18492445 Science of Trapping 1909

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SCIENCE OF TRAPPINGDESCRIBES THE FUR BEARING ANIMALS.THEIR NATURE, HABITS AND DISTRI-

BUTION, WITH PRACTICAL METHODSFOR THEIR CAPTURE.

By E.KREPS.

Published by


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Copyrieht. 1909.By A. R. HARDING PUB- CO.


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CONTENTS.CHAPTER PAGE

I. The Trapper's Art 15II. The Skunk 32

III. The Mink 43IV. The Weasel 52V. The Marten 58

' VI. The Fisher 66VII. The Otter 74VIII. The Beaver 88

IX. The Muskrat 103X. The Fox 110XI. The Wolf 126XII. The Bear 141XIII. The Raccoon 148XIV. The Badger 154XV. The Opossum 160


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6 CONTENTS.CHAPTER PAGEXVIII. The Cougar 178XIX. The Wolverine 184XX. The Pocket Gopher 190XXI. The Rabbit 196XXII. Tracks and Signs 203XXIII. Handling Furs 220XXIV. Steel Traps 230


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.PAGE

The Author with a Catch of Furs FrontispieceTrap Set in Correct Position at Den 22The Balance Pole 25The Skunk 31The Mink 42Mink Set under Log 47The White Weasel 51The Marten 57A Marten Set 62The Fisher ....' 65The Otter 73Otter Trap Set under Ice 82The Beaver 87Trap, Set for Beaver 94Beaver Trap Set under Ice 98The Muskrat 102The Red Fox............ 109Water Set for Fox 114Dry Land Set for Fox 117The Coyote or Prairie Wolf 125


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8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.PAGE

Scent Set for Wolf 132Bank Set for Wolf and Coyote 136The Grizzly Bear 140The Raccoon 147The Badger 153The Opossum 159The Lynx 165The Wild Cat or Bay Lynx 172The Cougar 177The Wolverine 183The Pocket Gopher 189Burrow of Pocket Gopher 191The Rabbit 195Rabbit Snares 200Tracks of Furbearing Animals *....... 205Tracks of Furbearing Animals 210Tracks of Furbearing Animals 214Tracks of Game Animals 217Canadian Pattern Stretching Boards 225Steel Traps 233


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THE AUTHOR WITH A CATCH OF FURS.


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INTRODUCTION.

the many outdoor occu-pations, trapping the furbear-ing animals is perhaps themost pleasant and in many in-

stances is also very profitable.Although trapping was one of theearliest industries of this country, the

occupation has not passed away, alongwith the vanishing wilderness, for thereis more trapping done today than atany time during the past. Scattered allover North America, in both the thicklysettled portions and the more remotedistricts are thousands of trappers whoare each season deriving both pleasureand profit from this unique calling.

Trapping in itself is an art. Manyof the wild creatures are exceedinglywary and the trapper must match hisreason against the instinct, the naturalwariness and the acquired knowledge


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12 INTRODUCTION.

saved some species of animals from ex-tinction, and although man is superiorto all brute life, such intelligent ani-mals as the fox and the wolf frequentlyprove a match for the most expert oftrappers.

In order to be successful, one mustknow the wild animals as a motherknows her child. He must also knowand use the most practical methods oftrapping, and it is my object to give inthis work, the most successful trappingmethods known.

These modes of trapping the fur-bearing animals have for the most partbeen learned from actual experience invarious parts of the country, but I alsogive the methods of other successfultrappers, knowing them to be as goodas my own. I am personally acquaintedwith some of the most expert trappersin North America and have also fol-'lowed the Indians over their trap linesand in this way have learned manythings which to the white man are notgenerally known. E. KREPS.


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SCIENCE OF TRAPPING13


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PPER^S

SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.CHAPTEK I.

THE TRAPPER'S ART

DURINGpast ages many of the wild crea-

tures of the forest and stream werehunted and captured in various ways bythe inhabitants of the wilderness, the

flesh of these animals being the principal foodof many tribes of savages and the skins beingused for clothing; but it was only after fursbecame a staple article of wearing apparelamong civilized nations and the traders hadlearned of the profits to be made in the fur tradethat wholesale and systematic trapping began.For many years after the commencement ofthe fur trade in this country, the occupation oftrapping was monopolized by the native inhabi-tants, but later some of the bolder of the white

pushed into the wilderness and learned thetrapper's art.To-day there are thousands of trappers scat-

ered over the United States, Canada, AlaskaMexico and the catching of wild animals for


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16 -SCIT5N- TRAPPING.

tion fitting only for the savage, for there isscarcely a farmer, ranchman or other personwhose calling brings him close to nature who isnot more or less interested in the fur-bearinganimals. WUd animals are not all hunted forthe sake of their furs. There are some such asthe wolf, coyote, mountain lion a.nd wild-catwhich have become positive nuisances because oftheir destruction of stock and for such the gov-ernment and in many cases the stockmen pay abounty. The capture of wolves and coyotes es-pecially has become a profitable business.As to the promts to be derived from this oc-cupation, there are professional trappers in theNorth, South and West whose catches amount tofrom five hundred to two thousand dollars ormore each season, but the number who do as wellas that is comparatively small. By far the great-,er number of trappers are those who follow otheroccupations and devote only their spare time tothe capture of wild animals and they are forthe most part farmers and country boys who inthis way add considerable to their yearly income.It is not at all necessary to go into the wildsin order to do successful trapping, and almostany farming section will be found to be a payingtrapping ground. Indeed, the country man orin his own


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THE TRAPPER'S ART. 17/ .

place with which he is not familiar even thoughthe fur-bearing animals be more plentiful therethan at home. In his own territory he will learnthe haunts of each kind of fur-bearing animal,its route of travel, the dens, etc., and this know-ledge will be of great value when the actual trap-ping commences.Of course all of the various species of ani-mals will not be found in any one section butwhere one is missing there will be some otherfound in fair numbers. Muskrats are most nu-merous as a rule in the settled parts of the coun-try and wherever the muskrat is found there themink is also. Skunks are found almost every-where and the ease with which they may be cap-tured makes the trapping of them a lucrativebusiness. Foxes are found in most of the hillysections and while they are not so easily cap-tured, one can make a success of it if he gives thematter careful study and uses sufficient care insetting and attending the traps. In many partsof the South the raccoon is found in abundanceas is also the opossum and the otter, the wild catand other animals are found more sparingly inmany parts of the country.The trapper no matter where lie is located iscertain to meet with many hardships but it is a

for all of that and there is a cer-


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18 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.

tain amount of pleasure in even the roughest ex-periences. Once one has followed trapping fora few seasons it is almost impossible to give upthe wild, free life. The study of the habits ofthe wild creatures which is necessary if onewishes to become a successful trapper brings oneinto close touch with nature and the work is ex-tremely fascinating.In the early days before the steel trap cameinto general use, the deadfall and the snare wereused almost exclusively for the capture of thefur-bearers, but at present when steel traps havereached a high state of perfection, are sold atprices which place them within the reach of all,they are preferred by most trappers and many ofthe most expert have discarded the wooden trapsentirely. However, both the deadfall and thesnare are good traps for certain animals and itis well to know how to make and use them forone may sometimes see a good place in which toplace a trap but may not have a steel trap along.In such cases the knowledge of how to constructa practical deadfall will be of value. It is truethat many of the fur-bearing animals are too cun-ning to be captured by such a contrivance butsome of the most wary fall easy victims to thesnare. Some of the most expert fox trappersuse the snare in to the steel but


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THE TRAPPER^S ART. 19Many styles of traps have been invented andsome of the most promising styles were placed on

the market but it is doubtful if any trap will everbe designed which will equal in popularity andgeneral usefulness the old time jaw trap, com-monly known as the "steel trap". These trapshave been improved in many ways until at pres-ent they are almost perfect and are made in sizesand styles to meet all requirements and all con-ditions of trapping.The jaw traps possess decided advantagesover all other styles of steel or \vooden traps.They are light and compact and may be movedfrom place to place without inconvenience to thetrapper, will capture the most wary animals aswell as the most stupid and will work perfectlyunder all conditions whether set in the wateror on dry land, on the snow or on a log or stumpor the side of a tree. They may be used with orwithout bait and if the proper size of trap isused and it is set in the right way it will capturealmost any animal that comes that way. Whatother style of trap possesses all of these advan-tages?As most of those who have never done anytrapping know practically nothing regarding theuse of traps I will outline briefly the methods


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20 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.Most of the animals which are caught in

traps are decoyed by means of a bait, some-thing in the line of food which appeals to its ap-petite, so placed that in attempting to reachit the animal places its foot in the trap. Themost common way is by setting the trap in theentrance to some natural enclosure, such as ahollow log or stump, a hollow between trees, ora hole in the rocks, or under a stump the baitbeing placed in the enclosure beyond the trap.Failing to find a natural enclosure, the trap-per constructs one, using such material as maybe found on the spot. It is advisable as a ruleto make as little disturbance as possible and togive the enclosure a natural appearance.

It sometimes happens that an animal cannot be induced to approach a bait and in suchcases the "blind set" is resorted to, in otherwords the trap is set without bait in a trail wherethe animal travels or at the entrance of its den.Failing to find such a place the trapper care-fully studies the route of the animal and selectsa place where some natural or artificial ob-struction will crowd it into a certain spot wherehe carefully sets his trap in such a way as tocatch the animal the next time it comes along.These blind sets are as a rule very successful


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THE TRAPPER'S ART. 21

In setting steel traps, great care is, advisedfor the one who learns to do this most neatly,leaving everything natural is, as a rule, the mostsuccessful. One should always be certain to getthe trap in the right position for to miss catch-ing an animal not only means its loss for thetime being but many of them will become wiserfrom such experiences and their capture will bemore difficult afterwards. The trapper is wisealso wrho gives sufficient attention to the fasten-ing of the trap, thus reducing the animal'schances of escape after it is once caught.To properly set a steel trap on dry landone should dig a "nest" for the trap, deepenough to allow the covering to be flush withthe surroundings and just a little larger than,and of the same shape as the trap when set.This hollow should be lined with dry leaves ormoss and the trap placed therein. To make thetrap rest solidly so that there is no danger of itbeing tipped over also to make the jaws set level,the spring should be twisted around towards thejaw which is held down by the trigger or "dog".The trap should then be covered with somelight, dry material in keeping with the sur-roundings, a few dead leaves or a sheet of paperbeing used first to prevent the covering from


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some trappers place a bunch of cotton or drymoss under the pan but I do not think this ad-visable.

In all cases when setting traps at dens, ontrails or at the entrances of enclosures, the trapshould be so placed that the jaws will be length-

Trap Set in Correct Position at Entrance of Den.wise of the animal's approach so that it willstep between the jaws and not over one of them.If the setting is reversed the rising jaw willsometimes throw the animal's foot out of the


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THE TRAPPER^S ART. 23

ing and the proper one to use depends on thenature of the surrounding and the species ofanimal that one is setting for. Water animalsshould be drowned as quickly as possible afterthey are caught and in order to secure this re-sult the "sliding pole" is used. This is simplyan inclined pole leading into deep water and ofa size that will enable the ring of the trap chainto travel easily its entire length. The most com-mon way of using the sliding pole is to thrustthe small end into the bed of the stream andfasten the other end securely to the bank. Thepole should have a few branches near the smallend to prevent the ring from sliding off. Allwater animals when caught in traps plunge intodeep water immediately and the ring of the trapchain sliding down the pole makes it impossiblefor the captured animal to again regain the shore.In order to make this outfit more certain whensetting for large animals such as otters andbeavers, a stone of six or eight pounds shouldbe tied firmly to the chain but not near enoughto the trap to interfere with the action of theswivel.

In trapping for muskrats and mink theusual practice is to simply stake the trap thelength of the chain into the deepest water avail-


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24 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.For land animals the trap may be fastenedto a "clog". This is simply a chunk of wood, a

pole, brush or stone, the object being to hamperthe animal in its movements and prevent it fromgetting a dead pull on the trap and chain. Infastening to the clog the staple may be used orthe chain may be dropped through the ring so asto form a loop which is slipped over the clog, afew snags being left stand to prevent the chainfrom being drawn over the end. When settingfor bears the ring is slipped over the clog, apole, and fastened with a spike or wedge.Some trappers prefer to use a pronged iron dragand this is especially desirable when trappingfor the more cunning animals such as the fox,coyote and wolf as the drag may be covered with-out leaving much sign. A stone may be used inthe same manner by securing with wire to theend of the chain.

For the animals mentioned the traps aresometimes staked down solidly, the stake beingdriven out of sight but this gives the animal adead pull and they will sometimes escape.Such of the fur-bearers as are likely to es-cape by gnawing or twisting off a foot maysometimes be held securely by the use of the"spring pole" or better still, the "balance

is a small


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THE TRAPPER'S ART. 25

planted firmly in the ground. The trap is fas-tened to the small end which is drawn down andheld in that position by being hooked lightly un-der a crotched stake or a link of the chain maybe hooked to a headless nail driven in the sideof the stake. In theory this device works nicely

The Balance Pole.but in practice it is not found to be perfect asthe wood will lose its "spring" if kept bent forsome time, especially in freezing weather. Thebalance pole is more faithful in its action. Itis simply a long slender pole fastened in acrotch or tied to the side of a the


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26 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.that the weight of the butt will not only lift thetrap but the captured animal as well. It is fas-tened down in the same way as the spring poleand is released by the struggles of the animal.

In order to keep steel traps in perfect work-ing order they should have a certain amount ofattention. Repairs will be necessary at timesand before the trapping season commences oneshould look them all over and see that they arein good condition. The triggers should be so ad-justed that the pan will set level. All partsshould work freely and the trap should neitherspring too easily nor too hard. Rust on trapsis not desirable and may be prevented to a greatextent by boiling the traps occasionally in asolution of evergreen boughs, maple, willow oroak bark or walnut hulls. This will give thetraps a blue-black color and they will not rustfor a considerable length of time. New trapswill not take the color very well but they shouldbe boiled just the same to remove the oil alsothe varnish with which some manufacturerscoat their traps. Some trappers smoke theirtraps before setting believing that the odor ofthe smoke will smother that of the metal. Thishowever is not in my opinion a good idea asclean iron has no odor and the smell of smokeenables the animal to locate the trap, thus hav-


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and for beginners from two to three dozen trapswill be sufficient.As before mentioned, steel traps are madein various sizes so that they may be used for allanimals, from the smallest to the largest.The No. is the smallest size and is intend-ed for such small animals as the pocket gopher,the rat and the weasel. If the spring is of fairstrength as it is in the higher grades they mayalso be used for muskrat and marten. They areused extensively by the marten trappers of theRocky Mountain region.The No. 1 is known as the muskrat trap andis the best size for this animal. It is also usedfor mink, skunk, opossum and marten.The No. 1 is a very popular trap as its sizeand strength adapt it for general use. It isknown as the mink trap, but the tendency amongtrappers is to use the 1^ for larger game andthe No. 1 for mink. It is the best size for skunk,and if the spring is of fair strength, it will holdthe fox, coon, fisher and lynx as well as allsmaller animals.

The No. 2, which is the smallest size of thedouble spring style is known as the fox trap.It is also the best size for coon and is sometimesused for otter especially in the North but in my

it is too small for use on otter.


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THE TRAPPER'S ART. 29named the otter trap, and it is the proper size touse for this animal. It is also used for catchingthe coyote, beaver, wild cat and lynx and is avery popular trap in the more remote sections ofthe country.The No. 4 trap was originally intended forthe capture of the beaver and is the proper sizefor that animal. The higher grades of this arealso used to a great extent for trapping the tim-ber wolf, also for otter and coyote.The best trap for wolves, however, is the 4which was designed especially for trapping theseanimals. It is considerably heavier than the No.4 and is fitted with a longer chain and a prongeddrag. This size is also used for taking the cou-gar or mountain lion.The bear traps are known as the No. 50, theNo. 5 and the No. 6. The No. 50 is the smallestbut is sufficiently strong for the black bear.For those who prefer a larger trap for this ani-mal, the No. 5 will prove satisfactory, and it willalso hold the grizzly, but is rather small for thatanimal. The size best adapted to the capture ofthe larger varieties of bears is the No. 6, whichwill hold almost any living animal.In addition to the traps mentioned, thereare a number of special styles designed to meet


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30 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.these may be mentioned the clutch traps, thesingle spring otter traps and the traps with off-set jaws.

It should be understood that in writing theforegoing description of traps, I had in mind thehigher grades only. In the following chaptersdevoted to the capture of the various animals,the proper sizes and brands of traps to use willbe given.


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THE SKUNK. 31


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CHAPTER II.THE SKUNK.

CHEskunk is an animal of the weasel fam-

ily, and is found throughout the UnitedStates and the southern parts of Canada.A full grown specimen will usually meas-

ure sixteen or eighteen inches, from the i^ose tothe root of the tail, which is about twelve orfourteen inches long and quite bushy. The coloris a glossy black, with usually, a white V-shapedstripe extending from the top of the head toabout half the length of the back. Often, thisstripe is quite broad and extends the length ofthe body, while in others the stripe is missing,there being only a white spot on the head, anda white tip to the tail ; this latter marking beingfound on all specimens. In some of the Pacificcoast States, a variety is found having only asingle white stripe running the entire length ofthe back. There is also a small species foundin parts of the Mississippi valley, which haswhite spots, instead of stripes. This animal isknown to the fur trade as well as the trappers,as the "civet cat", although the true civet cat is


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THE SKUNK. 33The skunk has become quite famous, among

country folks, because of its powerful scent,which is found in two glands near the root ofthe tail, which the animal can eject at will. Thisscent is perhaps the most powerful and offensiveof all odors, and the use of it is the skunk's onlymeans of defending itself against enemies.The skunk makes its den in the ground,usually along a gravelly hill-side, and it some-times makes use of the den of the woodchuck.In thickly settled countries where the dens havebeen destroyed by hunters, they often make theirhomes under barns and out-buildings, and evenunder dwelling houses, much to the discomfortof the inmates.

The skunk is a nocturnal animal, searchingfor food only at night and remaining in its denduring the day. During the cold part of thewinter, they remain in their dens, coming outonly on warm nights, until after the middle ofFebruary, when their mating season commences,and the males travel, at this time in almost allkinds of weather.

The young are born in April and May, andthere are usually frop. four to ten in a litter,though occasionally there will be a larger num-ber.

Their food consists of


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34 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.young birds and eggs, and when they have anopportunity to do so, they will kill and eatpoultry, etc. They are also fond of carrion, andeven the flesh of their own kind.

In the northern states the skunk becomesprime about the last week in October, while inthe extreme south they are probably not primeuntil the last week in November. In the norththey commence to shed their fur about the tenthor fifteenth of March, while in the south theyshed still earlier. During very cold weather,when the skunks have been confined to theirdens for a considerable length of time, thewarmth of the dens has a tendency to injure thefur. The males also fight among themselves andtheir fur is often injured in this way. At othertimes the fur is spoiled somewhat, because oftoo small an entrance to the den, the fur havinga rubbed or woolly appearance. It is the fineblack skins taken when in the best condition,that are the most valuable. Skunks are, per-haps, found in the greatest numbers in the east-ern states, and the trappers from that section,make more money from skunks than from anyother animal. ^In winter, one may track them to their dens,and if the den is a good one, may find any num-ber of skunks, up to a dozen, in the same den.


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THE SKUNK. 35kill all the inmates, but as this method meansthe destruction of a good den, it is not advis-able to do so. The best way is to trap them, asin this way the den will not be injured, and it isalmost certain that you will find skunks in thesame den each season. Such a den is worthmoney to the trapper. The oil of the skunk, ifrendered carefully, without burning, is useful,and is often used by country people as a remedyfor croup.The most common method of trapping theskunk is to set the trap in the entrance of theden, without bait, but where there are manydens, or where the dens are hard to find, it isbest to use bait. In setting the trap in a den,it should be set just inside the entrance, unlessthe mouth of the den is small, when it shouldbe set just outside. The trap should be set withthe jaws lengthwise of the hole, so that the skunksteps between the jaws, and not over them, as bystepping over the jaw the foot is likely to bethrown out of the trap, by the jaw, as the trapsprings. This rule also applies to all traps setin dens or enclosures of any kind. The commonway of fastening is to stake the trap or fasten toa clog, but the balance pole is better.No great care is necessary in covering the


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36 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.-baited traps, as one never knows what animalmay come along. On one occasion I caught a foxin a trap set for skunk.,

It is a good idea also, when trapping at dens,to put a small scrap of bait inside of the den,as many skunks that are traveling about, onlylook in and turn away, and if the trap is set in-side, will not be caught. If, however, there is asmall bait inside the den, the skunk will attemptto get it, and will be caught in the trap.The traps most used for skunks are the No.1 and No. 1^. There are also some special trapsmanufactured for these animals, having doublejaws or webbed jaws, to prevent the animalgnawing off its foot.

Traps set for skunk should be visited everyday, as otherAvise the captured animals are likelyto escape. They seem to struggle more on darkstormy nights, and during such weather, oneshould get around to his traps as early as possi-ble in the morning.Sometimes one can find a well-defined trailleading away from the mouth of the den. Insuch a case, several traps may be set in the trail,thus doubling or trebling the chance for a catch.When good dens cannot be found, dig a holeunder an old stump, and place a bait inside, set-


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THE SKUNK. 37on the stump and ground; use care in settingas you are likely to catch a fox, providing thetrap is carefully set and covered, and the stakedriven out of sight. For bait use tainted meatof almost any kind.Another good way is to find a spot of sandyground, and set the trap in a small hole, cover-ing with sand. Cut the bait into small piecesand scatter it all around the trap, also, if youhave it, sprinkle some scent around. The trapmay be fastened to a brush drag, and the brushset up to look as though it were growing there.If you can find a tree or stump with twospreading roots, set the trap between these rootsand fasten the bait on the side of the tree, aboutten inches above the trap.

Still another way is to make a small pen ofold, rotten wood, stones or stakes, setting thetrap in the entrance, and placing the bait in thepen beyond the trap.Any natural enclosure, such as a hollow log,a hole in the bank, or in a wall or pile of stones,makes a good place in which to set a trap.Skunks may also be taken in box traps,deadfalls and snares, and they seldom becomescented when caught in such traps.For bait, the following are all good: musk-


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38 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.is always to be preferred for skunks, fresh baitbeing second choice.To make a good decoy, take one-half dozenrotten eggs, and the scent of one skunk, andmix thoroughly. A mixture of the male andfemale scent is probably best. Many of the decoysrecommended for the fox are also good forskunk. The scent of the skunk itself, is one ofthe very best to use.Most trappers object to having the scent ofskunks on their clothing and for this reason Igive the following methods for killing the cap-tured animals, so that they will not throw theirscent. If the trap is staked, or fastened to aclog, cut a club about four or five feet long, andapproach the animal very slowly, using care notto make any quick movements. If the skunkraises its tail, as though it intended to throw itsscent, stop, and stand perfectly still until itdrops its tail again, when you can go nearer.In this way if you are careful, you can easily getwithin striking distance, when you should de-liver a good smashing blow across the back. Ifthe back is broken, the muscles which operatethe scent glands will be paralyzed, and therewill be absolutely no danger of getting a chargeof perfumery.


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THE SKUNK. 39

carefully, can pick up the pole, when by goingslowly, the skunk may be led to the nearestwater where it may be drowned. Lead the skunkinto shallow water, gradually working it intodeeper, holding its head under until nearlydrowned, then let it have a little air, just abreath, and push it under again, keeping it thereuntil its struggles cease. If the animal is caughtby a front foot, it may be carried to the water,as a skunk can seldom throw its scent if liftedoff the ground, and not allowed to touch any-thing with the hind feet or tail.

Another method is to cut the animal's throatwith a small, very sharp, pointed knife blade, at-tached to the end of a ten foot jointed pole. Ap-proach the animal carefully and place the pointof the knife against the side of the animal'sneck, just over the jugular vein. Push steadilyagainst the knife; as soon as the blood flowsfreely, move away and allow the animal to die.

Perhaps the quickest method is to shoot theskunk in the center of the back, with a 22 caliberrifle or pistol. This breaks the back killing theanimal almost instantly, and there will be noscent whatever.

If the trap is fastened to a balance pole youcan kill the animal a blow across the back.


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40 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.with a club, as they are certain to throw theirscent if killed in this way.

If the fur of the skunk has become scented,I use the following method for removing thescent : Build a fire and throw an armful of ever-green boughs on it so as to make a dense smoke.Hold the scented animal in the smoke for aboutfive minutes, using care to keep it away from thefire or the heat will curl the hair. After theskunk is skinned hang the skin in an airy placefor a few days, when there will be practically nosmell left.Before skinning or handling the skunk, rubyour hands with some kind of grease. After theanimal is skinned, wash your hands well, usingsoap and hot water ; there will be no scent re-maining on the hands. Benzine or gasoline willalso remove the scent from the hands or cloth-ing. Cider vinegar is also said to be good. Ifthe clothing is buried over night in damp ground,the scent will usually draw out.

The track of the skunk is peculiar and is notlikely to be mistaken for that of some other ani-mal. Although a member of the weasel family,it does not travel by a series of jumps as doesthe weasel, mink, marten, etc., but maintains asteady walk, and the foot-prints will be an even


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THE SKUNK. 41

make a wide trail. The length of step is aboutfire inches and the footprints will measure fromone to one and a half inches in length, accord-ing to the size of the animal.


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CHAPTER IILTHE MINK.

CHEmink is a small carnivorous animal, be-longing to the weasel family. It is found

throughout the United States and thegreater part of Canada and Alaska. A

distinct species is also found in Europe andAsia. In North America there appears to beseveral varieties, varying considerably in sizeand color. A large, light-colored variety is foundin the country drained by the Mississippi Riverand its branches, and also in the prairie countryof Canada. This variety sometimes reaches theweight of four pounds, or even more, and theskin, when properly stretched, will sometimesmeasure thirty-six or thirty-eight inches fromtip to tip. A smaller and darker variety is foundin the Eastern States and the Eastern parts ofCanada and Lake Superior regions, and a stillsmaller and very dark colored mink is found inNorthern Maine and parts of New Brunswick.A small, light colored variety is found on thePacific coast.

The mink has a long, slender body, a small


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44 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.about eight inches long and is quite bushy. Thefur is thick, fine and glossy, and the color variesfrom a very light brown to very dark. The usualcolor is dark brown, the fur on the tail beingdarker than that on the body.The mating season commences about the lastweek in February and ends about the middle ofMarch. The young are born in April, there be-ing from four to six in a litter.The mink is not an amphibious animal, butit is found only along the streams and water-courses, from which it obtains a large part of itsfood. It is a great rambler, traveling long dis-tances along the streams and lakes, and alwaysfollowing the same route. When on these tripsit explores the drifts and log-jams, holes in thebank, hollow logs, etc., which habit is taken ad-vantage of by the trapper.The fur of the mink is at its best during themonths of November, December and January,in the north; while in the extreme south, theyare only number one, during December and Jan-uary. In February, the fur commences to fade,and they are not worth so much. The dark col-ored skins command the best prices.The food of the mink consists of fish, frogs,birds, squirrels, mice, rabbits, muskrats, etc., all


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THE MINK. 45The traps most used for mink are the Nos.1 and 1J. The webbed jaw and the double jaw

traps are especially desirable for mink, as whencaught in these traps, they cannot escape bygnawing off the foot.

There are probably more methods used intrapping the mink than in trapping any otheranimal. In localities where they take bait well,the usual plan is to set the trap in the entranceto a natural or artificial enclosure, on the bankof the stream, placing a bait on the inside ofthe enclosure. The trap should be nested down,and covered with some light material in keepingwith the surroundings. The trap may be fast-ened to a light clog or a balance pole, or if veryclose to the water, to a sliding pole. The baitshould be strictly fresh. Some good scent maybe used if desired. Hollow logs and holes indrifts and under stumps make good places forsets. Some trappers do not set in an enclosure,but hang the bait about eighteen inches abovethe trap. I do not, however, consider this a sat-isfactory method. When an artificial enclosureis used, it should be roofed over with bark, orevergreen boughs to protect that trap from thesnow.

For fall trapping, many prefer to set traps


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THE MINK. 47

on the trap, and drop a few pinches of mud onthem to hold them in place. The steep bank onone side and the deep water on the other, willguide the mink into the trap. If, however, theshallow water extends out some distance fromthe bank, take a chunk of water-soaked wood,

Mink Set Under Log.XX Shows Positions of Traps.

and stand it in the water, just beyond the trap,leaving the top rest against the bank. This willleave only a narrow passage over the trap, and


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48 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.of the stream, if conditions are favorable. Thisis a very good method for use in the south.After streams are frozen, a different planmust be adopted. In such cases if you can finda jam or drift extending across the stream, findan opening, leading through this drift, close tothe bank, and set the trap in this opening, cover-ing with fine, drift dirt. In case you cannot finda suitable passage, make one and stop up allother holes. A little scent of the right kind maybe used here to good advantage.The illustration shows two traps set underan old log, spanning the stream. The log pro-tects the traps from rain or snow, and a glanceat the cut will show that it would be practicallyimpossible for a mink to pass along the streamwithout being caught. The same set is good forthe raccoon. If the stream is frozen fill the open-ing, under the log, with old, dead brush, so thatthere is no chance for the mink to pass, exceptover the traps.

Another good method for the wary mink isas follows: find a high, steep bank along thestream; if it overhangs, so much the* better, andabout two feet above the water, make a holeabout four inches in diameter, and a foot ormore deep. Leave the dirt that you dig out, rest

in front of the and set the in


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THE MINK. 49around the jaws and cover the trap first with asheet of paper, finishing with a thin layer ofdirt. Put some good mink scent in the hole ; themusk of the mink itself is best for this set. Ifthe traps can be visited every day, it is a goodplan to stake the trap, so that the mink will rollaround over the ground, and the next one will bemore easily caught.Where mink travel around a lake, go to theoutlet and lay a hollow log across the stream,just where the water leaves the lake. Set a trapin this log, covering with fine, rotten wood, andevery mink that travels around the lake, will at-tempt to run through the log, and will be caught.If you cannot find a hollow log near at hand,build a covered passage-way of poles and chunks,and set your trap in this passage.

Mink may also be taken in box traps anddeadfalls.Scents are much used and there are some

few which have proved attractive. Fish oil isone of the most common scents for mink andother animals. It is made by taking fish of al-most any kind, cutting them into small pieces,and putting in a wide mouthed bottle. Let standin a warm place, loosely covered, until the fishare thoroughly rotted, and in a liquid state; this


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50 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.If a female mink can be caught, during themating season, remove the generative organs,and place them in a bottle, adding about twoounces of fish oil and all of the mink musk you

can get. This is undoubtedly the best scentever devised. It should be used without bait.

In traveling, the mink goes "the jump" andits foot-prints are always in pairs, the space be-tween each set being from eighteen to twenty-four inches. The footprints will measure fromone to one and one-fourth inches in length, withone always somewhat in advance of the other.


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THE WEASEL. 51


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THE WEASEL. 53way, the fur becoming white in the fall andchanging to brown again in spring.The smallest variety of the weasel is foundin northwestern Canada and Alaska and with itthe black tip of the tail so characteristic of theweasel is missing. Very large weasels are se-cured in the northern part of Maine, but it issaid that the finest skins are obtained in NovaScotia and Newfoundland.

The weasel from many sections have a pe-culiar, sulphury yellow cast to the fur, especial-ly on the hind-quarters, and of many of thesestained skins only the black tip of the tail is ofvalue. What causes the stain is not known,neither is there any known method for removingit. One fur buyer states that about seven outof every ten skins received, show this yellowstain and are of little value.

The weasel is one of the most blood-thirstyof animals and is very courageous. It is a terrorto rats, mice, rabbits, partridges and poultry. Itwill kill for the love of slaughter, even when nothungry, and I have known a single animal to killmore than thirty chickens in a night, suckingonly a little of the blood from each.On one occasion I knew a farmer who hadturned a drove of fair-sized pigs into a pasture,


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54 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING,found the entire drove of porkers running alongthe fence and squealing from terror and follow-ing them was a little brown weasel.

Curiosity is highly developed in the weasel.Many times I have seen them in my camp atnight and if I remained perfectly quiet theywould approach to within a few feet and standupright on their hind legs to get a good view.At the least movement, however, they wrould dis-appear only to return a minute later.As before mentioned the weasel is a blood-thirsty creature, and when it finds some foodthat is to its liking it can scarcely be drivenaway. On various occasions I have found themattempting to remove the bait from my trapsand such times I would adjust the trap so as tobe very easily sprung, and then step aside andwait for the animal to be caught.

The weasel has a sharp eye and a keen nose.While trapping in the North I would alwayskeep on hand a supply of snared rabbits for useas bait, and often weasels would come into thecamp at night, attracted by the bait, and it isinteresting to note how quickly they could scentout the freshest rabbit in the pile and by bitinginto its ears would attempt to drag it away.

r


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THE WEASEL. 55

camp and in this way in one season caught fif-teen weasels in one camp.I have never learned anything regarding

the breeding habits of the weasel, but judgingfrom the large numbers of these animals foundin favorable localities I would say that they arevery prolific.For trapping this animal I recommend theNo. 14 trap and prefer a trap that is looselyhinged and springs easily, such as the Victor.Any trap will hold a weasel but when caught inthe smaller sizes they quite often double upabout the jaws and when they die and freezein that position it is difficult to remove themfrom the trap. With the 1^ they are alwayscaught over the body and there is little troublefrom that source. As the animal is so very lightin weight it is necessary that the trap springsvery easily. There are various styles of rattraps on the market which make excellent wea-sel traps, but as one never knows what animalmay happen along, I prefer to use the steeltrap.My method of setting is to place the trapinside of a small enclosure of chunks of wood,bark, sticks or whatever is most convenient. Nocovering is needed but when setting on the snow


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well. I fasten the bait with a stick just back ofthe trap so that the weasel will be obliged tostand on the trap when attempting to removethe bait, for it should be remembered that theywill never eat any food where they find it if ableto move it away. Fasten the trap securely forsome larger animal is likely to be caught. I donot place the traps far apart, where tracks areseen in fair numbers, and I drag a fresh killedrabbit from set to set, splitting it open with aknife so as to leave a bloody trail. Any weaselthat strikes the trail is sure to follow it.

For bait I prefer rabbit to anything else asit contains more blood than other baits andfresh blood is the only scent that I know ofwhich will attract the weasel.

In order to obtain good prices it is neces-sary that the fur be kept clean and I use a smallcloth bag in which to carry my catch.The tracks of the weasel resemble those ofthe mink but are considerably smaller. Theaverage length of jump is perhaps about eigh-teen inches.


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THE MARTEN. 57


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CHAPTER V.THE MARTEN.

CHEmarten is a carnivorous animal be-

longing to the same family as the weasel.The principal species are the pine inar-. ten of North America, the beech or stonemarten of northern Europe, the sable of Russiaand Siberia and the Japanese sable. Natural-ists usually class the fisher with the martens,also. The Russian sable is the finest of the mar-

tens, the pine marten of Labrador being next invalue. The pine marten is found throughoutthe timbered regions of Canada and Alaska, alsoin the mountainous districts of the westernstates. A few are still found in northern Minne-sota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont,New Hampshire and Maine.In size the marten is about the same as themink of the North and East, being somewhatlighter in the body, but the longer fur causesit to appear fully as large. It has longer legsthan the mink, and the feet are larger andheavily furred. The tail is thick and bushy, the


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THE MARTEN. 59pointed than that of the mink. The fur is veryfine and soft, the color varying from a rich yel-low to almost black. The fur of the tail isdarker than that of the body, and the face,lighter. The ears, on the edges, are greyishwhite and there Is always a yellow or orangespot on the throat.

In the more southern portions of theirrange, the martens are quite pale. The finestand darkest skins come from Labrador and thecountry east and south of Hudson Bay, alsofrom northern British Columbia and the inter-ior of Alaska and the Yukon province. The mar-ten is strictly an animal of the woods, beingfound only in the heavily timbered country.Their favorite haunts are in the rough, brokencountry, where the timber is of various kinds.They feed on rabbits, squirrels, mice, birds andeggs and probably have no trouble in obtaininga sufficient amount of food, but unlike the minkand the weasel, they never kill more than isneeded to supply their wants.

The young are usually born in April, andthere are from three to five at a birth. Justwhere they make their dens I cannot say. Somewriters say they live in hollow trees, while oth-ers assert that they live in holes in the rocks or


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60 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.marten of the far north, as in that part of thecountry, hollow trees are few and far between.One peculiarity regarding the martens is thefact that they occasionally disappear from a lo-cality in which they were formerly numerous.The common supposition is that they migrateto new feeding grounds when food becomesscarce.ifC The marten travels mostly in the gulliesand depressions on the mountains and hills. Asthey usually follow the same route, when onesees their tracks in such a place, he can be rea-sonably sure, if he sets his trap there, that hewill make a catch. They are not shy or suspic-ious and are easily caught. In many ways, mar-ten trapping is the most pleasant as well as themost profitable kind of trapping. As they arefound only in the timbered country, the trapperdoes not feel the storms like he wrould in anopen country. They are easily caught, light tocarry and easily skinned. Moreover, they area very valuable fur and if one is in a good lo-cality, he will make a large catch in a season.They usually become prime about the 15th ofOctober and remain in good condition until thelast of March.

In countries where the snow does not falltoo the in small


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THE MARTEN. 61the ground, I set my traps as follows. With mysnowshoes, I tramp the snow down solid, at thefoot of a tree, and build a small pen of stakes,or chunks split from an old stump. The stakesor chunks, are arranged so as to form the sidesof the pen and the sides are placed about six orseven inches apart, the tree forming the backof the pen. I roof the pen with evergreenboughs, to protect the trap from the fallingsnow. It is a good idea to leave a couple ofboughs hang down over the mouth of the pen soas to hide the bait from the birds, and also toprevent the rabbits from entering the pen. Iset the trap on a bed of boughs, just inside ofthe pen, and cover lightly with tips of evergreen.The bait is placed on a stick behind the trap.I fasten the trap to a toggle, but if only martenis expected, the trap may be fastened in almostany wdy, as they seldom escape. It is also agood idea to bend a small twig and place it un-der the pan of the trap, to prevent it from beingsprung by birds, squirrels and weasels.

For bait, rabbit, partridge, squirrel, fish,small birds or meat of almost any kind is good.The Indians sometimes smoke-cure salmon,pickerel, or white fish, for marten bait, andother trappers use putrefied salmon roe, but the


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62 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.meat along the line, to lead the marten to thetrap.Another very good method is the following :Find a small spruce, about three inches in dia-meter and cut the tree about two feet above thesnow, leaving the top of the stump V shape.

A Marten Set.Draw the tree forward and lay it over the stump,so that the butt of the tree will be three orthree and a half feet above the snow. Now,about a foot back from the end, flatten off a placefor the trap and set the trap on the pole. Tiethe trap fast with a light string and loop the


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THE MARTEN. 63

tree, and fasten the bait in the split. This is avery good set, possessing advantages o'ver mostmethods. The birds can not eat the bait, thetrap is not bothered by weasels or rabbits, themarten must stand on the trap when tryingto get the bait, and when caught, falls off thepole and can not get back.In the mountains, where the snow fallsdeep, the traps are set on the trees, five or sixfeet above the snow. The most common way, isto make two cuts in the tree with an axe, anddrive in two wooden pegs, about five inchesapart. Set the trap and place it on the pegs,one peg passing through the bow of the spring,the other between the jaws and the bottom ofthe trap. Draw the chain around the tree andstaple solidly. The bait is pinned to the tree,about a foot above the trap. A bunch of boughsmay be placed over the bait to hide it from thebirds.

If desired, a notch may be ,cut in the treeand a trap set in the notch. The notch shouldbe about four inches deep and about twelveinches from top to bottom. Cut the bottomsmooth, so the trap will set solid and fasten thebait in the top of the notch. Staple the trap tothe tree. If desired, you can lean a pole againstthe tree for the marten to run


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64 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.The trapper should always be on the lootout for places in which the trap may be setwithout much labor. Sometimes a tree can be

found, with a hollow in one side and this makesa good place for a set. Lean a pole against thetree, with one end resting in the hollow, set atrap on the pole and place a bait in the cavityabove the trap. At other times a cavity may bemade in the side of a rotten stub and a trap setin the same way. The traps recommended fofmarten are the No. 1 of any make, but the No.Newhouse is much used. If there are fishers, lynxand other large animals about, it is best to usea No. 1 trap. Deadfalls are also used and theymay be built on the ground or snow, or on thetop of a stump, or the side of a tree. The trackof the marten resembles that of the mink, exceptthat it is a trifle larger and the footprint widerin proportion to the length. The toes do notmake as clear a print as do those of the mink,the feet being more heavily furred.


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CHAPTER VI.THE FISHER.

CHEfisher belongs to the \\;easel family and

is classed by naturalists among the mar-tens, under the name of Pennant's Mar-ten. To the trappers, however, it is bestknown as the fisher, and in the Eastern Statesand Eastern Canada, as the "black cat". It isstrictly a North American animal, being found

scattered over a large part of Canada andAlaska, and also in California and other partsof the Pacific Coast, Northern Michigan, tlieAdirondack mountains of New York, the Whitemountains of New Hampshire and in NorthernMaine.

In general appearance, the fisher resemblesboth the marten and the wolverine, but is largerthan the former and smaller than the latter.Compared with the marten, the ears are smallerand more rounded, the tail longer and the ani-mal is far more stoutly built. An average, fullsize fisher, will measure two feet from the noseto the root of the tail and will weigh from tento is


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THE FISHER. 67the most valuable part of the skin; It measures,usually, about sixteen inches in length, is heav-ily furred, thick at the base, and tapers to apoint. The color of the fur varies, some speci-mens being very pale and others almost black.The general color is a yellowish grey on theface, head and neck, light brown on the back,dark brown on the hind-quarters and the tailand legs, a brownish black. The under partsare darker than the back. The fur is fairly fineand soft, though not nearly as fine as that ofthe marten.For its size, the fisher is an exceedinglypowerful animal, and is rather hard to hold ina trap, as it will struggle as long as life lasts.The animal possesses a musk, having a peculiar,rank odor, which it ejects when alarmed. Thefood of the fisher consists principally of rabbits,partridges and other small animals and birds,but it will scarcely refuse anything in the lineof flesh, occasionally eating mink, weasel, etc.,out of traps. It also preys on raccoons in theparts of its range where those animals are foundand sometimes kills and eats the porcupine.Neither is it a strictly carnivorous animal, asit feeds largely on the berries of the mountain


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THE FISHEE. 69

traps should be fastened to a heavy log. Themost common method for trapping the fisher isby setting a trap in a pen of stakes or a naturalenclosure, the same as recommended for marten,but the pen should be larger. It should be twofeet high, wide at the top and just wide enoughfor the trap at the bottom.

The bait should be placed on a stick in theback of the pen and the trap should be coveredwith some light material. The pen should beroofed with evergreen boughs, to protect the trapfrom the snow. It is the custom among the In-dian trappers to make the trap pen of greenwood, splitting it and placing the stakes so thatthe split side will be inward. The object in thisis to enable the animal to more easily locatethe bait, for sometimes when the fisher scentsthe bait but cannot find it at once, he moves on.If however, the pen presents a bright interiorit attracts the animal's attention and leads to aninvestigation. This method is used generally,but should not be employed when setting for themore wary animals.The Indians also at times hang the bait by apiece of light wire, in preference to placing on astick. This is so that the little wood-mice cannot reach and the and I have found


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be placed under the pan of the trap to preventsquirrels and birds from springing it.For trapping the fisher, I recommend theNo. 1| traps of all makes, also the No. 2 Victorand Oneida Jump traps. Mr. Charles Carner, anoted trapper of California, uses the followingmethod. Find somewhere on the fisher's routeof travel, a small bushy evergreen tree withlimbs coming down to the ground, cut away afew of the limbs, on one side, so as to make asort of enclosure. The limbs that are cut awayshould be stuck in at the sides and back to makethe pen tighter. The bait should be tied to thestem of the tree and the trap set a short distancein front of the bait, so as to catch the animalby the fore foot. The trap is fastened securelyto the butt of the tree. Mr. Carner recommendsthe use of the following scent. Fish oil, oil ofanise, assafoetida and muskrat musk, thoroughlymixed. He saturates a rabbit with the scent anddraws it from trap to trap, and on the last trapuses the rabbit for bait. This scent is also usedby some other noted trappers.

I have also caught fishers by building a penon an old log, lying with one end above theground. I would make some splits in the logwith my axe, drive in a few stakes and weave

the the


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THE FISHER 71same as in the first method and should be stapledto the top of the log, so that when the animaljumps off on either side, he can not get his frontfeet or the trap down to the ground. The abovemethods are all very good, but if a particularlyshy animal refuses to enter the pen, try settingin a natural enclosure, and if this fails, try thefollowing method:

Under some thick evergreen tree, scrape upa cone shaped pile of snow, making it two feethigh and pack the snow solid. Have the trapfastened to a clog and bury the clog in the snow.In the very top of the mound, hollow out a placefor the trap and line this place with evergreentips. Set the trap in this nest, cover it with apiece of paper, and brush a half inch of snowlightly over the paper. For bait, use a wholepartridge or rabbit and hang it by a string froma limb of the tree, so that it hangs about two anda half feet above the trap.

Brush your tracks shut with a bunch ofboughs and when looking at the trap do not gotoo close. This method is very good for the shyones but is too much trouble to use as a regularset, when putting out a long line of traps. Thebest places in which to set for fishers is in thetimbered ravines, especially where two ravines


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72 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.the points of swamps, and in narrow strips oftimber connecting larger bodies.The track of the fisher is very similar tothat of the marten but is larger. The length ofjump is about three feet and the footprints fromone and a half to two inches in length.


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THE OTTER. 73

H


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CHAPTER VII.THE OTTER.

CHEotter is a carnivorous animal, somewhatresembling the mink in appearance. They

are found in various parts of the worldand will be met with in most of the wilderparts of North America. The northern or Cana-dian otter is the most common, but there areother varieties known as the Carolina otter, theFlorida otter and the Newfoundland otter. Inhabits and general appearance they are all simi-lar. A distinct species is found in the North Pa-cific, and is known as the sea otter. This animalis considerably larger than the fresh water spe-cies, and has a shorter tail. The fur is of greatvalue.

The otter is an aquatic animal, living in andnear the streams and lakes, and getting its livingfrom them. It has a long body, short, stout legs,and webbed feet; the tail is long, thick at thebase, and tapering to a point. The neck is thick,the head comparatively small, with small ears,set well down on the sides of the head. The for


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THE OTTER. 75is of two kinds, the under fur being fine, softand wavy, and of a light silvery color; while theouter fur or guard hairs, are longer, coarser, andusually straight, the color varying from brownto almost black. The fur of the tail and underparts is shorter and stiffer than that on the back,sides and neck; that on the under parts havinga silvery tint. Otters frequently measure threeand one-half feet in length and weigh from fif-teen to twenty-five pounds. The skin, whenstretched, will often measure five feet from tipto tip, and sometimes even more.The food of the otter consists principally offish, trout being their favorite food; but theyalso feed on muskrats, clams, frogs, and thesmaller animal life, found in the beds of streamsand lakes.

They capture muskrats by entering theirhouses and their holes in the banks.Otters usually make burrows in the banks

of streams, lining the nest with leaves and grass.The entrances to these burrows are under thewater and it is my belief that they inhabit themonly during the breeding season. The young areborn in April and May and there are from twoto four in a litter.

The otter is a great traveler, following the


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THE OTTER. 77times have a trail from one stream to another.Also wherever a long point of land projects intoa lake, they are likely to have a trail across thepoint.The otter appears to be on very friendlyterms with the beaver, and if there are any beav-ers in the country, the otter is sure to find themand will spend considerable time in the samepond. When there are a number of families ofbeavers in the same locality, the otter will spendnearly all of its time with the beavers, visitingfrom one family to another. Wherever he findsbeaver cutting along the stream, he examines it,and will most likely follow up the stream to findthe beaver. This habit is taken advantage of bythe Indian trappers of the north, as will be ex-plained later.

In the north, the otter becomes prime aboutthe first week in November, and remains in goodcondition until about the first of June. In thesouth they are seldom prime until the first ofDecember, and commence to shed from the firstto the fifteenth of April. The fur of the otteris valuable, the dark, straight haired ones beingworth the most. Occasionally an otter is foundhaving a decided curl to the ends of the hair,the ends being turned forward. These are called


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Otters are found in good numbers in theswamps of the southern states; in Florida, Ar-kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and the lowlandsof Texas. They are also quite plentiful in someparts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ver-mont and Maine; also in the wilds of Labrador,Ungava, Quebec, Ontario, Yukon, Mackenzie andAlaska. The most valuable otters come from thefar north, but they are probably more plentifulin the south, and the southern trapper has theadvantage of having open water all winter.The best traps for otter are the numbers 2J,3 and 3^ Newhouse; the Nos. 3 and 4 Hawley& Norton ; and the No. 14 Oneida jump, also the"Seminole" pattern, Blake & Lamb.The point to keep in mind when trappingfor otter, is that they are very shy of the scentof man ; more so perhaps than any other animal,and unless great care is observed, are likely tobe frightened entirely out of the locality inwhich you are trapping. This human scenttheory is disputed by some trappers, but I speakfrom my own experience, and from the experi-ence of many expert trappers with whom I amacquainted. If one will use a little judgment hewill readily understand why human scent isalarming to many wild animals. Man is thenatural of all wild animal and all


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THE OTTER. 79that any indications of the presence of man, putsthe animal on its guard; especially is this thecase in the wilderness where the animals are notaccustomed to seeing the tracks of man whereverthey go. When an animals finds human scent,he has positive proof that man has been in thatvicinity.

Footprints and other human signs, if thereis no scent, are not so alarming, as they arelikely to be mistaken for signs made bysome wild animal. Although the animals of thewilderness are more afraid of human scent thanthose found in the settled countries, they are justas easily trapped. The more wary animals foundin settled parts, are always looking for dangerbecause of the continued presence of man in theirlocality, but on the other hand, they are notlikely to be frightened by human scent becauseit is a common thing to them.As mentioned before the otter is sure tovisit the beavers, if there are any about, so ifyou know of a family of beavers, go to that placeand if you can find an old' beaver dam, on thestream somewhere, below where the beavers arelocated, make a break in the center of this dam,so that all of the water will flow through thisopening, and set the trap in the water, in the


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80 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.stakes on each side of the trap. The trap maybe staked, but it is better, if the water is deepenough, to use a sliding pole, so that the cap-tured animal will drown. No covering is neededon the trap, but after it is set, the entire settingshould be drenched with water, to remove thehuman scent. This is an excellent set and willremain in working order until late in the fall,as the water immediately above the break in thedam will not freeze until long after other wateris closed by ice. Even in the coldest weatherthis set may be kept from freezing by roofing itover with evergreen boughs, and banking it wellwith snow.

Beavers and beaver dams are not found inevery locality, but wherever otters are foundtraveling on small streams, they may be trappedin the following manner:Find a narrow place in the stream, wherethe water flows smoothly, and narrow up thestream by placing a bunch of old dead brush ineach side, leaving a passage of about eight inchesin the middle. Lay a few stones among thebrush to keep them in place. Set the trap in theopening, and splash water over the brush andbanks. The trap may be staked but it is betterto fasten to a clog. Cut a small sapling of sucha size that the ring of the chain will just pass


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THE OTTER. 81the clog and fasten it by splitting the butt anddrive a wedge in the split, or by driving a stapleover the ring. The clog may be placed on theupper side of the brush, used to block the stream,and the top may be tied to the shore, so that itwill not be carried away by high water. In verysmall streams, a narrow passage may be made,by simply placing a few stones in either side,leaving a narrow passage in the middle, in whichto set the trap.When you can find a sharp bend in thestream, with a trail across the point, set thetrap in the water, at the end of the trail. Usesame care as advised for the other sets.

For spring trapping this method is excellent :if you can find one of the otter's landing placeson the bank, prepare the place for setting in thefall in the following manner: Make a nest forthe trap in the center of the trail and fill thenest with grass and leaves. Lay a bunch of deadbrush or a chunk of rotten wood on each side ofthe trail, so as to leave only a narrow passageand cut a clog and lay it in place. The ottersseldom visit these places in the fall, so there isno danger of frightening them. In the spring,before the snow is all gone, go and set your trapin the place prepared, covering with the leaves


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82 SCIENCE OP TRAPPING.entire setting with a little snow. As the snowmelts, it takes with it all of the scent and signs,leaving the trap ready for the first otter thatcomes along.

If you do not find the landing places untilafter the snow is gone, set the traps just thesame, washing the scent away by sprinkling withwater, or set the traps in the water where theotter climbs up the bank.

Ice

WaterOtter Trap Set Under Ice.

Another very good method for spring trap-ping, is to set the trap in the edge of the water,where the bank bluffs a little, sticking up a fewfresh cut, green sticks behind the trap, and atthe sides. Post a piece of the dried oil castor ofthe beaver on a stick, behind the trap, and aboutten inches high. The ordinary beaver castor


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THE OTTER. 83the otter, and the green sticks are also attrac-tive, as the otter mistakes them for beaver cut-ting. Always fasten the trap so the animal willdrown, as you are likely to catch a beaver inthis set.

One of the best methods of trapping otter inwinter, after the streams are closed with ice, isas follows: Find a long pool of still water,where you are sure the otter wTill be travelingunder the ice, and at either end of this pool,where the water is about ten inches deep, cuta hole through the ice, make a pen of dead sticksin the water, making the pen about nine incheswide, by twelve or fifteen inches deep. Nowtake a fish and fasten it to a stick, in the back rof the pen, and set the trap in the entrance,staking it securely. Drive the stake about teninches in front of the pen, and directly in frontof the trap. The object in this is to cause theotter, in entering, to twist Ms body, in whichact, he will put his foot down in the trap.Throw some snow in the hole, so it will freezeover. The bait should be renewed once a week.In case you cannot get fish for bait, use the headof a rabbit, the breast of a partridge, or a pieceof muskrat. The bait should be skinned.

The otter wrill also be attracted by any white


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84 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.Indians sometimes use a piece of fresh peeledpoplar for bait.

If the ice has formed when the water wasabove its usual level, there will be an air space,between the water and the ice. In such a case,cut a .hole through the ice at the edge of thewater, placing a piece of beaver castor on a stickbehind the trap. The hole may be closed bycovering with a block of ice.When the otter has been working on a lakefor some time, you will find where he has beencoming out at the springholes, which are foundon nearly all lakes. In such places the wateris always shallow, and a trap may be set on thebottom directly under the hole. Great care mustbe used however, for if the otter is not caught thefirst time he comes out, he will be frightenedaway.

Otters often land on the logs which projectinto the water. When you can find such a log,cut a notch for a trap, so that it will set abouttwo inches deep, and place some mud in thenotch so as to hide the fresh cutting. Some verysuccessful trappers, set their traps in this way,and place some good scent on the log, above thetrap.

If can find an find the


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THE OTTER. 85slide, and set the trap under about two inches ofwater.

The Nos. 2 and 3^ Newhouse traps weredesigned especially for trapping otters on theirslides. The trap should be set at the foot of theslide, so as to catch the animal by the breast orbody.

Otters often travel in pairs, and it is usu-ally advisable to set two or three traps on onestream.

Do not make your camp near the stream,and do not travel along the stream more thannecessary. In looking at the traps, do not gotoo close, unless the traps need your attention.

There is no way in which the sea otter canbe trapped and they are hunted only with rifles.The methods employed in hunting them havebeen very successful and as a consequence theanimal has been practically exterminated.The track of the otter is peculiar, owing totheir strange mode of travel. As before men-tioned their method of travel is a series of plung-ing slides and in the snow they make a deep fur-row, their footprints being from four to eightfeet apart, according to the "sliding conditions".When two or more are traveling in company,


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86 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING. rstreams, but occasionally they will go overlandfrom one stream to another. The footprints willmeasure about one and one-half or one and three-fourths inches in length and about the same inwidth.


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THE BEAVER. 87


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CHAPTER VIILTHE BEAVER.

PTiy HEN this country was first exploredJ and settled, beavers were found inLmV good numbers throughout the UnitedState and Canada, but at present theyare extinct in many of the states where they

were once abundant. Today they are found infair numbers throughout the greater part ofCanada and Alaska, also in a few of the northernand western states. There are also a few beav-ers found in the south at the present time. How-ever, many of the states, as well as some of theprovinces of Canada, have made laws prohibit-ing the trapping or killing of beavers, to preventthem from being exterminated.The beaver is an amphibious animal, re-sembling the muskrat in appearance but muchlarger. It has the same thick, heavy body, shortneck and scaly tail. The hind feet are large andstrong and the toes are connected by a web ; thefront feet are small. The tail is "paddleshaped," four or five inches wide and about ten


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THE BEAVER. , 89weigh from forty to fifty pounds, although oc-casionally a much larger one is found. The un-der fur is very fine and soft, and is mixed withlonger and coarser hairs called "guard hairs".The prevailing color is a rich, reddish brown, onthe back and sides, and ashy beneath.

The food of the beaver consists mostly ofbark, of such woods as poplar, birch, willow andcottonwood, as well as the roots of the waterlily. In the south they also eat corn.Beavers build houses of sticks, stones, andmud, similar in shape to the houses of the musk-rat, locating usually, in the edge, of a pond orlake, but often making a large pond to suit theirrequirements, by building a dam across thestream. Even when their houses are built on alake or pond, they always build a dam across theoutlet, so as to raise the water two or three feet.The dams are built of the same material asthe houses. Sometimes there are one or twosmall dams found below the main dam, andthey are so well made that they will last formany years, and are so tight that the water us-ually drips evenly over the top.The houses are also very well made, thewalls being several feet in thickness. There areusually two entrances, both under water. Thesize and shape of the house depends on


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90 SCIENCE OF TRAPPING.of a full family of beavers will usually measureabout twelve feet in diameter at the water line,but will some times be even larger, and theheight is about six or seven feet. When thereare only two or three beavers, the house is muchsmaller, and more pointed on the top.

A full family consists of from six to eightmembers. There are usually two old beavers,two or three two year olds, and two or threeyoung. The reason for this is that the youngbeavers remain two years with the parents, andas it requires several years for them to growtheir full size, there are always three sizes ina family. When they have reached the age oftwo years, they start out and make a house oftheir own, the beavers born the spring before,becoming the medium size, and a new litter tak-ing their place. By autumn, the beavers thathave left the main family have their house anddam completed and a store of food laid up forwinter.

Many of the beavers travel about throughthe summer, following the streams, and return totheir homes early in the fall. Sometimes, if theyare late in getting back they will have to workday and night, in order to get sufficient foodgathered for winter, before the ice comes. Thisfood consists of saplings and small trees, which


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they are all alike, he decides that there is nota full family, but only two, or perhaps only one.A lone beaver that has escaped from thetrapper, is difficult to trap. I remember oncefinding such a one, located on a large pool of afair sized stream. He had no dam and had onlya small house along the bank. I found him inthe fall, while the water was still open, and hewas busy laying in a supply of food for winter.Well, I went there one rainy day and set twotraps. I set the traps very carefully, fasteningto sliding poles, which I had cut quite a dis-tance away so as not to make any noise nearthe house. The rain washed the scent away ina short time, and I could see no reason why heshould take alarm; but he did, just the same.I kept those traps set a week, but did not catchhim, nor did I ever see any fresh signs there,after I had set the traps. Apparently he hadleft the place immediately after I had set thetraps. An Indian trapper had trapped severalfamilies of beavers, near there the season be-fore, and this beaver was one that had "givenhim the slip."In cutting timber, the beaver takes thewood in small chips, gnawing all around the tree,until it falls. He knowrs absolutely nothingabout throwing the tree in the direction in which


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THE BEAVER. 93inclined to go. I have seen where a tree hadlodged, refusing to fall, and the beaver had stoodup and cut several pieces off the butt, and as thetree still refused to fall, he had let it remainhanging. It was a case of hard work and nopay. When one finds a family of beavers, and ex-pects to trap the same ground each season, heshould not attempt to catch them all, as byleaving a few to breed, he is sure of getting beav-ers each season. The Indians, in such cases,trap the old beavers only, which they do by set-ting the traps a good distance from the house,for the young beavers never venture far away.Many beavers are trapped in the fall justbefore the ice forms, but their fur is not primeuntil mid-winter. In the north they remain ingood condition until the first of June; in thesouth they would probably not be good after themiddle of April.Beaver castors have a market value, usual-ly selling for seven or eight dollars a pound. Inpreparing them, they should be dried slowly, ina shady place. Most trappers prefer to keepthe castors for scent, as it is attractive to manyanimals. The Indians sometimes combine thetwo scents by making a hole in the beaver cas-


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94 SCIENCE OP TRAPPING.

and allowed to dry. This is more or less at-tractive to all animals, only a small piece beingused in connection with the bait.The best traps for beavers are the Nos. 2, 3,3^ and 4 Newhouse, the No. 4 Victor, the No. 4Oneida Jump, and Blake & Lamb.

Trap Set for Beaver Sliding Pole.The following methods of trapping are foruse in open water, in either the fall or spring.The first method given is usually considered

best :Find a place where the bank bluffs a littleand the water is of


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THE BEAVER. 95the trap in the water directly in front of thispocket, where the pan of the trap will be abouttwo inches under water. Take a piece of beavercastor and fasten it to the bank with a stick,about fourteen inches above the water, and asfar back in the pocket as possible. If you areusing some other scent instead of beavor castor,just dip a small stick in the scent and fasten itto the bank. Fasten the trap so that the beaverwill drown ; the sliding pole is best. Be sure touse a dead pole or stake, as if a green pole isused the other beavers may carry it away, trapand all. This is a very good method for springand fall, or at any time when there is openwater :

Here is another method for the same kindof place:

Set the trap under water at the foot of asteep bank, and fasten a couple of green poplaror cottonwood sticks on the bank, directly overthe trap, so that the beaver will step into thetrap in trying to reach them. Have the freshcut ends of the sticks showing plainly, andmake your set near the house or dam so thatthe beavers are sure to see it. Fasten trap sothat the captured animal will be sure to drown.No covering is needed on traps when they areset under water.


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THE BEAVER. 97scent. The beaver is seldom afraid of humanscent, but there is likely to be an otter alongthat way, and you stand a good chance of catch-ing him in a trap baited with beaver castor.Beavers may be caught in mid-winter andearly spring, by setting baited traps under theice. It is not much use to set traps under theice in early winter, as the beaver's food is still ingood condition, and they will not take bait well ;moreover you are likely to frighten them andmake them harder to trap later on. The follow-ing methods are among the best for use underthe ice, the one first given, being most used, andis probably the best :Go close to the beaver's house where the iceis thin, and by cutting small holes in the ice, finda place where the water is about twelve inchesdeep. Having found such a place, enlarge thehole until it is about sixteen by twenty inchesin size, making a pen the same size as the hole,by shoving down dead sticks about four inchesapart. If the bottom is very hard, you will haveto freeze the sticks to the ice, to hold them inplace. This may be done by throwing snow inthe water, and packing it around the sticks andagainst the edge of the ice. When the pen iscompleted, cut a piece of green poplar about1J or 2 inches thick and two or three feet long,


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98 SCIENCE OP TRAPPING.and fasten it to a stake by one end the poplarbeing placed at a right angle to the stake. Thisgreen poplar is for bait, and the stake shouldbe driven down in one corner of the pen so thatthe bait is within two or three inches from thebottom, and close along one side of the pen, ex-tending a foot or more beyond the entrance.

Beaver Trap Set Under Ice.

The trap should be staked and set well in-side of the pen, and quite close to the bait, sothat the jaw of the trap will just clear the bait.This set will be readily understood by referringto the cut. If the bottom is of thin mud, as is


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THE BEAVER. 99the trap, by sinking a bunch of evergreen boughsinside of the pen. It is also best to fasten thebait near the entrance to prevent the beaverfrom swinging it around. When the set is com-pleted, cover the hole with evergreen boughs,bank it with snow, to keep it from freezing.

It is best to let this set go for about a weekbefore looking at it. The beavers will be fright-ened and will not approach the set for a fewdays, but finally one of them musters up cour-age enough to try to pull the bait out of the pen.When he finds it fast, he cuts it off at the en-trance of the pen, takes it to the house to eat it ;this sharpens his appetite, makes him more cour-ageous, and he finally ventures into the pen forthe balance of the bait. In attempting to cutthe bait, he places one front foot on the bait andthe other one in the trap. When using this setyou should use three or four sets at each house.Another good ice method is as follows:Find 'the proper depth of water, about fourteeninches, and make a pen of dead sticks arrangingthem in the form of a half-circle. Now takesome green poplar and shove them down firmlyinto the bottom, about six inches apart, close upto the stakes, on the inside of the pen. Thesebait sticks must be long enough to reach above


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THE BEAVER. 101

are located. In winter, after the ice has formed,it does not matter.

If you find a beaver house in winter whenthe snow is deep, and wish to know if it is in-habited, examine the house, and if the snow ismelted on the top, you may be sure there arebeavers in it.

Another way to tell whether a house is in-habited, is to cut a hole through the ice andshove down a piece of green poplar, filling thehole with snow. Examine it in about a week,and if the poplar has been cut, you may be sureyou have found beavers.The track of the beaver is seldom seen asthey do not move about much in winter and ontheir trails their tracks are obliterated by thefood which they drag into the water. The trap-per does not look for tracks, but for more con-spicuous signs, such as houses and dams withfresh cut wood.


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H


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CHAPTER IX.THE MUSKRAT.

CHEmuskrat is a small herbivorous animal

of the amphibious class. Its head andbody are from thirteen to fifteen inchesin length. The tail is nine or ten inches,two edged, and for two-thirds its length is rud-

der shaped and covered with scales and thin,short hair. The front feet are small, the hindfeet, large and slightly webbed, making the an-imal an expert swimmer. The color of the furis brown above and ashy beneath.The muskrat is a nocturnal animal, but issometimes seen in the day time. Their food con-sists of grass and roots, fruit, grain and vegeta-bles. They will also eat clams, sometimes, whenfood is scarce. They thrive best in sluggishstreams and ponds, bordered with grass andflags, the roots of which are their chief supportand from the tops of which they construct theirhouses. These structures are dome shaped, andrise, sometimes to a height of five feet from thewater. The entrances are at the bottom, under

so that the inside of the house is not ex-


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THE MUSKRAT. 105the banks. Where the muskrats live in houses,they are trapped mostly after the ice hadformed.

In the far North the skins are in good con-dition until the first of June, while in the ex-treme South they should not be trapped afterthe first of April. The mus

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18492445 Science of Trapping 1909