,in ,north  
,america there appears to be several    
varieties1 varying considerably in size 
and color4 ,a large1 light-colored      
variety is found in the country drained 
by the ,mississippi ,river and its      
branches1 and also in the prairie       
country of ,canada4 ,this variety       

sometimes reaches the weight of four    
pounds1 or even more1 and the skin1 when
 properly stretched1 will sometimes     
measure thirty-six or thirty-eight      
inches from tip to tip4 ,a smaller and  
darker variety is found in the ,eastern 
,states and the ,eastern parts of       
,canada and ,lake ,superior regions1 and
 a still smaller and very dark colored  
mink is found in ,northern ,maine and   
parts of ,new ,brunswick4 ,a small1     
light colored variety is found on the   
,pacific coast4  ,the mink has a long1  
slender body1 a small head1 and rather  
short legs4 ,the tail is usually about  
eight inches long and is quite bushy4   
,the fur is thick1 fine and glossy1 and 
the color varies from a very light brown
 to very dark4 ,the usual color is dark 
brown1 the fur on the tail being darker 
than that on the body4  ,the mating     
season commences about the last week in 
,february and ends about the middle of  
,march4 ,the young are born in ,april1  
there being from four to six in a       

litter4  ,the mink is not an amphibious 
animal1 but it is found only along the  
streams and watercourses1 from which it 
obtains a large part of its food4 ,it is
 a great rambler1 traveling long        
distances along the streams and lakes1  
and always following the same route4    
,when on these trips it explores the    
drifts and log-jams1 holes in the bank1 
hollow logs1 etc41 which habit is taken 
advantage of by the trapper4  ,the fur  
of the mink is at its best during the   
months of ,november1 ,december and      
,january1 in the north2 while in the    
extreme south1 they are only number one1
 during ,december and ,january4 ,in     
,february1 the fur commences to fade1   
and they are not worth so much4 ,the    
dark colored skins command the best     
prices4  ,the food of the mink consists 
of fish1 frogs1 birds1 squirrels1 mice1 
rabbits1 muskrats1 etc41 all of which   
are good for bait4 ,they are also very  
fond of poultry4  ,the traps most used  
for mink are the ,nos4 #a and #a #a_/b4 

,the webbed jaw and the double jaw traps
 are especially desirable for mink1 as  
when caught in these traps1 they cannot 
escape by gnawing off the foot4  ,there 
are probably more methods used in       
trapping the mink than in trapping any  
other animal4 ,in localities where they 
take bait well1 the usual plan is to set
 the trap in the entrance to a natural  
or artificial enclosure1 on the bank of 
the stream1 placing a bait on the inside
 of the enclosure4 ,the trap should be  
nested down1 and covered with some light
 material in keeping with the           
surroundings4 ,the trap may be fastened 
to a light clog or a balance pole1 or if
 very close to the water1 to a sliding  
pole4 ,the bait should be strictly      
fresh4 ,some good scent may be used if  
desired4 ,hollow logs and holes in      
drifts and under stumps make good places
 for sets4 ,some trappers do not set in 
an enclosure1 but hang the bait about   
eighteen inches above the trap4 ,i do   
not1 however1 consider this a           

satisfactory method4 ,when an artificial
 enclosure is used1 it should be roofed 
over with bark1 or evergreen boughs to  
protect that trap from the snow4  ,for  
fall trapping1 many prefer to set traps 
in the water4 ,the following method is  
one of the best for a water set3 find a 
steep bank where the water is shallow1  
and runs smoothly and rapidly1 make a   
hole in the bank1 on a level with the   
water1 making the hole about ten inches 
deep and about four inches in diameter4 
,put a piece of fresh bait back in the  
hole1 fastening with a small stick1 and 
set the trap in the water at the mouth  
of the hole4 ,stake the trap the full   
length of the chain into the water and  
cover with mud or water-soaked leaves4  
,along the streams where little         
sand-bars lead out into the water select
 a place on one of these bars1 where the
 water is only an inch or two in depth1 
set the trap under the water1 close to  
the edge of the stream4 ,fix a small    
fish on the point of the stick1 out in  

the stream a foot from the trap1 pushing
 the stick down until the bait rests    
partly under water4 ,stake the trap so  
that the catch will drown4 ,this is a   
very successful set and requires but    
little time and trouble to make4  ,in   
some localities the mink do not take    
bait well1 in which case1 blind         
sets--traps without bait must be        
depended upon4 ,in the fall while the   
water is still open1 find a high bank   
where the water leads off fairly deep1  
leaving only a very narrow strip of     
shallow water1 at the foot of the bank4 
,set the trap in the edge of the water  
and stake full length of the chain into 
the stream4 ,place a couple of          
water-soaked leaves on the trap1 and    
drop a few pinches of mud on them to    
hold them in place4 ,the steep bank on  
one side and the deep water on the      
other1 will guide the mink into the     
trap4 ,if1 however1 the shallow water   
extends out some distance from the bank1
 take a chunk of water-soaked wood1 and 

stand it in the water1 just beyond the  
trap1 leaving the top rest against the  
bank4 ,this will leave only a narrow    
passage over the trap1 and you may be   
pretty sure of catching your mink4 ,a   
similar set should be made on the       
opposite side of the stream1 if         
conditions are favorable4 ,this is a    
very good method for use in the south4  
,after streams are frozen1 a different  
plan must be adopted4 ,in such cases if 
you can find a jam or drift extending   
across the stream1 find an opening1     
leading through this drift1 close to the
 bank1 and set the trap in this opening1
 covering with fine1 drift dirt4 ,in    
case you cannot find a suitable passage1
 make one and stop up all other holes4  
,a little scent of the right kind may be
 used here to good advantage4           
,illustration3 ,mink ,set ,under ,log4  
,,xx ,shows ,positions of ,traps4  ,the 
illustration shows two traps set under  
an old log1 spanning the stream4 ,the   
log protects the traps from rain or     

snow1 and a glance at the cut will show 
that it would be practically impossible 
for a mink to pass along the stream     
without being caught4 ,the same set is  
good for the raccoon4 ,if the stream is 
frozen fill the opening1 under the log1 
with old1 dead brush1 so that there is  
no chance for the mink to pass1 except  
over the traps4  ,another good method   
for the wary mink is as follows3 find a 
high1 steep bank along the stream2 if it
 overhangs1 so much the better1 and     
about two feet above the water1 make a  
hole about four inches in diameter1 and 
a foot or more deep4 ,leave the dirt    
that you dig out1 rest directly in front
 of the hole1 and set the trap in this  
dirt1 covering with same4 ,pack dry moss
 around the jaws and cover the trap     
first with a sheet of paper1 finishing  
with a thin layer of dirt4 ,put some    
good mink scent in the hole2 the musk of
 the mink itself is best for this set4  
,if the traps can be visited every day1 
it is a good plan to stake the trap1 so 

that the mink will roll around over the 
ground1 and the next one will be more   
easily caught4  ,where mink travel      
around a lake1 go to the outlet and lay 
a hollow log across the stream1 just    
where the water leaves the lake4 ,set a 
trap in this log1 covering with fine1   
rotten wood1 and every mink that travels
 around the lake1 will attempt to run   
through the log1 and will be caught4 ,if
 you cannot find a hollow log near at   
hand1 build a covered passage-way of    
poles and chunks1 and set your trap in  
this passage4  ,mink may also be taken  
in box traps and deadfalls4  ,scents are
 much used and there are some few which 
have proved attractive4 ,fish oil is one
 of the most common scents for mink and 
other animals4 ,it is made by taking    
fish of almost any kind1 cutting them   
into small pieces1 and putting in a wide
 mouthed bottle4 ,let stand in a warm   
place1 loosely covered1 until the fish  
are thoroughly rotted1 and in a liquid  
state2 this scent may be used alone or  

combined with others4  ,if a female mink
 can be caught1 during the mating       
season1 remove the generative organs1   
and place them in a bottle1 adding about
 two ounces of fish oil and all of the  
mink musk you can get4 ,this is         
undoubtedly the best scent ever devised4
 ,it should be used without bait4  ,in  
traveling1 the mink goes the jump and   
its foot-prints are always in pairs1 the
 space between each set being from      
eighteen to twenty-four inches4 ,the    
footprints will measure from one to one 
and one-fourth inches in length1 with   
one always somewhat in advance of the   
other4    ,illustration3 ,the ,weasel4  
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,the ,,weasel4  ,the  
weasel is the smallest of all           
carnivorous animals and the various     
species and varieties are distributed   
over the greater portion of northern    
,asia1 ,europe and ,north ,america4 ,in 
this country alone naturalists recognize
 some twenty species and sub-species1   
most of which are found in ,canada and  

,alaska1 also the northern and western  
states4 ,of these it is only the        
northern varieties1 those which become  
white in winter that are of importance  
to the trapper4  ,the ermine of ,europe 
is a species of weasel1 and the         
,american white weasel is sometimes     
called the ermine1 its fur being used to
 imitate the fur of that animal4  ,the  
change of color in the fur of this      
animal is not understood by naturalists4
 ,it occurs only in the most northern   
portions of its range and it is not     
known whether the animal really sheds   
its brown summer coat when the cold     
weather approaches or whether the fur   
bleaches1 but it is certain that the    
change occurs in some way1 the fur      
becoming white in the fall and changing 
to brown again in spring4  ,the smallest
 variety of the weasel is found in      
northwestern ,canada and ,alaska and    
with it the black tip of the tail so    
characteristic of the weasel is missing4
 ,very large weasels are secured in the 

northern part of ,maine1 but it is said 
that the finest skins are obtained in   
,nova ,scotia and ,newfoundland4  ,the  
weasel from many sections have a        
peculiar1 sulphury yellow cast to the   
fur1 especially on the hind-quarters1   
and of many of these stained skins only 
the black tip of the tail is of value4  
,what causes the stain is not known1    
neither is there any known method for   
removing it4 ,one fur buyer states that 
about seven out of every ten skins      
received1 show this yellow stain and are
 of little value4  ,the weasel is one of
 the most blood-thirsty of animals and  
is very courageous4 ,it is a terror to  
rats1 mice1 rabbits1 partridges and     
poultry4 ,it will kill for the love of  
slaughter1 even when not hungry1 and ,i 
have known a single animal to kill more 
than thirty chickens in a night1 sucking
 only a little of the blood from each4  
,on one occasion ,i knew a farmer who   
had turned a drove of fair-sized pigs   
into a pasture1 and one day1 hearing a  

wild squealing over along the pasture   
fence1 went to investigate4 ,he found   
the entire drove of porkers running     
along the fence and squealing from      
terror and following them was a little  
brown weasel4  ,curiosity is highly     
developed in the weasel4 ,many times ,i 
have seen them in my camp at night and  
if ,i remained perfectly quiet they     
would approach to within a few feet and 
stand upright on their hind legs to get 
a good view4 ,at the least movement1    
however1 they would disappear only to   
return a minute later4  ,as before      
mentioned the weasel is a blood-thirsty 
creature1 and when it finds some food   
that is to its liking it can scarcely be
 driven away4 ,on various occasions ,i  
have found them attempting to remove the
 bait from my traps and such times ,i   
would adjust the trap so as to be very  
easily sprung1 and then step aside and  
wait for the animal to be caught4  ,the 
weasel has a sharp eye and a keen nose4 
,while trapping in the ,north ,i would  

always keep on hand a supply of snared  
rabbits for use as bait1 and often      
weasels would come into the camp at     
night1 attracted by the bait1 and it is 
interesting to note how quickly they    
could scent out the freshest rabbit in  
the pile and by biting into its ears    
would attempt to drag it away4 ,quite   
often they were able to move a fair     
sized rabbit4 ,i usually kept a trap    
setting in my camp and in this way in   
one season caught fifteen weasels in one
 camp4  ,i have never learned anything  
regarding the breeding habits of the    
weasel1 but judging from the large      
numbers of these animals found in       
favorable localities ,i would say that  
they are very prolific4  ,for trapping  
this animal ,i recommend the ,no4 #a    
#a_/b trap and prefer a trap that is    
loosely hinged and springs easily1 such 
as the ,victor4 ,any trap will hold a   
weasel but when caught in the smaller   
sizes they quite often double up about  
the jaws and when they die and freeze in

 that position it is difficult to remove
 them from the trap4 ,with the #a #a_/b 
they are always caught over the body and
 there is little trouble from that      
source4 ,as the animal is so very light 
in weight it is necessary that the trap 
springs very easily4 ,there are various 
styles of rat traps on the market which 
make excellent weasel traps1 but as one 
never knows what animal may happen      
along1 ,i prefer to use the steel trap4 
,my method of setting is to place the   
trap inside of a small enclosure of     
chunks of wood1 bark1 sticks or whatever
 is most convenient4 ,no covering is    
needed but when setting on the snow ,i  
make a bed of evergreen boughs for the  
trap to rest on4 ,rotten wood will      
answer just as well4 ,i fasten the bait 
with a stick just back of the trap so   
that the weasel will be obliged to stand
 on the trap when attempting to remove  
the bait1 for it should be remembered   
that they will never eat any food where 
they find it if able to move it away4   

,fasten the trap securely for some      
larger animal is likely to be caught4 ,i
 do not place the traps far apart1 where
 tracks are seen in fair numbers1 and ,i
 drag a fresh killed rabbit from set to 
set1 splitting it open with a knife so  
as to leave a bloody trail4 ,any weasel 
that strikes the trail is sure to follow
 it4  ,for bait ,i prefer rabbit to     
anything else as it contains more blood 
than other baits and fresh blood is the 
only scent that ,i know of which will   
attract the weasel4  ,in order to obtain
 good prices it is necessary that the   
fur be kept clean and ,i use a small    
cloth bag in which to carry my catch4   
,the tracks of the weasel resemble those
 of the mink but are considerably       
smaller4 ,the average length of jump is 
perhaps about eighteen inches4          
,illustration3 ,the ,marten4            
,,chapter ,v4  ,,the ,,marten4  ,the    
marten is a carnivorous animal belonging
 to the same family as the weasel4 ,the 
principal species are the pine marten of

 ,north ,america1 the beech or stone    
marten of northern ,europe1 the sable of
 ,russia and ,siberia and the ,japanese 
sable4 ,naturalists usually class the   
fisher with the martens1 also4 ,the     
,russian sable is the finest of the     
martens1 the pine marten of ,labrador   
being next in value4 ,the pine marten is
 found throughout the timbered regions  
of ,canada and ,alaska1 also in the     
mountainous districts of the western    
states4 ,a few are still found in       
northern ,minnesota1 ,wisconsin1        
,michigan1 ,new ,york1 ,vermont1 ,new   
,hampshire and ,maine4  ,in size the    
marten is about the same as the mink of 
the ,north and ,east1 being somewhat    
lighter in the body1 but the longer fur 
causes it to appear fully as large4 ,it 
has longer legs than the mink1 and the  
feet are larger and heavily furred4 ,the
 tail is thick and bushy1 the ears and  
eyes1 large and the muzzle is more      
pointed than that of the mink4 ,the fur 
is very fine and soft1 the color varying

 from a rich yellow to almost black4    
,the fur of the tail is darker than that
 of the body1 and the face1 lighter4    
,the ears1 on the edges1 are greyish    
white and there ,is always a yellow or  
orange spot on the throat4  ,in the more
 southern portions of their range1 the  
martens are quite pale4 ,the finest and 
darkest skins come from ,labrador and   
the country east and south of ,hudson   
,bay1 also from northern ,british       
,columbia and the interior of ,alaska   
and the ,yukon province4 ,the marten is 
strictly an animal of the woods1 being  
found only in the heavily timbered      
country4 ,their favorite haunts are in  
the rough1 broken country1 where the    
timber is of various kinds4 ,they feed  
on rabbits1 squirrels1 mice1 birds and  
eggs and probably have no trouble in    
obtaining a sufficient amount of food1  
but unlike the mink and the weasel1 they
 never kill more than is needed to      
supply their wants4  ,the young are     
usually born in ,april1 and there are   

from three to five at a birth4 ,just    
where they make their dens ,i cannot    
say4 ,some writers say they live in     
hollow trees1 while others assert that  
they live in holes in the rocks or      
ground4 ,i should say that the latter   
idea is most likely to be correct1 at   
least as regards the marten of the far  
north1 as in that part of the country1  
hollow trees are few and far between4   
,one peculiarity regarding the martens  
is the fact that they occasionally      
disappear from a locality in which they 
were formerly numerous4 ,the common     
supposition is that they migrate to new 
feeding grounds when food becomes       
scarce4  ,the marten travels mostly in  
the gullies and depressions on the      
mountains and hills4 ,as they usually   
follow the same route1 when one sees    
their tracks in such a place1 he can be 
reasonably sure1 if he sets his trap    
there1 that he will make a catch4 ,they 
are not shy or suspicious and are easily
 caught4 ,in many ways1 marten trapping 

is the most pleasant as well as the most
 profitable kind of trapping4 ,as they  
are found only in the timbered country1 
the trapper does not feel the storms    
like he would in an open country4 ,they 
are easily caught1 light to carry and   
easily skinned4 ,moreover1 they are a   
very valuable fur and if one is in a    
good locality1 he will make a large     
catch in a season4 ,they usually become 
prime about the #aeth of ,october and   
remain in good condition until the last 
of ,march4  ,in countries where the snow
 does not fall too deep1 the traps are  
set in small enclosures1 the same as for
 the mink4 ,if there is snow on the     
ground1 ,i set my traps as follows4     
,with my snowshoes1 ,i tramp the snow   
down solid1 at the foot of a tree1 and  
build a small pen of stakes1 or chunks  
split from an old stump4 ,the stakes or 
chunks1 are arranged so as to form the  
sides of the pen and the sides are      
placed about six or seven inches apart1 
the tree forming the back of the pen4 ,i

 roof the pen with evergreen boughs1 to 
protect the trap from the falling snow4 
,it is a good idea to leave a couple of 
boughs hang down over the mouth of the  
pen so as to hide the bait from the     
birds1 and also to prevent the rabbits  
from entering the pen4 ,i set the trap  
on a bed of boughs1 just inside of the  
pen1 and cover lightly with tips of     
evergreen4 ,the bait is placed on a     
stick behind the trap4 ,i fasten the    
trap to a toggle1 but if only marten is 
expected1 the trap may be fastened in   
almost any way1 as they seldom escape4  
,it is also a good idea to bend a small 
twig and place it under the pan of the  
trap1 to prevent it from being sprung by
 birds1 squirrels and weasels4  ,for    
bait1 rabbit1 partridge1 squirrel1 fish1
 small birds or meat of almost any kind 
is good4 ,the ,indians sometimes        
smoke-cure salmon1 pickerel1 or white   
fish1 for marten bait1 and other        
trappers use putrefied salmon roe1 but  
the majority prefer to use fresh bait4  

,some trappers advise dragging a piece  
of fresh1 bloody meat along the line1 to
 lead the marten to the trap4           
,illustration3 ,a ,marten ,set4         
,another very good method is the        
following3 ,find a small spruce1 about  
three inches in diameter and cut the    
tree about two feet above the snow1     
leaving the top of the stump ,v shape4  
,draw the tree forward and lay it over  
the stump1 so that the butt of the tree 
will be three or three and a half feet  
above the snow4 ,now1 about a foot back 
from the end1 flatten off a place for   
the trap and set the trap on the pole4  
,tie the trap fast with a light string  
and loop the chain around the tree4     
,split the butt of the tree1 and fasten 
the bait in the split4 ,this is a very  
good set1 possessing advantages over    
most methods4 ,the birds can not eat the
 bait1 the trap is not bothered by      
weasels or rabbits1 the marten must     
stand on the trap when trying to get the
 bait1 and when caught1 falls off the   

pole and can not get back4  ,in the     
mountains1 where the snow falls deep1   
the traps are set on the trees1 five or 
six feet above the snow4 ,the most      
common way1 is to make two cuts in the  
tree with an axe1 and drive in two      
wooden pegs1 about five inches apart4   
,set the trap and place it on the pegs1 
one peg passing through the bow of the  
spring1 the other between the jaws and  
the bottom of the trap4 ,draw the chain 
around the tree and staple solidly4 ,the
 bait is pinned to the tree1 about a    
foot above the trap4 ,a bunch of boughs 
may be placed over the bait to hide it  
from the birds4  ,if desired1 a notch   
may be cut in the tree and a trap set in
 the notch4 ,the notch should be about  
four inches deep and about twelve inches
 from top to bottom4 ,cut the bottom    
smooth1 so the trap will set solid and  
fasten the bait in the top of the notch4
 ,staple the trap to the tree4 ,if      
desired1 you can lean a pole against the
 tree for the marten to run up on1 but  

this is not necessary4  ,the trapper    
should always be on the lookout for     
places in which the trap may be set     
without much labor4 ,sometimes a tree   
can be found1 with a hollow in one side 
and this makes a good place for a set4  
,lean a pole against the tree1 with one 
end resting in the hollow1 set a trap on
 the pole and place a bait in the cavity
 above the trap4 ,at other times a      
cavity may be made in the side of a     
rotten stub and a trap set in the same  
way4 ,the traps recommended for marten  
are the ,no4 #a of any make1 but the    
,no4 #j ,newhouse is much used4 ,if     
there are fishers1 lynx and other large 
animals about1 it is best to use a ,no4 
#a #a_/b trap4 ,deadfalls are also used 
and they may be built on the ground or  
snow1 or on the top of a stump1 or the  
side of a tree4 ,the track of the marten
 resembles that of the mink1 except that
 it is a trifle larger and the footprint
 wider in proportion to the length4 ,the
 toes do not make as clear a print as do

 those of the mink1 the feet being more 
heavily furred4    ,illustration3 ,the  
,fisher4    ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,the      
,,fisher4  ,the fisher belongs to the   
weasel family and is classed by         
naturalists among the martens1 under the
 name of ,pennant's ,marten4 ,to the    
trappers1 however1 it is best known as  
the fisher1 and in the ,eastern ,states 
and ,eastern ,canada1 as the black cat4 
,it is strictly a ,north ,american      
animal1 being found scattered over a    
large part of ,canada and ,alaska1 and  
also in ,california and other parts of  
the ,pacific ,coast1 ,northern          
,michigan1 the ,adirondack mountains of 
,new ,york1 the ,white mountains of ,new
 ,hampshire and in ,northern ,maine4    
,in general appearance1 the fisher      
resembles both the marten and the       
wolverine1 but is larger than the former
 and smaller than the latter4 ,compared 
with the marten1 the ears are smaller   
and more rounded1 the tail longer and   
the animal is far more stoutly built4   

,an average1 full size fisher1 will     
measure two feet from the nose to the   
root of the tail and will weigh from ten
 to fifteen pounds4 ,the tail is        
peculiar1 and is the most valuable part 
of the skin2 ,it measures1 usually1     
about sixteen inches in length1 is      
heavily furred1 thick at the base1 and  
tapers to a point4 ,the color of the fur
 varies1 some specimens being very pale 
and others almost black4 ,the general   
color is a yellowish grey on the face1  
head and neck1 light brown on the back1 
dark brown on the hind-quarters and the 
tail and legs1 a brownish black4 ,the   
under parts are darker than the back4   
,the fur is fairly fine and soft1 though
 not nearly as fine as that of the      
marten4  ,for its size1 the fisher is an
 exceedingly powerful animal1 and is    
rather hard to hold in a trap1 as it    
will struggle as long as life lasts4    
,the animal possesses a musk1 having a  
peculiar1 rank odor1 which it ejects    
when alarmed4 ,the food of the fisher   

consists principally of rabbits1        
partridges and other small animals and  
birds1 but it will scarcely refuse      
anything in the line of flesh1          
occasionally eating mink1 weasel1 etc41 
out of traps4 ,it also preys on raccoons
 in the parts of its range where those  
animals are found and sometimes kills   
and eats the porcupine4 ,neither is it a
 strictly carnivorous animal1 as it     
feeds largely on the berries of the     
mountain ash and in seasons when these  
berries are plentiful1 the fisher does  
not take bait well4 ,at such times the  
,indian trappers will often use a bunch 
of mountain ash berries for bait4  ,they
 are found most plentiful on the higher 
ground1 where the land is fairly well   
timbered1 and the surface of the country
 is very ragged4 ,they are great        
travelers and follow the wooded ravines 
whenever possible4 ,like all other      
animals of a rambling nature1 each      
individual has its regular route of     
travel1 and when you see a track1       

especially in a ravine1 you may be sure 
that the animal will come that way      
again4 ,the fur becomes prime about the 
first of ,november1 and remains in good 
condition until the first of ,april1 or 
sometimes longer4 ,they are not very    
prolific1 there being only from two to  
four in a litter4 ,the young are usually
 born in ,april4  ,usually1 the fisher  
is easily trapped and will enter the    
trap as readily as the marten1 but there
 are off seasons when food is plenty and
 the animals are rather shy4 ,on such   
occasions ,i have seen them refuse to   
cross my trail in the snow4 ,in most    
cases1 however1 they will jump into the 
trail and follow it to the trap4 ,when  
trapped1 the animal struggles violently 
and if the leg is broken1 is likely to  
twist off the foot and escape4 ,it will 
also chew up everything within reach and
 the traps must be well fastened4 ,the  
use of a balance pole is advised1 but   
where1 for any reason1 it cannot be     
used1 the traps should be fastened to a 

heavy log4 ,the most common method for  
trapping the fisher is by setting a trap
 in a pen of stakes or a natural        
enclosure1 the same as recommended for  
marten1 but the pen should be larger4   
,it should be two feet high1 wide at the
 top and just wide enough for the trap  
at the bottom4  ,the bait should be     
placed on a stick in the back of the pen
 and the trap should be covered with    
some light material4 ,the pen should be 
roofed with evergreen boughs1 to protect
 the trap from the snow4 ,it is the     
custom among the ,indian trappers to    
make the trap pen of green wood1        
splitting it and placing the stakes so  
that the split side will be inward4 ,the
 object in this is to enable the animal 
to more easily locate the bait1 for     
sometimes when the fisher scents the    
bait but cannot find it at once1 he     
moves on4 ,if however1 the pen presents 
a bright interior it attracts the       
animal's attention and leads to an      
investigation4 ,this method is used     

generally1 but should not be employed   
when setting for the more wary animals4 
,the ,indians also at times hang the    
bait by a piece of light wire1 in       
preference to placing on a stick4 ,this 
is so that the little wood-mice can not 
reach and destroy the bait1 and ,i have 
found it to be a very good plan4 ,a     
small twig should be placed under the   
pan of the trap to prevent squirrels and
 birds from springing it4  ,for trapping
 the fisher1 ,i recommend the ,no4 #a   
#a_/b traps of all makes1 also the ,no4 
#b ,victor and ,oneida ,jump traps4 ,mr4
 ,charles ,carner1 a noted trapper of   
,california1 uses the following method4 
,find somewhere on the fisher's route of
 travel1 a small bushy evergreen tree   
with limbs coming down to the ground1   
cut away a few of the limbs1 on one     
side1 so as to make a sort of enclosure4
 ,the limbs that are cut away should be 
stuck in at the sides and back to make  
the pen tighter4 ,the bait should be    
tied to the stem of the tree and the    

trap set a short distance in front of   
the bait1 so as to catch the animal by  
the fore foot4 ,the trap is fastened    
securely to the butt of the tree4 ,mr4  
,carner recommends the use of the       
following scent4 ,fish oil1 oil of      
anise1 assafoetida and muskrat musk1    
thoroughly mixed4 ,he saturates a rabbit
 with the scent and draws it from trap  
to trap1 and on the last trap uses the  
rabbit for bait4 ,this scent is also    
used by some other noted trappers4  ,i  
have also caught fishers by building a  
pen on an old log1 lying with one end   
above the ground4 ,i would make some    
splits in the log with my axe1 drive in 
a few stakes and weave evergreen boughs 
among the stakes1 roofing the pen with  
boughs4 ,the trap should be set the same
 as in the first method and should be   
stapled to the top of the log1 so that  
when the animal jumps off on either     
side1 he can not get his front feet or  
the trap down to the ground4 ,the above 
methods are all very good1 but if a     

particularly shy animal refuses to enter
 the pen1 try setting in a natural      
enclosure1 and if this fails1 try the   
following method3  ,under some thick    
evergreen tree1 scrape up a cone shaped 
pile of snow1 making it two feet high   
and pack the snow solid4 ,have the trap 
fastened to a clog and bury the clog in 
the snow4 ,in the very top of the mound1
 hollow out a place for the trap and    
line this place with evergreen tips4    
,set the trap in this nest1 cover it    
with a piece of paper1 and brush a half 
inch of snow lightly over the paper4    
,for bait1 use a whole partridge or     
rabbit and hang it by a string from a   
limb of the tree1 so that it hangs about
 two and a half feet above the trap4    
,brush your tracks shut with a bunch of 
boughs and when looking at the trap do  
not go too close4 ,this method is very  
good for the shy ones but is too much   
trouble to use as a regular set1 when   
putting out a long line of traps4 ,the  
best places in which to set for fishers 

is in the timbered ravines1 especially  
where two ravines join4 ,other good     
places are at the ends of lakes1 the    
points of swamps1 and in narrow strips  
of timber connecting larger bodies4     
,the track of the fisher is very similar
 to that of the marten but is larger4   
,the length of jump is about three feet 
and the footprints from one and a half  
to two inches in length4                
,illustration3 ,the ,otter4    ,,chapter
 ,,vii4  ,,the ,,otter4  ,the otter is a
 carnivorous animal1 somewhat resembling
 the mink in appearance4 ,they are found
 in various parts of the world and will 
be met with in most of the wilder parts 
of ,north ,america4 ,the northern or    
,canadian otter is the most common1 but 
there are other varieties known as the  
,carolina otter1 the ,florida otter and 
the ,newfoundland otter4 ,in habits and 
general appearance they are all similar4
  ,a distinct species is found in the   
,north ,pacific1 and is known as the sea
 otter4 ,this animal is considerably    

larger than the fresh water species1 and
 has a shorter tail4 ,the fur is of     
great value4  ,the otter is an aquatic  
animal1 living in and near the streams  
and lakes1 and getting its living from  
them4 ,it has a long body1 short1 stout 
legs1 and webbed feet2 the tail is long1
 thick at the base1 and tapering to a   
point4 ,the neck is thick1 the head     
comparatively small1 with small ears1   
set well down on the sides of the head4 
,the fur is of two kinds1 the under fur 
being fine1 soft and wavy1 and of a     
light silvery color2 while the outer fur
 or guard hairs1 are longer1 coarser1   
and usually straight1 the color varying 
from brown to almost black4 ,the fur of 
the tail and under parts is shorter and 
stiffer than that on the back1 sides and
 neck2 that on the under parts having a 
silvery tint4 ,otters frequently measure
 three and one-half feet in length and  
weigh from fifteen to twenty-five       
pounds4 ,the skin1 when stretched1 will 
often measure five feet from tip to tip1

 and sometimes even more4  ,the food of 
the otter consists principally of fish1 
trout being their favorite food2 but    
they also feed on muskrats1 clams1      
frogs1 and the smaller animal life1     
found in the beds of streams and lakes4 
,they capture muskrats by entering their
 houses and their holes in the banks4   
,otters usually make burrows in the     
banks of streams1 lining the nest with  
leaves and grass4 ,the entrances to     
these burrows are under the water and it
 is my belief that they inhabit them    
only during the breeding season4 ,the   
young are born in ,april and ,may and   
there are from two to four in a litter4 
,the otter is a great traveler1         
following the lakes and water courses1  
sometimes going a distance of one       
hundred miles on a single trip4         
,apparently he is always in a great     
hurry to reach a certain place1 some    
lake or pond1 at which1 having reached1 
he may remain for several months1 and   
again he may leave immediately after his

 arrival4  ,otters sometimes have slides
 on the banks of streams1 down which    
they slide into the water1 apparently   
for pastime4 ,they also have landing    
places on the banks of streams and on   
logs projecting into the water1 where   
they go to roll in the grass and leaves1
 or to lie in the sun4 ,these places are
 seldom visited in the fall1 but in the 
spring1 they will land at almost every  
place as they come along4  ,in          
traveling1 they usually follow the      
center of the stream1 as they are more  
at home in the water than on land4 ,in  
winter they travel under the ice1       
wherever the water is deep enough to    
allow of their passage4 ,the otter's    
legs being very short1 he has a peculiar
 method of traveling on the ice or snow4
 ,he throws himself forward1 sliding on 
his belly1 and by repeating the move in 
rapid succession1 is enabled to get     
along at a surprising rate of speed4    
,wherever there is a sharp bend in the  
stream1 the otter will make a short cut 

across the point1 and if the stream is  
traveled much1 you will find a          
well-defined trail in such a place4     
,where two streams lie close together1  
they sometimes have a trail from one    
stream to another4 ,also wherever a long
 point of land projects into a lake1    
they are likely to have a trail across  
the point4  ,the otter appears to be on 
very friendly terms with the beaver1 and
 if there are any beavers in the        
country1 the otter is sure to find them 
and will spend considerable time in the 
same pond4 ,when there are a number of  
families of beavers in the same         
locality1 the otter will spend nearly   
all of its time with the beavers1       
visiting from one family to another4    
,wherever he finds beaver cutting along 
the stream1 he examines it1 and will    
most likely follow up the stream to find
 the beaver4 ,this habit is taken       
advantage of by the ,indian trappers of 
the north1 as will be explained later4  
,in the north1 the otter becomes prime  

about the first week in ,november1 and  
remains in good condition until about   
the first of ,june4 ,in the south they  
are seldom prime until the first of     
,december1 and commence to shed from the
 first to the fifteenth of ,april4 ,the 
fur of the otter is valuable1 the dark1 
straight haired ones being worth the    
most4 ,occasionally an otter is found   
having a decided curl to the ends of the
 hair1 the ends being turned forward4   
,these are called curly otters and are  
not near so valuable as the others4     
,otters are found in good numbers in the
 swamps of the southern states2 in      
,florida1 ,arkansas1 ,mississippi1      
,louisiana and the lowlands of ,texas4  
,they are also quite plentiful in some  
parts of ,massachusetts1 ,new           
,hampshire1 ,vermont and ,maine2 also in
 the wilds of ,labrador1 ,ungava1       
,quebec1 ,ontario1 ,yukon1 ,mackenzie   
and ,alaska4 ,the most valuable otters  
come from the far north1 but they are   
probably more plentiful in the south1   

and the southern trapper has the        
advantage of having open water all      
winter4  ,the best traps for otter are  
the numbers #b #a_/b1 #c and #c #a_/b   
,newhouse2 the ,nos4 #c and #d ,hawley  
,norton2 and the ,no4 #ad ,oneida jump1 
also the ,seminole pattern1 ,blake      
,lamb4  ,the point to keep in mind when 
trapping for otter1 is that they are    
very shy of the scent of man2 more so   
perhaps than any other animal1 and      
unless great care is observed1 are      
likely to be frightened entirely out of 
the locality in which you are trapping4 
,this human scent theory is disputed by 
some trappers1 but ,i speak from my own 
experience1 and from the experience of  
many expert trappers with whom ,i am    
acquainted4 ,if one will use a little   
judgment he will readily understand why 
human scent is alarming to many wild    
animals4 ,man is the natural enemy of   
all wild animal life1 and all wild      
creatures realize this fact4 ,now you   
will see that any indications of the    

presence of man1 puts the animal on its 
guard2 especially is this the case in   
the wilderness where the animals are not
 accustomed to seeing the tracks of man 
wherever they go4 ,when an animals finds
 human scent1 he has positive proof that
 man has been in that vicinity4         
,footprints and other human signs1 if   
there is no scent1 are not so alarming1 
as they are likely to be mistaken for   
signs made by some wild animal4         
,although the animals of the wilderness 
are more afraid of human scent than     
those found in the settled countries1   
they are just as easily trapped4 ,the   
more wary animals found in settled      
parts1 are always looking for danger    
because of the continued presence of man
 in their locality1 but on the other    
hand1 they are not likely to be         
frightened by human scent because it is 
a common thing to them4  ,as mentioned  
before the otter is sure to visit the   
beavers1 if there are any about1 so if  
you know of a family of beavers1 go to  

that place and if you can find an old   
beaver dam1 on the stream somewhere1    
below where the beavers are located1    
make a break in the center of this dam1 
so that all of the water will flow      
through this opening1 and set the trap  
in the water1 in the upper end of this  
passage4 ,narrow down the passage to    
about eight inches1 by driving a few old
 stakes on each side of the trap4 ,the  
trap may be staked1 but it is better1 if
 the water is deep enough1 to use a     
sliding pole1 so that the captured      
animal will drown4 ,no covering is      
needed on the trap1 but after it is set1
 the entire setting should be drenched  
with water1 to remove the human scent4  
,this is an excellent set and will      
remain in working order until late in   
the fall1 as the water immediately above
 the break in the dam will not freeze   
until long after other water is closed  
by ice4 ,even in the coldest weather    
this set may be kept from freezing by   
roofing it over with evergreen boughs1  

and banking it well with snow4  ,beavers
 and beaver dams are not found in every 
locality1 but wherever otters are found 
traveling on small streams1 they may be 
trapped in the following manner3  ,find 
a narrow place in the stream1 where the 
water flows smoothly1 and narrow up the 
stream by placing a bunch of old dead   
brush in each side1 leaving a passage of
 about eight inches in the middle4 ,lay 
a few stones among the brush to keep    
them in place4 ,set the trap in the     
opening1 and splash water over the brush
 and banks4 ,the trap may be staked but 
it is better to fasten to a clog4 ,cut a
 small sapling of such a size that the  
ring of the chain will just pass over   
the butt of the sapling4 ,slip the ring 
over the clog and fasten it by splitting
 the butt and drive a wedge in the      
split1 or by driving a staple over the  
ring4 ,the clog may be placed on the    
upper side of the brush1 used to block  
the stream1 and the top may be tied to  
the shore1 so that it will not be       

carried away by high water4 ,in very    
small streams1 a narrow passage may be  
made1 by simply placing a few stones in 
either side1 leaving a narrow passage in
 the middle1 in which to set the trap4  
,when you can find a sharp bend in the  
stream1 with a trail across the point1  
set the trap in the water1 at the end of
 the trail4 ,use same care as advised   
for the other sets4  ,for spring        
trapping this method is excellent3 if   
you can find one of the otter's landing 
places on the bank1 prepare the place   
for setting in the fall in the following
 manner3 ,make a nest for the trap in   
the center of the trail and fill the    
nest with grass and leaves4 ,lay a bunch
 of dead brush or a chunk of rotten wood
 on each side of the trail1 so as to    
leave only a narrow passage and cut a   
clog and lay it in place4 ,the otters   
seldom visit these places in the fall1  
so there is no danger of frightening    
them4 ,in the spring1 before the snow is
 all gone1 go and set your trap in the  

place prepared1 covering with the leaves
 and grass1 and attach to the clog1     
covering the entire setting with a      
little snow4 ,as the snow melts1 it     
takes with it all of the scent and      
signs1 leaving the trap ready for the   
first otter that comes along4  ,if you  
do not find the landing places until    
after the snow is gone1 set the traps   
just the same1 washing the scent away by
 sprinkling with water1 or set the traps
 in the water where the otter climbs up 
the bank4    ,illustration3 ,otter ,trap
 ,set ,under ,ice4  ,another very good  
method for spring trapping1 is to set   
the trap in the edge of the water1 where
 the bank bluffs a little1 sticking up a
 few fresh cut1 green sticks behind the 
trap1 and at the sides4 ,post a piece of
 the dried oil castor of the beaver on a
 stick1 behind the trap1 and about ten  
inches high4 ,the ordinary beaver castor
 is also good4 ,the oil castor is very  
attractive to the otter1 and the green  
sticks are also attractive1 as the otter

 mistakes them for beaver cutting4      
,always fasten the trap so the animal   
will drown1 as you are likely to catch a
 beaver in this set4  ,one of the best  
methods of trapping otter in winter1    
after the streams are closed with ice1  
is as follows3 ,find a long pool of     
still water1 where you are sure the     
otter will be traveling under the ice1  
and at either end of this pool1 where   
the water is about ten inches deep1 cut 
a hole through the ice1 make a pen of   
dead sticks in the water1 making the pen
 about nine inches wide1 by twelve or   
fifteen inches deep4 ,now take a fish   
and fasten it to a stick1 in the back of
 the pen1 and set the trap in the       
entrance1 staking it securely4 ,drive   
the stake about ten inches in front of  
the pen1 and directly in front of the   
trap4 ,the object in this is to cause   
the otter1 in entering1 to twist his    
body1 in which act1 he will put his foot
 down in the trap4 ,throw some snow in  
the hole1 so it will freeze over4 ,the  

bait should be renewed once a week4 ,in 
case you cannot get fish for bait1 use  
the head of a rabbit1 the breast of a   
partridge1 or a piece of muskrat4 ,the  
bait should be skinned4  ,the otter will
 also be attracted by any white object4 
,i know a trapper who caught one in this
 way by baiting with a white door knob1 
and the ,indians sometimes use a piece  
of fresh peeled poplar for bait4  ,if   
the ice has formed when the water was   
above its usual level1 there will be an 
air space1 between the water and the    
ice4 ,in such a case1 cut a hole through
 the ice at the edge of the water1      
placing a piece of beaver castor on a   
stick behind the trap4 ,the hole may be 
closed by covering with a block of ice4 
,when the otter has been working on a   
lake for some time1 you will find where 
he has been coming out at the           
springholes1 which are found on nearly  
all lakes4 ,in such places the water is 
always shallow1 and a trap may be set on
 the bottom directly under the hole4    

,great care must be used however1 for if
 the otter is not caught the first time 
he comes out1 he will be frightened     
away4  ,otters often land on the logs   
which project into the water4 ,when you 
can find such a log1 cut a notch for a  
trap1 so that it will set about two     
inches deep1 and place some mud in the  
notch so as to hide the fresh cutting4  
,some very successful trappers1 set     
their traps in this way1 and place some 
good scent on the log1 above the trap4  
,if you can find an otter slide1 find   
the place where the animal lands on the 
bank to visit the slide1 and set the    
trap under about two inches of water4   
,the ,nos4 #b #a_/b and #c #a_/b        
,newhouse traps were designed especially
 for trapping otters on their slides4   
,the trap should be set at the foot of  
the slide1 so as to catch the animal by 
the breast or body4  ,otters often      
travel in pairs1 and it is usually      
advisable to set two or three traps on  
one stream4  ,do not make your camp near

 the stream1 and do not travel along the
 stream more than necessary4 ,in looking
 at the traps1 do not go too close1     
unless the traps need your attention4   
,there is no way in which the sea otter 
can be trapped and they are hunted only 
with rifles4 ,the methods employed in   
hunting them have been very successful  
and as a consequence the animal has been
 practically exterminated4  ,the track  
of the otter is peculiar1 owing to their
 strange mode of travel4 ,as before     
mentioned their method of travel is a   
series of plunging slides and in the    
snow they make a deep furrow1 their     
footprints being from four to eight feet
 apart1 according to the sliding        
conditions4 ,when two or more are       
traveling in company1 they will usually 
all run in the same trail4 ,their tracks
 are as a rule1 only seen on lakes and  
streams1 but occasionally they will go  
overland from one stream to another4    
,the footprints will measure about one  
and one-half or one and three-fourths   

inches in length and about the same in  
width4    ,illustration3 ,the ,beaver4  
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,the ,,beaver4      
,when this country was first explored   
and settled1 beavers were found in good 
numbers throughout the ,united ,states  
and ,canada1 but at present they are    
extinct in many of the states where they
 were once abundant4 ,today they are    
found in fair numbers throughout the    
greater part of ,canada and ,alaska1    
also in a few of the northern and       
western states4 ,there are also a few   
beavers found in the south at the       
present time4 ,however1 many of the     
states1 as well as some of the provinces
 of ,canada1 have made laws prohibiting 
the trapping or killing of beavers1 to  
prevent them from being exterminated4   
,the beaver is an amphibious animal1    
resembling the muskrat in appearance but
 much larger4 ,it has the same thick1   
heavy body1 short neck and scaly tail4  
,the hind feet are large and strong and 
the toes are connected by a web2 the    

front feet are small4 ,the tail is      
paddle shaped1 four or five inches wide 
and about ten inches long4 ,when full   
grown1 the beaver will weigh from forty 
to fifty pounds1 although occasionally a
 much larger one is found4 ,the under   
fur is very fine and soft1 and is mixed 
with longer and coarser hairs called    
guard hairs4 ,the prevailing color is a 
rich1 reddish brown1 on the back and    
sides1 and ashy beneath4  ,the food of  
the beaver consists mostly of bark1 of  
such woods as poplar1 birch1 willow and 
cottonwood1 as well as the roots of the 
water lily4 ,in the south they also eat 
corn4  ,beavers build houses of sticks1 
stones1 and mud1 similar in shape to the
 houses of the muskrat1 locating        
usually1 in the edge1 of a pond or lake1
 but often making a large pond to suit  
their requirements1 by building a dam   
across the stream4 ,even when their     
houses are built on a lake or pond1 they
 always build a dam across the outlet1  
so as to raise the water two or three   

feet4  ,the dams are built of the same  
material as the houses4 ,sometimes there
 are one or two small dams found below  
the main dam1 and they are so well made 
that they will last for many years1 and 
are so tight that the water usually     
drips evenly over the top4  ,the houses 
are also very well made1 the walls being
 several feet in thickness4 ,there are  
usually two entrances1 both under water4
 ,the size and general shape of the     
house depends on the number of beavers  
inhabiting it4 ,the house of a full     
family of beavers will usually measure  
about twelve feet in diameter at the    
water line1 but will some times be even 
larger1 and the height is about six or  
seven feet4 ,when there are only two or 
three beavers1 the house is much        
smaller1 and more pointed on the top4   
,a full family consists of from six to  
eight members4 ,there are usually two   
old beavers1 two or three two year olds1
 and two or three young4 ,the reason for
 this is that the young beavers remain  

two years with the parents1 and as it   
requires several years for them to grow 
their full size1 there are always three 
sizes in a family4 ,when they have      
reached the age of two years1 they start
 out and make a house of their own1 the 
beavers born the spring before1 becoming
 the medium size1 and a new litter      
taking their place4 ,by autumn1 the     
beavers that have left the main family  
have their house and dam completed and a
 store of food laid up for winter4      
,many of the beavers travel about       
through the summer1 following the       
streams1 and return to their homes early
 in the fall4 ,sometimes1 if they are   
late in getting back they will have to  
work day and night1 in order to get     
sufficient food gathered for winter1    
before the ice comes4 ,this food        
consists of saplings and small trees1   
which they gnaw off about a foot above  
the ground1 drag into the edge of the   
water1 where they are cut up into pieces
 of different lengths1 stored away1     

under water in front of the house4 ,just
 how they cause this wood to sink1      
remain in place under the water1 is a   
mystery4 ,the beaver spends the entire  
winter under the ice4 ,when he feels    
hungry he goes out and gets a piece of  
wood1 takes it into the house1 eats the 
bark1 and takes the peeled stick out    
again4 ,they repair the house and dam   
each fall and they also make holes in   
the bank under water1 to which they can 
retreat in case the house is disturbed1 
or when they hear a noise on the ice4   
,trappers who are well acquainted with  
the habits of the beaver1 can make a    
fair estimate of the number of inmates  
of a house4 ,it sometimes happens that a
 pair of young beavers1 or a lone beaver
 that has escaped from some family which
 has been trapped1 will locate in an old
 deserted house1 and then it is not such
 an easy matter4 ,the experienced       
trapper1 however1 is not likely to be   
fooled4 ,he goes along the shore and    
carefully examines the stumps1 where the

 animals have been cutting trees for    
food4 ,the amount of stuff that has been
 cut will show1 usually2 but he has     
still a better way of determining       
whether the work was done by one or more
 beavers4 ,he examines the teeth marks  
on the stumps1 and if they are all      
alike1 he decides that there is not a   
full family1 but only two1 or perhaps   
only one4  ,a lone beaver that has      
escaped from the trapper1 is difficult  
to trap4 ,i remember once finding such a
 one1 located on a large pool of a fair 
sized stream4 ,he had no dam and had    
only a small house along the bank4 ,i   
found him in the fall1 while the water  
was still open1 and he was busy laying  
in a supply of food for winter4 ,well1  
,i went there one rainy day and set two 
traps4 ,i set the traps very carefully1 
fastening to sliding poles1 which ,i had
 cut quite a distance away so as not to 
make any noise near the house4 ,the rain
 washed the scent away in a short time1 
and ,i could see no reason why he should

 take alarm2 but he did1 just the same4 
,i kept those traps set a week1 but did 
not catch him1 nor did ,i ever see any  
fresh signs there1 after ,i had set the 
traps4 ,apparently he had left the place
 immediately after ,i had set the traps4
 ,an ,indian trapper had trapped several
 families of beavers1 near there the    
season before1 and this beaver was one  
that had given him the slip4  ,in       
cutting timber1 the beaver takes the    
wood in small chips1 gnawing all around 
the tree1 until it falls4 ,he knows     
absolutely nothing about throwing the   
tree in the direction in which he wishes
 it to fall1 but lets it fall just as it
 is inclined to go4 ,i have seen where a
 tree had lodged1 refusing to fall1 and 
the beaver had stood up and cut several 
pieces off the butt1 and as the tree    
still refused to fall1 he had let it    
remain hanging4 ,it was a case of hard  
work and no pay4  ,when one finds a     
family of beavers1 and expects to trap  
the same ground each season1 he should  

not attempt to catch them all1 as by    
leaving a few to breed1 he is sure of   
getting beavers each season4 ,the       
,indians1 in such cases1 trap the old   
beavers only1 which they do by setting  
the traps a good distance from the      
house1 for the young beavers never      
venture far away4  ,many beavers are    
trapped in the fall just before the ice 
forms1 but their fur is not prime until 
mid-winter4 ,in the north they remain in
 good condition until the first of      
,june2 in the south they would probably 
not be good after the middle of ,april4 
,beaver castors have a market value1    
usually selling for seven or eight      
dollars a pound4 ,in preparing them1    
they should be dried slowly1 in a shady 
place4 ,most trappers prefer to keep the
 castors for scent1 as it is attractive 
to many animals4 ,the ,indians sometimes
 combine the two scents by making a hole
 in the beaver castors1 and squeezing   
the contents of the oil castors into    
them4 ,the castors are then hung up and 

allowed to dry4 ,this is more or less   
attractive to all animals1 only a small 
piece being used in connection with the 
bait4  ,the best traps for beavers are  
the ,nos4 #b #a_/b1 #c1 #c #a_/b and #d 
,newhouse1 the ,no4 #d ,victor1 the ,no4
 #d ,oneida ,jump1 and ,blake  ,lamb4   
,illustration3 ,trap ,set for           
,beaver--,sliding ,pole4  ,the following
 methods of trapping are for use in open
 water1 in either the fall or spring4   
,the first method given is usually      
considered best3  ,find a place where   
the bank bluffs a little and the water  
is of good depth4 ,make a little pocket 
in the bank1 several inches deep1 and   
set the trap in the water directly in   
front of this pocket1 where the pan of  
the trap will be about two inches under 
water4 ,take a piece of beaver castor   
and fasten it to the bank with a stick1 
about fourteen inches above the water1  
and as far back in the pocket as        
possible4 ,if you are using some other  
scent instead of beaver castor1 just dip

 a small stick in the scent and fasten  
it to the bank4 ,fasten the trap so that
 the beaver will drown2 the sliding pole
 is best4 ,be sure to use a dead pole or
 stake1 as if a green pole is used the  
other beavers may carry it away1 trap   
and all4 ,this is a very good method for
 spring and fall1 or at any time when   
there is open water3  ,here is another  
method for the same kind of place3  ,set
 the trap under water at the foot of a  
steep bank1 and fasten a couple of green
 poplar or cottonwood sticks on the     
bank1 directly over the trap1 so that   
the beaver will step into the trap in   
trying to reach them4 ,have the fresh   
cut ends of the sticks showing plainly1 
and make your set near the house or dam 
so that the beavers are sure to see it4 
,fasten trap so that the captured animal
 will be sure to drown4 ,no covering is 
needed on traps when they are set under 
water4  ,look for the beaver's slides or
 trails where he drags his food into the
 water1 and if the water is deep enough 

to drown him1 set the trap under about  
two inches of water1 just where he lands
 on the bank4 ,this set is all right in 
the fall1 when the beaver is laying in  
his food for the winter1 but is not much
 good in the spring4 ,some trappers set 
the trap a foot or more from the shore1 
where the water is about six inches     
deep1 as by so doing the beaver is      
caught by the hind foot1 and is not so  
likely to escape4 ,when using a set of  
this kind1 it is best to use a number #c
 #a_/b or #d trap1 as the ,no4 #c is too
 small for the beaver's hind foot4      
,beavers usually have a slide or trail  
over the center of the dam1 and this    
makes a very good place to set a trap4  
,set the trap under water on the upper  
side of the dam1 just where the trail   
leads over4 ,be sure to fasten the trap 
so that the animal will drown1 as if it 
is not drowned1 it is almost certain to 
escape1 and even if it does not1 the    
others will be frightened and you will  
have a hard time to get them4  ,in the  

spring1 after the ice has gone1 it is a 
good plan to set a few traps along the  
stream1 baiting with beaver castor1 as  
the beavers are traveling at this time1 
and you are likely to catch one almost  
anywhere along the streams4 ,when       
setting traps in this way1 it is best to
 drench the set with water to remove the
 human scent4 ,the beaver is seldom     
afraid of human scent1 but there is     
likely to be an otter along that way1   
and you stand a good chance of catching 
him in a trap baited with beaver castor4
  ,beavers may be caught in mid-winter  
and early spring1 by setting baited     
traps under the ice4 ,it is not much use
 to set traps under the ice in early    
winter1 as the beaver's food is still in
 good condition1 and they will not take 
bait well2 moreover you are likely to   
frighten them and make them harder to   
trap later on4 ,the following methods   
are among the best for use under the    
ice1 the one first given1 being most    
used1 and is probably the best3  ,go    

close to the beaver's house where the   
ice is thin1 and by cutting small holes 
in the ice1 find a place where the water
 is about twelve inches deep4 ,having   
found such a place1 enlarge the hole    
until it is about sixteen by twenty     
inches in size1 making a pen the same   
size as the hole1 by shoving down dead  
sticks about four inches apart4 ,if the 
bottom is very hard1 you will have to   
freeze the sticks to the ice1 to hold   
them in place4 ,this may be done by     
throwing snow in the water1 and packing 
it around the sticks and against the    
edge of the ice4 ,when the pen is       
completed1 cut a piece of green poplar  
about #a #a_/b or #b inches thick and   
two or three feet long1 and fasten it to
 a stake by one end--the poplar being   
placed at a right angle to the stake4   
,this green poplar is for bait1 and the 
stake should be driven down in one      
corner of the pen so that the bait is   
within two or three inches from the     
bottom1 and close along one side of the 

pen1 extending a foot or more beyond the
 entrance4    ,illustration3 ,beaver    
,trap ,set ,under ,ice4  ,the trap      
should be staked and set well inside of 
the pen1 and quite close to the bait1 so
 that the jaw of the trap will just     
clear the bait4 ,this set will be       
readily understood by referring to the  
cut4 ,if the bottom is of thin mud1 as  
is often the case1 you will have to make
 a bed for the trap1 by sinking a bunch 
of evergreen boughs inside of the pen4  
,it is also best to fasten the bait near
 the entrance to prevent the beaver from
 swinging it around4 ,when the set is   
completed1 cover the hole with evergreen
 boughs1 bank it with snow1 to keep it  
from freezing4  ,it is best to let this 
set go for about a week before looking  
at it4 ,the beavers will be frightened  
and will not approach the set for a few 
days1 but finally one of them musters up
 courage enough to try to pull the bait 
out of the pen4 ,when he finds it fast1 
he cuts it off at the entrance of the   

pen1 takes it to the house to eat it2   
this sharpens his appetite1 makes him   
more courageous1 and he finally ventures
 into the pen for the balance of the    
bait4 ,in attempting to cut the bait1 he
 places one front foot on the bait and  
the other one in the trap4 ,when using  
this set you should use three or four   
sets at each house4  ,another good ice  
method is as follows3 ,find the proper  
depth of water1 about fourteen inches1  
and make a pen of dead sticks arranging 
them in the form of a half-circle4 ,now 
take some green poplar and shove them   
down firmly into the bottom1 about six  
inches apart1 close up to the stakes1 on
 the inside of the pen4 ,these bait     
sticks must be long enough to reach     
above the ice1 so that they will freeze 
fast at the top4 ,stake the trap and set
 it in the center of the enclosure1 with
 the pan about nine inches from the     
center bait4 ,throw some snow in the    
hole1 so that it will freeze and hold   
the bait sticks securely4  ,the         

following method is one of the best for 
use in deep water3 ,cut a dead pole     
about four inches in diameter and six or
 seven feet long4 ,flatten the pole at  
one end1 and loop the trap chain around 
the pole2 then set the trap on the end  
of the pole and tie it with a string1 to
 hold it in place4 ,now1 cut an oblong  
hole in the ice1 and place the pole in  
the water in an inclined position so    
that the trap is about twelve inches    
below the ice4 ,pack wet snow around the
 pole to hold it in place1 fasten two   
sticks of green poplar in the ice over  
the trap1 one on either side4 ,in       
attempting to cut the bait1 the beaver  
will put his foot in the trap4  ,always 
fasten your trap to a dead stick or     
pole1 for if a green stake is used1 the 
beavers are likely to carry it away1    
trap and all4 ,poplar and cottonwood    
make the best baits1 but in case they   
cannot be obtained1 use birch1 willow or
 black cherry4  ,when setting traps near
 the house1 in open water1 make as      

little noise as possible1 and do not    
remain in the vicinity longer than      
necessary4  ,when trapping in open      
water1 never camp or make a fire near   
the pond where the beavers are located4 
,in winter1 after the ice has formed1 it
 does not matter4  ,if you find a beaver
 house in winter when the snow is deep1 
and wish to know if it is inhabited1    
examine the house1 and if the snow is   
melted on the top1 you may be sure there
 are beavers in it4  ,another way to    
tell whether a house is inhabited1 is to
 cut a hole through the ice and shove   
down a piece of green poplar1 filling   
the hole with snow4 ,examine it in about
 a week1 and if the poplar has been cut1
 you may be sure you have found beavers4
  ,the track of the beaver is seldom    
seen as they do not move about much in  
winter and on their trails their tracks 
are obliterated by the food which they  
drag into the water4 ,the trapper does  
not look for tracks1 but for more       
conspicuous signs1 such as houses and   

dams with fresh cut wood4               
,illustration3 ,the ,muskrat4           
,,chapter ,,ix4  ,,the ,,muskrat4  ,the 
muskrat is a small herbivorous animal of
 the amphibious class4 ,its head and    
body are from thirteen to fifteen inches
 in length4 ,the tail is nine or ten    
inches1 two edged1 and for two-thirds   
its length is rudder shaped and covered 
with scales and thin1 short hair4 ,the  
front feet are small1 the hind feet1    
large and slightly webbed1 making the   
animal an expert swimmer4 ,the color of 
the fur is brown above and ashy beneath4
  ,the muskrat is a nocturnal animal1   
but is sometimes seen in the day time4  
,their food consists of grass and roots1
 fruit1 grain and vegetables4 ,they will
 also eat clams1 sometimes1 when food is
 scarce4 ,they thrive best in sluggish  
streams and ponds1 bordered with grass  
and flags1 the roots of which are their 
chief support and from the tops of which
 they construct their houses4 ,these    
structures are dome shaped1 and rise1   

sometimes to a height of five feet from 
the water4 ,the entrances are at the    
bottom1 under water1 so that the inside 
of the house is not exposed to the open 
air4 ,from six to ten muskrats are      
sometimes found in one house4 ,hundreds 
of these dwellings can be counted from a
 single point in many large marshes4    
,the muskrats found on the streams do   
not build houses1 but live in holes in  
the bank1 the entrances of which are    
under water4 ,the muskrat is found      
throughout the greater part of the      
,united ,states and ,canada4 ,they are  
especially numerous in the marshes on   
the coast of ,delaware and ,maryland4   
,this muskrat ground is owned by private
 parties1 who lease the ground to the   
trappers for a certain length of time1  
the trapper catching all the animals he 
can in that length of time4 ,muskrats   
are also very plentiful in some parts of
 ,western ,canada4 ,these animals are   
very prolific1 bringing forth from six  
to nine at a birth and three litters in 

a season4 ,they have many enemies1 such 
as the fox1 mink1 otter and owl1 but    
their greatest enemy is man4  ,muskrats 
are trapped in the fall1 winter and     
spring1 but they are not prime until    
mid-winter1 and some are not fully prime
 until the first of ,march4             
,nevertheless1 they are more easily     
caught in the fall1 and as the skins    
bring a fair price1 the most trapping is
 done at this time1 that is for bank    
rats1--those living in holes in the     
banks4 ,where the muskrats live in      
houses1 they are trapped mostly after   
the ice had formed4  ,in the far ,north 
the skins are in good condition until   
the first of ,june1 while in the extreme
 ,south they should not be trapped after
 the first of ,april4 ,the muskrats     
found in settled districts are larger   
and better furred than those of the     
wilderness1 also1 those found ,east of  
the ,mississippi ,river are larger than 
those of the ,west4  ,when trapping for 
these animals1 the traps should always  

be staked full length of chain into deep
 water1 so that the captured animal will
 drown1 as otherwise they are almost    
certain to twist off the foot1 and      
escape1 unless they are caught by a hind
 foot4 ,many trappers set their traps   
several inches under water1 as by so    
doing they catch the rat by a hind foot1
 and there is very little danger of them
 escaping4 ,some stake their traps the  
length of the chain into deep water1 and
 drive another stake about a foot       
beyond4 ,the muskrat1 when caught1 winds
 the chain around the outer stake and is
 thus prevented from reaching the bank4 
,others prefer to tie a stone on the end
 of the chain1 and lay the stone in deep
 water4  ,the traps most used are the   
,nos4 #a and #a #a_/b1 but the ,no4 #j  
is also used sometimes4 ,the ,victor    
trap is a great favorite1 as it does not
 have a strong a spring as the higher   
priced traps1 and is not so likely to   
break the animal's leg4 ,the single     
spring ,oneida ,jump traps are also fine

 traps for muskrats4  ,one of the most  
common methods of trapping the muskrat  
is to find their slides on the bank and 
set the trap at the foot of the slide   
under about two and a half or three     
inches of water4 ,no covering is needed4
  ,if you can find a log1 with one end  
lying in the water1 examine same and if 
there are muskrat droppings on the log1 
cut a notch for the trap1 so that it    
will be just under water when set in the
 notch4 ,the chain may be stapled to the
 log4  ,another good way is to find     
their holes in the bank and set a trap  
in the entrance1 staking into deep      
water4  ,if the water is still1 and     
there is much grass in the water1 look  
around1 and you will find their feeding 
beds1--beds of grass which appear to be 
floating on the water4 ,set traps on    
these beds1 under water4  ,if you know  
there are muskrats about and you can not
 find any of the places described above1
 select a steep bank1 and set the trap  
under two or three inches of water at   

the foot of the bank4 ,pin a piece of   
bait to the bank about ten inches above 
the trap4  ,where muskrats are found in 
large numbers as in a pond or slough1   
proceed as follows3 ,get a board about  
twelve inches wide and sixteen feet long
 and nail strips across it1 arranging   
them in pairs1 just far enough apart to 
let a trap set between4 ,a board of this
 size will hold six or eight traps4 ,the
 traps may be stapled to the edge of the
 board and some small pieces of bait    
scattered the entire length4 ,the traps 
should be covered with dirt or dead     
grass4 ,attach a rope to one end of the 
board and anchor it in the water where  
the muskrats are sure to find it4  ,to  
trap muskrats in their houses in winter1
 cut a hole in the side of the house1   
and set the trap inside1 on the bed4    
,fasten the trap to a stick outside of  
the house and close the opening tight1  
so the diving hole will not freeze4 ,i  
have had best success at this kind of   
trapping by using a small trap1 ,no4 #j1

 and a good length of chain1 as it gives
 the rat more chance to drown4 ,the     
traps should be visited evening and     
morning4  ,in the spring1 when the ice  
has just commenced to melt1 you will    
find small piles of grass roots         
projecting above the ice4 ,move this    
aside and you will find a hole in the   
ice1 with a feed bed directly in under  
it4 ,set a trap on this bed and cover   
the hole4  ,the best baits for muskrats 
are sweet apple1 parsnips1 carrot1      
pumpkin1 corn and the flesh of the      
muskrat4 ,while they do not eat the     
meat1 they will go to smell at it1 which
 is all that is needed4 ,muskrat musk1  
beaver castor and catnip are all        
attractive to the muskrat4              
,illustration3 ,the ,red ,fox4          
,,chapter ,x4  ,,the ,,fox4  ,the       
various members of the fox family are   
found in almost all parts of the world  
but are most abundant in the ,northern  
,hemisphere4 ,there are many species and
 varieties1 but it is those of ,north   

,america that are of the most interest  
to the trapper4  ,those found on this   
continent are the red1 the gray1 the kit
 and ,arctic foxes1 and there are a     
number of varieties of the red and gray 
species4 ,the black1 silver and cross   
foxes are supposed to be only color     
varieties of the red1 but why this      
occurs1 and only in the ,north1 is a    
mystery4  ,the ,silver or ,black fox is 
the most beautiful and most valuable of 
all the foxes4 ,it is found in the high1
 northern latitudes of both continents4 
,in this country1 it is found as far    
south as the northern tier of states4   
,they are most abundant in the interior 
of ,alaska1 the ,northwest ,territories1
 ,ontario1 ,northern ,quebec1 ,labrador 
and ,newfoundland4  ,at the ,london fur 
sales1 specimens have been sold at over 
one thousand dollars each1 but the      
average price is probably about two     
hundred dollars4 ,wherever the ,silver  
fox is found1 the ,cross or ,patch fox  
is found also1 and they also range      

somewhat farther south4 ,they are always
 found in greater numbers than the      
,silver variety4  ,the red fox is the   
most common and is distributed over a   
larger territory than the other         
varieties4 ,they range from the northern
 timber line1 to well down in the       
,southern ,states4 ,they are probably   
most abundant in the ,eastern provinces 
of ,canada and the ,england ,states1 but
 they are found in fair numbers in parts
 of ,new ,york1 ,pennsylvania1 ,west    
,virginia1 ,tennessee1 ,arkansas1       
,missouri1 ,michigan and the larger part
 of ,canada and ,alaska4  ,the ,gray fox
 is one of the least valuable1 and is   
most abundant in the ,southern ,states4 
,in the ,east they range as far north as
 ,connecticut1 ,in some places they have
 supplanted the ,red species1 and in    
other places the grays have disappeared 
and the reds have taken their place4    
,the fox1 as well as the wolf and       
coyote1 belongs to the dog family1 which
 is second1 only to man in intelligence4

 ,the different species are all         
practically the same size1 but the same 
varieties vary in size in different     
localities4 ,the average weight is from 
nine to ten pounds4 ,in general         
appearance they somewhat resemble the   
dog1 being rather light of build1       
considering their height4 ,the ears are 
erect and pointed1 the tail thick and   
bushy1 and the muzzle small and pointed4
 ,the fur varies in the different       
species1 being coarse and rather short  
on the ,gray1 while that of the ,silver 
fox is extremely fine and soft4  ,the   
mating season comes in ,february1 and e 
young are born usually in ,april1 there 
being from four to nine in a litter4    
,they make dens in the sand hills and in
 rocky districts1 den in the rocks4     
,except during the breeding season they 
spend very little time in the dens1 but 
lie during the day in some clump of     
brush or weeds1 or often on top of a    
stump or log4 ,in mountainous sections  
they lie during the day1 somewhere on   

the mountain side and come down into the
 valleys at night in search of food4    
,the fox is not strictly a carnivorous  
animal4 ,when food is scarce they often 
feed on apples and other fruits1 but    
their regular food is flesh4 ,they are  
fond of partridge1 rabbits1 mice1 skunk1
 muskrat or opossum flesh1 carrion of   
almost all kinds1 fish1 eggs1 poultry1  
and often they come around the camps and
 gather up the scraps1 bread1 bacon     
rinds etc4 ,if they are given time and  
not disturbed they become quite bold in 
coming to such places for food and the  
trappers sometime take advantage of this
 peculiarity by baiting them awhile     
before setting the trap4  ,the fox in   
the ,north becomes prime in the         
beginning of ,november and remains in   
good condition until the middle of      
,march1 when the fur begins to take on a
 rubbed and woolly appearance4 ,in the  
,south they do not become prime until   
the last of ,november or the beginning  
of ,december and go out of prime in     

,february4 ,most of the foxes are       
trapped in the fall before the ground   
freezes too hard for dry sets1 and of   
course1 many of them are not prime4     
,the traps recommended for the fox1 for 
dry land use are the ,nos4 #b and #c    
,oneida ,jump and ,blake  ,lamb1 the #a 
#a_/b ,newhouse and ,hawley  ,norton and
 the ,no4 #b ,victor4 ,for water and    
snow trapping1 the ,nos4 #c and #d      
,oneida ,jump and ,blake  ,lamb1 and the
 #ba #a_/b and #ca #a_/b ,newhouse will 
be found most desirable4  ,in places    
where there are springs and small       
streams1 there is no better method than 
the old water set1 which is made as     
follows3 ,it is best to find a spring   
which does not freeze1 but for early    
fall trapping a brook will do4 ,the rise
 and fall of the water in small streams 
sometimes makes trouble1 and a spring or
 small pond gives best results4 ,the    
spring should be at least four feet in  
diameter and should be prepared for the 
set in the summer1 but if care is used1 

may be fixed up during the trapping     
season4 ,a moss covered stone1 or a sod 
7according to surroundings7 should be   
placed about a foot and a half from     
shore1 and should rise about two or     
three inches above the water4 ,this is  
the bait sod4 ,the trap is set half way 
between the sod and the shore1 and the  
jaws1 springs and chain should be       
covered with mud1 or whatever is found  
in the bottom of the spring4            
,illustration3 ,water ,set for ,fox4    
,the pan of the trap should just be     
covered with water4 ,now take a nice    
piece of moss or sod and place it on the
 pan of the trap1 so that it will rise  
an inch above the water4 ,when properly 
placed1 this sod will look natural and  
will1 apparently be a safe stepping     
place for the fox4 ,the pan should be so
 adjusted that it will not spring too   
easily4 ,a small piece of bait and also 
some scent should be placed on the      
larger sod4  ,in making this set you    
should wade up the outlet of the spring1

 and stand in the water while making the
 set4 ,do not touch the bank or any of  
the surroundings4 ,the trap should be   
fitted with a chain about three feet in 
length1 with a two prong drag attached1 
but most trappers simply wire a stone of
 eight or ten pounds weight to the end  
of the chain4 ,the drag1 whatever is    
used1 should be buried in the bed of the
 spring4  ,i recommend the flesh of the 
muskrat1 skunk1 opossum or house-cat for
 bait1 and it should be allowed to taint
 by remaining about a week in a glass   
jar4 ,this method was first used by     
,william ,schofield a famous fox trapper
 of the ,eastern states4 ,two men have  
been known to catch over one hundred    
foxes in a season with this method1     
besides considerable other furs taken in
 the same traps1 for the method is good 
for many other animals besides the fox4 
,one trapper recommends setting the trap
 in exactly the same manner1 except that
 the bait sod is omitted1 and the bait1 
a bird1 is fastened by means of a stick 

thrust in the bottom of the spring4 ,the
 stick must be entirely out of sight1   
and the bird1 apparently1 floating in   
the water4 ,both of these methods are   
very good1 and are especially           
recommended for the novice1 as they are 
the easiest and surest methods to start 
on4  ,the water sets given above1 can of
 course1 only be used in certain places1
 for in some of the best fox countries1 
springs cannot be found1 and even the   
streams are not suitable for trapping4  
,for this reason many professional fox  
trappers prefer to use dry land sets1   
and the blind set will be found to be   
one of the very best4  ,look for fox    
tracks in old stock trails1 foot paths1 
old roads in the woods1 openings under  
fences1 etc41 and having first cleaned  
the traps by boiling or washing1 find a 
narrow place in the trail and dig out a 
nest for the trap4 ,make this nest so   
that when the trap is set in it1 the    
jaws will lie lengthwise of the trail4  
,line this nest with dry grass or       

leaves1 and having attached the trap to 
some sort of a drag1 set it and place it
 in the place prepared4 ,fill in all    
around the outside of the jaws with dry 
dirt1 and cover the springs4 ,now lay a 
piece of clean paper over the trap and  
cover all with about one-fourth inch of 
dirt1 making it look like the other     
parts of the trail as much as possible4 
,the chain and drag must be carefully   
concealed4  ,it is best to have a basket
 or piece of canvas in which to place   
the dirt while making the set and to    
carry away what is not needed4 ,do not  
spit near the trap1 and do not leave any
 signs of your presence4 ,it is not     
necessary to wear gloves1 but the hands 
should be kept clean4 ,this is an       
excellent method1 especially for the    
old1 sly animals4    ,illustration3 ,dry
 ,land ,set for ,fox4  ,the professional
 trappers of the ,east use the bait     
method1 mostly1 and although the        
different trappers use different baits  
and scents1 the methods of setting the  

traps are all1 practically the same4    
,the following directions are almost the
 same as you will get when you buy a    
method at from #a4jj to #e4jj or more4  
,prepare your bait about a week before  
you want to set the traps1 by cutting   
into pieces about half the size of an   
egg1 and placing in a clean jar to      
become tainted4 ,put a little bit of    
scent on each bait before placing in    
jar4 ,there are different ways for      
preparing the traps2 most trappers      
prefer to boil them in hemlock boughs1  
or lay them over night in running water4
 ,wear clean gloves when handling the   
traps and carry them in a clean basket4 
,now find an old stump or a rock along  
some hillside1 and dig a hole under it  
making the hole four or five inches in  
diameter and ten or twelve inches deep4 
,stake the trap solid1 driving stake out
 of sight1 and set the trap about ten   
inches in front of the hole4 ,cover the 
trap first with a piece of clean paper  
and finish by about one-fourth inch of  

dirt dug out of the hole4 ,it should    
look as if some animal had dug the hole 
and scratched the dirt out in front4    
,use a small shovel made for the        
purpose1 or a sharpened stick to dig the
 hole1 and keep your gloves on all the  
time4 ,do not walk around1 but stand in 
the same spot until the set is complete4
 ,now put a piece of bait in the back of
 the hole1 using a sharpened stick to   
handle the bait and put just a little   
scent by the side of the hole4 ,when you
 catch a fox1 kill him without drawing  
blood1 and set the trap back in the same
 place4 ,your chances for catching      
another fox are doubled4 ,skunks1 coons 
and other animals will also be caught in
 these sets4  ,the following method is a
 good one to use in settled countries1  
as it is not so likely to catch dogs and
 other animals1 as other methods are4   
,find an ant-hill1 a small1 pointed     
knoll1 an old rotten stump1 a moss      
covered rock1 or an old log with one end
 off the ground4 ,set the trap on the   

highest point1 covering carefully1 so   
that it looks just like it did before   
the trap was set4 ,place a fair sized   
bait1 such as a skunk or muskrat about  
eight feet away from the trap4 ,the fox 
is always suspicious of a bait1         
especially a large one1 and will always 
get on the highest point to look at it  
before going close4 ,of course1 there   
must be no other place for him to get up
 on1 near the bait4 ,in the winter1     
traps may be set on muskrat houses1 and 
bait placed on the ice4 ,i think it best
 to set the traps several days before   
placing the baits1 as in that way the   
human and other scents have a chance to 
pass away4 ,when baiting1 go just close 
enough to throw the bait into place4    
,some trappers set traps around large   
baits1 such as the carcass of a horse1  
cow or sheep1 but ,i think it best to   
place the bait by the side of a trail   
and set several traps on the trail from 
thirty to seventy five yards from the   
bait4 ,when feeding on the bait the     

foxes will travel on the trail1 and they
 will not be looking for danger so far  
away from the bait4  ,comparatively few 
of the professional fox trappers can    
trap the fox successfully after the deep
 snow come on2 but the following methods
 are the best known1 and will catch the 
fox if you use care in setting4 ,of     
course1 snow sets of any kind can only  
be used when the snow is dry and loose  
and likely to remain in that condition  
for some time4  ,the first method given 
is the one used by the ,canadian        
,indians1 for taking the silver fox in  
the great northern wilderness4 ,out on  
the ice on some frozen lake1 or on any  
open1 wind swept piece of ground1 make a
 cone-shaped mound of snow1 beating it  
solid1 so that it will not drift away4  
,the trap should be fastened to a clog1 
and the clog buried in the mound4 ,make 
the mound about two feet high1 and make 
a hollow in the top for the trap to set 
in4 ,the hollow should be lined with    
cat-tail down1 or some other dry        

material1 and the trap set in the hollow
 and covered first with a sheet of white
 note paper1 finishing with a half inch 
or more of loose snow4 ,do not handle   
this snow with your hands1 for if you do
 it will be certain to freeze on the    
trap4 ,the best way is to take a bunch  
of evergreen boughs1 and brush the snow 
up over the mound so that it sifts      
lightly over the trap4 ,the covering on 
the trap should be a little lower than  
the top of the mound so that the wind   
will not uncover the trap4 ,the bait is 
cut into small pieces and stuck into the
 sides of the mound4  ,after the trap is
 set it will only require a short time  
for the wind to drift your tracks shut  
and remove all traces of human presence1
 and the trap will remain in working    
order as long as the cold weather lasts4
 ,if water rises on the ice it will not 
reach your trap1 and if there is a snow 
storm1 the first wind will blow the     
loose snow off the mound1 leaving just a
 little over the trap4 ,when looking at 

the traps you should not go nearer than 
fifty yards1 and do not turn off your   
route1 but walk straight by4 ,this is a 
splendid method for use in the far north
 where the snow never melts or freezes  
during the winter months4  ,for use in  
the settled countries ,i have been very 
successful with this method4 ,find where
 foxes travel on old wood roads and with
 your traps clean1 and with drags       
attached1 go and break a trail in the   
snow by walking back and forth on the   
road1 and set the traps in this broken  
trail without bait4 ,the traps should be
 set and covered1 as in the other       
method1 and the chain and clog pushed   
under the snow at the side of the trail4
 ,do not let it appear that you have    
stopped at all1 and when looking at the 
traps you can follow the trail and step 
right over the traps4 ,in settled       
localities1 the fox will follow the     
trail because the walking is better1 but
 in the wilderness where the track of a 
man is seldom seen1 they not only refuse

 to follow the trail1 but often will not
 even cross it4  ,i believe that scent  
is more used for fox-trapping than for  
trapping any other animal4 ,some of the 
best trappers1 however1 do not use any  
scent at all1 but ,i believe that if the
 right kind is used1 that it is a great 
help4 ,one of the best scents known for 
dry land or water sets is prepared as   
follows3 ,remove the fat from one or two
 skunks1 chop it fine1 and take a       
sufficient quantity to almost fill an   
ordinary pickle bottle4 ,take two mice2 
cut them up and add to the fat and let  
the bottle stand in the sun until the   
mixture is thoroughly decomposed2 then  
add the scent of two skunks and five or 
six muskrats4 ,the bottle must be kept  
covered so the flies will not blow it1  
but it must not be tightly corked4      
,different trappers have different ways 
of preparing this scent1 but ,i think   
this way is the best4  ,another very    
good one is made by allowing the flesh  
of a muskrat to rot in a bottle1 and    

adding about four ounces of strained    
honey and one-half ounce of essence of  
musk4  ,pure fish oil is attractive to  
the fox1 and is used by some very good  
trappers4 ,we believe that one of the   
most successful scents1 especially for  
winter use is made by taking the        
generative organs of the female fox1    
when in heat and preserving it in       
alcohol4 ,the urine of the fox is also  
good1 but in using these two scents1 no 
bait should be used4  ,the brine from   
mackerel or other fish is claimed to be 
a good scent for foxes1 but if there are
 any porcupines1 or snow-shoe rabbits   
about1 it will make plenty of trouble as
 the salt is very attractive to these   
animals4  ,when making blind-sets1 or   
when setting on a trail some distance   
from a bait1 do not stake your traps1   
but fasten to a drag of some kind3 a    
brush1 a stone or a grapple4 ,by so     
doing the fox will not spoil the trail  
for the next one1 and the trap may be   
set back in the same place4 ,for a bait 

set on dry land1 the trap may be staked 
to advantage1 for if one fox is caught  
and rolls around over the ground1 you   
are more likely to catch another one    
there4  ,do not start out with a dozen  
traps and expect to make a success of   
fox trapping4 ,you should have all the  
traps that you can look after4  ,do not 
depend on one method of setting1 as a   
fox will sometimes learn your method1   
but some other method1 even if it is not
 so good1 may fool them4  ,when killing 
foxes in traps1 do so1 if possible      
without drawing blood4 ,one of the best 
ways is by piercing the heart with a    
wire dagger4 ,another good way is by    
breaking the neck1 which may be done as 
follows3 ,strike the fox a light blow   
over the head with a stick1 just hard   
enough to slightly stun him1 and when he
 drops down1 place your left hand on the
 back of his neck1 pinning him to the   
ground and with your right hand pull his
 nose backward against his back4 ,it    
requires some practice to do this right4

  ,the track of the red fox resembles   
that of a small dog1 being perhaps a    
trifle narrower4 ,the length of step is 
about twelve or fourteen inches1 and the
 foot prints of an average sized fox    
will measure about one and a half inches
 in length4  ,the track of the gray fox 
is rounder and more like that of a cat4 
,some hunters claim that they can       
distinguish the track of the male fox   
from that of the female1 the footprints 
of the female being smaller and a trifle
 narrower in proportion4  ,there is no  
difference in the footprints of the     
black1 silver1 cross and red foxes4     
,illustration3 ,the ,coyote1 or ,prairie
 ,wolf4    ,,chapter ,,xi4  ,,the       
,,wolf4  ,the ,wolf belongs to the dog  
family and is found throughout the      
greater part of ,north ,america1 also in
 ,europe and ,asia1 and parts of ,south 
,america4 ,there are many varieties1    
varying greatly in size and color1 but  
there are probably only two distinct    
species1 namely1 the timber wolf and the

 prairie wolf1 commonly called the      
coyote4 ,of the timber wolves1 we have  
in this country1 the following          
varieties2 the small dark grey or black 
wolf of ,florida and southeastern       
,united ,states1 the red wolf or        
southern ,texas2 the brindled wolf of   
,mexico1 the light grey wolf of the     
central plains region2 the dark grey    
wolf of eastern ,canada2 the white wolf 
of northern ,canada and ,alaska and the 
large black or dusky wolf of the        
northwest coast region4  ,of the smaller
 prairie wolf1 there are also several   
varieties1 they being found throughout  
the prairie regions of the ,united      
,states and ,canada1 extending westward 
to the foot of the ,rocky mountains1 and
 also occurring west of the mountains1  
in the states of ,oregon and            
,washington4 ,to the trappers and the   
western people in general1 these two    
species are commonly known as the wolf  
and the coyote1 pronounced ki'yote4 ,as 
a rule1 the varieties of timber wolves  

found in the far north are larger than  
those of the south4 ,while they are     
found in fair numbers in most parts of  
the regions mentioned1 the prairie wolf 
or coyote is far more abundant in the   
sections lying east of the mountains2   
there being1 in most localities1        
probably fifty coyotes for one wolf4    
,of the large species1 the common grey  
wolf1 of the western stock region1 is   
probably most abundant1 and the most    
destructive to stock and game4 ,the grey
 wolf varies considerably in size1 the  
largest specimens weighing sometimes    
more than one hundred pounds4 ,the fur  
is long and heavy and good prime skins  
bring usually from two to five dollars  
each4 ,in former times1 when the buffalo
 was abundant on the plains1 they formed
 the chief food of the wolf1 but since  
the buffalo has become an animal of the 
past1 the wolves depend on stock for    
food4 ,they are very destructive to     
cattle1 horses1 hogs1 goats1 etc4       
,occasionally a herd of sheep is raided1

 but this is of rare occurrence1 as the 
sheep are always guarded by the herders4
  ,in the north where there is little or
 no stock raised1 they prey on game of  
almost all kinds1 being very destructive
 to deer and even killing moose1 at     
times4 ,they also follow the herds of   
cattle1 which range in the mountains    
during the summer and in winter are     
found in the foot hills4 ,the coyote    
preys on young deer and antelope and on 
small game1 such as rabbits1 prairie    
dogs1 sage hens and badgers4 ,they are  
very destructive to sheep1 and many of  
them follow the sheep when they are     
driven into the mountains in summer4    
,the breeding season of the grey wolf   
varies considerably1 some being born in 
the summer1 but the majority are born in
 ,march and ,april4 ,the mating season  
comes mainly in ,january and ,february4 
,there are usually from five to eleven  
in a litter4 ,they breed in the foot    
hills and bad lands1 in holes in the    
buttes and rim-rock and sometimes in    

enlarged badger dens4 ,the breeding     
season of the coyote generally comes    
later than that of the grey wolf2 most  
of them being born in ,april4 ,they also
 breed in natural excavations in the    
rocks4  ,wolves are great ramblers and  
range over a large section of country4  
,like all other animals of rambling     
habits1 they have a regular route of    
travel1 and while they vary somewhat    
from the route1 you may be certain to   
find them using the same passes through 
the hills1 and the same route across a  
flat4 ,however1 when in pursuit of game1
 they go far out of their course4       
,almost all of the states where wolves  
are found1 as well as some of the       
provinces of ,canada1 pay a bounty on   
wolves and coyotes4 ,the bounties are   
different1 in different states and so   
also1 are the bounty laws1 and the      
methods of obtaining the bounty money4  
,usually the skin and head1 or part of  
the head1 or the feet and bones of the  
legs1 must be produced1 in order to     

obtain this bounty4  ,besides the state 
bounty1 the ranchmen often offer an     
additional sum1 which in most cases1    
amounts to far more than the state      
bounty4 ,sometimes1 when some particular
 band of wolves become especially       
destructive to stock1 the bounties      
offered for these wolves amount to a    
fancy sum of money4 ,on one particularly
 destructive wolf1 in the state of      
,wyoming1 bounties were offered         
amounting to five hundred dollars4 ,of  
course such instances are rare1 but in  
most cases1 the bounties are sufficient 
to make wolf trapping profitable1 even  
in the summer1 when the fur is of no    
value4  ,for trapping grey wolves1 ,i   
recommend only the ,newhouse trap4 ,a   
special trap is manufactured1 for grey  
wolves1 ,no4 #d #a_/b4 ,it has an       
eight-inch spread of jaws and a five    
foot chain1 fitted with a heavy iron    
drag1 and with chain1 complete weighs   
nine pounds4 ,however1 many trappers    
consider this trap too heavy and the    

,no4 #d ,newhouse trap is used more than
 any other4 ,when these traps are used1 
they should be fitted with a heavy chain
 of suitable length1 and a pronged drag4
 ,the length and style of chain needed  
will depend much on the method of       
setting4 ,if the trap is to be staked1  
,i think the ordinary length of chain is
 best but unless there are two or more  
traps used in a setting1 ,i would not   
advise staking the trap4  ,some trappers
 do not use a drag1 but wire a heavy    
stone to the end of the chain4 ,the     
stone should be fastened securely1 for  
it will be handled pretty roughly1 if a 
wolf gets in the trap4 ,for the coyote1 
,i recommend the ,nos4 #c and #d        
,newhouse1 the #c and #d ,hawley        
,norton1 the ,no4 #d ,oneida ,jump trap 
and ,nos4 #c and #d ,victor4 ,they      
should also1 be fitted with special     
chains1 unless the traps are to be      
staked4 ,good hard-wood stakes should be
 provided and they should be about      
fifteen inches long1 unless the ground  

is very soft1 in which case they should 
be longer4 ,as good hard-wood is scarce 
in many parts of the west1 it will      
sometimes be best to have iron picket   
pins1 made by the local blacksmith4     
,the bait for the grey wolf should be   
strictly fresh1 for if food is plenty1  
they are pretty particular4 ,any of     
their favorite foods may be used for    
bait4 ,for the coyote1 horse or sheep is
 probably best1 but prairie dogs1       
rabbits 7both sage and jack rabbits71   
sage hens1 badgers1 etc41 make good     
bait4 ,when using small animals for     
bait1 they should never be skinned1 for 
that makes the animal suspicious4  ,many
 different kinds of scent have been used
 for wolves4 ,some have been used       
successfully but in using scent1 one    
should also use good sound judgment1 or 
he will only make the animal suspicious1
 and harder to trap4 ,beaver castor and 
,chinese musk are mildly attractive4    
,siberian musk is very attractive to    
both the grey wolf and the coyote4      

,assafoetida used alone1 is worthless1  
but may be mixed with other scents1 to  
advantage4 ,the urine of the wolf1      
bottled and kept until it has become    
rancid1 is a very good scent1 and the   
sexual organs of the female1 taken when 
in heat1 added to the urine1 makes it   
far more attractive to the male4 ,this  
scent is most successful during the     
mating season and should be used without
 bait4  ,a very effective scent and one 
that is much used is made as follows3   
,place half a pound of raw beef or      
venison in a wide mouthed bottle and let
 it stand from two to six weeks1 or     
longer1 or until it is thoroughly       
decayed and the odor has become as      
offensive as possible4 ,if the meat is  
chopped fine1 it will aid decomposition4
 ,when thoroughly decayed1 add a quart  
of some liquid animal oil--prairie dog  
oil is probably best1 and one-half ounce
 of assafoetida1 dissolved in alcohol   
and one ounce of tincture of ,siberian  
musk1 or if this can not be obtained1 an

 ounce of pulverized beaver castor or   
one ounce of the common musk used as    
perfumery4 ,mix thoroughly and bottle   
securely until ready for use4 ,this     
scent is attractive to both the wolf and
 the coyote1 also to cattle and horses  
and in using it the traps should only be
 set in places where they are not likely
 to be disturbed by stock4              
,illustration3 ,scent ,set for ,wolf4   
,this method of trapping1 as well as the
 above scent formula is given by ,mr4   
,vernon ,bailey1 who made an            
investigation of the wolf trouble in the
 interests of the ,biological ,survey   
and the department of ,forest ,service4 
,the best anchor for a wolf trap is a   
stone drag of #cj or #dj pounds weight1 
to which the trap is securely wired4 ,a 
long1 oval stone is best1 but a         
triangular or square stone can be       
securely wired4  ,the trap1 stone and   
chain should be buried out of sight     
close to a runway1 where the wolves     
follow a trail or road1 cross a narrow  

pass1 or visit a carcass1 with the trap 
nearest the runway and when covered1    
flush with the surface of the ground4   
,to keep the dirt from clogging under   
the pan1 the pan and jaws should be     
covered with a clean1 oval shaped paper1
 and over this should be sprinkled fine 
earth until the surface is smooth and   
all traces of paper and trap1 have been 
concealed4 ,the surface of the ground   
and the surroundings should appear as   
nearly as possible1 undisturbed4 ,the   
dust may be made to look natural again  
by sprinkling with water4  ,touching the
 ground1 or other objects with the      
hands1 spitting near the trap or in any 
way leaving a trace of human odor       
nearby1 should be avoided4 ,old1 well   
scented gloves should be used while     
handling the trap and making the set1   
and a little of the scent used for the  
traps should be rubbed on the shoe      
soles4 ,a piece of old cowhide may be   
used to stand on1 and on which to place 
the loose dirt when burying the drag and

 trap4 ,place the scent about #f inches 
beyond the trap and a very little may be
 sprinkled over the trap1 to the trail4 
,if possible1 place the trap between two
 tufts of grass or weeds1 so that it can
 be readily approached from one side    
only4  ,as many of the wolf trappers do 
not believe in scent1 the following     
methods are given4 ,they are methods    
that have been thoroughly tested and are
 being used today1 by some of the best  
trappers4 ,the first method is a trail  
set1 for use with a large bait1 and is  
equally good for grey wolves and        
coyotes4 ,it should be remembered1      
however1 that trail sets of any kind1   
can not be used to advantage1 if there  
is much stock about4 ,find a well       
defined stock trail somewhere on the    
wolf's route of travel and set two traps
 close together1 on the trail1 then go  
on from fifty to one hundred yards and  
set two more in exactly the same manner4
 ,use care in setting the traps1 so as  
to leave everything looking the same as 

before4 ,you can wear gloves if you     
like1 but ,i do not think there is much 
gained by doing so1 for it is impossible
 to make a set without leaving some     
human scent4 ,the scent will pass away  
in a day or two and few trappers count  
on making a catch until after the traps 
have been set a couple of days4  ,a     
large bait should be placed close along 
the trail and midway between the two    
settings4 ,when the wolves get to       
feeding on the bait they will travel on 
the trail and will not be looking for   
danger so far from the bait4 ,if        
desired1 only one trap need be set in a 
place1 but two are better1 as the wolf  
is likely to step over the trap if only 
one is used4 ,it is a good plan to set  
the traps several days before placing   
the bait1 so as to allow time for the   
human scent to pass away and the setting
 to take on a more smooth appearance4   
,here is a method that is much used for 
both wolves and coyotes4 ,it requires   
three or four traps and they should all 

be fastened securely to one stout1      
hard-wood stake4 ,find a smooth1 sandy  
spot and scoop out a little hollow and  
drive the stake down until the top is   
below the level of the ground4 ,fasten  
your bait securely to the top of the    
stake1 so as to hide the stake and      
prevent the wolf or coyote from taking  
the bait away4 ,if three traps are used1
 spread them out in the form of a       
triangle1 if four are used1 arrange them
 in the form of a square4 ,set the traps
 very carefully1 so that when they are  
covered1 everything will be smooth and  
looking just like it did before4 ,as the
 bait is fastened1 the wolf can not take
 it away1 and in trying to pull it up1  
will step in one of the traps4 ,he is   
almost certain to get in another one    
when he commences to struggle1 and there
 is little danger of him escaping4 ,if a
 place can be found where the traps may 
be set between bunches of weeds1 cactus1
 etc41 so much the better4              
,illustration3 ,bank ,set for ,wolf and 

,coyote4  ,another very good method1 is 
to set a trap on top of a straight or   
over-hanging bank1 from four to eight   
feet high1 so that when the animal is   
caught it will leap or fall over the    
bank and be unable to get back1 where it
 would have a chance to struggle4 ,the  
set is made as follows3 ,find two       
bunches of cactus1 growing on the top of
 the bank1 fix the bait on the very edge
 of the bank1 between the two bunches of
 cactus4 ,fasten the bait with a small  
stake1 and drive the stake out of sight 
in the bait4 ,stake the trap just the   
length of the chain from the edge of the
 bank1 driving stake out of sight1 and  
set the trap between the cactus and     
about twenty inches back from the bait1 
somewhat farther if grey wolves are     
expected4 ,cover the trap very          
carefully4 ,if two bunches of cactus can
 not be found growing close together1   
get some and place it there1 so that it 
will look natural1 and have the         
appearance of having grown there4  ,a   

single trap may be set almost anywhere1 
and small pieces of bait scattered      
around the trap4 ,in this way you can   
bait the trap without dismounting from  
your horse and avoid leaving human      
scent4  ,mr4 ,vasma ,brown1 a noted     
trapper of ,texas1 gives the following  
method3 ,take a large piece of fresh    
meat and drag it along a trail4 ,stop   
occasionally and set a trap1 just       
outside of the edge of the trail1 where 
the stock will not step in it4 ,dig out 
a place for the trap and set the trap1  
covering first with a piece of paper and
 finishing with sand1 leaving the place 
looking just like it did before4 ,cut   
some of the meat in small pieces and    
scatter them around the trap4 ,use no   
scent2 fresh pork is the best scent you 
can get4 ,if you can find some animal   
that the wolves themselves have killed1 
do not fail to set traps there          
immediately4  ,when trapping around a   
large bait1 sometimes the animals will  
not approach close enough to be caught4 

,in such cases a small bait may         
sometimes be used to advantage1 by      
setting traps a short distance away4    
,the tail of a skunk is said to be an   
unfailing lure4 ,do not smoke or grease 
your traps or the wolf is sure to locate
 them at once4  ,sometimes a badger will
 be caught in a wolf trap4 ,if so1 do   
not skin it1 but kill it and set the    
trap close by4 ,it will make a fine     
bait1 and the trap may be set in the    
ground that the animal has dug up1      
leaving no signs of human presence4     
,when trapping during freezing weather1 
fill in around the jaws and springs of  
the traps with sage leaves1 or some     
similar dry material1 before covering   
with dirt4  ,always carry a rifle with  
you when tending the traps4 ,you will   
get shots at wolves or coyotes almost   
every day4  ,when visiting wolf traps1  
always go on horseback and if possible  
avoid dismounting near the traps4       
,dark1 cold1 stormy nights are the best 
for the wolf trapper4  ,use plenty of   

traps4 ,the more chances you have1 the  
better success you will have4           
,sometimes a coyote will uncover a trap 
or dig it up and spring it4 ,nothing can
 prevent this4 ,your only remedy is to  
have lots of traps set1 and if he fools 
you in one set1 you may fool him in     
another4  ,in warm weather1 if you can  
set out a line of traps just before a   
rain1 your chances for making a good    
catch are very good1 as the rain washes 
away all human odors1 and helps to      
smooth over the sets4 ,in winter1 a     
light snow fall will often help to      
increase the catch4  ,the tracks of the 
wolf resemble those of the dog and fox4 
,an average full grown grey wolf will   
make a foot print about three inches    
wide and four inches long and will step 
about twenty inches4 ,the average sized 
coyote will make a footprint about two  
inches in length and the length of step 
is about sixteen inches4                
,illustration3 ,the ,grizzly ,bear      
,,chapter ,,xii4  ,,the ,,bear4  ,the   

bear family is a large one1 and its     
members are found scattered over the    
greater part of the globe1 ,australia   
and ,africa being excepted4 ,they range 
through all latitudes1 from the equator 
to the poles4 ,the following species    
have been described by naturalists3     
,polar bear1 grizzly bear1 ,european    
,brown bear1 ,american ,black bear1     
,alaskan ,brown bear1 ,inland ,white    
bear1 ,glacier bear of ,alaska1 ,asiatic
 bear1 ,siberian bear1 ,spectacled bear 
of ,south ,america1 ,thibetan bear1     
,bornean bear and ,malay bear4 ,the     
three latter are called ,sun bears1 from
 their habit of basking in the rays of  
the mid-day sun4 ,they are the smallest 
members of the family and live          
exclusively on vegetables4  ,bears      
differ from each other in consequences  
of the differences of climate1 more than
 almost any other animal4 ,those that   
inhabit the far north and such high1    
cold regions as the ,rocky mountains1   
are monsters1 of great strength and     

ferocity1 while those that inhabit warm 
countries are small1 feeble and         
inoffensive4 ,the smallest of all is the
 ,bornean bear1 while the ,alaskan      
,brown bear is probably the largest4    
,the ,grizzly or ,silver ,tip1 and the  
,polar bears are very large4  ,the      
,american ,black bear is probably the   
most numerous of the family1 and is one 
of most interest to the trappers4 ,with 
the exception of the prairie country1   
they are found scattered over almost all
 of the ,united ,states1 and a large    
part of ,canada and ,alaska4 ,the       
,cinnamon is only a color variety of the
 ,black bear1 differing only in color4  
,both kinds are found in the same       
litter4 ,in some sections1 as for       
instance in some of the northwestern    
states1 and in ,mexico1 the ,cinnamon   
bear predominates1 while in the east and
 north they are very rare4 ,the average 
weight of the ,black bear1 when full    
grown1 is from two hundred to three     
hundred pounds1 but specimens have been 

killed weighing far more than these     
figures4 ,the fur is fine and soft and  
usually of a jet black color4  ,bears of
 all kinds1 with the exception of the   
,sun bears and the ,polar bear1 feed on 
both vegetable and animal food4 ,the    
,polar bear lives entirely on fish and  
flesh4 ,bears1 with the exception of the
 ,polar species1 hibernate in winter4   
,they usually den in the ground or      
rocks1 but sometimes in a hollow log or 
tree4  ,the mating season is in ,july   
and ,august and the young1 usually two1 
are born in ,january1 ,february and     
,march4 ,they remain with the mother    
until fall1 and sometimes longer4  ,in  
sections where they are found in fair   
numbers1 they form trails through passes
 in the mountains1 along the bottoms of 
the cliffs1 around points of the lakes1 
and in other places of like nature4     
,these trails may be easily             
distinguished from the paths of other   
animals1 by the marks on the trees4 ,at 
intervals1 all along the trail1 the bear

 will stand on his hind feet1 by the    
side of a tree1 gnaw a circle around the
 tree1 about five feet above the ground4
 ,i am told that this marking is done   
during the mating season4 ,the trails   
are traveled more in the spring and     
summer than in the fall4  ,bears are    
very fond of fish1 and in the north1    
when fish are in the streams1 spawning1 
the bears spend much of their time      
fishing1 at the foot of the falls4 ,the 
sucker is the first fish to spawn1 and  
as soon as they are gone1 the pike come1
 and the bears fare well for a couple of
 weeks4 ,after that they feed on the    
leaves of the poplar1 insects1 berries  
and nuts1 and whatever meat they can    
find4 ,in some sections they remain in  
the same locality during the entire     
year2 in other places they migrate on   
the approach of cold weather and do not 
return until spring4  ,the bear becomes 
prime about the first to the fifteenth  
of ,november1 and remains in good       
condition until late in the spring4 ,in 

northern sections they do not commence  
shedding until ,june fifteenth1 and     
sometimes even later4 ,the best time to 
trap them is in the spring just after   
the snow is gone1 but many are trapped  
in the fall4  ,the traps for black bears
 are the ,nos4 #e and #ae and the ,nos4 
#ej and #aej ,newhouse4 ,for larger     
bears the ,no4 #f is the trap to use1   
although many grizzly bears are caught  
in the ,no4 #e4  ,the most common method
 for trapping bears is the following3   
,make a sort of enclosure of old logs1  
brush1 etc41 in the form of a ,v1 about 
eight feet long and two or three feet   
wide at the entrance4 ,it should be     
three feet high1 behind1 but it is not  
necessary to have it so high in front4  
,the bait should be fastened in the back
 of the pen1 and the trap set in the    
entrance4  ,take a small1 springy stick1
 about eight inches long1 and spring it 
under the pan of the trap1 to prevent   
small animals from being caught4 ,to do 
this1 stick one end firmly in the       

ground1 and bend the other end down1 and
 hook it under the pan4 ,the trap when  
set1 should support a weight of         
twenty-five pounds1 but it is my opinion
 that most trappers allow the trap to   
spring too easily4  ,always turn the    
loose jaw up1 and work from in under1   
for the sake of safety4 ,now drive down 
a couple of stakes on each side of the  
trap1 so as to leave only a narrow      
passage2 cover the trap with leaves or  
moss4 ,it is a good idea to put a good  
sized piece of moss over the pan4 ,to   
cause the bear to step in the center of 
the trap1 some trappers put sharp sticks
 around the outside of the jaws1 others 
lay a stick across the mouth of the pen1
 about six or eight inches high1 and    
close up to the jaws4 ,in stepping over 
it1 the bear is more likely to put his  
foot in the trap4 ,the trap should be   
fastened to a heavy clog of hardwood4   
,for the ,black bear1 the clog should be
 about six or seven feet long1 and just 
small enough to go through the ring on  

the chain4 ,the ring should be slipped  
on to the middle and fastened with a    
spike4 ,for the grizzly and other large 
bears1 the clog should be larger4  ,this
 is the best method1 but if you nip a   
bear once1 you will have to try some    
other method1 and it is not likely that 
you will catch him1 even then1 as they  
become very cunning4 ,do not set the    
trap at the same place1 but find his    
trail1 and make a blind set2 preferably 
where the trail leads through a pool of 
water4 ,of course you must be sure that 
no person will travel on the trail4     
,some trappers prefer to hang a bait    
about six feet above the trap and do not
 use any pen4  ,bears may also be       
trapped successfully with snares and    
deadfalls but the objection to these    
traps is that the animal is killed      
instantly and if the traps are not      
visited daily1 the skin is likely to    
spoil4  ,for bait1 there is nothing     
better than fish1 but pork1 7either salt
 or fresh71 mutton1 beef or any kind of 

large game is good4 ,even the flesh of  
the bear makes fair bait4 ,beaver1 otter
 or muskrat meat is also good4 ,honey is
 very attractive4  ,there are a number  
of scents that are attractive to the    
bear1 such as fish oil1 oil of anise and
 beaver castor4 ,the scent recommended  
for the raccoon is good for the bear4   
,the track of the bear is easily        
distinguished from that of other        
animals1 because of its large size4     
,ordinarily1 the bear's mode of         
locomotion is a shuffling walk4 ,the    
footprints of a large black bear will   
measure about eight inches in length4   
,illustration3 ,the ,raccoon4           
,,chapter ,,xiii4  ,,the ,,raccoon4     
,the raccoon is allied to the bear      
family4 ,it is found only on the        
,western ,continent1 where it is        
represented by two species2 the common  
raccoon of the ,united ,states and the  
crab-eating raccoon of the tropics4 ,the
 common raccoon1 called coon by the     
hunters and trappers1 is found          

throughout the ,mississippi ,valley and 
all of the states east and also in the  
,pacific ,coast states1 ,western        
,british ,columbia1 ,lower ,ontario1    
,new ,brunswick and ,nova ,scotia4 ,they
 are found in greatest numbers in those 
states bordering on the ,gulf of        
,mexico4  ,the common raccoon is the one
 of principal interest to the trapper   
and fur dealer4 ,the body is short and  
stout1 like that of the badger4 ,its    
head resembles that of the fox4 ,its    
tail is ten or twelve inches long1 thick
 and bushy4 ,the feet are bare and the  
toes long4 ,the general color is grey1  
the tips of the hairs being darker4     
,occasionally a very dark one is found1 
in some cases being almost black4 ,the  
tail is ringed with black and a black   
band crosses the eyes4 ,the raccoon is a
 nocturnal animal1 is omnivorous and    
hibernates during cold weather1 coming  
out in search of food only on warm      
nights4  ,this food consists of green   
corn1 grapes and other fruits1 fish1    

frogs1 clams1 birds and their eggs and  
they are also fond of poultry4 ,in      
search of food1 they travel mostly along
 the streams and in early fall1 in the  
corn fields4  ,they den in hollow trees1
 having an entrance at a considerable   
distance from the ground4 ,in           
mountainous districts1 they also den in 
holes among the rocks4  ,the young are  
born in ,april and ,may and from two to 
six are brought forth at a time4 ,their 
mating season is generally about the    
last of ,february and the beginning of  
,march1 and at this time the males      
travel considerably1 crawling into a    
hollow tree wherever daylight overtakes 
them4  ,in the ,north they become prime 
about ,november #ast2 the season being  
later in the ,south4 ,they remain in    
good condition until late in the spring4
 ,the fur is used mostly for coats and  
robes4  ,the nature and habits of the   
raccoon1 like all other animals differs 
considerably in different localities4   
,in most sections they are very easily  

trapped1 but those found in some parts  
of the ,pacific ,coast are said to be   
quite cunning4 ,any of the articles of  
food mentioned above1 will make good    
bait2 fresh fish however1 being         
preferred4 ,the traps to use are the    
,no4 #a #a_/b ,newhouse or ,hawley      
,norton1 the ,no4 #b ,victor1 and the   
,nos4 #b and #c ,oneida ,jump and ,blake
  ,lamb traps4 ,the trap should be      
fastened to a clog1 and in some cases an
 iron drag could be used to advantage1  
as the coon will get fastened up on the 
first brush he comes to4  ,the most     
common method is to set the trap in the 
entrance of a pen of stakes1 at the edge
 of the water where the animals travel4 
,the trap may be set dry or under water1
 as preferred1 and the bait should be   
placed in the back of the pen4  ,another
 very good method1 much used in the     
,south1 is to fasten a piece of bright  
tin or a piece of a white dish1 on the  
pan of the trap and set the trap under  
about two inches of water1 near the     

bank4 ,no bait is used1 but a little    
scent may be used on the bank to good   
advantage4  ,the ,southern ,trappers    
sometimes find a tree1 stump or rock in 
the edge of the water1 and set the trap 
in the water1 just where the 'coon will 
walk1 when passing around the           
obstruction4 ,a fence made of brush will
 answer the same purpose4  ,where the   
bank is steep and the water is shallow1 
dig a six inch hole1 straight into the  
bank at the edge of the water4 ,fasten  
some bait in the back of the hole and   
set the trap in the water1 directly in  
front of the hole4  ,where coons are    
visiting a corn field1 find where they  
go through the fence and you will       
sometimes find a well beaten trail4 ,set
 the trap in the trail1 covered1 and    
fasten to a clog4  ,if you find a log   
lying across the stream and there are   
signs of 'coons about1 cut a notch in   
the top of the log and set the trap in  
the notch1 covering with rotten wood or 
moss4 ,you are likely to catch a fox in 

a set of this kind4  ,when a den tree   
can be found1 cut a pole five or six    
feet long and six inches thick2 lean it 
against the tree and set the trap on the
 pole4 ,cover the trap lightly with moss
 and staple to the tree4  ,any natural  
enclosure along a stream1 such as a     
hollow log or a hole under a stump1     
makes a good place to set a trap4 ,when 
trapping for foxes with water sets1 many
 coons will be caught in the traps4     
,one of the best scents for 'coon is    
made as follows3 ,to a pint of fish oil1
 add twenty or thirty drops of oil of   
anise and two ounces of strained honey4 
,pure fish oil is used by some trappers 
and beaver castor1 muskrat musk and oil 
of anise are also good4  ,the trail of  
the raccoon is somewhat like that of the
 mink1 but the tracks are larger4 ,the  
animal makes the print of the entire    
foot and the long slender toes show     
plainly4 ,the print of the hind foot    
will be from two and a quarter to three 
inches in length4    ,illustration3 ,the

 ,badger4    ,,chapter ,,xiv4  ,,the    
,,badger4  ,badgers are burrowing1      
carnivorous animals4 ,they are found in 
,north ,america and various parts of the
 ,old ,world2 one species being found in
 ,europe1 one in ,india and another in  
,japan4 ,there are several varieties of 
the ,american species and they are found
 at present only west of the            
,mississippi ,river1 although formerly  
they ranged as far east as ,ohio4 ,they 
are perhaps most numerous on the ,high1 
dry plains just east of the ,rocky      
,mountains1 and range from ,mexico to   
well up into ,canada4 ,they were at one 
time quite numerous in ,wisconsin and   
,minnesota1 as well as others of the    
,northern and ,central ,states1 but     
today are found but rarely in those     
sections4 ,wisconsin is sometimes called
 the ,badger ,state because of the      
numbers of these animals found there by 
the early settlers4  ,the badger is an  
animal of peculiar build1 having a      
heavy1 broad body1 at times appearing   

almost flat1 as when it crouches close  
to the ground1 and the legs are short   
and stout4 ,the feet are furnished with 
long1 strong claws1 adapted for digging4
 ,the tail is short1 the ears short and 
round1 the eyes small and black4 ,a full
 grown specimen will measure about two  
feet or more from the end of the nose to
 the base of the tail4  ,the color is a 
grizzly1 yellowish grey1 being darker on
 the back4 ,a white line traverses the  
face1 head and neck1 bordered with      
black1 which latter marking extends     
around the eyes4 ,the sides of the face 
and the throat are white1 and there is a
 black patch in front of each ear4 ,the 
legs and feet are black4 ,the back and  
sides of the body are mottled somewhat  
by narrow streaks of darker fur4  ,the  
fur1 or more properly speaking1 the     
hair1 is long and appears to be parted  
on the back as it hangs off to either   
side from a line down the center of the 
back4 ,each separate hair shows a number
 of colors and it is this which gives   

the animal the peculiar grizzled        
appearance4 ,although the animal is1 as 
before stated1 of a heavy build1 the    
casual observer would scarcely credit   
the animal with the great strength which
 it really possesses1 because of the    
apparently soft and flabby body1        
however1 the strength of the animal is  
surprising4 ,they are slow moving       
creatures and were it not for their     
strength and powers of digging1 they    
would have difficulty in procuring a    
sufficient amount of food4  ,they feed  
on the small burrowing animals mainly1  
such as the prairie dog1 the gopher and 
the pouched rat1 and they are enabled to
 capture many of these animals by       
digging them out of the dens4 ,they also
 eat mice and reptiles and the eggs and 
young of ground-nesting birds4  ,being  
such an expert digger1 the badger makes 
a deep den4 ,the entrance to the den is 
wide and surrounded by a mound of earth4
 ,in addition to the main den the animal
 has a number of others nearby1 so that 

one would scarcely know which of them is
 the main burrow4 ,they are hibernating 
animals and remain in the dens during   
the cold portion of the winter4  ,the   
animal is of a rather timid nature1 and 
when alarmed seeks safety in the den if 
possible1 but when surprised far from   
the den1 will hide wherever possible and
 failing to find cover will flatten down
 close to the ground and by remaining   
very quiet1 will try to escape notice4  
,however when pursued1 and finding      
escape impossible1 they will fight      
desperately4  ,the young are born in    
early spring1 there being as a rule     
three or four in a litter4  ,the fur of 
the badger is used for making brushes of
 various kinds1 its peculiar texture    
making it especially desirable for this 
purpose4 ,it is not used for wearing    
apparel4  ,the ,no4 #c trap is the      
proper size to use for this animal1 and 
only the stronger ones should be used4  
,they are caught and held occasionally  
in smaller and weaker traps1 yet such   

cases are exceptional4  ,as the animal  
is not a valuable one and is not found  
in large numbers in any one locality1   
they are not much sought by the trappers
 and the most of the ,skins which reach 
the market are from the animals caught  
in traps set for other game4 ,the wolf  
and coyote trappers catch them          
occasionally1 as they may be captured by
 any of the methods used for those      
animals4  ,perhaps the best way in which
 to capture the badger is to set the    
trap at the entrance to the main burrow1
 that is1 the one showing the most use4 
,the trap should be set just outside of 
the entrance and should be securely     
staked1 using a long stake driven out of
 sight in the ground4 ,the jaws of the  
trap should be parallel with the        
passage1 so that the badger will step   
between the jaws1 and not over them4 ,it
 should be bedded down so that the      
covering will be flush with the         
surroundings4  ,traps may also be set   
with bait4 ,on the plains1 material for 

enclosures can not be found but the     
traps may be set between clumps of sage 
brush or cactus1 placing the bait behind
 the trap1 the setting being so arranged
 that the badger will be obliged to walk
 over the trap in order to reach the    
bait4 ,the trap should be securely      
staked in all cases4 ,for bait1 rabbit1 
sage hen1 prairie dog or almost any kind
 of fresh meat may be used4             
,illustration3 ,the ,opossum4           
,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,the ,,opossum4  ,the 
opossum is the only ,american member of 
the family of pouched animals4 ,only one
 species is found in this country       
although others are found in other parts
 of the world4 ,of the ,american        
species1 naturalists have discovered    
three varieties1 namely the ,virginia   
opossum1 the ,florida opossum and the   
,texas opossum1 all very similar4  ,the 
,virginia opossum is the most common and
 the most widely distributed1 being     
found as far north as ,pennsylvania and 
,ohio and from there westward to        

,nebraska and southward4 ,in the        
southwest the ,texas opossum is found4  
,in general form the opossum resembles  
the house rat but is much larger4 ,the  
tail is almost bare and is prehensile1  
that is1 it is capable of holding on to 
anything which it encircles4 ,the muzzle
 is long and pointed1 the ears bare4    
,in color this animal is generally a    
grizzly gray but some specimens are much
 darker than others4 ,the fur is long1  
soft and fluffy4  ,the opossum dens in  
the ground and the abode is usually     
located under a stump or rock4 ,the     
burrows are shallow and terminate in a  
larger cavity lined with dry leaves4    
,they also sometimes locate in hollow   
logs4 ,they are found only in timbered  
districts and are active climbers4      
,their food consists mainly of mice1    
eggs and young birds and insects1 but   
they are also fond of poultry and almost
 any kind of flesh1 fresh or tainted4   
,they are not strictly carnivorous as   
they feed on persimmons1 paw-paws1 polk 

berries and other wild fruits4  ,they   
are slow moving and stupid creatures and
 have no means of defending themselves  
against their enemies4 ,it is true that 
they do have a habit of feigning death  
when frightened but this trick is of no 
value in case of an attack from other   
animals1 for no wild animal would be    
deceived1 and even if it were1 there    
would be no hope for the opossum for it 
would only be a case of a meal already  
prepared for the attacking animal4 ,on  
other occasions instead of feigning     
death the animal will open its mouth and
 present a rather fierce appearance1 but
 there is little danger of them biting4 
,while the opossum is not a hibernating 
animal it remains in its den during cold
 weather4 ,it is a southern animal and  
the severe winters in the northern parts
 of its range are not to the animal's   
liking1 ,they are most active on warm1  
damp nights for they do not like to move
 about when the weather is dry and the  
leaves are rustly4  ,they are very      

prolific1 bringing forth from six to    
twelve young at a litter and in some    
cases even more4 ,when newly born they  
are very small and imperfectly formed   
and are carried by the mother in the    
pouch on the under side of the body     
until large enough to travel4  ,they    
become prime about the second week of   
,november in the ,north and remain in   
good condition until ,march4 ,in the    
,south they do not become prime until   
about ,december #ast and commence to    
shed much earlier than in the ,north4   
,the fur is not a very valuable one but 
there is a growing demand for the flesh 
which is used as food and in many places
 will meet with ready sale4  ,i         
recommend the ,no4 #a trap for this     
animal and those of medium strength of  
spring only1 as the opossum's foot and  
leg is tender1 and if the bones are     
broken the animal is likely to escape4  
,they do not struggle much1 however1 and
 comparatively few escape from the      
traps4  ,i set my traps in the thick    

woods1 usually in the gullies also along
 the edges of the woods1 along fences1  
etc4 ,the opossum is possessed of no    
cunning whatever1 and no special care is
 needed in setting the traps if this    
animal alone is expected1 however1 it is
 always best to use care in setting for 
the most stupid animals1 as one never   
knows what animal may pass that way4    
,whenever possible ,i place the trap in 
a natural enclosure1 such as a hollow in
 the side of a stump or tree1 a hollow  
between two spreading roots1 an opening 
among rocks or in a hollow log4 ,failing
 to find any such place ,i construct a  
small enclosure of stakes1 bark1 stones 
or pieces of rotten wood1 whichever is  
most convenient1 and set the trap in the
 entrance nesting it down and covering  
with whatever is found nearby4  ,the    
trap may be staked1 stapled or fastened 
to a clog4 ,for bait ,i use rabbit1     
fowl1 muskrat or small birds of any     
kind4 ,bait may be fresh or tainted as  
the opossum is not particular4 ,i have  

heard of many fancy sets and baits and  
have given some of them a trial1 but    
find the method given above to be the   
most satisfactory4  ,opossums will      
sometimes be caught in traps set for    
skunks1 foxes and other animals and     
there are probably more of them caught  
in such sets than in any other4 ,they   
may also be caught in wooden traps4  ,i 
have caught these animals in traps set  
on logs spanning the streams1 also at   
the entrance of the dens1 but if ,i were
 setting many traps for opossums ,i     
would use the above method mostly4 ,the 
opossum makes a wandering1 aimless sort 
of trail1 quite broad for an animal of  
its size and the toes are turned outward
 in walking4 ,the footprints of the     
average opossum will measure about one  
and one-fourth inch in diameter--that   
is1 the front foot--the print of the    
hind foot being from one-fourth to      
one-half inch larger4    ,illustration3 
,the ,lynx4    ,,chapter ,,xvi4  ,,the  
,,lynx4  ,the ,lynx family is a branch  

of the cat tribe and its members are    
found in various parts of the world1 but
 it is the ,european and ,canadian      
species that are of the most importance1
 when viewed from the hunters' and      
trappers' standpoint4 ,there are two    
species in ,north ,america1 namely1 the 
,canada ,lynx and the ,bay ,lynx or wild
 cat4 ,the ,canada ,lynx is the most    
valuable and they are most sought by the
 trappers4 ,this animal is found        
throughout practically all of ,canada1  
,alaska and ,newfoundland1 also in all  
of the most northern states and in the  
,rocky mountain region extending down   
into ,wyoming and perhaps still farther 
south4 ,those found in ,newfoundland and
 ,alaska are of slightly different      
varieties4  ,the ,lynx1 when full grown 
will measure about three or three and a 
half feet in length and the weight is   
from twenty to thirty pounds1 but       
occasional specimens will weigh forty   
pounds or even more4 ,they are very cat 
like in appearance but the legs are     

rather long1 the feet large and the tail
 very short4 ,the feet are heavily      
furred and the toes connected with a    
web1 the whole forming a sort of        
snowshoe1 which prevents the lynx from  
sinking in the loose snow4 ,the ears are
 small and pointed and tipped with a    
pencil of black hairs4 ,the tail is also
 tipped with black4 ,the general color  
in winter is a silver grey on the back1 
shading to white on the under parts4 ,in
 summer they take on a reddish color4   
,the fur is long and soft and there is a
 ruff of longer fur on the sides of the 
face1 near the throat4  ,the young are  
born usually in ,may and there are from 
three to seven in a litter4 ,the entire 
family will be found living in the same 
locality and although each will have its
 own particular route of travel1 they   
frequently travel together along the    
border of certain swamps and            
occasionally the entire family will     
start off together and look for a better
 feeding ground4 ,they live mostly in   

the swampy parts of the more open       
country1 being rarely found in the great
 bush4 ,in the west they are found in   
the timbered parts of the mountains4 ,in
 the ,north1 you will find their tracks 
leading along the edges of the swamps   
and alder or willow thickets4  ,their   
food consists mostly of rabbits and     
partridge4 ,the snow-shoe rabbit falls  
an easy victim4 ,they have been known to
 kill small deer and caribou1 but only  
in very rare instances4  ,there has been
 considerable controversy among         
naturalists regarding the courage of the
 lynx4 ,from my own observations1 ,i    
should say that they are very cowardly1 
as a rule1 but all rules have           
exceptions4 ,i know of two instances in 
which the lynx has stood his ground for 
a man1 and in one case1 for a number of 
men4 ,this lynx was killed by an axe    
thrown by one of the men at a distance  
of twelve feet4  ,in traveling1 the lynx
 usually walks1 only running when in    
pursuit of some animal1 and always      

traveling the same route4 ,they are     
active all winter1 but travel most in   
fall and spring4 ,they become prime     
about the first of ,november and if the 
spring is late1 will remain in good     
condition until the middle of ,april4   
,the ,european lynx closely resembles   
the ,canadian in habits and appearance4 
,its general color is a dull reddish    
grey1 mottled with black4 ,in winter the
 fur is longer and lighter colored than 
in summer4 ,it is found from the        
,pryenees to the ,far ,north1 and       
eastward throughout northern ,asia4  ,as
 a rule1 the lynx is easily taken with  
the steel trap1 unless food is very     
plentiful1 when they do not care for    
dead bait4 ,almost any trap will hold   
them as they do not struggle much1 and  
,i have caught a number of them with the
 ,no4 #a trap1 but because of their     
large feet1 ,i would advise the use of a
 larger trap4 ,the ,nos4 #c and #d traps
 are perhaps the best sizes to use4     
,there are various methods of trapping  

them but the most common1 as well as the
 best is to set the trap in an          
enclosure1 with bait4 ,i prefer to make 
the enclosures of split wood1 placing   
the split side inward4 ,i make the pen  
about three feet in height1 about two   
and a half feet long1 wide at the top   
and just wide enough to receive the trap
 at the bottom4 ,the pen should be well 
roofed with evergreen boughs to protect 
the trap from the snow1 and the trap    
should be just inside of the entrance4  
,if there is snow on the ground1 ,i make
 a bed of green boughs for the trap to  
rest on4 ,it is not necessary to cover  
the trap but ,i prefer to do so4 ,the   
bait should be placed on a stick in the 
back of the pen4  ,rabbit and partridge 
is the best bait1 but it must be fresh1 
as the lynx does not care for stale     
food4 ,some scent should also be used as
 the lynx's sense of smell is not so    
highly developed as that of some other  
animals4 ,beaver ,castor is perhaps the 
best1 but fish oil is much used by the  

western trappers4 ,muskrat musk is also 
good4  ,the trap should be fastened to a
 stout clog4 ,i use a small spruce or   
balsam tree1 about three inches thick at
 the butt and fasten the trap by        
stapling or by looping the chain around 
the clog1 leaving some snags to prevent 
the chain from slipping over the end4   
,the rabbits are a great nuisance1 they 
being found in great numbers in the     
northern swamps4 ,the scent of the hands
 left there while setting the trap1 also
 the fresh cutting1 attracts the rabbit 
into the pen and it is sometimes        
difficult to keep the trap in working   
order until the lynx journeys by that   
way again4 ,the best way ,i have found  
to keep them out of the trap is by      
dropping some dead brush in front of the
 enclosure1 as the rabbits do not like  
to jump through the dead brush4         
,squirrels and birds are also           
troublesome1 and ,i have found it a good
 idea to place the bait well up under   
the roof of the pen so as to be out of  

sight of these creatures4 ,i also place 
a small springy stick under the pan of  
the trap1 which will sometimes prevent  
the squirrels and birds from springing  
it4 ,i sometimes make a trap pen by     
standing up a number of small evergreen 
trees1 cutting the boughs away on the   
inside4 ,this is a very good method4    
,when lynx do not take bait well1 some  
trappers make a long pen or passage1    
open at both ends and high enough so    
that the lynx can walk through easily4  
,the trap is set inside and some beaver 
castor or other scent is placed on a    
stick in the passage4 ,others put scent 
on a piece of red cloth and fix it in a 
pen of brush1 setting the trap in the   
entrance4  ,as the lynx's eye is more   
keen than its nose1 ,i have found it a  
good plan to hang a rabbit skin from a  
string near the setting1 so that it will
 swing about in the breeze4 ,this will  
attract the animal for quite a distance1
 and is a good method to use when       
setting traps along the shore of a lake1

 as the lynx walks the ice and will     
sometimes pass outside of scenting      
distance of the trap4  ,lynx are easily 
killed by a blow from a stick but when  
caught in small traps it is safer to    
shoot them1 using a small caliber pistol
 or rifle4 ,another good way is to choke
 them by tieing a snare to the end of a 
ten or twelve foot pole4 ,slip the snare
 over the animal's head1 draw it tight  
and hold the pole2 the lynx will die in 
a very short time4 ,the advantage of    
this method is in the fact that the skin
 is kept clean and free from blood4     
,the track of the lynx resembles that of
 the cat but is much larger4 ,a large   
specimen will make a track three and a  
half inches in diameter and the length  
of step is from sixteen to eighteen     
inches4    ,illustration3 ,the ,wildcat1
 or ,bay ,lynx4    ,,chapter ,,xvii4    
,,the ,,bay ,,lynx1 ,,or ,,wild ,,cat4  
,the ,bay ,lynx replaces the ,canada    
,lynx throughout the greater part of the
 ,united ,states4 ,this animal is known 

to the fur trade as the wild cat and is 
also known in some localities as the    
,catamount and the bobcat4  ,the true   
wild cat is not found in ,america1 being
 a native of ,europe and ,northern      
,asia1 and resembling the domestic cat1 
somewhat1 in appearance4 ,such cats are 
also found in certain parts of the      
,united ,states but they are only the   
descendants of domestic cats which have 
strayed into the woods and become wild1 
and are not the wild cat of ,europe4    
,the ,bay ,lynx is found throughout the 
rough timbered portions of the eastern1 
northern and western ,states1 also in   
the swamps and cane brakes of the south4
 ,the ,international ,boundary is about 
the northern limit of its range4 ,they  
are quite plentiful in parts of the     
south1 also in the foothills of the     
,rocky ,mountains where they have become
 so destructive to sheep that the       
stockmen pay bounty on those that are   
killed4  ,the animal is somewhat smaller
 than the ,canada ,lynx1 but resembles  

that animal in general appearance4 ,it  
is about thirty inches in length1 with a
 tail of five or six inches1 and weighs 
from eighteen to twenty-five pounds1 in 
some instances exceeding these figures4 
,its color on the back and sides is of a
 pale reddish brown1 overlaid with      
grayish1 the latter color being most    
prevalent in fall and winter4 ,the      
throat is surrounded with a collar of   
long hair4 ,the under parts are light   
colored and spotted and a few dark spots
 are also found on the sides4 ,the tail 
is tipped with black and has half rings 
on its upper surface4 ,the ears are also
 tipped with black hairs1 but this tip  
is not so conspicuous as in the case of 
the ,canadian ,lynx4 ,the hair is also  
shorter and coarser1 and the feet       
smaller and less heavily furred4  ,the  
food of this animal consists of rabbits1
 partridges1 sage hens1 and any other   
small animals and birds which they can  
capture4 ,they are fond of poultry and  
have been known to kill and devour the  

raccoon4 ,as before mentioned1 they are 
partial to mutton4 ,in all probability  
they capture large numbers of mice1     
moles1 prairie dogs1 etc4  ,in the      
,west1 as in parts of the ,east the wild
 cat dens in natural holes in the rocks4
 ,in the swamps of the ,south they no   
doubt1 nest in hollow trees4  ,they are1
 as a rule1 shy and retiring animals1   
but when brought to bay show            
considerable courage and fight          
desperately4 ,the fur of the ,bay ,lynx 
is not as valuable as that of the       
northern lynx4 ,it becomes prime in the 
north about the first of ,november2 in  
the south three or four weeks later4    
,the wild cat resembles the ,canada     
,lynx so closely in habits1 etc41 that  
,i do not consider it necessary to give 
any special methods for capturing it4   
,the bait methods recommended for the   
lynx will also do very well for the wild
 cat1 and the same bait may be used4 ,in
 the south it would probably be better  
to set in natural enclosures whenever   

possible4 ,in the foothills of the      
,rockies the ,bay ,lynx is frequently   
caught in traps set for coyotes1        
although they may be captured as easily 
there as in any other section1 and if   
the trapper wishes1 he can set his traps
 in hollows in the rocks1 or in         
enclosures of brush1 cactus1 etc4  ,some
 trappers prefer to hang the bait above 
the trap1 and it is a good way1 but ,i  
think that the enclosure is more        
certain4  ,i would recommend the ,nos4  
#b and #c traps for these animals4      
,although they may be held at times in  
smaller traps1 any trap having less     
strength than the ,no4 #b should not be 
depended on4  ,the track of the wild cat
 resembles that of the lynx1 but is much
 smaller4 ,the footprints will seldom   
measure more than one and a half inches 
in diameter1 and the step is a trifle   
shorter than that of the ,canadian      
,lynx4    ,illustration3 ,the ,cougar4  
,,chapter ,,xviii4  ,,the ,,cougar4     
,with the exception of the ,jaguar1     

which will average a trifle larger1 the 
cougar is the largest representative of 
the cat tribe to be found in ,america4  
,this animal is known locally under     
various names4 ,in the mountainous      
districts of the ,eastern ,states1 where
 they were once found in fair numbers1  
they were known as the panther or       
painter from a fancied resemblance to   
the panther of tropical ,asia4 ,in the  
far ,west they are most commonly known  
as the mountain lion1 and in other      
localities as the cougar1 while in the  
,southwest they are sometimes called the
 ,mexican lion4 ,throughout the whole of
 ,south ,america they are known as the  
puma4  ,this animal has probably become 
extinct in the ,eastern ,states1 but    
they are still found in the ,south1 from
 ,florida1 westward throughout the wild1
 swampy sections of the ,gulf ,states1  
into the lowlands of ,texas1 and        
southward4 ,in the ,west they are found 
in all of the mountainous portions from 
northern ,british ,columbia southward1  

and in ,south ,america are to be found  
as far south as southern ,patagonia4    
,they have at all times been more       
abundant in the ,west than in the ,east 
and are still plentiful in portions of  
,british ,columbia1 ,idaho1 ,wyoming1   
and ,colorado2 also in the ,pacific     
,coast ,states1 especially in northern  
,california4  ,in size1 the average1    
full grown cougar will perhaps measure  
seven feet in length from the nose to   
the tip of the tail1 certainly not more1
 and large specimens will weigh from a  
hundred and fifty to a hundred and      
seventy-five pounds4 ,occasionally      
larger specimens are found1 but they are
 exceptional4 ,the tail will measure    
from two and a half to three feet4  ,the
 color of the cougar is usually of a    
yellowish brown on the sides1 a trifle  
darker on the back and white on the     
throat and underparts4 ,the tip of the  
tail is dark1 almost black in some      
specimens4 ,this is the prevailing color
 but some will have a grayish cast4     

,while there is very little difference  
in the specimens from the various       
sections1 some naturalists claim that   
the cougar of ,florida and other parts  
of the ,south is a distinct variety4    
,cougars prey largely on deer1 also in  
some sections on the wild sheep and     
goats4 ,they also kill small animals1   
and when pressed by hunger they will not
 hesitate to attack larger animals than 
the deer2 even the moose is sometimes   
killed by the cougar4 ,they are very    
destructive to stock in many parts of   
the ,west1 particularly to horses1 and  
many of the ,western ,states1 as well as
 the stockmen pay bounty on cougars4 ,in
 ,south ,america they kill large numbers
 of wild cattle4  ,their method of      
securing game is by creeping cautiously 
to within springing distance1 or by     
watching a runway from the branches of a
 tree1 or a ledge of rock from which    
position they spring upon the           
unsuspecting victim1 breaking its neck  
by a twist of the head4 ,when they can  

get plenty of food they only suck the   
blood of the captured animal1 and do not
 return to the carcass1 ,when food is   
scarce they make a meal of the flesh and
 cover the remains4 ,in such cases they 
may return for a second meal4  ,it was  
only after the panther became rare in   
the ,eastern ,states that the fabulous  
tales of their daring1 and their        
inclination to attack human beings1     
originated1 and such stories are never  
credited by those who are acquainted    
with the nature and habits of the       
animal4 ,while it would be an easy      
matter for the cougar to kill an unarmed
 man1 they are by nature1 timid animals1
 and not to be feared by human beings4  
,while individual animals may attack man
 on rare instances1 such occurrences are
 very rare1 and it is safe to say that  
nine-tenths of the panther stories have 
no foundation whatever4 ,the western    
mountain men consider them very cowardly
 animals4  ,in the mountainous districts
 the cougars live in natural dens1 or   

caves in the rocks1 in places that are  
almost inaccessible to other animals4   
,in the swamps of the ,south they make  
their home in dense and almost          
impenetrable thickets and canebrakes1   
where they make a nest of sticks1 grass1
 moss and leaves4  ,the young animals   
are born in early spring1 there being   
from two to four at a birth1 but as a   
rule1 only two4 ,the mother animal      
displays considerable anxiety for the   
safety and comfort of her kittens4      
,there is no method known by which the  
cougar may be successfully trapped4     
,owing to their rambling habits one     
never knows where to place a trap for   
them1 and as they prefer to kill their  
own game1 they will seldom touch bait4  
,as a rule they do not return to the    
carcass of their victim1 but if one can 
find an animal freshly killed1 it is a  
good plan to set a trap by the side of  
the remains1 and in case the animal     
should return for a second meal1 its    
capture is likely4 ,practically all of  

those which are trapped are taken in    
this way4 ,the ,no4 #d ,newhouse trap is
 used but the ,no4 #d #a_/b is better1  
for being a larger and stronger trap it 
is more certain to hold the animal4 ,the
 trap should be fastened to a heavy     
clog1 and the trap and clog carefully   
concealed1 for the cougar is wary and   
suspicious4  ,on rare instances when the
 trapper has been certain that there    
were cougars in the near vicinity1 they 
have been captured by setting a trap in 
a natural enclosure1 placing a fresh1   
bloody bait behind the trap1 also by    
hanging the bait about five feet above a
 carefully concealed trap4  ,they are   
most commonly hunted by the aid of dogs1
 and in this way the capture is a       
comparatively easy matter4 ,when pursued
 they usually take to a tree and remain 
there until the arrival of the hunter   
when a rifle bullet ends the game4 ,the 
animal will take to a tree readily for  
any dog which has the courage to follow 
it4  ,the skin of the mountain lion is  

not valuable as a fur1 and is used      
principally for rugs1 but as before     
mentioned many of the states pay        
bounties on the animals1 so that hunting
 them may be made a profitable business 
in certain localities4  ,the tracks of  
this animal resemble those of the wild  
cat but are much larger4 ,the footprints
 will measure about four inches in      
diameter4    ,illustration3 ,the        
,wolverine4    ,,chapter ,,xix4  ,,the  
,,wolverine4  ,perhaps the most rare of 
all fur bearing animals1 as well as the 
least known1 is the wolverine4 ,this    
animal belongs to the marten family and 
is the largest1 strongest and most      
cunning of the genus2 in fact1 is       
claimed to be the most cunning and wary 
of all the furbearing animals1 and among
 the trappers has an unenviable         
reputation4  ,it is strictly a northern 
animal and is found scattered over the  
greater portion of ,canada and ,alaska1 
ranging southward into the most northern
 portion of the ,united ,states4 ,in the

 ,rocky mountain region it is found as  
far south as ,wyoming4 ,they are not    
plentiful anywhere and are probably     
found in the greatest numbers in the    
,alaskan interior1 ,yukon1 ,mackenzie   
and northern ,british ,columbia4  ,while
 the wolverine is classed among the     
martens it appears to be the connecting 
link between the martens and the bears  
for it is stoutly built and very        
bear-like in general appearance1 also is
 a plantigrade animal1 walking on the   
entire sole of the foot4 ,an average    
specimen will measure about thirty      
inches from the end of the nose to the  
base of the tail4 ,the tail is about ten
 inches in length1 exclusive of the long
 hair and is very stumpy and bushy4 ,the
 fur is long and flowing and is fairly  
fine4 ,the general color is a dull brown
 with black legs and feet and a black   
patch about the eyes4 ,a spot or stripe 
of lighter color sweeps along the sides4
 ,the teeth are large and strong and the
 curved claws are white1 contrasting    

sharply with the black fur of the feet  
and legs4  ,the wolverine makes its home
 in a burrow4 ,as to the breeding habits
 of the animal1 my observations have    
been limited and ,i can give no         
authentic information4 ,naturalists     
disagree as to the number of young and  
the time of birth4 ,some claim that the 
young animals are born in ,may1 others  
put the time as late as ,december4 ,as  
the other members of the marten family  
give birth to their young in ,april and 
,may1 ,i think it safe to assume that   
the young of the wolverine are born     
about the same time1 and that the number
 would be from three to five in a       
litter4  ,the animal is a great         
traveler1 straying sometimes thirty     
miles in each direction from its home4  
,it is not a rapid traveler1 however1   
and it is claimed that a man can easily 
outrun it4  ,the wolverine is also known
 under other fancy names1 the most      
common of which is carcajou4 ,in ,europe
 it is called the glutton from its      

supposed gluttonous appetite4 ,among the
 ,indians of the northwest it is known  
as the mountain devil and in ,british   
,columbia is sometimes called the skunk 
bear4  ,the animal really does bear some
 resemblance to the skunk in its        
appearance and actions1 the most        
noticeable of which is its habits of    
raising its tail when disturbed or when 
it stops to listen to some noise4       
,sometimes it will stand on its hind    
legs in order to get a better view of   
some object which has aroused its       
interest4  ,the wolverine is not as     
active as the other members of the      
genus1 but its strength and cunning     
fully compensate for all that it lacks  
in activity4 ,it can seldom capture     
enough of game to satisfy its hunger1   
therefore it seeks out and robs the     
caches of other animals1 also robs the  
traps of their bait and the captured    
animals4 ,for this reason the animal is 
despised and dreaded by the trapper4    
,once one has found the trap line it    

will follow the trail to the end1       
destroying the sets and eating the baits
 and catch4 ,what it cannot eat1 it will
 carry away and conceal presumably for  
future use4 ,it will also sometimes     
enter the trapper's cabin and destroy or
 defile all that it cannot eat4  ,many  
strange stories are told of the animals 
cunning and of its evil ways4 ,while    
some of these tales are no doubt true1  
,i feel safe in saying that the majority
 have no foundation whatever4 ,there is 
no doubt that the wolverine is          
exceedingly wary and that it is a great 
mischief maker1 but the fact that the   
animal is not well known1 has led the   
nature writers to draw on their         
imaginations and these wonderful stories
 are the result4 ,we hear of the animal 
decoying deer to its hiding place by    
dropping a bunch of moss for them to    
feed on1 and then springing upon the    
unsuspecting animal from a nearby limb4 
,we also read of the wolverine biting   
off the string of a set gun without     

discharging the arm1 so that it could   
eat the bait without danger4 ,that such 
stories are false goes without saying4  
,not being plentiful in any one locality
 the animals are seldom trapped and what
 few are caught are taken when they are 
visiting camps or while robbing the     
traps of the bait and catch ,trapping   
them at all times is difficult work1    
owing to the natural wariness of the    
animal4 ,that the trap must be well     
concealed and that the animal must be   
taken when off its guard will be evident
 to all4 ,the ,no4 #d trap should be    
used and only those which have strong   
springs1 as the wolverine possesses     
great strength4  ,the animals are not   
sought by the trapper and he may        
consider himself lucky if there are none
 of them on his trapping ground4 ,when  
they are found1 the trapper's aim is to 
get rid of them and the most certain way
 appears to be by means of poison4 ,when
 they visit the traps a fair portion of 
strychnine placed in the bait will      

usually bring the desired result4       
,illustration3 ,the ,pocket ,gopher4    
,,chapter ,,xx4  ,,the                  
,,pocket-,,gopher4  ,the pocket-gopher  
is found throughout the ,mississippi    
,valley1 ranging westward into ,colorado
 and ,wyoming1 southward into ,mexico1  
and northward into the prairie region of
 ,canada4 ,they are also found in       
,alabama1 ,georgia and ,florida4 ,they  
appear to be most abundant in those     
states bordering on the ,mississippi    
,river4 ,there are a number of different
 varieties1 but as their habits are the 
same1 a description of the ,prairie     
pocket-gopher1 will be sufficient4      
,this animal measures1 when full grown1 
about eight inches from the end of the  
nose to the base of the tail4 ,the tail 
is about two and a half inches long1 and
 thinly covered with hair4 ,the color is
 a liver brown1 somewhat lighter on the 
under parts2 the feet white4 ,the legs  
are very short2 the feet armed with     
large claws1 adapted to digging4 ,the   

head is large1 no neck being visible4   
,the eyes and ears are very small4 ,the 
incisors are large and chisel shaped1   
for cutting roots4 ,on each side of the 
face and neck are large pouches1 having 
no opening into the mouth4 ,these       
pouches are not used for carrying dirt1 
as is commonly supposed1 but are only   
used for carrying food4 ,the animals    
known as the grey-gopher and the        
striped-gopher are no gophers at all1   
but species of ground squirrels4        
,illustration3 ,burrow of ,pocket       
,gopher4  ,the gopher is a burrowing    
animal and is seldom seen above ground4 
,they are working almost all of the     
time1 during the spring1 summer and     
fall1 extending the burrows in search of
 food4 ,they also work in winter1 when  
the ground is not frozen1 and it is     
supposed that they also work under the  
frozen ground1 when it is not frozen too
 deep4 ,they are most active in the fall
 when they are storing up food for      
winter4  ,the burrows will be found from

 six to twelve inches beneath the       
surface of the ground1 the usual depth  
being about eight inches4 ,at irregular 
distances along the burrow1 the animal  
makes a short branch passage leading up 
to the surface1 where it deposits the   
dirt dug from the main passage1 in the  
form of a mound4 ,after the dirt is all 
thrown out1 it closes the branch        
passage1 packing the ground in solidly1 
so that the only visible signs of the   
burrow are the mounds of ground4 ,there 
is a good reason why the animal should  
be so careful to keep the passage       
closed1 for they have a number of       
enemies besides man4 ,its most dangerous
 enemies are1 perhaps1 the little       
spotted skunk or civet cat and the bull 
snake1 as both of these creatures1 once 
they get inside of the burrow1 follow   
its course until they find their victim4
  ,the food of the gopher consists      
mostly of roots of plants but they often
 cut the roots of fruit trees4 ,they are
 particularly destructive to alfalfa1   

and the loss to farmers1 caused by these
 animals1 is considerable1 not only from
 the plants destroyed by having the     
roots cut1 but also from the plants     
buried under the mounds1 and from the   
fact that the mounds interfere with the 
cutting of the crop4 ,the fur is of no  
value1 but owing to the destructiveness 
of the animals1 land owners are very    
anxious to be rid of them4 ,in many     
places a bounty is paid on the gopher1  
so that they may be profitably trapped  
when fur-bearing animals are of no      
value4  ,the traps recommended for the  
gopher are the ,no4 #j steel trap and   
some of the various choker traps made   
especially for this use4 ,in setting    
steel traps1 select the freshest mound1 
and by examining closely1 one can       
usually tell which way the dirt was     
thrown out1 and will know on which side 
to look for the burrow4 ,a handy tool is
 a slender1 pointed iron rod to use as a
 probe in searching for the burrow4     
,having located the passage1 open it up 

and set the trap on the bottom1 sinking 
it down until level4 ,cover it lightly  
with dirt1 and close the hole by laying 
a small piece of board1 or a shingle    
over the opening1 covering with ground4 
,the trap should be fastened with a     
stick1 and the same stick will serve as 
a marker1 so that one can easily find   
the trap4 ,a small spade or a heavy     
garden trowel will be needed for digging
 and for convenience1 the traps1 stakes1
 etc41 may be carried in a large basket4
 ,the regular gopher traps1 mentioned   
above1 are more easily set than steel   
traps and printed directions for setting
 usually accompany the traps4 ,they     
should be set at one side of the burrow1
 on a level with the bottom and with the
 mouth of the trap just even with the   
side of the passage4 ,just a little     
light should be allowed to penetrate    
from behind1 and all other parts should 
be closed1 so as to exclude light4  ,the
 gopher1 in coming along the passage1   
sees the light and goes to investigate1 

when it will be caught in the trap4 ,if 
too much light shows up1 he does not go 
close to look at it1 but immediately    
brings a load of dirt and proceeds to   
close the hole1 thus burying the trap4  
,all loose dirt should be removed from  
the burrow before setting the trap1 as  
otherwise the gopher will gather up the 
dirt as it approaches the light1 and    
shove it into the trap4                 
,illustration3 ,the ,cottontail ,rabbit4
    ,,chapter ,,xxi4  ,,the ,,rabbit4   
,while the rabbit is classed among the  
fur-bearing animals1 the skin having a  
slight market value1 very few of the    
trappers ever market the skins as the   
price is so little that trapping the    
animals for their fur would not be a    
lucrative business4  ,the flesh is much 
used as food by the northern hunters and
 trappers1 and also as bait for traps1  
and it is well for the trapper to know  
something about the animal and how to   
capture it4  ,properly speaking there   
are no rabbits in ,north ,america1 the  

animals known by that name being classed
 by naturalists as hares1 but the name  
is so universally used that it would be 
useless now to try to bring the true    
name into general use4  ,there are many 
species1 one or more of which will be   
found in almost every locality of ,north
 ,america1 but the most important       
species are the common cottontail1 the  
jack rabbit and the snowshoe rabbit1 or 
varying hare4 ,of these there are many  
varieties1 but they are so similar in   
appearance and habits that ,i do not    
consider it necessary or advisable to go
 into detail in describing them in a    
work of this kind4  ,rabbits belong to  
the class known as rodents or gnawing   
animals1 and are distinctly different in
 structure from all other animals of the
 class4 ,the long hind legs1 long ears1 
small tail and soft fur is              
characteristic of the genus4  ,the      
common cottontail is found in almost all
 parts of the ,united ,states1 in       
certain parts of the north only1 being  

replaced by the snowshoe rabbit4 ,they  
are smaller than the snowshoe and jack  
rabbits and are of a grayish brown on   
the back and sides shading to white on  
the under parts4 ,the fur is a reddish  
brown in summer4  ,their food consists  
of grasses1 fruits and vegetables1 bark1
 and the leaves of evergreen shrubs such
 as the laurel4 ,they are especially    
fond of fruits1 sweet apples being a    
favorite food1 and are also partial to  
cabbage4  ,their favorite haunts are the
 brushy1 wooded bottom lands but they   
are also found on the hills and         
mountains2 in fact1 in almost any place 
where they can find food and shelter4   
,the snowshoe rabbit replaces the       
cottontail in ,canada and the most      
northern portions of the ,united        
,states4 ,as before mentioned they are  
larger than the common rabbits and like 
the northern weasel the color of their  
fur varies with the seasons4 ,the summer
 coat is a reddish brown1 but when the  
cold weather comes on in the fall they  

commence to take on a white color1 the  
fur of the ears and legs being the first
 to change and in a few weeks the animal
 will be perfectly white4 ,this is      
nature's provision for the animal's     
protection1 and their color in winter is
 so nearly like that of the snow that   
when sitting under some log or clump of 
brush they are almost invisible4 ,they  
have many enemies1 being preyed upon by 
all the carnivorous animals1 also by    
such birds as the hawk and owl1 but as  
they are exceedingly prolific their     
numbers increase rapidly4  ,every few   
years1 perhaps at regular intervals1 but
 of that ,i am not certain1 some disease
 makes its appearance among them and    
they die off rapidly4 ,some naturalists 
believe that this is caused by          
inbreeding as the rabbit's circle of    
acquaintance is comparatively small1 and
 his knowledge of the country and the   
ground covered by his wanderings is     
limited to a very small area4  ,the food
 of the snowshoe rabbit consists mainly 

of grasses in summer and the bark of    
certain young growths in winter4 ,they  
are very fond of salt and wherever there
 is a trace of it to be found1 they will
 come nightly and dig up the soil in    
order to procure it4 ,the northern      
settlers who use large numbers of these 
animals for food sometimes make a salt  
lick for the rabbits and watch for the  
animals in the early evening4  ,the feet
 of the snowshoe rabbit are very large  
and are heavily furred1 forming a sort  
of snowshoe which accounts for its      
common name4 ,they are very methodical1 
running the same route so often as to   
form a well defined trail1 quite common 
in the northern swamps and hazel        
thickets4 ,these trails are followed    
after the snow falls and become beaten  
several inches in depth4  ,it is from   
the skins of the snowshoe rabbit that   
the northern ,indians make the wonderful
 rabbit skin blankets4 ,the skin is     
ripped down the back of the hind legs   
and is drawn off whole and while still  

fresh is cut into one long strip        
averaging an inch in width4 ,immediately
 after cutting1 the strip rolls up      
leaving the outside covered with fur and
 resembling a fur rope4 ,these skins are
 wound into a ball and kept frozen until
 the desired number has been secured    
when they are woven into a frame1 the   
ends being sewed together4 ,it makes the
 warmest bed covering known1 and is used
 universally by the northern trappers4  
,it also was a great comfort to those   
who went into ,alaska and ,yukon in     
search of gold4   ,illustration3 ,rabbit
 ,snares4  ,the jack rabbit is found    
mostly on the western plains and is the 
largest of the ,american hares4 ,they   
resemble the ordinary rabbit in         
structure1 but the ears are very long   
and the tail is more like that of the   
deer4 ,in running they make long leaps1 
all four feet hanging straight down1    
presenting a singular appearance4       
,rabbits are seldom trapped with steel  
traps1 but almost every country boy     

knows how to take them in box traps     
baited with sweet apples4 ,the          
cottontail may also be taken in a spring
 pole snare1 such as shown in the cut4  
,the noose is made of twine and is about
 ten inches in diameter4 ,when carefully
 made they are almost certain in action4
 ,they should be baited with sweet apple
 or cabbage4  ,the snare used for the   
snowshoe rabbit is a very simple        
contrivance4 ,the white trappers use    
,no4 #bj brass wire1 doubled and twisted
 with a small loop on one end1 and made 
into the form of a slip noose4  ,the    
snares are set on the trails1 the bottom
 of the noose being about four inches   
above the trail and the loop1 about four
 inches in diameter1 is attached firmly 
to a brush placed horizontally over the 
path4 ,a short stick is set upright     
under the noose and others are placed on
 either side of the snare4 ,when        
properly arranged the noose will take   
the animal by the neck when it attempts 
to leap through1 and it will be choked  

by its struggles4  ,the ,indians make   
the snares of light linen cord but with 
the white man this method is a failure  
as the rabbit will invariably stop and  
bite the cord4 ,i do not understand why 
they do not bite the snares set by the  
,indians4  ,where tracks are plentiful  
and good trails cannot be found ,i have 
caught them by placing a few fresh twigs
 of birch or tamarack on each side of   
the snare4 ,the rabbit is certain to    
find them and after eating those placed 
on one side it will attempt to leap     
through the noose to reach the others1  
which1 of course1 is the end of poor    
bunny4 ,the smallest and tenderest      
shoots should be selected for bait and  
only two or three should be placed at a 
snare4  ,at other times ,i have made a  
fence of small evergreen trees where    
signs of the animals were numerous1 and 
have fixed snares in the openings along 
the obstruction4 ,this is also a        
successful method4  ,i have never       
learned of any method of trapping or    

snaring the jack rabbit1 but believe    
they could be trapped successfully where
 they visit the farms and gnaw the bark 
from fruit trees as they do in some     
parts of the west4    ,,chapter ,,xxii4 
,,tracks ,,and ,,signs4  ,old and       
experienced trappers can read the signs 
of the forest and stream with a degree  
of accuracy that to the amateur is      
surprising4 ,in this way he can make a  
fair estimate of the number and kinds of
 fur-bearing animals found in a         
locality1 while the novice would see    
nothing1 or if he did see the tracks and
 signs he would not be able to          
distinguish them1 one from another4  ,to
 be able to read the signs accurately is
 essential for successful hunting and   
trapping4 ,the expert trapper will know 
instantly1 on seeing a track1 just what 
animal it was that passed that way1 and 
by knowing its habits will know about   
when it is likely to return1 and how to 
place a trap for its capture4 ,he can   
also tell with fair accuracy at what    

time the animal passed that way1 and    
frequently1 will know whether it was a  
male or female2 whether it was looking  
for food or a place of rest1 whether it 
was on its regular route of travel and  
where it was going4 ,to the novice all  
of these signs are unintelligible4  ,the
 art of sign reading can be learned only
 from experience4 ,while the writer can 
distinguish the signs and tracks of the 
fur-bearing animals1 to put this        
knowledge in print is exceedingly       
difficult4 ,however1 ,i will endeavor   
here1 to describe the tracks of the     
fur-bearing and game animals1 and       
believe that the description will be of 
value to the amateur4  ,before the      
coming of the tell-tale snow1 and the   
myriads of tracks which then appear1 the
 stream with its muddy or sandy shores  
is per haps the most promising place in 
which to look for signs4 ,in the mud    
alongside of a pool of water1 the tracks
 of that busy little animal the muskrat1
 can be seen4  ,the trail of this animal

 is accurately shown in the drawing4    
,when seen at the water's edge1 and only
 a few tracks are visible1 the trail    
appears irregular1 but if one can see   
where it has walked for some distance1  
it will be noted that the animal has a  
regular step1 some five or six inches in
 length1 and there is also the trail of 
the dragging tail1 most plainly seen in 
the soft muddy bottom of the still1     
shallow water4 ,in the snow the track   
will appear the same4 ,only the prints  
of the hind feet are visible1 the front 
feet being very much smaller1 and the   
print being obliterated by those of the 
hind feet4 ,when the animal is running  
the prints of all four feet are readily 
discernible4 ,the print of the hind foot
 will measure about two and a fourth    
inches in length if the full impression 
of the foot is to be seen4              
,illustration3 ,tracks of ,furbearing   
,animals4  ,in addition to the tracks   
other signs may be seen4 ,where the     
animals are found in fair numbers they  

will have well defined trails leading   
from the water4 ,where the bank is steep
 the trails are sometimes worn an inch  
or more in depth1 owing to the muskrat's
 habit of sliding down the bank1 which  
habit is not practiced in play1 but for 
convenience4 ,other signs are the       
droppings on the logs which extend into 
the water2 the dens with an accumulation
 of grass at the entrance2 also the     
scratch signs on the bank1 the feed     
beds1 houses1 etc4  ,all signs are      
plentiful in early fall1 and at such    
times the novice is likely to           
overestimate the number of animals1 as  
the muskrat is very active at that      
season4  ,the signs of the beaver are   
very similar to those of the muskrat1   
but the tracks are much larger1 and     
owing to the fact that the level of the 
water in the vicinity of a beaver lodge1
 is raised far above the muddy shores1  
by the dam the tracks are seldom seen4  
,however1 the house and dam with the    
fresh cut wood1 and well used trails are

 all of the signs that are needed4 ,old 
houses and dams are found frequently1   
but if there is no fresh cutting about1 
one may be certain that the house is    
uninhabited4  ,one of the most puzzling 
things to the novice is to know the     
number of inmates1 that is1 whether or  
not it is a full family1 but methods of 
determining this are given in the       
chapter dealing with this animal4 ,in   
the ,north the beavers are ice bound    
during the winter months1 but           
occasionally one may find them emerging 
from the water at some springhole near  
the lodge or dam1 and at such times the 
tracks may be seen in the snow4  ,the   
trail of the otter is unmistakable1     
owing to its peculiar1 floundering1     
sliding mode of travel4 ,it is seldom   
seen except in the near vicinity of the 
water4 ,in the snow1 the track is well  
defined and resembles the trail made by 
dragging a small log1 the footprints in 
the bottom of the trail being very      
distinct4 ,the length of jump is from   

four to eight feet1 depending on the    
condition of the snow1 and the          
footprints will measure about two inches
 in diameter4  ,they travel under the   
ice whenever possible and one may see   
frequently where the otter has bored    
into a snow bank at the water's edge1   
trying to locate a weak spot in the ice4
 ,when they have been working under the 
ice for some time one may find where    
they have been entering at1 and emerging
 from the spring holes near the shore4  
,at such places the snow will be packed 
down solidly and remains of fish may be 
found4  ,when there is no snow1 one may 
learn of the most frequented localities 
by the number of slides and landing     
places4 ,at the landing places the      
droppings will be found1 and they may be
 distinguished from those of other      
animals from the large proportions of   
fish bones and scales4  ,another animal 
which will be found frequenting the     
waterways is the mink4 ,the track of    
this little animal may be found along   

the muddy shore1 where the steep bank   
crowds it down to the water's edge4 ,at 
other times it will travel several rods 
from the water1 and after he ice forms1 
will run on the ice1 seldom going far   
from the shore4 ,its method of travel is
 an easy lope1 and the footprints are   
nearly always in pairs about three      
inches apart one somewhat in advance of 
the other1 and separated by a distance  
of from one to two feet4 ,the footprints
 measure from one to one and            
three-fourths inches in length4 ,they   
are sometimes found entering the water  
at spring holes in the ice1 and at open 
places in the rapids4  ,about the       
outlets or inlets of lakes and ponds1   
and at the log-jams or drifts on the    
stream one may sometimes find small1    
slender pointed droppings on the stones 
or logs4 ,these sign will show          
unmistakably that the route is regularly
 used by at least one mink4  ,the track 
of the weasel is similar to that of the 
mink1 but is smaller1 but as the weasel 

is not a water animal1 its tracks are   
more likely to be seen along the fences 
and where logs and rocks are plentiful4 
,here the trail will be found leading   
here and there in an aimless sort of    
way1 and entering every nook and corner1
 where the persistent little hunter     
thinks it may find a sleepy bunny or    
some other animal or bird4 ,the length  
of jump is from sixteen to twenty inches
 and the footprints measure about one or
 one and a fourth inches in length4     
,the marten has a similar method of     
travel and makes a track like those of  
the mink and weasel1 being a little     
larger than the track of the mink and   
the footprint is broader and more       
rounded2 the foot being heavily furred  
the toes do not show so distinctly4 ,the
 trail will be found leading through the
 gullies and depressions of the heavily 
timbered places1 and occasionally they  
also travel on the ridges4  ,few signs  
are seen when the ground is bare but in 
the dark1 sheltered ravines1 the        

droppings may sometimes be seen on the  
logs1 resembling those of the mink1 but 
somewhat larger4 ,sometimes one may also
 find where they have killed a bird or  
rabbit4    ,illustration3 ,tracks of    
,furbearing ,animals4  ,there is        
practically no difference between the   
track of the fisher and that of the     
marten except in size4 ,the footprints  
of the fisher are perhaps a trifle more 
distinct1 and will measure from two to  
two and a half inches in length1 the    
distance between each set of tracks     
being from two and a half to four feet4 
,the tracks of both the marten and the  
fisher are found in the same kind of    
places1 but the fisher is more of a     
rambler and more given to rambling in   
the open country4 ,when the ground is   
bare one may see occasionally where they
 have killed and eaten rabbits1 in which
 case very little will remain except the
 fur and toes of the victim4  ,although 
the skunk is a member of the great      
weasel family1 its method of travel is  

decidedly different from that of the    
weasel1 for it seldom lopes1 but has a  
slow1 measured walk4 ,the length of step
 is about five or six inches1 and the   
footprints are from one to one and      
three-fourths inches in length4 ,the    
trail is rather broad1 and if the snow  
is deep and soft the animal sinks       
deeply1 so as to make a trail with its  
body2 however1 the skunk seldom travels 
when the snow is in that condition4     
,signs of the skunk may be noted also in
 summer and early fall4 ,occasionally   
one will find in the field1 small       
excavations varying from an inch and a  
half to four or five inches in depth1   
nicely rounded and funnel shaped4 ,this 
is the work of the skunk1 and it was    
hunting for insects or grubs4  ,the most
 conspicuous signs1 however1 are the    
dens1 which may be found along the      
steep1 gravelly hillsides4 ,although the
 woodchuck makes a similar den1 one may 
be able to distinguish them1 as a rule4 
,if the den is inhabited by skunks one  

will usually find black and white hairs 
clinging to the mouth of the den1 also  
will be likely to find a pile of        
droppings somewhere near1 and to one    
side of the entrance4  ,the walk of the 
opossum is similar to that of the skunk1
 but the trail is broader1 the          
footprints more spreading and the toes  
turned outward4 ,the feet being naked1  
the toes show very plainly4 ,their      
tracks are only seen after a warm night1
 when the snow is melting1 and the dens 
are seldom found unless one can follow  
the trail4 ,the footprints will measure 
from one and a fourth to two and a half 
inches in diameter4  ,the tracks made by
 the animals of the dog family1 the fox1
 coyote and wolf1 are all similar1      
practically the only difference being in
 size4 ,the foxes make the smallest     
tracks1 that of the red fox being about 
two or two and a fourth inches in length
 and the length of step is about        
fourteen inches4 ,the female makes a    
narrower track than the male1 the same  

being true of many animals4 ,there is no
 difference in the tracks of the silver1
 cross and red foxes1 they being all of 
the same variety1 but the gray fox makes
 a shorter and rounder track1 easily    
distinguished from that of the red fox4 
,in early fall one may see the droppings
 of the fox along the old wood roads and
 stock paths1 and they may be           
distinguished from those of the dog by  
the remains of apples and other fruits  
which are found there4 ,occasionally one
 may see the tracks in the mud or dust  
of the old roads in the woods1 and      
sometimes the dens are to be found4  ,as
 before mentioned the track of the      
coyote is identical with that of the red
 fox1 except that it is larger4 ,the    
length of step is about sixteen inches  
and the track will measure about two and
 one-half inches in length by two inches
 in width4  ,the track of the timber    
wolf is larger1 that of a full grown    
specimen measuring about three inches in
 width by four in length1 the length of 

step being about eighteen or twenty     
inches4  ,as the tracks of the dogs are 
similar so also are those of the cats1  
the wild cat1 lynx and cougar1 or       
mountain lion1 the only difference being
 in size4 ,the two first named are      
plainly shown in the drawings1 and as   
will be noted1 that of the wild cat is  
the smallest1 and will measure about two
 inches in diameter with a step of about
 fourteen inches4    ,illustration3     
,tracks of ,furbearing ,animals4  ,the  
lynx makes a step of about the same     
length and the footprint of a large one 
will be from three to three and a half  
inches in width4  ,the cougar makes a   
larger track than the lynx1 otherwise   
there is no difference4  ,occasionally  
one may find where these animals have   
killed game2 the lynx will eat all but  
the feet of a rabbit4 ,the droppings may
 also be seen at times4 ,they resemble  
somewhat those of the fox1 but are      
slightly larger1 and never show remains 
of fruit1 as the lynx never eats        

vegetable food4  ,along the streams and 
shores of the lakes and ponds one may   
see in summer and early fall the tracks 
of the raccoon1 where the animal has    
traveled the strip of mud at the water's
 edge1 looking for frogs and fish4 ,one 
may trace the animal along the stream   
and will find that at times it has waded
 in the shallow water1 and then again   
has gone the lope along the water's     
edge1 or1 perhaps has made a side       
journey to some cornfield4 ,at such     
places if coons are plentiful1 one may  
find a trail leading through the fence  
into a field4 ,in parts of the ,south   
where these animals are abundant1 trails
 may also be found along the ponds and  
swamps4  ,the coon belongs to the bear  
family1 and like the bear steps on      
nearly the entire bottom of the foot1   
instead of the toes only1 as do the cats
 and some other animals1 therefore1 the 
footprint is usually long and narrow1   
and the foot being bare on the bottom1  
the long1 slender toes show up          

distinctively4 ,the animal has the      
loping method of travel1 like the mink  
and weasel1 but shows the print of a    
hind foot beside that of the front foot1
 the right and left alternating4 ,the   
prints of the hind foot will measure    
from three to four inches in length1    
when the entire track is visible4  ,one 
is not likely to mistake the track of   
the bear1 as it is the largest of the   
furbearing animals4 ,as far north as    
,pennsylvania1 its tracks will          
occasionally be seen in the snow1 but   
north of that tier of states1 the bears 
seldom move about after the coming of   
snow4 ,the tracks may sometimes be seen 
in the mud and wet moss of the northern 
swamps1 also on the shores of the lakes 
and along the streams4  ,the bear has a 
shuffling mode of walking and turns its 
toes outward4 ,it is fond of walking on 
logs and will do so frequently1 where   
fallen timber is plentiful4 ,the track  
of a large black bear will sometimes    
measure eight inches in length1 and that

 of the grizzly bear will be much       
larger4    ,illustration3 ,tracks of    
,game ,animals4  ,although the tracks   
are not often seen1 other signs are to  
be found1 such as logs and stumps1 torn 
open by the bear in its search for ants1
 etc41 small poplars broken down in     
order to secure the young leaves1 claw  
marks on chestnut and black gum trees1  
overturned rocks1 and those most        
noticeable signs1 the marked trails1    
which are mentioned in the chapter      
describing this animal4  ,while the deer
 are not classed among the fur-bearing  
animals1 they are interesting to all    
trappers1 and ,i have shown drawings of 
the footprints of the common deer1 the  
moose1 the caribou1 and the three most  
common species of rabbits1 namely2 the  
common cottontail1 the snowshoe rabbit1 
or varying hare1 and the jack rabbit4   
,the tracks shown in one-fifth size are 
of the cottontail4  ,as will be noted in
 the drawings of the deer tracks1 that  
of the hind foot is narrower and more   

pointed than that of the front4 ,the doe
 also makes a smaller and more slender  
track4 ,the average track will measure  
about two and a fourth inches in length4
 ,the moose makes a similar track1 but  
it is much larger and will measure about
 four and a half to five and a half     
inches4 ,the track of the caribou will  
average somewhat smaller than that of   
the moose and is of decidedly different 
shape4 ,it is not so pointed1 and the   
hoof being split much higher1 it spreads
 out more1 also the prints of the two   
small toes on the back of the foot are  
to be seen in nearly all cases1 while   
the moose does not always show them4    
,almost everybody is familiar with the  
track of the rabbit1 but ,i have shown  
those of the three species mentioned1   
mainly to show the difference in size4  
,the feet being furred heavily1 the     
prints of the toes seldom show1 except  
on hard snow4  ,some of these tracks    
were drawn from memory1 but others were 
sketched from the actual trails4 ,on the

 whole1 ,i think they will be found to  
be accurate1 at least near enough to    
enable anybody to distinguish the trails
 of the various animals1 and ,i think   
that the descriptions and illustrations 
will be of value to the amateur trapper 
when looking over his territory and     
locating the runways of the animals that
 he proposes to catch4    ,,chapter     
,,xxiii4  ,,handling ,,furs4  ,to know  
the habits and the nature of the various
 animals and to know how to catch them  
is not all that is essential for        
success1 but the trapper must also know 
how to skin the various animals and how 
to cure the skins and prepare them for  
market4  ,the loss caused the trapper by
 the lack of this knowledge is          
considerable2 many skins because they   
have not been fully cured reach the     
dealer in a tainted condition1 others   
are not fully stretched and are graded  
small and some do not have the proper   
shape4 ,some are not cleaned of flesh   
and fat1 do not have the tail bone      

removed1 have not been kept clean or    
have been badly damaged in killing or   
skinning1 all of which has a tendency to
 decrease their value4  ,i have seen the
 skins of raccoon1 killed before they   
were prime1 and stretched on the side of
 a barn where the glare of the sun      
burned the life out of the skins1       
rendering them worthless4 ,i have also  
seen skunk and mink skins drawn over the
 end of a thick board roughly fashioned 
with an axe1 and hung up by the nose1   
the weight of the board drawing the head
 out until it resembled the finger of a 
glove4 ,the trapper who handles his     
catch in that way can never expect to   
receive full value for his furs4  ,there
 are two ways of skinning fur-bearing   
animals1 namely1 casing and skinning    
open4 ,the weasel1 mink1 marten1 fisher1
 fox1 opossum1 muskrat1 civet1 skunk1   
wild cat should be cased4 ,the raccoon1 
bear1 beaver1 badger1 cougar1 wolf1     
wolverine and coyote should be skinned  
open4 ,some dealers prefer to have      

southern raccoons cased4  ,to remove a  
skin by the first mentioned plan1 cut it
 loose around the feet and rip down the 
back of the hind legs1 to and around the
 vent4 ,peel the skin carefully from the
 hind legs and skin the tail by slipping
 a split stick over the bone1 when by   
gripping the stick with the right hand  
with the bone of the tail between the   
second and third fingers and holding the
 animal with the left hand1 the skin may
 be stripped off easily4 ,draw the skin 
downward from the body1 keeping it as   
clean of flesh and fat as possible4 ,to 
facilitate this process the animal may  
be suspended from the limb of a tree or 
other projection by looping a strong    
cord around the hind legs after they    
have been skinned4 ,the skin should be  
drawn from the front legs and when the  
ears are reached they should be cut off1
 cutting downwards towards the head4    
,the skin should be cut loose about the 
eyes and nose1 and it will then be in   
the form of a long pocket1 fur side in4 

,the weasel1 mink1 marten1 fisher1 fox1 
skunk1 civet cat and wild cat should be 
skinned in this way4 ,the otter must    
have the tail ripped open its entire    
length on the underside1 and as they are
 a difficult animal to flesh1 it is best
 to skin them clean with a knife1       
leaving no flesh or fat adhering to the 
skin4 ,the muskrat and opossum should   
also be cased1 but as the tails of these
 animals have no fur they should not be 
skinned1 the skin being cut loose about 
the base or where the fur ends4  ,some  
trappers do not use much care in        
removing the skin from the head of the  
muskrat1 but simply pull it off by main 
strength4 ,this leaves the flesh of the 
head remaining on the skin and a        
collection of such skins will usually be
 graded low and the skins will average a
 few cents less than when properly      
handled4  ,to skin an animal open1 rip  
the skin on the belly from the point of 
the lower jaw to the vent1 down the back
 of the hind legs and on the inside of  

the front legs across the breast to the 
point of the brisket4 ,animals that are 
intended only as furs may have the feet 
cut off1 but bears1 mountain lions1     
wolves and wolverines should have the   
feet skinned out to the ends of the     
toes1 leaving the claws attached to the 
skin4 ,this increases their value for   
mounting or for rugs4 ,the skin should  
be peeled from the body1 using the knife
 whenever necessary4  ,in skinning the  
beaver1 rip the skin from the point of  
the chin to the vent and around the base
 of the tail and cut off the feet1 but  
do not rip the skin of the legs4 ,skin  
the animal perfectly clean using the    
knife everywhere1 as it is almost       
impossible to flesh a beaver after      
skinning4 ,not a particle of flesh or   
fat should be allowed to remain on the  
skin4  ,after all burrs1 lumps of mud   
and blood clots have been removed from  
the skin it is ready for fleshing4 ,for 
fleshing all cased skins prepare a      
narrow tapering board of sufficient     

length to accommodate the longest skins 
and plane it perfectly smooth1 rounding 
the edges slightly4 ,draw the skin over 
this board flesh side out and scrape all
 flesh and fat from it1 using some blunt
 instrument1 such as a square edged     
knife or a hatchet4 ,turn the skin      
occasionally and do not flesh on the    
edges of the board or you may score the 
skin2 be careful not to damage it in any
 way4 ,always turn the fur side out     
before laying it down1 so as to keep it 
perfectly clean4  ,open skins1 if they  
have not been skinned clean1 are more   
readily fleshed after they are          
stretched4  ,a good supply of stretching
 boards of various sizes should be made 
in advance of the trapping season4 ,soft
 pine1 poplar1 basswood1 or cedar boards
 are best1 and old dry goods boxes make 
excellent stretching boards4 ,they      
should be free of knots and should be   
planed smooth so that the furs may be   
removed easily after they are dry4  ,for
 mink the boards should be from #bf to  

#cd inches in length and from #c #a_/b  
to #d #a_/b inches wide at widest part1 
and about #a_/b inch narrower at the    
shoulders from which point it should    
taper gracefully to the head and end    
with a rounded point4 ,for marten1 the  
boards should be a trifle wider4 ,for   
the average fox or fisher1 the board    
should be #d feet long1 about #e #a_/d  
inches wide at the shoulder and #f #a_/b
 at the base4 ,for the otter the board  
should be about #a_/b inch wider and a  
foot longer4 ,the average lynx will     
require a board about #g #a_/b inches   
wide at the shoulder and #i #a_/b inches
 at the base1 by about #e feet in       
length4 ,for large muskrats the board   
should be two feet long by #f inches    
wide at the base1 #c_/d inches narrower 
at the shoulder and with a flat iron    
shaped head1 but more rounded at the    
nose4 ,one should have several smaller  
sizes also4 ,for skunk and opossum the  
boards should be about #f inches wide at
 the shoulder and #g #a_/d inches at the

 base1 #bh inches long4  ,these         
dimensions are for the average animals1 
but it should be remembered that the    
sizes vary greatly in the various parts 
of the country4 ,in the case of the     
skunk and the mink especially1 there is 
a great difference in size4             
,illustration3 ,canadian ,pattern       
,stretching ,boards4  ,for convenience  
and good results ,i advise ripping with 
a saw1 a narrow wedge from the center of
 all boards except those intended for   
muskrats4 ,in this way one can stretch  
the skins to their full size and they   
may be more easily removed from the     
boards1 after the wedge is withdrawn4   
,for large boards to be used for lynx1  
otter and animals of a similar size1 ,i 
fasten two short strips to the base of  
one piece of the board1 as shown in the 
cut4 ,this stiffens the stretcher and   
prevents the pieces from turning in the 
skin4 ,all boards should be beveled on  
the sides1 leaving the edges thin1 round
 and smooth4 ,the boards shown are of   

the ,canadian pattern used universally  
by the ,canadian trappers both ,indian  
and white1 and recommended and approved 
of by such large dealers as the         
,hudson's ,bay ,co4 ,the tendency among 
trappers of more southern districts is  
to use a less tapered board with a more 
rounded point4  ,the skins should be    
stretched as soon as they are fleshed4  
,in using the three piece board slip the
 two halves into the skin1 the flesh    
side being out and fasten the hind legs 
with one or two small nails in each1    
then insert the wedge and draw down all 
slack parts and fasten with nails4 ,be  
sure to get the back on one side of the 
board and the belly on the other4 ,draw 
up the skin of the lower jaw and fasten 
with a couple of tacks or small nails4  
,in the case of the lynx it is advisable
 to slip a narrow board into each front 
leg and a small incision should be made 
in the tip of the tail of all animals1  
to allow the moisture to drain out and  
the tail to dry4  ,the tail of the otter

 should be stretched out to its full    
width and well fastened with small      
nails4 ,some trappers also split the    
tail of the skunk for about one-half of 
its length and fasten it in the same    
way4  ,the proper way to stretch open   
skins is by lacing them with twine in a 
hoop or frame4 ,the beaver should be    
stretched round1 and a hoop is most     
convenient4 ,my method is to fasten the 
skin in the hoop at four points and then
 with a large sacking needle and strong 
twine stretch out one quarter at a time4
 ,i use a separate twine for each       
quarter1 sewing thru the edge of the    
skin and around the hoop1 tying the end 
with a loose knot4 ,in case ,i find that
 any part is stretched too much or not  
enough1 it is a simple matter to untie  
the string and give it a little slack or
 take up a little as the case requires4 
,the raccoon should be stretched nearly 
square and all other skins to their     
natural shape4 ,a square frame is most  
convenient1 and the method employed may 

be the same as for beavers4 ,open skins 
which have not been fleshed1 should have
 all of the flesh peeled off after they 
are stretched and then it will          
frequently be found necessary to        
re-stretch them but this is not         
difficult when using the twine4  ,all   
furs should be dried or cured in a cool1
 airy place4 ,they should never be      
allowed near the heat of the fire as    
they dry rapidly and become brittle and 
unfit for use4 ,in camp they may be     
dried in some corner1 removed from the  
fire but they are likely to take on a   
dirty yellow color from the smoke1 and  
it is better to have a shelter for them 
on the outside4  ,furs should not be    
allowed to remain a long time on the    
boards4 ,as soon as they are            
sufficiently dry to prevent shrinking or
 wrinkling they should be removed4 ,the 
lynx and all species and varieties of   
foxes should be turned with the fur side
 out as soon as they become dry enough1 
and if the skin has become too dry to   

turn1 it may be dampened slightly on the
 stiffer parts by placing a damp cloth  
over it4 ,a very little will suffice and
 one must be certain to allow the skin  
to dry out thoroughly after turning4 ,it
 is best to watch the skins closely and 
not allow them to become too dry before 
turning4 ,some trappers turn the skins  
of other animals1 but with the exception
 of those mentioned it is better to     
leave the fur side in4  ,when shipping  
the furs they should be packed flat and 
bound tightly4 ,those having the fur    
side out should be kept separate from   
the others so that the fur will not     
become greasy4 ,i sew the skins in      
burlap and put a card bearing my name   
and address inside of the package2 also 
tie two shipping tags on the outside4   
,furs handled by the above methods will 
always command good prices and ,i never 
have any cause for complaint if ,i ship 
them to reliable dealers1 but when furs 
are badly handled1 damaged in killing or
 afterwards1 or unprime1 one cannot     

expect the highest market price4        
,,chapter ,,xxiv4  ,,steel ,,traps4  ,in
 the preceding pages ,i have made       
frequent mention of the ,newhouse and   
other brands of traps and the work would
 hardly be complete without a           
description of these traps4  ,the       
,newhouse traps were designed by ,sewell
 ,newhouse1 a resident of ,oneida ,co41 
,new ,york1 sometime prior to the year  
#ahdj and the first of these famous     
traps were manufactured by the inventor 
in a little blacksmith shop1 all of the 
work being done by hand4  ,these traps  
were traded to the neighboring ,indians 
and gradually became famous throughout  
the country4 ,early in the fifties1 ,mr4
 ,newhouse moved to ,kenwood1 in        
,madison ,county and established a      
larger shop4 ,it was at this time that  
he joined the ,oneida ,community and as 
the demand for the goods soon exceeded  
the output1 the firm decided that the   
business must be enlarged and           
accordingly a small factory was erected4

  ,the business proved prosperous and it
 was found necessary to enlarge the     
plant from time to time in order to     
increase the output and supply the      
demand which was increasing rapidly as  
the traps became well known1 and today  
these people are the largest            
manufacturers of steel traps in the     
world4  ,great care is used in the      
tempering of the springs and it is a    
fact well known to the users of this    
goods that the ,newhouse spring is more 
reliable and more durable than any      
other4  ,the nearly perfect state of the
 ,newhouse trap as it is made at        
present1 has only been reached after    
years of study and experiment and many  
of the improvements have been brought   
about by the trappers themselves1 with  
whom this firm has a large              
correspondence4 ,they are always pleased
 to receive any suggestions for the     
improvement of their traps4  ,although  
the ,newhouse is a cheap trap1 quality  
considered1 it was soon found necessary 

to manufacture a line of cheaper traps  
and several styles were placed on the   
market4 ,these were remodeled and       
changed in various ways to meet the     
demands of the consumer1 and the names  
were changed with the style4  ,those    
made at present are known as the ,hawley
  ,norton1 the ,oneida ,jump and the    
,victor4 ,the ,hawley  ,norton is made  
in the same style as the ,newhouse1 but 
is lighter4 ,the ,victor is also made in
 this style and it is safe to say that  
it is the most popular trap on the      
market4 ,more of them are used than of  
any other brand and being so cheap they 
are especially liked by the beginner and
 by those who do not make trapping their
 leading occupation4 ,in thickly settled
 districts where traps are often taken  
by thieves1 many trappers prefer to use 
these cheaper grades of traps4  ,the    
,oneida ,jump trap is a distinct        
departure from the ,newhouse pattern4   
,it is a high grade trap but very light 
and its shape allows it to be placed    

where an ordinary trap could be set only
 with difficulty4 ,instead of having the
 long bow spring as in the other styles 
it has a short spring located inside of 
the jaws and under the pan1 and it is   
attached to one end of the bed plate of 
the trap4 ,this makes the trap very     
compact and it takes up very little room
 either when set or sprung4 ,the traps  
have been on the market a comparatively 
short time but they have already become 
quite popular4  ,all of these traps are 
made in sizes from ,no4 #j to ,no4 #d   
and the ,newhouse is made in additional 
sizes and in special styles as described
 in the following pages4                
,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #j      
,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #c #a_/b      
inches4 ,this1 the smallest trap made1  
is used mostly for catching the gopher1 
a little animal which is very           
troublesome to western farmers1 and also
 rats and other vermin4 ,it has a sharp 
grip and will hold larger game1 but     
should not be overtaxed4                

,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #a      
,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #d inches4    
,this ,trap is used for catching        
muskrats and other small animals1 and   
sold in greater numbers than any other  
size4 ,its use is well understood by    
professional trappers and it is the most
 serviceable size for catching skunks1  
weasels1 rats and such other animals as 
visit poultry houses and barns4         
,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #ha     
,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #d inches4    
,occasionally animals free themselves   
from traps by gnawing their legs off    
just below the trap jaws1 where the     
flesh is numb from pressure4 ,various   
forms of traps have been experimented   
with to obviate this difficulty4 ,the   
,webbed ,jaws shown above have proved   
very successful in this respect4        
,noting the cross-section of the jaws1  
as illustrated at the left1 it is plain 
the animal can only gnaw off its leg at 
a point quite a distance below the      
meeting edges4 ,the flesh above the     

point of amputation and below the jaws  
will swell and make it impossible to    
pull the leg stump out of the trap4     
,the ,no4 #ha ,trap corresponds in size 
with the regular ,no4 #a ,newhouse4     
,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #ia     
,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws--#ia1 #e #a_/d 
inches2 #ia #a_/b1 #f #a_/d inches4 ,the
 double jaws take an easy and firm grip 
so high up on the muskrat that he can   
not twist out4 ,a skunk cannot gnaw out 
either4  ,these traps are especially    
good for muskrat1 mink1 skunk and       
raccoon4  ,all parts of the ,no4 #ia    
except the jaws are the same size as the
 regular ,no4 #a ,newhouse1 while the   
#ia #a_/b corresponds to the regular    
,no4 #a #a_/b4    ,illustration3        
,,newhouse ,,no4 #a #a_/b ,,trap        
,spread of ,jaws1 #d #g_/h inches4 ,this
 size is called the ,mink ,trap4 ,it is1
 however1 suitable for catching the     
woodchuck1 skunk1 etc4 ,professional    
trappers often use it for catching      
foxes4 ,it is very convenient in form   

and is strong and reliable4             
,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #b      
,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #d #g_/h      
inches4 ,the ,no4 #b ,trap is called the
 ,fox ,trap4 ,its spread of jaws is the 
same as the ,no4 #a #a_/b but having two
 springs it is1 of course1 much         
stronger4   ,illustration3 ,,newhouse   
,,no4 #c ,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #e   
#a_/b inches4 ,this1 the ,otter ,trap1  
is very powerful4 ,it will hold almost  
any game smaller than a bear4           
,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #d      
,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #f #a_/b      
inches4 ,this is the regular form of    
,beaver ,trap4 ,it is longer than the   
,no4 #c ,trap1 and has one inch greater 
spread of jaws4 ,it is a favorite with  
those who trap and hunt for a living in 
the ,northwest and ,canada4 ,it is also 
extensively used for trapping the       
smaller wolves and coyotes in the       
western stock raising regions4          
,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #b #a_/b
 ,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #f #a_/b     

inches4 ,in some localities the otter   
grows to an unusual size1 with great    
proportionate strength1 so that the     
manufacturers have been led to produce  
an especially large and strong pattern4 
,all the parts are heavier than the ,no4
 #b #a_/b1 the spread of jaws greater   
and the spring stiffer4                 
,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4 #c #a_/b
 ,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #e inches4   
,the above cut represents a ,single     
,spring ,otter ,trap4 ,it is used more  
especially for catching otter on their  
slides4 ,for this purpose a thin1 raised
 plate of steel is adjusted to the pan  
so that when the trap is set the plate  
will be a trifle higher than the teeth  
on the jaws4 ,the spring is very        
powerful1 being the same as used on the 
,no4 #d ,newhouse ,trap4 ,the raised    
plate can be readily detached if        
desired1 making the trap one of general 
utility4    ,illustration3 ,,newhouse   
,,no4 #ba #a_/b ,,trap  ,single ,spring4
 ,same as ,no4 #b #a_/b but without     

,teeth or ,raised ,plate4  ,no4 #ca     
#a_/b ,,newhouse ,,trap4  ,single       
,spring4 ,same as ,no4 #c #a_/b but     
without ,teeth or ,raised ,plate4       
,spread of ,jaws--,no4 #ba #a_/b1 #e    
#a_/d inches2 ,no4 #ca #a_/b1 #f #a_/b  
inches4 ,these ,traps are the largest   
smooth jaw1 single spring sizes that are
 made4 ,professional trappers will find 
these especially valuable when on a long
 trapping line1 as they are more compact
 and easier to secrete than the large   
double spring traps4 ,the springs are   
made extra heavy4  ,note4--,the #ba     
#a_/b is practically a single spring    
,no4 #c and the #ca #a_/b a single      
spring ,no4 #d4    ,illustration3       
,,newhouse ,,no4 #ad ,,trap  ,spread of 
,jaws1 #f #a_/b inches4 ,this ,trap is  
the same in size as the ,no4 #d ,beaver1
 but has heavier and stiffer springs and
 offset jaws1 which allow the springs to
 raise higher when the animal's leg is  
in the trap1 and is furnished with teeth
 sufficiently close to prevent the      

animal from pulling its foot out4       
,illustration3 ,,clutch ,,detachable    
,,trap  ,clutch ,detachable--,trap can  
be used with or without it4  ,spread of 
,jaws1 ,no4 #bc1 #e #a_/b inches2 ,no4  
#bd1 #f #a_/d inches4 ,the inventor of  
this attachment claims to have had      
wonderful success with it in taking     
beaver4 ,the trap should be set with the
 clutch end farthest from shore4 ,the   
beaver swims with his fore legs folded  
back against his body1 and when he feels
 his breast touch the bank he puts them 
down4 ,the position of the trap can be  
so calculated that he will put his fore 
legs in the trap1 when the clutch will  
seize him across the body and hold him  
securely4    ,illustration3 ,,newhouse  
,,no4 #d #a_/b ,,trap  ,in response to a
 demand for a new model of the ,newhouse
 ,trap especially adapted to catching   
wolves1 the manufacturers have perfected
 a trap which is numbered #d #a_/b and  
is called the ,newhouse ,wolf ,trap4    
,this trap has eight inches spread of   

jaw1 with other parts in proportion1 and
 is provided with a pronged drag1 a     
heavy snap and an extra heavy steel     
swivel and chain1 five feet long1       
warranted to hold #b1jjj pounds4 ,the   
trap complete with chain and drag weighs
 about nine pounds4    ,illustration3   
,,newhouse ,,no4 #ej ,,trap  ,spread of 
,jaws1 #i inches4 ,this trap is intended
 for catching small sized bears4 ,in    
design it is exactly like the standard  
,no4 #e ,bear ,trap1 only that the parts
 are all somewhat smaller4 ,weight1 #aa 
#a_/d pounds each4    ,illustration3    
,,newhouse ,,no4 #aej ,,trap  ,spread of
 ,jaws1 #i inches4 ,this trap is        
identical with ,no4 #e excepting that   
the jaws are offset1 making a space     
five-eighths inch between them4 ,this   
allows the springs to come up higher    
when the bear's foot is in the trap1 and
 thus secure a better grip4 ,also there 
is less chance of breaking the bones of 
the foot4 ,weight1 #aa #a_/d pounds     
each4    ,illustration3 ,,newhouse ,,no4

 #e ,,trap  ,spread of ,jaws1 #aa #c_/d 
inches4 ,this trap weighs nineteen      
pounds4 ,it is used for taking the      
common black bear and is furnished with 
a very strong chain4    ,illustration3  
,,newhouse ,,no4 #ae ,,trap  ,spread of 
,jaws1 #aa #c_/d inches4 ,to meet the   
views of certain hunters whose judgment 
is respected1 the manufacturers designed
 a style of jaw for the ,no4 #e trap1   
making an offset of #c_/d of an inch1 so
 as to allow the springs to come up     
higher when the bear's leg is in the    
trap4 ,this gives the spring a better   
grip4 ,those wishing this style should  
specify ,no4 #ae4    ,illustration3     
,,newhouse ,,no4 #f ,,trap  ,spread of  
,jaws1 #af inches4 ,weight1 complete1   
#db pounds4 ,this is the strongest trap 
made4 ,we have never heard of anything  
getting out of it when once caught4 ,it 
is used to catch lions and tigers1 as   
well as the great ,grizzly ,bears of the
 ,rocky ,mountains4    ,illustration3   
,,bear ,,chain ,,clevis ,,and ,,bolt    

,this cut illustrates ,bear ,chain      
,clevis and ,bolt1 intended as a        
substitute for the ring on the end of   
the trap chain1 when desired4  ,with    
this clevis a loop can be made around   
any small log or tree without the       
trouble of cutting to fit the ring4 ,the
 chain is made five feet long1 suitable 
for any clog1 and the prices of bear    
traps fitted with it are the same as    
with the regular short chain and ring4  
,illustration3 ,,trap ,,setting ,,clamp 
,every trapper knows how difficult it is
 to set a large trap alone in the woods1
 especially in cold weather1 when the   
fingers are stiff1 and the difficulty is
 greatly increased when one has to work 
in a boat4 ,one of these clamps applied 
to each spring will by a few turns of   
the thumb-screws1 bend the springs to   
their places1 so that the pan may be    
adjusted without difficulty4 ,no4 #d    
,clamp can be used on any trap smaller  
than ,no4 #d #a _/#b4 ,no4 #e and #f are
 strong clamps1 carefully made and      

especially adapted to setting the large 
traps ,nos4 #d #a_/b to #f4 ,they       
dispense with the inconvenient and      
dangerous use of levers4 ,with them one 
can easily set these powerful traps4    
,these clamps are also useful about camp
 for other purposes4   ,,end ,,of       
,,science ,,of ,,trapping