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 THE TRAPPER'S 
 COMPANION 
 
TRAPPING FURS 
 
 is only half the battle. 
 After you have a nice 
 catch, you still have to 
 sell them. Trappers of 
 experience will tell you 
 that 
 
 SELLING FURS 
 
 is easy and profitable if 
 you ship them to us. 
 Our Price List and 
 Market Report will be 
 sent on request. 
 
 Write Us Today 
 
 M.F.PFAELZER&CO. 
 
 RAW FUR MERCHAl^TS 
 115-123 W. 29th ST., NEW YORK 
 
THE FUR TRADE OF AMERICA 
 
 AND SOME OF THE MEN WHO 
 MADE AND MAINTAIN IT 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 Furs and Fur Bearers of Other Con- 
 tinents and Countries and 
 Islands of the Sea 
 
 By A. L. BF^.LDEN 
 
 589 PAGES CLOTH BOUND 
 
 Covering all branches of the Fur Industry both 
 in America and other Continents and Countries, 
 records of men and events. 
 
 A very valuable reference work which will un- 
 doubtedly occupy a prominent position in the 
 libraries of all who are identified with the fur 
 trade. 
 
 Alphabetically Indexed 
 
 An Historic Work from the Earliest 
 Records to the Present Year 
 
 NOW READY FOR DELIVERY 
 $3.00 Per Copy Postpaid 
 
 PELTRIES PUBLISHING CO., Inc. 
 
 71 West 23rd Street, NEW YORK 
 
COPYRIGHT 1919 
 
 BY PELTRIES PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 INCORPORATED 
 
 I 
 
 uco 20 i-3i9 
 
-TiXK- "K^IW-S y'KXAf^^A-''^ 
 
 THE 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 (FOURTH EDITION) 
 
 An Up-to-date Book replete with Trap- 
 ping Methods, x\pproved Sets used by 
 the Most Experienced Trappers, In- 
 struction for HandHng, Grading and 
 Shipping Raw Furs, Traps, Bait, Scents, 
 Fur Farming, Camp Building, Boat 
 Building, Turtle Trapping, Bee Hunt- 
 ing, and many minor matters, embrac- 
 ing everything a trapper should know 
 to insure success. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE 
 
 PELTRIES PUBLISHING CO 
 
 Incorporated 
 
 71 W. 23rd STREET, NEW YORK 
 
 PRICE-FIFTY CENTS 
 
'StCs?^ 
 
 MINK 
 
 Study of the Animal, Trapping Methods, 
 Sets, Bait, Scents, Etc. 
 
 To trap the mink successfully methods must be followed 
 suitable to conditions, season and locality. Until streams and 
 other waters become frozen, water setting is the most con- 
 ducive of success of any means known to the trapper. 
 
 We will suppose the time to be late November, with 
 waters still open and minks prime, as the fur should be in 
 nearly all sections at this time, except possibly in the ex- 
 treme South. In the soft margin of lakes, rivers, brooks, 
 ditches, swamp pools and other watery wastes the tracks of 
 minks may be found where the animals have traveled in the 
 night hours seeking their food, consisting of fish, crawfish 
 and frogs and the muskrat. 
 
 The mink travels on the hop, with the print of two feet 
 showing and one foot always in advance of the other. The 
 track somewhat resembles that of the house cat, though 
 srrialler and more pointed than that of the cat, and the nail 
 prints are left by the mink, which is not the case with the cat. 
 
 Minks may be caught by the use of bait in fall and early 
 winter; but in midwinter and in spring bait attracts but 
 little. Many minks may be taken without bait, simply by 
 placing the trap in the mink's path, where the tracks are 
 seen under overhanging banks, under undermined trees and 
 in the mouths of small brooks and ditches and at the en- 
 trance to drain tiles. In all cases the trap must set level, 
 with spring turned to the right hand. The trap must be 
 covered by about an inch of water or very thin mud. 
 
 C1A558522 
 
L 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 3 
 
 If the shore is flat and without banks, baiting must be 
 i^resorted to. In this case stake down the whole carcass of a 
 ^^muskrat in the water margin, leaving half the thickness of 
 J^the body exposed. Set the trap an inch under water, be- 
 tween bait and shore. Staple chain to fair-sized cut brush 
 with brush left on, but not so heavy that a mink will have a 
 dead pull when caught. This arrangement is proposed 
 where the water is too shallow for the game to drown, which 
 the trapper 'always wishes to happen in trapping minks or 
 muskrats, to prevent footing. 
 
 A 'coon may be caught at this set, and the trap being 
 fastened to a clog, as described above, will not pull out or 
 break the chain or amputate the foot so easily or readily as 
 he would do if staked solid, and this applies to the mink as 
 well. When possible to obtain it, hardwood should always 
 be used for stakes or drags, as a 'coon will soon reduce soft 
 wood, such as poplar or willow, to shavings and carry ofif 
 the trap. 
 
 In timbered sections there are usually many good places 
 to set traps for minks. It may be under a fallen tree that 
 clears the shore and water margin, or beneath the washouts 
 under roots of trees and stumps. A mink explores all such 
 places in its travels and should the shelf or margin be suffi- 
 ciently narrow a trap can often be set "blind," that is with- 
 out bait, and bring a reward. If there should be room for 
 the mink to avoid the trap, a little fence of dead sticks stuck 
 up, leading from the trap to the water, or an old chunk of 
 stone, or a few dead weeds having heavy stalks will do as 
 well; in fact anything that will tend to crowd the mink into 
 passing over and perhaps into the trap. 
 
 Most trappers prefer to keep a certain number of traps 
 baited, and in fact is a help in certain places, if the mink 
 be one that will take bait, for with his keen scent the bait 
 draws his attention a certain distance, and if he be hungry 
 while working at the bait he is pretty sure to step in the 
 trap, which he might otherwise avoid in passing along. 
 
 There is no better bait for minks than the flesh of a 
 muskrat. This has been amply proven, although chickens, 
 rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc., may be substituted. If the trap 
 is to be baited it is best to use a small piece; it does not 
 arouse suspicion in certain shy minks as does a large bait; 
 except that a whole rat is used wher^ there are no banks and 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 7 
 
 the water shallow and the shore so barren that a mink finds 
 nothing of interest to cause him to halt. 
 
 At other sets a leg of rat is plenty. It should be staked 
 down with a good twig and against the bank just above the 
 trap. Cover the bait slightly with twigs or leaves. A mink 
 does not need to see a bait. His keen scent will apprise him 
 of its presence, and he will hunt for it, when if it were posted 
 in plain view it might, and often does, cause alarm, and the 
 place to be avoided. 
 
 In all cases the trap is to be barely under water, and an 
 old. long-soaked leaf is laid on the pan and a pinch of mud 
 to hold it in place, which the mink will have no hesitation in 
 stepping upon. 
 
 The trap should be staked so as to pull the trap away 
 from shore and into deep water, to ensure drowning. If the 
 water is uniformly shallow a few dead sticks are thrust into 
 the bottom and as far from shore as the chain will reach. 
 These will cause the game, whether mink or rat, to become 
 entangled and drown in quite shallow water. Drowning, of 
 course, prevents footing. However, should a mink fail to 
 drown he will not escape by foot amputation as readily as a 
 muskrat, because the leg of the mink is so much stronger in 
 skin, bone and sinews. And yet, as I said, it is always best 
 to plan for drowning the game, as it prevents escape, and 
 there is no struggling animal to attract the attention of 
 enemies or thieves to the trap line. 
 
 As minks are pretty certain to explore all holes at water 
 line, an artificial one can be made with paddle or hatchet, 
 leading back into the bank about two feet. The water must 
 cover the entrance of sufficient depth to submerge the trap. 
 A leg or the intestines of a rat or a mouse posted on a 
 prong at the end of this excavation is a very promising set 
 after the trap has been placed at the entrance. 
 
 In the matter of scents to lure game to the trap will say, 
 states a very successful trapper, "That I have tried fish oil, 
 anise, rhodium, mink essence and others, and never had bet- 
 ter success than when using no so-called lures. At times I 
 believe any artificial scent will keep a very wary mink away 
 from the bait and trap. In winter when bait is frozen 
 neither bait nor scent is of much use," 
 
 Where an old half decayed log crosses a stream a mink 
 may often be trapped by making use of a dry set. Chop a 
 
8 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 notch in a log large enough to contain trap and have it set 
 on level with the surrounding surface. Lay a large leaf on 
 trap that will cover pan and jaws of a No. i trap. A 
 sprinkle of dirt on the left to hold it from blowing away, 
 and the trap staked strongly is necessary, for this set may 
 catch a fox, a 'coon or a skunk. 
 
 Often a rat house will be found built very close to shore. 
 Here a good mink set may be made by making a tunnel into 
 the house at water line. The trap set at the entrance and a 
 bait placed in back end of opening has caught me many a 
 mink. Minks visit rat houses when near the shore, so that 
 such an artificial set as described is really in the minks' road. 
 
 Certain minks are always found that are far more wary 
 than their fellows. They refuse all bait and avoid traps with 
 an instinct that causes the trapper to sit up and take notice, 
 especially if he be inexperienced. To trap such minks there 
 is but one sure way, which is to select a few cock sure places 
 where the minks pass under banks or behind roots or 
 through some narrow opening and place the trap without 
 bait. It is best to use rubber boots, so as to leave few 
 signs as possible on the bank at place of setting. When 
 trapping for an extremely shy mink it is well not to visit the 
 traps oftener than once or twice a week. 
 
 There is yet one more remark in regard to water setting 
 which pertains to water variation. If the water is rising the 
 rate of rise must be calculated and the traps set accordingly 
 high, so that the traps will be at the proper depth when ani- 
 mals begin their nightly excursions. If the water is falling 
 the trap must be set deep, according to the rate of fall. Not 
 always does the best trapper guess correctly on the rise or 
 fall of water; but like in everything else in his calling, he 
 must ever be observant and put forth his best endeavors to 
 succeed. The careless trapper and the bungler never make 
 a successful catch of minks. 
 
 When the streams and lakes become frozen and snow 
 falls, we must resort to dry trapping methods. In Northern 
 and Central sections, during the period of coldest weather, 
 and especially if snow be deep, minks move but little, often 
 remaining in their retreat two or three weeks at a time. 
 When they do come out they do not travel far from the den. 
 This is especially true of the females. 
 
 When February comes, which is the mating season, the 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 9 
 
 males become active and travel long distances; often an old 
 male will travel 10 to 12 miles in a night, taking in rivers, 
 brooks, lakes, swamps and ditches. 
 
 In winter minks may be caught quite successfully in 
 snow, while the weather is crisp and cold and the snow dry 
 and powdery. Regular paths will be found in the vicinity of 
 a mink's winter quarters and sometimes a whole family will 
 be found inhabiting the banks of a lake or the hiding places 
 which a swamp afifords and sometimes the home is at the 
 head of a stream where warm springs issue and water does 
 not freeze. In snow trapping the trap is to be set in the 
 runway and not too close to the den itself, or your signs may 
 frighten the inmates and cause them to leave. The trap 
 should be settled in the path and snow sifted over it by use 
 of a stick or the hatchet, for snow picked up with the hand 
 will soon afterwards form a crust over the trap and prevent 
 its springing. Staple the chain to a cut brush so that the 
 game when caught will not have a dead pull or he may re- 
 sort to foot amputation, as the imprisoned member soon 
 freezes and has no sense of feeling. If a mink does not 
 escape by footing in zero weather he will soon freeze to 
 death. 
 
 When a mink is found in the trap dead and frozen hard 
 as a stick of wood, great care must be taken to thoroughly 
 thaw it out from tip of nose to end of tail, or the pelt may 
 be badly damaged in removing it from the carcass. 
 
 When trapping minks in snow make no more tracks in 
 setting and visiting traps than necessary, and at each visit 
 step exactly in your old tracks, so as not to frighten the wary 
 animals by numerous signs. 
 
 In stormy, blustering weather, traps must frequently be 
 raised out of their bed when covered too deep, by snow; 
 they should be sprung and reset and lightly covered as be- 
 fore. A mink is light and will tread on a trap covered by 
 four inches of snow without springing it. 
 
 In the matter of traps I prefer the No. i Newhouse for 
 minks, as they are sufficiently strong and work so smooth 
 that the smallest mink will spring the trap even when slightly 
 frozen or set with frost. The forefoot of a mink is usually 
 caught and the leg being very short and the mink possessed 
 of lightning quickness, how necessary it is that the trap 
 should work quick may be seen by the following incident: 
 I once had the opportunity of witnessing a mink in action 
 
lo TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 while conquering a large muskrat. The mink was a medium- 
 sized one and it met the rat in one of its runways. The 
 rat showed fight, but without avail. ' In about a minute the 
 mink had its victim stretched out lifeless and so rapid had 
 been the mink's movements that I had failed to see him bite 
 the rat once. 
 
 When a live mink is to be dispatched a .2.2 slug sent 
 through the head midway between the ears kills quickly and 
 does not damage the skin or its selling value. 
 
 In timbered sections mink travel through hollow logs 
 and play around the roots of overturned trees. When set- 
 ting the trap in a log, cover it lightly with dry, powdered, 
 rotten wood, or worm dust is better still. When setting at 
 the overturned root place the trap at the entrance of some 
 one of the openings, blocking the others with dry sticks and 
 chunks which stand up carelessly without making anything 
 conspicuous to arouse suspicion in the minks that someone 
 has meddled. At this set cover trap lightly with dry dirt 
 taken from the weather protected portions of the root. It 
 will be seen by these directions that it is necessary to con- 
 ceal traps with materials to match the surroundings. For 
 instance: Suppose that you were making a snow set and 
 should cover the trap with black dirt from the root just men- 
 tioned. Do you think you would get your mink? Not in a 
 hundred years. 
 
 In winter trapping, especially severe weather, bait is not 
 mentioned, as many of the most experienced trappers do not 
 use it; the bait very soon freezes hard, and is not attractive 
 to the minks. 
 
 In the Southern States, where waters remain open, water 
 setting can be followed throughout the winter months and 
 yet even there the water gets cold enough so that minks do 
 not travel in it and wet their feet as freely as in autumn, so 
 that even in the South dry setting may be followed to ad- 
 vantage in the winter months. 
 
 SHOT AND DOG. 
 Man3^ mink hunters throughout the region where snow 
 falls catch minks exclusively by the use of dogs that have 
 been trained for the purpose. A sample outfit for two men 
 beside the dog is a spade, ax and shotgun. A mink being 
 tracked up and holed, it is either cornered in the den and 
 killed or caught by the dog, or shot when it runs out after a 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
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12 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 scries of digging, poking and punching with slender poles 
 has routed him. Minks so caught are usually badly damaged 
 by the dog or by shot and do not bring full market prices, 
 and then this method results in the destruction of animal dens, 
 which should always be discouraged. 
 
 THE FOX. 
 
 Path Set. — This set is the best for early fall or where 
 trappers are not bothered with snow. Select a sheep path 
 in sections where foxes are plenty. Set trap where path 
 runs between stone wall or something similar. Dig hole size 
 of trap and line with dead leaves; place trap in space and 
 cover between jaws and over pan with large leaf, or thin 
 paper. Sprinkle a thin layer of dirt over all, making every- 
 thing look natural and level. Now place two small weeds 
 or fern stems across path three inches each side of trap, three 
 inches from ground. Clog; never stake trap. Use no scent 
 or bait. Fox will step between weeds and get caught. 
 
 Knoll Set. — Find a knoll or bank in pasture or field and 
 dig hole two feet deep, letting dirt remain at mouth of hole. 
 Do this so as to resemble the work of skunk, fox or wood- 
 chuck. Next place a piece of cat, muskrat or skunk in hole; 
 then set trap carefully in dirt at front of hole, and you will 
 secure the fox. 
 
 Nest Set. — Dig up ground as a fox would do in digging 
 out a bees' nest; set trap, cover lightly but out of sight with 
 fine dirt, throw over it some torn honey comb and scent 
 with honey; fasten trap to clog with chain about five feet 
 in length. 
 
 Land and Stump Set. — Find stump with roots opening 
 out in shape of letter "V," place bait at point of "V" and 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 13 
 
 trap in front of bait, and cover bait lightly, 90 that the fox 
 will have to hunt for it. 
 
 Sod Set in Water. — Find a spring six feet across, and 
 place a stone in centre of spring. Place a sod on stone, so 
 as to project above water two inches or more and have edges 
 under water. Set trap not over three inches from shore, under 
 water one-half inch. Place a sod between jaws, so as to fill 
 entire space between them, and have sod project above water 
 one inch, so as to afford a dry footing for the fox. Now 
 place bait on sod in middle of spring and fox in reaching for 
 bait will step on small sod and get caught. 
 
 Long Set. — Follow a brook through the woods until you 
 find an old log across a stream. If there is not already sand 
 or loose dirt at each end of log, place some in these posi- 
 tions, and let it so remain for a month or more, then set 
 traps at both ends of the log. 
 
 Tree Set. — Hang bait, small chicken or any game bird, 
 against tree trunk eight or ten feet from ground, where it 
 can be readily seen by the fox; if there is a knoll about 20 
 feet from the tree it will do, if not make one; set traps con- 
 cealed on knoll; the fox will try to get the bait, and failing 
 will go upon the knoll and howl in disappointment — and get 
 caught. 
 
 Snow Path Set. — Go into a field where foxes run and 
 tramp a path; take a No. 2>^ or No. 3 jump and boil in lime 
 until it is white as snow. Handle with gloves. Take a 
 wooden paddle and dig place for trap slightly to right of 
 centre of path. Bed trap firmly at bottom. Then place a 
 piece of white paper over trap and sprinkle snow slightly 
 over paper until level with path. The snow should not be 
 handled with hands or gloves or it will freeze; use the pad- 
 dle. Set a trap every six rods. Foxes delight to run in 
 paths in running from one field to another and this is a very 
 good set. 
 
 BED SET. 
 
 Dig out a bed of earth about three or four feet square, 
 make it level and smooth, set a trap on each side, cover 
 traps with light dead grass gathered at immediate locality, 
 throw some sharp cheese over the bed; the fox will approach 
 gradually and finally take the cheese, and in many instances 
 will be caught. 
 
14 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 MOUSE NEST SET. 
 
 Fox Set from a Maine Trapper. — Take a mouse nest 
 and put a small piece of meat in it, using a little scent on 
 the meat and put the rest under the edge of a rock or in a 
 hole, so it will look as if it was tucked in out of the way of 
 birds or things that might come along. Then set the trap 
 and have everything look as natural as it was before setting 
 the trap. Don't handle the meat or mouse nest with your 
 bare hands. This set is also good for 'coons and skunks. 
 SILVER FOXES. 
 SNOW SET. 
 
 Set Used by a Manitoba Fox Trapper. — Where the 
 chance is good, which is a lake, river or pond, take a dead 
 hen, or better a wild duck, in early winter, chop a hole in 
 the ice large enough to take about half of your bait, so as to 
 leave a little above the ice. Let water up so as to freeze the 
 bait in solid. Now when it snows all over deep, keep your 
 eye on the bait, as the fox may start any time to work on it. 
 When he has got at it good take two No. 3 traps; then take 
 eight or ten feet of fence wire, double it and fasten one end 
 to trap, the other to a clog three inches through and four 
 feet long. Go to your set, and when three rods from it lay 
 down one trap and set it. Have a large lump of cotton bat- 
 ting, which will fill the space inside the jaws; best to keep 
 your mittens on, if you don't want your hands to get cold. 
 Now take one trap at a time and go and set them; put one 
 in the middle of the hole the fox has dug to your bait and 
 one at the upper end of it. Don't get trap too close to the 
 bait'. Dig a small hole for your traps and cover over level; 
 sink clogs at end of the wire away from set, and walk in 
 your same tracks, so as to make as little signs as possible. 
 I said No. 3 traps, as they are liable to freeze down. If 
 this set can be made close to a small rat house, flatten rat 
 house a little and set one trap on top. This is one of my 
 snow sets which works all right in this Northern country. 
 
 When you know a snowstorm is coming take half a 
 dozen No. 3 or No. 4 Blake & Lamb traps, select your local- 
 ity with care, set the traps in a circle, and in the centre of 
 the circle suspend from a bush a hen or piece of fresh meat 
 for bait, the bait to be suspended about 15 inches above the 
 ground; cover the traps lightly with leaves and then with 
 snow; also cover chains and attach drag; place some musk- 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 15 
 
 rat musk on a branch as high as you can reach; the falHng 
 snow will cover your tracks. The fox, drawn by the scent, 
 will approach the circle about the bait nearer and nearer 
 and will be caught. 
 
 MOLES. 
 
 The wooden mole trap is a difficult thing to describe on 
 paper, but its working parts consisted of a flat narrow piece 
 of wood with small hoops, also of wood, let into it, one at 
 each end; a "bender" of ash or hazel, and a peg with a 
 right-angled crook, like the handle of a walking stick. To 
 the thm end of the bender is attached a piece of twisted 
 cord, and tied to the other end of the latter is a wire noose 
 with a. small wooden crosspiece above the loop. To set the 
 trap It is necessary to remove the soil from over the mole's 
 "run/' so that the flat piece of wood, supported by its two 
 hoops, fits exactly into the prepared space, forming a little 
 tunnel. Immediately beside it the peg is driven in, with its 
 handle over the centre of the wooden tunnel. The bender 
 IS then thrust into the ground and bent down until the wire 
 noose can be passed through a hole in the flat piece of wood 
 in such a way that the mole must pass through it The 
 wooden crosspiece is held by the peg, keeping the bender 
 strained, and the trap, after a handful of soil from the near- 
 est mole hill has been sprinkled over the tunnel to stop the 
 chinks of light, IS ready. When the mole comes along and 
 pushes his way through the noose the movement will cause 
 the crosspiece to disengage and away goes the bender 4nto 
 the air with the hapless victim held tight in a relentless 
 grasp. 
 
 No trap that ever was devised is so swift and sure in its 
 working, and the mole catcher can generally reckon the size 
 of his bag, directly, as he enters the field, by the number of 
 upright benders. If the latter are still down he has no occa- 
 sion to go near them. 
 
i6 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 MUSKRAT. 
 
 The best rats are found in Central and Eastern sections. 
 In the South the fur is shorter and thinner, and in certain 
 portions of the North and Northwest the fur is thin and the 
 collections average small and papery pelted. The only way 
 to account for rats being of a poorer quality from a cold 
 country lies, perhaps, in the fact that the amount of feed and 
 sunljght of settled localities is lacking in the wild regions; 
 the effect upon these fur-bearing rodents being virtually the 
 same as upon plant life when deprived of proper nourish- 
 ment and sunshine. In all seasons the best rats are those of 
 good weight of pelt, well furred and well handled. 
 
 In handling, rats should be stretched on uniform oblong- 
 shaped thin boards, with dressed sides and edges. About six 
 small nails should be used to each side of skin. Skins should 
 not be stretched so that the edge of board passes along 
 back of pelt. Have back on one side of board and belly on 
 the other. Never remove while green, for they wrinkle, and 
 shriveled skins have but little value. 
 
 Rats as well as all other furs should be cured in a dry, 
 cool, airy place, away from sun, fire and smoke. Fire-dried 
 skins are often brittle and many times ruined. Fire or sun- 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 17 
 
 dried skins, although prime when taken off the animals, are 
 by the above treatment, blackened and rendered unprime in 
 appearance. Skins should dry slowly, and through the pro- 
 cess of a circulation of cool air in a shady place only. 
 
 When rats are taken off the boards, hang them up out 
 of reach of mice and rats, and put only a small number of 
 skins in each bunch, as a large bunch often sweats and mil- 
 dews, damaging them considerably. 
 
 TRAPPING THE MUSKRAT. 
 
 Much has been said about this wonderful little fur- 
 bearer, which is trapped through the United States, but it is 
 to be remembered that good judgment is the main point in 
 trapping it successfully. It has been known that some trap- 
 pers would start out with a bunch of traps and would set 
 them any old way, just so they get them set, and then they 
 wonder why they do not catch anything. It is the same case 
 as the farmer that hitched his horse to the back end of the 
 plow and wondered why it did not work right. 
 
 The muskrat is small in price and size, but counts up 
 into dollars. As a general thing more wages can be made by 
 trapping them than can be made trapping most any other ani- 
 mals, because they are more plentiful. 
 
 In the following, different methods of trapping the musk- 
 rat are given, and all have been used successfully. There 
 is not an untried method given. Anyone that will follow 
 closely the instructions here given will be able to trap rats 
 successfully. Different methods are given here to suit dif- 
 ferent localities. 
 
 KIND OF TRAPS TO USE. 
 
 There have been many arguments among trappers as to 
 the proper size trap to use. Some would use No. 4 and 
 others No. o Newhouse, but to give the question its proper 
 answer, would say that the No. o and the No. i will give 
 the best results, the No. i being liked best of the Newhouse 
 and similar makes. The No. 2 stop thief is also very good 
 for trapping rats; but it seems trappers like the steel trap 
 best. 
 
 When using steel traps it always pays to take care of 
 them, as they will then last twice as long. When buying, get 
 the best, as they are cheapest in the long run. When using 
 
i8 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 a cheap trap many animals get away because the traps are 
 made of defective material. The extra animals that are 
 caught in the well-made traps will more than pay for the 
 extra cost of them. When taking in the traps from the line 
 oil or grease them with some good animal fat, especially the 
 working parts and then when the season comes to take them 
 out again they can be wiped off with a dry cloth and they 
 will be ready for use. 
 
 When setting steel traps, always pull the pan down level 
 with the jaws, so that an ordinary touch will spring the trap; 
 and always set the trap on a solid foundation. Don't lay it 
 down in soft mud, where it will sink in a short time. When 
 setting in such places it is best to lay the trap on a broad 
 leaf. This will hold the trap nicely and it will be always 
 ready for the rats to enter. 
 
 Steel traps may be cleaned by boiling them in ashes. As 
 soon as cleaned they may be greased to prevent rusting. 
 
 MARKING. 
 
 When trapping where trap thieves are active, it is best 
 to mark traps, so that the owner can identify them if he 
 sees them, should they be stolen. Marking may be done by 
 cutting initials or odd marks in the steel with a cold chisel. 
 
 REMOVING THE NEW FINISH. 
 
 When steel traps are new and bright an animal will 
 notice them more quickly. The new finish may be removed 
 by burying the traps in black mud, which is commonly to be 
 found around ponds and along streams. When burying the 
 traps, mix some rotten leaves with them and let them remain 
 until they get black. 
 
 HIGH AND LOW PANS. 
 
 Many trappers are troubled with high and low pans on 
 traps. Many of the cheap traps have too short a dog and 
 some have too long a dog. This is the reason the pan is too 
 high or too low. When the pan sets too high, the frame of 
 the trap where the dog is fastened must be bent in towards 
 the pan with a hammer and if the pan sets too low, so that 
 the jaws do not spring when the pan is pushed down, it may 
 be remedied by filing the end of the dog a little shorter. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 19 
 
 MUSKRAT SETS. 
 
 A FAVORITE SET. 
 
 This is one of the best known sets and has proved satis- 
 factory wherever used. It is one of the easiest to make and 
 can be used whether the bank is steep or nearly level. When 
 you have selected the place to set your trap, take same and 
 place in water several inches deep, at a little distance from 
 the bank. Next cut a long stick and jam one end into the 
 bank, so that the other end, on which the bait is to be placed, 
 is about 18 or 20 inches above the trap, and directly over 
 same. When the rat goes after the bait he will have to do 
 some jumping to get it and is almost certain to get caught. 
 
 THE COMMON BARREL TRAP. 
 
 The common barrel trap is easily made and it gives very 
 good results. Any common barrel will do and it need not 
 be water tight. To make this trap, secure an old barrel and 
 sink it in water that is deep enough, so it will just come 
 half way up to the top of the barrel. It is best to place a 
 few rocks in the barrel, so that it will not float away. 
 
20 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 Stretch a piece of burlap over the barrel, very tight, fasten- 
 ing to the sides of the barrel. Next take several poles ten 
 feet long and about five inches in diameter and fasten the 
 ends of the top of the barrel, letting the other ends float in 
 the stream. Next strew plenty of bait on the burlap and 
 also on the poles where it can be seen easily. Replace the 
 bait as rapidly as it is taken by the rats and when they begin 
 to come freely, take the burlap off the barrel and put some 
 bait inside and a little on the poles and the next morning 
 you will find many drowned rats if you follow instructions. 
 A box may be used instead of a barrel. 
 
 THE ROCK PEN SET. 
 
 The rock pen set is a very good one, if used properly. 
 Tt is made something like the pen set, except that it is made 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 21 
 
 oi rock instead of sticks. It is very simple and easily made, 
 as follows: Secure three or four rocks and make a pen with 
 these rocks as shown in illustration. The trap may be placed 
 at the entrance and the bait may be placed at the back, so 
 that it may be seen easily. 
 
 THE BANK SET. 
 
 The bank set can be used successfully where the bank 
 of a stream is steep. It is made by digging a hole in the 
 bank about the size of a three-quart bucket. Aim to have 
 about one-fifth of the hole below the surface of the water 
 and the rest above. The trap is to be set at the entrance 
 and the bait at the back of the hole where it can be seen. 
 
22 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 ^'^^X.-^ 
 
 THE PEN SET. 
 
 This set is very well known and is used widely. It is 
 easily made and understood and is a good set for beginners, 
 as well as experienced trappers. It is made by securing 15 
 or 20 sticks, about 12 or 15 inches in length. With these 
 sticks make a "U" shaped pen as shown in illustration. Set 
 the trap at the entrance to the pen and place the bait at the 
 pack of the pen, where it may easily be seen. 
 
 THE BARREL TRAP. 
 
 The barrel trap is well known throughout the United 
 States and Canada. It gives good results and is very popu- 
 lar on account of catching more than one rat at a time. 
 Some trappers have been known to catch as many as 15 or 
 20 rats at one time in one of these traps. To make the trap, 
 secure a barrel that is watertight and sink the barrel in a 
 place where the water nearly fills the barrel. Place enough 
 rock in the bottom of the barrel, so as to sink it as directed, 
 and hold it firmly when sunk. Pour water in the barrel 
 until it is about half full. Next, tie a piece of heavy paper 
 over the top of the barrel and stretch as tight as possible. If 
 there is any slack in the paper after same is tied, dampen 
 with a sponge and when paper dries it will be tight as a 
 drum head. Next put plenty of bait on the paper and around 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 23 
 
 the barrel, and when you see that the rats are coming freely, 
 take a sharp knife and cut two slits in the paper, at right 
 angles to each other, as shown in illustration. Then place 
 bait on paper, same as before. Visit the trap the next morn- 
 ing and see the results. If you use this trap continuously, 
 the paper should be taken off occasionally and renewed 
 
 TRAPPING WITHOUT BAIT. 
 
 Steel traps may be set without bait where rats are plen- 
 tiful. Set at their feeding grounds and paths, which can be 
 found along the shore of ponds, and where the bank over- 
 hangs streams and the roots of trees and grasses make a 
 narrow tunnel, which the rats are sure to go through. Steel 
 traps can be set at the entrances to these places, and in their 
 paths, and many rats can be caught in this way, if the traps 
 are set properly as here directed. 
 
24 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 THE STONE DEADFALL. 
 
 This deadfall has given very good results. It is easily 
 made where flat stones can be found. There are many 
 places along streams w^here steel traps cannot be used to ad- 
 vantage, on account of the rocks. Therefore this deadfall 
 is preferable. 
 
 It is made by taking a flat stone about two feet square, 
 which is used for the foundation. Secure another stone about 
 the same size. Place enough small rocks on top to kill the 
 rat when caught. Make a common figure 4 trap, strong 
 enough to bear the weight of the stone without breaking, and 
 set as shown in illustration. 
 
 TRAPPING AT DENS. 
 
 Muskrats can be caught easily at their dens, which will 
 be found a foot or so under water. In some places dens are 
 plentiful and there are generally about five or six rats in 
 each den — sometimes more. The whole family can be some- 
 times caught by setting stop thief or steel traps in these 
 places. When setting the trap be careful not to destroy the 
 den by dropping dirt into it. Set the trap at the entrance to 
 the den, so that the rats will have to walk into it. Always 
 fasten the trap to a stake or stone in the water. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 25 
 
 THE LOG SET. 
 
 Wherever a log can be found several inches under v^ater 
 the rats are sure to travel it. This makes a good place to 
 trap them. Go about it as follows: Set your trap on the 
 top of the log, so that it is under water. Next cut a stick 
 and jam same into the bank, or in the ground at roots of 
 log. Have the stick placed so that the free end is about 20 
 inches above the trap, and place bait on this end. The bait 
 must be exactly above the trap. 
 
 RATS THAT CHANGE GROUNDS. 
 
 It often happens that rats change grounds; sometimes 
 they are very plentiful at a certain place and in another place 
 they are very scarce. This is usually caused by high water, 
 which makes them go a little farther up or down the stream 
 and locate in new places. Trappers can learn where rats are 
 the most plentiful by observing the number of tracks which 
 are to be found in the mud along the water's edge. 
 
 FOOTING THEMSELVES. 
 
 Muskrats will often "foot" themselves; that is, twist off 
 their legs, especially if the trap is strong enough to break 
 the leg. They will do this in about two hours' time or less. 
 When a rat is caught he will always make a bee-line for the 
 water, and if the stake to which the trap is fastened is set 
 back from the water so as to keep the rat from getting to it 
 and drowning, he will twist the trap chain around the stake 
 and five times out of ten he will free himself by twisting his 
 leg off. For this reason it is always well to use the sliding 
 poles and wires which will always prevent this trouble. 
 
26 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 PATHS UNDER THE ICE. 
 
 Paths may often be found under the ice, when the 
 streams and ponds are frozen over. These paths are plenti- 
 ful in shallow water near the dens and houses. Muskrats will 
 sometimes travel a great distance under the ice and they can 
 be caught in this way: Chop a hole in the ice with a hatchet 
 and set trap directly in the path, so that the muskrat will 
 have to walk into it. Sometimes many rats can be caught in 
 this way, if the traps are set properly. 
 
 Muskrat Slides. — Muskrat slides resemble otter slides in 
 many ways. The muskrats seem to have great sport sliding 
 where the bank is steep and muddy. The rats will walk up 
 the bank at one place and slide down at another. They 
 usually use a slide about two weeks and then leave it and go 
 somewhere else and make a new one. They may be trapped 
 at these slides by setting a steel trap at the bottom of the 
 slide, several inches imder water; fasten the trap and it is 
 ready for business. If a slide has fresh tracks around and 
 looks wet and muddy, you may know that is being used. 
 If it is dry and has no fresh tracks around it, it shows that 
 the slide is not being used. These slides are found in most 
 places, although they are not found everywhere. 
 
 Changing Sets. — To be successful it is best to move your 
 sets around and use different places. When sets are left any 
 length of time in one place it seems to be an old story to 
 the rats and they will not take any interest in the set, par- 
 ticularly if there is plenty of food nearby. But changing sets 
 attracts their attention and they will take bait readily. 
 
 TIME TO TRAP MUSKRATS. 
 
 Much has been said about the proper time to trap rats. 
 Some say that the fur is good in any month that has the 
 letter "R" in it. But this is a mistake, as rats and other furs 
 as well are no good when caught in September and October, 
 except in the Far North. Some will be good if caught in the 
 latter part of October, but it is much better to wait till the 
 first of November, if they get trap shy. When it comes right 
 down to it they are as smart as the rest of us. • 
 
 FASTENING TRAPS. 
 
 When trapping along streams that are subject to -rising 
 water, it is best to fasten traps well. When using stakes, 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 27 
 
28 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 they ought to be about two feet in length, so as to make 
 sure of their staying when high water reaches them. It is 
 not safe to fasten to logs and other things that are lying 
 loose along shore, as they are likely to float away when the 
 water rises. 
 
 LEAVING SURROUNDINGS NATURAL. 
 
 When setting traps along streams where minks and rac- 
 coons are found it is best to set traps carefully and do as 
 nice a job of it as you can. Don't leave any paper or whit- 
 tlings of wood nor any other thing that would scare the ani- 
 mals. But be careful in setting your traps, whether minks 
 and raccons are about or not, as the traps will work better 
 on sly rats when set carefully, and should any of these other 
 animals be about, you will have a chance to get them. But 
 the trap must be strong enough to hold them. 
 
 When going along the trap line it is best to carry a good 
 strong club. Then if you find a rat in a trap, with his leg 
 nearly twisted off and about ready to get away, you are 
 ready for him, while if you have to hunt for a club the rat 
 will get away before you can find one. 
 
 DENS OUT OF WATER. 
 
 Rats often make their dens when the water is not down 
 to the lowest mark and when it goes down later and leaves 
 the entrance to the den out of water, they will leave it until 
 the water rises again. It is useless to set traps at such 
 places. 
 
 THE MUSKRAT RECEIVER. 
 
 This is an article that is needed when using sliding poles 
 and wires. To make it cut a pole and have a fork on the 
 end. When you find you have a rat in your trap, he will be 
 at the bottom of the pole or wire, and all you have to do is 
 to reach down and with the hook on the end of the receiver 
 pull the rat ashore. 
 
 Sliding Poles and Wires. — The sliding pole is one of the 
 most useful things that a trapper using steel traps can have. 
 It can be used successfully almost everywhere. It keeps rats 
 from getting trap shy and prevents them from twisting out 
 of the traps. If they are used properly every rat will be 
 drowned by the time the trapper gets to his trap, and if a 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 29 
 
 mink gets into the trap it will work as well with him as 
 with a rat. 
 
 THE COMMON SLIDING POLE. 
 
 The common sliding pole will give very good results in 
 ponds and streams that are not likely to rise much, because 
 it will not stand high waters. It is as good as any for catch- 
 ing rats. 
 
 It is made as follows: Secure a pole about 10 feet in 
 length, leaving a fork at one end so as to keep the ring on 
 trap chain from sliding ofif. Sharpen the other end and jam 
 it into the bank as shown in illustration. 
 
 THE WIRE BROWNER. 
 
 The wire drowner will give very good results where the 
 water is deep near the shore. It can be made by securing a 
 wire the same length as the trap chain. Fasten one end to 
 the ring of trap chain and the other to a stake at the shore 
 and it is ready for use. 
 
 THE WIRE SLIDER. 
 
 This slider works a good deal like the sliding pole, but 
 it is made differently. It can be used in connection with any 
 of the sets shown in this book, where steel traps are used. 
 
 It is made by securing a smooth wire of sufficient length 
 to reach out to water deep enough to drown rats. Wrap one 
 end of the wire around a stone and throw same out into the 
 water. Fasten the other end to a stake at the shore, slip- 
 ping the ring of the chain on the wire before fastening same 
 to the stake. 
 
30 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 THE FAVORITE SLIDING POLE. 
 
 This pole is an invention that has never been equalled 
 and it will double the catch of many trappers that are 
 troubled by having rats twist their legs off. It is very simple 
 and easily made and can be used in connection with any set 
 shown in this book in which steel traps are used. It will 
 not easily wash away in high water, and when a rat steps 
 into a trap where a sliding pole is used he is yours. 
 
 To make a sliding pole, secure a pole about six or eight 
 feet in length and thick enough to let the ring on the trap 
 chain slide freely over it. Try to cut the stick ofif so as to 
 leave a fork at the thin end and see that all knots are cut 
 off smooth. Now sharpen the thick end and drive an eight- 
 penny nail about 12 inches from the thick end. Next cut a 
 stick about two feet in length with a fork on one end point- 
 ing downward towards the other end, which should be sharp- 
 ened. This short stick is the fastener. Now take the pole 
 and jam it into the bed of the stream where you are going 
 to trap. Have the end reach out into water that is deep 
 enough to drown a rat. Then bend the other end down to 
 the ground on the shore and drive the fork on the sliding 
 pole. Before driving the nail in the end of the sliding pole 
 be sure to slip the ring on trap chain over the pole, as the 
 nail is meant to keep same from coming off. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 31 
 
 I 
 
 THE BANK SET. 
 
 Blind sets are best; find where muskrats go to an apple 
 tree and set a trap just under water and stake out in the 
 stream. Use a No. 81, as you will get a mink also. If you 
 see a steep, perpendicular bank at the roots of trees, set a 
 trap just under water and stake out in the stream. Where 
 a log comes out of the water set a trap just under water on 
 the log and fasten to a log out in the stream. 
 
 In summer go over your trapping grounds and if you 
 find any hollow logs about 15 feet long, roll them to the 
 creek and put one end in the water and let the other rest on 
 the bank and block log until at the water end there is about 
 two inches of water for about one foot. Block up other end. 
 Set a trap in the water at mouth of log and stake out in 
 streams. 
 
 TIDE MARSHES. 
 
 Trapping m.uskrats on tide marshes is tiresome, requir- 
 ing high boots on account of much wading in rather deep 
 water; then there is the waiting for tides, and hurry and 
 scurry between tides; under such conditions steel traps are 
 at times covered with water to the depth of a few inches, 
 and- at other times a few feet. One of the best traps for tide 
 
32 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 33 
 
 marshes is the box trap with self-closing wire doors; a num- 
 ber of these can be carried from place to place in a boat, and 
 every rat entering is drowned — you get it. 
 
 PREPARING SKINS FOR MARKET. 
 
 SKINNING. 
 
 Skinning muskrats is an easy thing to do after a little 
 practice. The best way to learn is to take a strong string 
 of sufficient length and tie an end to each hind foot. Then 
 drive two nails into a building; have them about six or seven 
 inches apart. Hang the rat upon the nails and with a sharp 
 knife cut around each hind foot. Then cut straight across 
 from one hind foot to another. Next cut the tail off and 
 the pelt may . then be pulled down over the body. Be care- 
 ful so as not to cut or tear the skin. When coming to the 
 front legs, strip the skin part way over them and then run 
 your finger between the leg and skin and pull it out from the 
 skin. Pull the skin a little further over the head till you 
 come to the ears and they should be cut off close to the 
 head. Then pull a little further till you come to the eyes, 
 which can be cut off same as the ears. Cut close around the 
 lips and nose, and when cutting, always keep pulling on the 
 skin. Now the pelt is ready for fleshing. 
 
 FLESHING. 
 
 Muskrats are hard to flesh compared to some other ani- 
 mals; but after a little practice they can be fleshed easily. 
 They can be fleshed by putting them on the stretcher and 
 getting hold of a piece of flesh or fat at a time and cutting 
 it away with a knife; being careful as you go along not to 
 cut the skin. But this is a slow way of doing the work. It 
 would be better for anyone having much fleshing to do, to 
 use the following outfit. With the fleshing pole and fleshing 
 knife faster work can be done and it will be easier on the 
 operator. The outfit can be made at home, with a few hours' 
 work. Secure a soft wood pole, such as linden or any other 
 wood that will not crack easily and have the pole about 
 eight feet in length and about six inches in diameter. Peel 
 all the bark off and trim the thinnest end down to a point. 
 Trim on three sides, but leave the fourth side untrimmed, 
 where the fleshing is to be done. Taper the end to a nice 
 point, so that a muskrat pelt will fit it snugly; then sand- 
 
34 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 paper it smooth with No. 2 sandpaper. Next secure two 
 pieces of board about 2b inches in length and about three or 
 four inches wide. These are the legs of the fleshing pole. 
 Nail them on each side of the pole, about 26 inches back 
 from the end of the pole. 
 
 Now to make a seat, secure a piece of board about five 
 inches in width and six or eight inches in length. Fasten 
 one end a little above where the legs are fastened, and make 
 it level by placing boards under the lower side, nailing each 
 piece so as to make it good and solid. 
 
 \"our fleshing pole is now ready, and the next thing is 
 to get a fleshing knife. Get an old 12-inch file and have 
 your blacksmith taper the blunt end to a point, so that both 
 ends will be alike. Then put the file on a grindstone and 
 grind all roughness off and grind the edges crossways, so as 
 to have four sharp corners. Next make two handles. 
 
 Now then you are ready for fleshing. First pull the pelt 
 over the end of the pole and then drive two nails through 
 the ears into the end of pole, just tight enough to keep the 
 pelt from slipping back too far, and so that they may be 
 pulled out easily. Now take your seat and with your knife 
 in hand begin to flesh. Use the knife edgewise and use a 
 little elbow grease to get the flesh started. Always work 
 the flesh toward you, and after you have it started it wall 
 come easily enough. Aim to start a strip down the centre 
 of the back, and then one on the sides. It will take a little 
 practice to do this, but after you are once on to the trick it 
 can be done easily. A imc, neat job can be done with this 
 outfit. Be sure to have all mud and burrs out of the fur 
 before beginning to flesh. 
 
 STRETCHING. 
 
 First secure a board about three-eighths of an inch in 
 thickness and about two feet in length, and as wide as the 
 pelt will properly fit. Taper one end of the board down to a 
 point and round the edges oft" with a plane; Be sure to 
 have the board tapering all the way from the square end to 
 the point, or you will have trouble in getting the skin off 
 after it is dry. Next stretch the pelt on the board, and tack 
 it around the edge tight, but not so tight that it will make 
 the fur look thin. Pelts that are stretched too much will 
 always go a grade lower. The pelt should be put on the 
 board so the back is on one side and the belly on the other. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 35 
 
 ANOTHER WAY OP SKINNING RATS. 
 
 To skin a rat we kneel on the right knee, step on the 
 rat's tail with the left heel, with his head toward the right 
 knee. Catch the hind leg with the left hand outside of left 
 leg. With knife in right hand slit from heel to tail. Grab 
 the other leg and do the same. Drop the knife, work the pelt 
 lose from the legs (you don't need to dull your knife cutting 
 around the legs), also from the tail, grab front and back 
 with both hands and pull the skin to the forelegs. Pull 
 these out, take the knife, cut around ears, eyes and mouth 
 and pull the pelt off. Keep your heel on the tail all the time. 
 the above method is used by a vSouth Dakota trapper. 
 
36 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 SOUTH JERSEY MUSKRATS. 
 
 SHOOTING RATS. 
 
 Do not shoot muskrats, unless you are specially anxious 
 to get a small price for the skins ; it is unlawful to shoot 
 them in some States; it is foolish to shoot them for any 
 market — all shot skins will bring a shot-skin price, and you'll 
 worry when you receive your returns. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION zy 
 
 WOLF. 
 
 To trap wolves successfully requires great skill, patience 
 and perseverance. Many trappers claim v^olves are more 
 difficult to take than foxes and they certainly are every bit 
 as cunning, crafty and trap wary as any fox could be, and 
 for the reason that they are much wider rangers ; conse- 
 quently using the same runways and hunting grounds less 
 frequently it is at least a reasonable claim. The ordinary 
 method is to put the trap up close to a bait or carcass where 
 wolves come to feed or are Hkely to come, the traps placed 
 as near as possible where the wolf will be likely to plant his 
 feet in the act of tearing a piece from the choicest or the 
 most delectable portion. While this set is undoubtedly all 
 right for the less crafty or suspicious animals, it has become 
 an ancient chestnut with the up-to-date wolf, and it is only 
 a young, heedless, hare-brained wolf whoever, nowadays, 
 falls a victim. Much better luck will be had if a number of 
 traps are placed at a considerable distance away from the 
 bait, carefully covered, in the paths and passageways by 
 which the wolf is most apt to approach. If possible the bait 
 should be laid within 20 or 30 feet of a mount or small 
 hillock, or if in a timber country the bait may be fastened 
 in a small or large tree several feet from the ground and the 
 traps ought to be set on the top of the mound. A place 
 must be dug out of the mound of a size capable of holding 
 the trap and clog, or traps, as the case may be. The dirt 
 should be removed with a small wooden spade and placed 
 on a sack. The bare hands should not be used. When the 
 traps are placed, the space under the pans ought to be filled 
 with wool, cotton or moss, so that the dirt will not get 
 
38 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 packed under the pan and prevent springing. The extra dirt 
 should be carried to a distance and the set scattered over 
 with leaves or grass to make it correspond as exactly as 
 possible with the rest of the mound. A wolf, scenting the 
 bait and approaching will, even though not hungry, from his 
 instinctive caution and curiosity, circle the bait and be very 
 apt to go onto the mound to investigate from this vantage 
 point. A scent can be used that will help very considerably 
 to attract the wolves from quite a distance, providing, of 
 course, they get the wind of it. It is also effective if used 
 as a drag. 
 
 This scent is made as follows : Take equal parts of rab- 
 bit, skunk and muskrat, with two mice added, chop fine, 
 place in a glass jar, screw on the cover part way and allow 
 to stand in the sun until liquid is formed. The jar should be 
 filled about two-thirds full. Then to complete the bait add 
 a quantity of skunk musk, one-half ounce of oil of anise and 
 fill the jar with goose oil. This scent can be rubbed on the 
 trapper's boot soles, moccasins or snowshoes, or smeared on 
 meat and used as a drag. 
 
 To remove the iron or trap smell, traps can be boiled in 
 water with cedar or hickory bark, one-quarter pound of bees- 
 wax should be added to the liquor. 
 
 When ponds, lakes and rivers are frozen over and the 
 snow is deep, wolves are apt to travel on the ice; any dark 
 object out on the smooth expanse of snow on lake or river 
 will at once attract their attention and they are apt to go 
 and examine. A crow, rabbit or bait of any sort; let it be 
 up where it can be seen in the distance. Place two or three 
 traps around the bait at a distance of three feet, put pieces 
 of white paper, one under and one over the trap, then cover 
 carefully with dry snow by sifting it with a piece of wire 
 screen. When traveling an old trail or timber road through 
 the woods, reach out to one side as far as possible and place 
 two traps half way between bait and trail, also one directly 
 in the trail. Set and cover it as on the ice. It is a good 
 plan to scatter a few beef or lard "cracklings" along your trail. 
 
 No. 3 traps are about right for wolves, and the No. 2^ 
 Newhouse otter trap makes a good wolf trap if the attach- 
 ment is taken from the pan. 
 
 To sum up, the trapper who makes a success of trapping 
 wolves must make a study of it and must often contrive 
 methods suitable to his particular trapping grounds. It will 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 39 
 
 be found that wolves of the more remote and wilder regions 
 where men seldom penetrate are much easier taken than 
 those that live in the better settled districts. 
 
 The time to hunt young wolves is during April and May. 
 The young, usually seven or eight in number, are born in 
 the latter part of March or first part of April. The den is 
 apt to be in the ground and generally not very deep, some- 
 times under a ledge. I recall one instance when the den 
 consisted of a large hollow log, and another where the young 
 were in a nest of leaves under a brush pile. The location 
 which is, as a rule, selected by the wolves will not be far 
 from water, on some knoll or brushy hillside. The prairie 
 wolves or coyotes frequently den on the open prairie. 
 
 TRAPPING WOLVES. 
 
 When you are trapping for the wolf you want No. 3 or 
 No. 4 steel traps, as many as you can handle easy, and you 
 also want some bait. Rabbit is one of the best kinds of bait 
 that can be used for most any kind of animals. Take about 
 four or five rabbits and 10 to 12 traps; that is all a man 
 wants to carry for five or six miles the first day. Keep your 
 eyes open for a place you think they travel. In the moun- 
 tains they travel the ridges and gullies; but on the plains 
 they go everywhere. Find a "V" shaped place near some 
 flat, scrubby tree and take a good big stick, or clog, as most 
 1 rappers call it, say about four or five feet long and about 
 two inches thick at the little end. (Don't cut the stick if 
 you can help it). Take a No. 3 trap and set as follows: 
 Dig a hole in the ground or needles, whatever it may be, 
 about the middle of the "V" shaped place, digging the hole 
 so it will be just a little lower than the level of the ground. 
 Place the trap in the hole and put a piece of paper, about 
 seven by 10 inches, over the trap and then put dirt around 
 the edges first, then cover the middle of the trap about one- 
 sixteenth of an inch deep, and place your clog as far to one 
 side of the trap as chain will let it go. Cover the clog if 
 you want to, but it doesn't make much difference, unless you 
 cut it with an ax. Next put your bait in the end of the "V" 
 and fasten it well. About half a rabbit is plenty. Use some 
 scent if you have any that will bring them to the trap. 
 
 For your second trap take a No. 4 Newhouse trap and 
 fasten to your second clog. Dig a hole as before, about 
 seven or eight feet from the mouth of the "V" shaped place 
 
40 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 COYOTE TRAPPED IN IDAHO COUNTY, IDAHO. 
 
 A LARGE WOLVERINE. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 41 
 
 and place your clog between your second trap and the first 
 one, as far as chain will let it go. Then cover the trap as 
 the first one is covered, just so the trap is level with the 
 ground or a little bit lower (but not too much). Never have 
 your trap a little high, because if you do the animal won't 
 step on it at all. Don't cover the second clog at all, except 
 the ends, if you have cut or broken it oft". If your fox or 
 wolf is hungry, you will catch him in the first trap you set, 
 because he will go right in the "V" shaped place after the 
 bait, but if he is not hungry, he will walk round and round 
 the" trap and then you will generally find him in the second 
 trap when you get there. If there are any wildcats in the 
 country and one comes along near the trap there is no mis- 
 take — he is yours. The fox may also be caught in this way. 
 
 Another set for wolves and coyotes : Take a piece of 
 meat and stake it in the river 18 inches from the bank and 
 set traps between bank and bait. These will fool them every 
 time, for they can't smell traps under water. 
 
 Another successful trapper writes : Now in regard to 
 trapping, there are many ways and much depends on the 
 country. I don't say that either my way or the other fel- 
 low's is wrong. I have caught one or more of the grey 
 wolf. I prefer the No. 14 Newhouse trap, and, believe me, 
 bare ground. I don't take any stock in smoking traps and 
 so on ; still it may be required in places. So far as the traps 
 are concerned, bare hands and anything goes with me. I 
 like a set of deer's insides, feet, head, etc. Throw these into 
 a pile, cover with rocks, rotten logs, etc. Then get a long 
 dead pole, lay it over this pile, with top end sticking out to 
 one side far as possible and some 18 inches above ground. 
 Set trap at end of pole and set it good, so you can't see it 
 yourself and "then some." When going to look at it walk 
 straight to it and right over it ; don't stop, for I don't know 
 why, but a wolf seems determined to go out around where a 
 man stops ; but does not hesitate to walk in a man's tracks. 
 As soon as this bait gets ripe, the wolf will locate it for 
 some distance. When he arrives he will circle around to 
 investigate and that circle keeps getting smaller until the 
 pole is in his road, when rather than hop over, he walks 
 around the end and something happens. If you use scent, 
 put it on stuff over the deer trimmings, and nary a thing 
 around that trap. If you have lots of traps and plenty of 
 
42 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 wolves, set out four traps at end of four poles and four be- 
 tween poles, close to bait. 
 
 Another way is : Bury the 1)ait, set four traps around 
 square set style and cover the traps, bait and all with deer 
 hide. Put scent on trees ; not too close. The wolf is quite 
 a puppy and likes to play with the hide, and when he pulls 
 it up it clears the snow and he gets next to the buried bait 
 and those traps. 
 
 HUNTING YOUNG WOLVES. 
 
 The first thing of importance in hunting young wolves 
 is to learn the range of a pair during the latter part of win- 
 ter if possible. A couple of good hounds, well trained on 
 'coons or foxes, or any hounds that are thoroughly broken 
 from rabbiting, will do to use; but with a good, cold trailer 
 the quest is rather a simple matter, when otherwise it is apt 
 to be very difficult. It is best to get out very early in the 
 morning with the cold trailer, follow him up and watch his 
 movements closely. Upon striking the trail of one of the old 
 wolves, the dog will follow it, even though two or three 
 hours old, and where the track crosses soft or sandy ground 
 we should be able to tell whether our dog is trailing the dog 
 or the bitch wolf by the size of the track, that of the dog 
 being considerably the larger. We are in luck if it is the 
 bitch's track the dog is working ; possibly our dog may have 
 picked up the trail at a point where she is returning to the 
 den to bring the litter something she has killed for them, 
 or to suckle them; in this case the dog soon leads up to the 
 den. Possibly we may hear him barking holed at the en- 
 trance, but more likely the old lady hearing him tongueing 
 on the trail rushes out, cutting in on her old trail, and we all 
 at once hear our dog singing merrily away on the hot track 
 as she leads him away from the den as fast as she can. If 
 we are "on to our job" we will pay no attention to the race, 
 but try to guess from what direction she came from her 
 den to head off the dog. We then begin a careful and pains- 
 taking search; should this fail we turn our attention to the 
 race. After the wolf has led off a mile or two she is apt to 
 worry about the den, and make an effort to get to it. The 
 more ardent cries of the dogs will indicate the action of the 
 wolf, and often enable the experienced wolf hwnter tQ locate 
 the den. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 43 
 
44 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 WILDCAT. 
 
 The wildcat is comparatively easy to catch, if you cover 
 your trap and do not disturb the natural appearance of the 
 surroundings. Use No. 3 or No. 4 trap, find where the cats 
 travel, or their favorite trees, and in a "V" shaped place 
 near a tree or rocks, dig a hole in the ground so that the 
 trap will set down a little below the level of the ground, set 
 trap and cover with the light litter gathered nearby; place 
 bait, part of a rabbit, behind trap in small end of "V;" use 
 clog for your trap. The trap may be set in same way be- 
 tween two trees, or two bunches of bushes, growing six or 
 eight inches apart. Deadfalls may be used with same bait. 
 
 HOT WATER. 
 
 No domestic remedy can equal hot water in cases of 
 congestion of the lungs, rheumatism or sore throat, if tried 
 promptly and thoroughly. An acute attack of croup will be 
 usually relieved in 10 minutes if a towel or strip of flannel 
 folded lengthwise and dipped into hot water, then slightly 
 wrung out, be placed around the neck of the sufferer and 
 covered so as to retain the heat. The same placed over the 
 seat of pain will in most cases quickly give relief in neuralgia 
 and toothache, and laid over the stomach acts like magic in 
 attacks of colic. Headache almost always yields to the 
 simultaneous application of hot water to the back of the 
 neck and to the feet. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 45 
 
 A WILDCAT. 
 
46 ^ TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 LYNX. 
 
 Methods of a Canadian trapper: In trapping the lynx 
 I use a No. i>4 or No. 2 trap, which are the safest traps for 
 these animals. When I set a trap for a lynx, I take sticks 
 ahout three feet long and set them in the ground, making a 
 corral something like a long "V" in shape, and place the 
 irap in the opening, well covered. Then I wind some hay 
 very hard around the end of a stick about two feet long and 
 put some fish oil on the hay and set the stick up in the farth- 
 est end of the corral from the trap. I always catch the lynx 
 by using this method. 
 
 Here is anolher way I ca'.ch the lynx when the snow is 
 deep and soft : I walk on skiis, and when setting traps I 
 walk straight through a big bunch of timber and then ccme 
 back over my own tracks, setting traps in the tracks I make 
 in the snow. I use no scent and am always particular not to 
 leave any signs of the traps. I cover my traps with duck 
 feathers or chicken feathers; but the feathers must be fine. 
 When a lynx sees a track like this he always likes to follow 
 it, and then he gets in the trap. 
 
 OTTER. 
 
 A New York State trapper gives this set: Take a boat 
 or a canoe and as many traps as you wish to set. Cut small 
 trees about two inches through to fasten the traps to, put 
 them into the boat, then go along the pond near the bank, 
 you will see places where they slide. This is the place to 
 get an otter if you work it right. Find the place where they 
 go up to slide if you can. There is generally a path leading 
 to the top of the slide; if you can find this path set your 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 47 
 
 trap under water just where the otters start to go up. 
 Sharpen the small tree which you cut, then staple the trap 
 to it and stick it into the bank. Have all the fresh cut part 
 of the little tree covered with mud, or something, so it will 
 look natural Do not leave any part of the trap or chain 
 above the water and do not step on the bank or touch it with 
 your hand. If you cannot find the path which leads to the 
 top of the slide, use the same method at the bottom of the 
 slide, but the path is the better, as sometimes when they are 
 sliding the trap will spring on their body and it won't hold 
 them. 
 
 I will tell you the use of the tree : When the otter gets 
 loose from the bank it will swim out in the pond and soon 
 drown. The little tree will float and easily be found unless 
 the lake is too_ large; but don't try this on flowing streams, 
 as the water will carry it away. 
 
 Do not place too much confidence in a s'ake, no matter 
 how firmly it is driven into the ground; it is better to use 
 strong wire securely fastened to a stone weighing 25 pounds, 
 or more, the trap being fastened to the other end of the wire. 
 
 OTTER. SETS. 
 
 A British Columbia trapper gives the fol!owing as his 
 method of trapping otters: Set traps on points in river by 
 building out rocks into the water, a distance of about 10 
 feet, two feet wide, and six inches above water. On the end 
 of these I pack dirt about two feet high, then set a trap in 
 front of these in water 10 inches deep, using the oil from 
 the oil bag of otter and beaver musk mixed for scent. 
 
 OTTER SKINS. 
 
 The No. 2 size trap is strong enough for otters, but it 
 is too small for regular otter trapping by any except the 
 most careful and expert trappers. Having but the same 
 spread of jaws as the 1^2, it is apt to be missed by the otter's 
 foot, and this animal is too slippery, too elusive, and too 
 uncertain in his habits for the trapper to take any chances 
 on not catching him when he makes his visit. My personal 
 preference is the single-spring otter trap, with toothed jaws, 
 Nos. 2^/. and 31/2. These traps are more certain to catch 
 and hold than the same size with plain jaws, therefore pref- 
 erable for setting at slides, landing places, and trails, where 
 the "sign" is spread so much that there is no certainty of 
 
48 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 49 
 
 placing the trap at just the right place for the otter's foot. 
 
 These traps will invariably catch and hold the animal if 
 he touches the pan with either foot, body or tail. For these 
 who prefer plain jaw traps, the Nos. 3 and 4 are the best 
 sizes for general use, while for those trappers who want a 
 double spring trap, with the teeth, the No. 48 is ideal. It 
 is a double spring No. 4 size trap with the addition of teeth 
 on the underside of the jaws. 
 
 I strongly advise setting otter traps from the water 
 whenever possible, as by so doing you leave no human odor 
 to alarm the quarry. A boat should be used if possible; but 
 in small streams this is impractical. There the trapper should 
 wade the water and should not approach on land nearer 
 than 50 feet towards the place where the trap is to be set. 
 Moreover, he should not travel close to the stream when it 
 can be avoided. Traps should be placed under water, sub- 
 merged anywhere from two to four inches. The chains may 
 be staked out in the water, using an old wood stake, or driv- 
 ing it entirely out of sight beneath the water. Since an 
 otter, when caught in a trap so set, may spoil the place for 
 the probable capture of another, it is better to make some 
 provision for drowning the catch; thus the landing place will 
 not be spoiled and there will be more certainty that the cap- 
 tured animal will not escape. The sliding pole is the best 
 fastening, if the water is deep enough for its use. 
 
 When making such sets the Indians frequently fasten 
 the trap to the butt of a small sapling, which is cut some- 
 where not far away, by splitting the wood and driving a 
 wedge into the split. A five or six-pound stone is then tied 
 to the trap and the sapling stood straight, the butt under 
 water, at the side of the trap. When caught the otter plunges 
 down stream, dragging the sapling with him, and when he 
 becomes tired from struggling the weight of trap and stone 
 pulls him under water where he drowns. The half floating- 
 clog reveals his whereabouts to the trapper. 
 
 I spoke of driving a stake out of sight under water as a 
 good way to fasten an otter trap. The driving tool is usually 
 an axe, and I wonder how many trappers have tried driving 
 a stake beneath the surface of the water in this way. There 
 is a way this may be done very easily without splashing water 
 over yourself. Drive the stake down with the butt of the 
 axe until the top nears the surface, then cut a stout piece of 
 wood about two feet long, square off the ends, hold it on top 
 
50 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 51 
 
 of the stake and strike on top with the axe, just the same 
 as if it were a part of the stake that projected that high 
 above the water. When you are through, be sure to take this 
 piece of weed away with you. 
 
 BEAVER. 
 
 The beaver is not easily caught, and will rot be taken 
 unless you have pal-icnce ; vse steel trap/ set in water a short 
 distance from shore where the beaver frequently lands in 
 coming from its dam and where water is shallow, that is 
 where the beaver ceases to swim, and in making landing is 
 fairly certain to place foot or two feet in trap ; have trap 
 fastened to wire running out into deep water, so that beaver 
 will drcw;i ; some trappers place a litLle heaver musk or 
 beaver castor on . shore at expected landing place. Traps 
 may be set at entrance to dam, but should be arranged to 
 drown the beaver outside in the deeper water. If the animal 
 begins to cut a tree — for dam repairing — in the trapping sea- 
 son, carefully concealed traps may be set at two or three 
 places around the tree. 
 
 FISHER. 
 
 The fisher may be caught in steel traps set in hollow 
 logs, holes running under stumps, or a prepared den made 
 with boards or sticks; the prepared places should be well 
 covered, except opening, with dead brush and leaves to look 
 as natural as possible; set the trap, covered with well de- 
 
52 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 A SMALL YEARLING BEAR. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 53 
 
 cayed leaves and wood mold, and place the bait back of the 
 trap so that the fisher will have to step on the trap to get 
 the bait; fish and muskrat make good bait; a little scent, 
 miiskrat musk or fish oil, scattered on the ground and lead- 
 ing from the trap for some distance will help to attract the 
 fisher. We advise attaching the trap chain to a spring pole, 
 as by its use the fisher will not escape, and the animal, when 
 caught, will be suspended where it cannot be secured by 
 other animals. 
 
 TRAPPING BEARS. 
 
 Bears are hunted and trapped. Steel traps should be 
 covered and have heavy clog, and if prospects of a catch are 
 fairly good, should be visited early following day, and may 
 be kept set during the day. Deadfalls made of heavy logs, 
 which kill the bear, are used by successful trappers. Honey 
 makes a particularly good bait; use a fair-sized piece of 
 honey-comb with honey in, and drop some strained honey or 
 small pieces of honey-comb for some distance along the 
 lead to the trap ; have bait in sight. Fruit and vegetables may 
 also be used. 
 
 MARTENS. 
 
 The marten, where the animal is found at all, frequents 
 pine forests ; traps may be set near decaying stumps, fallen 
 trees, trunks or prepared hiding places ; traps should be 
 carefully concealed; meat bait may be used — a small bird is 
 very good. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 55 
 
 OPOSSUM. 
 
 Opossum makes its den in hollow trees, tree stumps, 
 openings in stone fences, and hollow logs, and may be caught 
 by setting steel or box traps, or deadfalls at such places : 
 traps should be concealed with leaves or very light rubbish 
 gathered near where trap is set. Except where opossum 
 must pass in or out of den, use bait which should be in sight 
 and arranged so that animal must step into or enter trap to 
 get bait; a persimmon, after it has been well frosted, makes 
 good bait; an apple and various vegetables are also used. 
 
 BADGER. 
 
 Steel traps covered with material found at the place 
 selected may be set just within the burrow, or in a slight 
 depression in the ground where the badger is known to 
 travel ; the animal eats vegetables, small animals, snails, and 
 is particularly fond of honey; in using honey in comb for 
 bait, cover it lightly, the badger will find it, and place trap 
 where badger must pass over it to get bait. 
 
 CIVET CAT. 
 
 The civet cat may be trapped the same as the skunk ; a 
 small bird, or one large as a pigeon or a field mouse, make 
 good bait ; bait may be placed in sight at the back of a pas- 
 sageway, between bushes, where the civet can only enter at 
 the place where the covered trap is set. In using deadfall, 
 have log placed in bushes with only one way of passing to 
 bait, which should be behind the trap concealed, so that 
 everything looks natural 
 
56 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 57 
 
 COON AND SKUNK CAUGHT IN NEW YORK. 
 
 RACCOON. 
 
 A good set is made by simply suspending a bait over a 
 trap set in the water. The bait should be a bird, frog or 
 crab. Care should be taken in arranging it so that it will 
 not be too high above the trap. 
 
 Another effective set is arranged in much the same way 
 except that this set is made upon land instead of in water. 
 Honey should be used as bait — a comb of it lo to 12 inches 
 above the trap. A quantity of the honey should be smeared 
 about the trap. Care should be taken to have the trap well 
 concealed and properly covered. A raccoon is a far more 
 cunning animal than either the skunk or civet cat. 
 
 An imitation fish, made out of tin, etc., or a real one, 
 will prove a good bait. Contrary to the usual custom, the 
 fish should be placed upon the pan of the trap — the latter 
 
S8 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 59 
 
 should be in about three or four inches' of water. A rac- 
 coon, if he passes the trap, will invariably be caught, espe- 
 cially if some lish oil is used to call his attention to it. As 
 a rule the bait is more effective placed on a stick or wire 
 above the trap. 
 
 Dig a hole about two feet square and 12 to 14 inches 
 deep with a trench leading from about three feet in length, 
 fill hole with offal of hog or other animal, cover hole and 
 trench with boards, and then cover boards with dirt; set 
 trap a short distance in the trench — the trench should be 
 wide and deep enough for raccoon to enter easily. 
 
 Raccoons may be caught in many localities by placing a 
 very bright piece of tin on the trap pan — curiosity does it. 
 
 Many hunters catch 'coons with dogs at night, but in a 
 number of instances the 'coon skin is destroyed by the dogs 
 in killing the animals. These same hunters also shoot 
 'coons; it is rather tame sport, and it should be remembered 
 that shot skins bring a lower price in the market than those 
 that are trapped. Always skin and handle 'coons with great 
 care; well handled skins bring the best price every time. 
 
 WEASEL AND ERMINE. 
 
 Always remember that a trap must be set so that it can 
 spring. Set your traps where you know the weasel is in the 
 habit of running. (They usually run around the edges of a 
 slough or low meadow and around ibrush piles). Find small 
 mounds, or throw up snow in a little heap or pile, so Mr. 
 Weasel can see the place from a distance. Set your trap on 
 
6o TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 one side of this pile, or mound, or heap. Cover your trap 
 with feathers, or if you can't get feathers, rabbit hair is 
 good covering, or wild cattails growing around muskegs or 
 marshes. Also have some of this under trap, so it will not 
 get any snow between trap and pan, for then the trap will 
 not work. After carefully covering the trap, a bird is hung 
 up on a stick above trap, about eight inches high. Now 
 throw a few feathers all over the snow pile, then take a 
 little snow in your hand and throw over the feathers. Just a 
 little snow only, so the wind will not blow the feathers away. 
 You understand that the feathers are on that snow pile for 
 weasel to see from a distance, and now if you want to make 
 it all look doubly attractive to Mr, Weasel sprinkle a little 
 blood over it all. If all this is done just right you will surely 
 get the weasel. 
 
 The weasel is in no way trap shy, and is, therefore, not 
 very difficult to catch when once located. He, however, has 
 a very keen nose and is somewhat particular about approach- 
 ing human scent. It is, therefore, well to remove all un- 
 natural appearances and leave as little human scent about 
 the trap as possible. The best trap to use is a No. o of any 
 reliable make. It must snap very easy, or it is of no use for 
 weasels. The best place to look for weasels is along old 
 stone rows, old foundations of tumbled-down buildings, 
 under old bridges or the trunks of fallen trees. 
 
 The weasel can not work in snow without leaving some 
 marks, so if you look carefully over the ground you cannot 
 fail to locate runways and places frequented. There are 
 many ways to set and bait traps to catch them, but I am only 
 going to mention a few. First of all, I will tell you of a set 
 that I believe to be the best of all, and almost never-failing 
 for weasels, and it is just as good for minks. 
 
 Make a little cage about five inches square of common 
 wire — mosquito netting. Catch a mouse and keep him in it 
 alive. Give him some dried grass for a bed, and, of course, 
 feed him. In a few days things will smell pretty mousie and 
 will be ready for bait. Take the cage with the mouse and 
 plenty of feed for him to eat where you wish to make your 
 set. Build a little den of stones, make it warm and com- 
 fortable for the mouse, for he is valuable. Build it so the 
 weasel can enter only one way. Place the cage in the back 
 with plenty of dry grass packed around all sides except the 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 6i 
 
 front. Stake the trap and set it in the entrance with a little 
 dry grass scattered over it. If the trap is setting on snow, 
 put a small piece of paper under it. Arrange everything as 
 natural as possible and you will have as good a set as ever 
 was. Of course, if you can find a place to put the mouse in 
 without making one, so much the better. 
 
 Don't walk up to this set any oftener than you have to. 
 If you have made the mouse comfortable and given him food 
 enough he will live, and the longer he stays there the more 
 scent he will make. You will not need to buy any scent at 
 $i.oo a bottle. 
 
 If there are any minks likely to come where you make 
 this set, you had best use a No. i trap, for he will be sure to 
 get in. 
 
 Another good set is to place your trap where weasels 
 are known to frequent and cover it over with feathers, 
 freshly plucked from a bird. 
 
 A rabbit's head hung in a hollow tree about 12 inches 
 above a trap that has been lightly covered over makes a 
 good set. I don't think much of hanging the bait in the 
 open. The crows or owls get it in the most of cases, 
 
 A hollow log makes an easy place for a set; throw a 
 dead rabbit or bird in log and set a trap at each end. 
 
 In skinning a weasel use cornmeal freely on your hands 
 and the carcass, as it prevents blood and grease from soiling 
 the fur. The skin should be cased fur side out and dried in 
 a cool place; it should be stretched similar to mink in shape. 
 
 SKUNK. 
 
 All agree that this animal may be easily caught in many 
 different kinds of traps; in studying other sets for various 
 animals you will note that a number are as good for skunks 
 as for the particular animal for which they were set; it is 
 not desirable to repeat all these here, but will say that all 
 kinds of traps may be used. Best baits for skunks are also 
 given elsewhere in this book under proper head. 
 
 Many persons are now raising skunks in captivity, and 
 more will do so, as it can be profitably done; the skunks 
 may sell alive at good prices, and it would pay well to catch 
 them alive. 
 
62 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 SKUNK ODOR. 
 
 To remove skunk odor from clothing: i. Wash thor- 
 oughly with plenty of tar soap; or: 2. Saturate with tur- 
 pentine and hang outdoors on a windy day. To remove the 
 odor from traps hold over a five — above, but not into the 
 flame or intense heat — a few minutes will suffice. For the. 
 hands — tar soap. Much of the odor can be removed by rub- 
 bing the hands in fine, dry road dust before washing. From 
 a dog — sprinkle finely pulverized sulphur into the hair. 
 
 A CANADIAN TRAPPER'S METHOD. 
 
 A successful Canadian trapper writes us: I spend most 
 of my time in August and September on streams and trails, 
 making deadfalls and fixing up all old deadfalls I made the 
 year before. After I have them all ready to set up, I go 
 around once a week, take my gun and shoot birds or any- 
 thing that will make bait and cover the trap and set it so it 
 will not go ofT. I do that' until the season commences and 
 minks will get used to the trap and in passing nearby will 
 always go to the trap to look for something to eat. It will 
 always' leave a smell around the trap. I had 75 deadfalls 
 set up last year. I baited- them for two or three months 
 occasionally and the first time I set them up to catch, I 
 caught eight minks and four skunks, besides weasels, prov- 
 ing to me that those minks knew exactly where those traps 
 were set. Besides, it gives the mink a longer time in which 
 to find the trap and by going to the trap, they get used to 
 it and are not the least bit shy about entering. The deadfall 
 I make I consider the best for minks, for you never lose 
 any, as they are always dead in the trap. 
 
TRAPPER'vS COMPANION 
 
 63 
 
 A GOOD NATURAL. SET IF THE WATER IS NOT MORE 
 THAN SIX INCHES DEEP AT POINT WHERE TRAP 
 SHOULD BE PLACED. GOOD FOR MINK AND 'COON. 
 
 TRAIL SETS. 
 
 The more wary animals, such as the wolf, coyote, fox 
 and lynx, as well as smaller fur-bearers, will fall into a trail 
 set as easily as a skunk or rat will walk into a trap properly 
 set. In the wild country fur trails may be found leading 
 along ridges, or along streams and around lakes; also may 
 be found in narrowest places in marshes between ridges, or 
 abandoned moose and caribou trails, as well as old pack 
 trails, are nearly always travelled by fur-bearers. In more 
 
64 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 TOO DEEP AT ARROW POINT; PLACE TRAP ON OTHER 
 SIDE OF TREE. GOOD FOR MINK AND 'COON. 
 
 A POND SET. TRAP AT EDGE AND UNDER THE WATER. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 65 
 
 A GATE-LIKE PLACE MADE BY PUTTING PIECES OF 
 LOGS, ETC., ON ONE SIDE AND THE BANK ON THE 
 OTHER. GOOD FOR MINK AND 'COON. 
 
 settled sections cattle trails, old roads or footpaths are gen- 
 erally used. By following some of these trails you will 
 usually see signs of fur which inhabit that part of the 
 country. 
 
 Next find where there is a small log or bush lying across 
 the trail that the animal steps over. By carefully examining 
 the ground you may be able to find the exact place where 
 they step. Cut out of the ground a place somewhat larger 
 than trap and springs. This should also be deep enough to 
 allow a good lining of dry grass or small, dry, broken 
 branches under and around sides of trap to insure it against 
 freezing in. Place trap in hole so that it sets nearly level 
 with ground and cover lightly with grass, leaves, or needles 
 which have fallen of¥ the evergreens. This, of course, de- 
 pends on whatever corresponds with surrounding conditions. 
 Carefully conceal clog and chain and do not visit traps too 
 often for good results. 
 
 Setting on trails in marshes where there is grass and 
 weeds growing, it is not necessary to find a log or other 
 obstruction to set by, but sharpen end of clog so it can be 
 easily pushed back under the grass and fix trap bed as be- 
 fore, then cover trap with dry grass cut up in lengths of an 
 
66 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 A GOOD PLACE TO MAKE A LOG SET. 
 
 A SKUNK SNARE. No. 1, BAIT AND TRIGGER STICK; 
 No. 2, WIRE; No. 3, SNARE, COPPER WIRE; No. 4, 
 SPRING POLE; No. 5, TREE TRUNK; No. 6 and 7, BAIT 
 AND PEN STICKS, WITH NOTCHES CUT ABOUT TWO 
 INCHES FROM GROUND FOR BAIT AND TRIGGER 
 STICK TO CATCH ON. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION (i^ 
 
 inch or more. This makes a very natural covering and grass 
 leaves jaws as soon as trap is sprung. Next place a v^eed, 
 or few blades of grass, across trail two or three inches above 
 ground about the right distance from trap and set is com- 
 plete. These sets work very satisfactorily after snow has 
 fallen to a depth of four to six inches. If traps are dis- 
 turbed or new sets made after snow has fallen, traps may be 
 inclosed in very thin tissue paper, which gives best results 
 in nearly all conditions of snow. Have tried using paper 
 sacks, such as used by grocers and found that while they 
 worked very well at times when the. snow was very light and 
 dry, they were a complete failure when snow (became soft 
 and later frozen. The paper is altogether too tough and 
 when frozen in will hold jaws of trap from rising after trap 
 has been sprung, while the tissue paper will break instantly 
 and allow trap to spring freely. 
 
 For a clog I prefer a small, dry pole from four to six 
 feet in length, which should be large enough to fill chain 
 ring and fasten with a small staple about six inches from 
 end. This makes clog very easy to conceal in many differ- 
 ent ways and can be stood up on end in brush when it is 
 impossible to get it out of sight otherwise. In many in- 
 stances the clog can be placed across the trail and used as a 
 guide to cause animal to step into trap. It is a good idea to 
 place clogs across trails in summer, so they get accustomed 
 to passing over them and at opening of season a trap may be 
 placed there without arousing suspicion. 
 
 EXACT SET THAT CAUGHT 14 FOXES IN 14 DAYS LAST 
 FALL, WITH 28 TRAPS SET. NOTE STEPPING STICK 
 AND SET TRAP SLIGHTLY TO ONE SIDE OF PATH. 
 USED BY E. F. KEITH IN ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 A BLIND SET FOR MINK. 
 
 LOG SET FOR MUSKRAT AND MINK. 
 
 A DEN SET. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 69 
 
 TRhP 
 
 T/?/lp 
 
 A MUSKRAT SET. 
 
 FINDS FUR NEWS VALUABLE. 
 
 I have taken Fur News for only two months and I think 
 it an ideal magazine, I have enjoyed reading the articles 
 written by other trappers and believe that I owe most of my 
 success this year to those articles. I am only a beginner, so I 
 am writing to tell you of my trapping experience. It is prob- 
 ably the same old story with most trappers, but it may help 
 some beginner. 
 
 I don't think there is any better exercise, sport, or recre- 
 ation than trapping. It creates a love for the outdoors, teaches 
 one the habits of wild animals, and builds up strength and 
 health as nothing else can. I know it gave me an appetite to 
 get up at 5 a. m., and walk about two miles before breakfast 
 to visit my small line of traps. A TRAPPER. 
 
70 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 METHODS OF FASTENING TRAPS. 
 
 Not infrequently we read articles in the trapping maga- 
 zines setting forth the money loss sustained by the trappers 
 that fail to take proper care of the pelts of the animals they 
 capture, but it is seldom, indeed, that we read anything about 
 the money loss to trappers caused by the use of bad methods 
 — or by the improper use of good methods — of fastening 
 traps, I believe this latter loss to be equal to, if not greater 
 than, the loss due to the improper handling of the pelts. In 
 the great army of trappers scattered throughout this vast 
 country of ours, there are many, both amateur and profes- 
 sional, who are failing to attain the greatest success in their 
 chosen art for the one reason that they do not use proper 
 methods of fastening their traps. At first thought this 
 statement may seem to be just a little far-fetched; however, 
 a close study of the subject will prove that such is not the 
 case. A trapper may be scientifically correct in selecting his 
 traps; he may properly locate his sets; he may place and 
 cover his traps in accordance with the best scientific knowl- 
 edge to be gained on the subject; yet if he goes wrong in 
 fastening his traps his work will produce but indifferent 
 results — his skinning knife will not be dulled by use, and 
 his stretching boards will keep, forever, their newness. He 
 will gain little by catching a valuable fur-bearing animal if, 
 before he visits his trap, it gnaws off a foot, or pulls out of 
 the trap, and escapes. To expound a few of the better meth- 
 ods of fastening traps and to point out the evils of the 
 inferior methods of fastening them, is the purpose of this 
 article. 
 
 In making use of the various methods of fastening traps, 
 the trapper should ever keep in mind that the primary object 
 of their use is to enable the trap to hold the game in such 
 manner as to prevent it escaping by pulling from a trap, eat- 
 ing or twisting off a foot, or by breaking the trap or the trap 
 chain. There are but few, yes, very few, methods of fasten- 
 ing traps that measure up to these requirements. Why do 
 trappers use these inefficient methods of fastening traps? 
 The answer is obvious. When we consider that the method 
 of fastening the trap is determined not alone by the object 
 of enabling the trap to hold securely the game when caught, 
 but by this object conjoined with other governing influences, 
 we see at once why trappers use inefficient methods of fast- 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 71 
 
 ening traps. The "other governing influences" are the ser- 
 pent in the Garden of Eden here. As an illustration of this 
 point, let us take an example from the life of a real trapper. 
 This trapper has his trap line in a section of the country 
 where trap thieves are known to operate extensively. Fear- 
 ing the thieves will locate his line of traps, he makes use of 
 only such methods as are not likely to call the attention of a 
 "sneakum" to the set. He finds numerous signs of muskrats 
 in a shallow, bush-fringed slough some two hundred yards 
 back from the little creek where he is trapping, and decides 
 to set a few traps at points where signs are most numerous. 
 When he examines the slough more closely he finds, to his 
 disappointment, that nowhere is the water more than six 
 
 THS: vSPRING POLE. 
 
 inches deep. This is too shallow for him to make use of 
 the drowning pole or the slide wire — at least too shallow 
 for using them effectually. How, then, shall be proceed to 
 set the traps to be able to capture these valuable little fur- 
 bearing animals? True, he can employ the "drowning 
 flip-up" in connection with his traps and successfully drown 
 his catch, but this would be an undesirable method of fast- 
 ening to use here, owing to the difificulty of concealing the 
 "flip-up" arrangement. After pondering the situation he 
 
72 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 decides to use the method of fastening the traps to stakes, 
 which he drives in the mud at the bottom of the slough out 
 the full length of the trap chain from the set, preferring to 
 take the risk of the muskrat escaping by twisting ofT a foot 
 rather than, expose the sets to the mercy of trap thieves. 
 The result is anything but gratifying — five muskrat feet and 
 one muskrat are taken from the traps the next morning! 
 And the serpent was surely responsible for it! I am won- 
 dering if the results would have been different had the trap- 
 per fastened the traps to light stones, or iron weights, which 
 would have been an encumbrance to the captured 'rats, yet 
 which would have permitted them a limited freedom in their 
 movements. 
 
 Of the many methods of fastening traps used by trap- 
 pers, none is more el^cient and satisfactory than the method 
 of fastening the trap to a movable clog or drag. Anything, 
 from a four-foot section of a log chain to a burlap bag filled 
 with straw, will do for the drag. Small bushes or branches, 
 however, make the most satisfactory drags; and the more 
 small twigs on the bush or branch the better drag it will 
 make. The weight of the drag should be such as to permit 
 considerable freedom in movements of the captured animal, 
 yet such as will be a successful impediment to any extended 
 effort at locomotion. A very good way of fastening the trap 
 to the drag — when trapping the smaller fur-fearing animals, 
 is to use a short piece of baling wire and fasten the ring of 
 the trap chain to the drag at a point not far distant from 
 one of its ends. This will aid, in a measure, in keeping 
 the drag from getting fast among the bushes when it is being 
 dragged along by the captured animal. It is a good plan 
 when using baling wire in fastening the trap to the drag, not 
 to fasten the trap chain directly to the drag, but to use a 
 piece of wire about eighteen inches long, fastening one end 
 of it to the ring in the trap chain and the other end to the 
 drag at a point about twelve inches from one of its_ ends. 
 This lessens the strain on the trap and chain, and minimizes 
 the chances of the captured animal pulling loose from the 
 trap. It is an easy matter to conceal the set from the prying 
 eyes of trap thieves when using this method of fastening 
 the trap, as the bush that is used for the drag may be placed 
 in an upright position among the other bushes near the set, 
 or it may be covered lightly with long grass or leaves, or it 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 n 
 
 may be left exposed to view near the set; however it is 
 placed it is not likely to attract the attention of trap thieves, 
 as it will blend in nicely with almost any surroundings. In 
 using this method of fastening traps, the trapper should ever 
 remember that the object of it is to encumber, but not hold 
 fast, the captured animal. 
 
 When trapping along water-courses it is advisable, when 
 possible, to fasten the traps in such a manner as to drown 
 the catch. This not only lessens the chances of trap thieves 
 discovering the whereabout of the sets, but it also limits the 
 chance of escape of the captured animal to a brief period 
 of struggling after it is caught before it tires itself and is 
 dragged beneath the water, either by its own struggles or by 
 the weight of the trap. Animals of aquatic habits when 
 caught in a trap invariably plunge into the water, and this 
 
 THE BRUSH DRAG. 
 
 gives the trapper an excellent opportunity to drown his cap- 
 tive. With the view utilizing this characteristic of the 
 amphibious animals, trappers have devised various methods 
 of fastening their traps when trapping for them. The method 
 most commonly used, however, is what is known as the slid- 
 ing pole. It consists of a pole a'bout eight or ten feet long 
 
74 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 which has been trimmed of its branches except a few at the 
 small end, and one of a size that will permit the ring of the 
 trap chain to traverse freely its entire length. This pole is 
 placed near where the trap is set, in an inclined position, 
 with its small end reaching into deep water and the large end 
 secured by a small, forked limb driven into the ground with 
 the fork engaging the pole. The ring of the trap chain is 
 slipped on to this pole before the pole is secured to the 
 shore, and care should be used to see that it slides freely 
 down the whole length of the pole. When an animal is cap- 
 tured it plunges desperately into the deep water. The ring 
 of the trap chain slides rapidly down to the end of the pole, 
 and the weight of the trap, together with the tendency of the 
 animal to endeavor to reach the surface of the water by 
 swimming directly upwards, prevents the victim from either 
 rising to the surface again, or returning to the shore. 
 
 A modification of this method of fastening traps is found 
 in the sliding wire. In this method the pole is replaced with 
 a wire which is fastened to some heavy object, which is 
 later sunk in the deep water out ten or fifteen feet from the 
 shore. Short loops made in the wire, prevent the captured 
 animal from regaining the surface. 
 
 Another method of fastening traps, where the object of 
 the fastening is to drown the game, is what some trappers 
 call the "drowning wire." It is merely a piece of baling wire, 
 about eighteen inches long, with one end fastened to the 
 ring in the trap chain and the other end fastened to a stake 
 out a ways from the shore in deep water. Simple as it is, this 
 method will give good results where the water is deep near 
 the shore, and where the game to be captured is of small size. 
 
 Sometimes, in trapping along a water course, one will 
 find shallow sloughs where signs of game are abundant, yet 
 where the water is not sufficiently deep for the use of the 
 sliding pole or the "drowning wire." Oftentimes one hesi- 
 tates to set traps for muskrats at such locations, as it is 
 rarely one meets with success in trapping for these little 
 animals at locations where the death of the captured animal 
 cannot be effected by drowning or other means, or where 
 the captive is not permitted limited freedom in its move- 
 ments. Such locations, however, ofifer splendid opportuni- 
 ties for the use of the "drowning flip-up," as by its use the 
 game is drowned in water but a few inches deep. The 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 75 
 
 "drowning flip-up" is a combination of the "drowning wire" 
 and the old-fashioned "flip-up" snare, with a modification 
 of the trigger arrangement; it makes a splendid fastening 
 for traps when trapping where the water is shallow and 
 where the object of the fastening is to drown the captive. 
 In using this method of fastening traps, there is one point 
 that the trapper must ever keep in mind; that point is that 
 the trap chain, or the wire connecting the trap with the 
 "flip-up" pole, must be fastened to the end of the trap which is 
 farthest from the spring. If the trap is fastened otherwise 
 the spring of the trap is certain to be pulled beneath the 
 "drowning fork" — a. condition which would quickly cause 
 the captive to be liberated. The one great drawback in 
 using this method of fastening traps is the difficulty of con- 
 cealing the sets from the ever-watchful eyes of trap thieves; 
 owing to this drawback the method is seldom used by pro- 
 fessional trappers in settled districts. 
 
 THE SLIDING WIRE. 
 
 There is another method of fastening traps that is used 
 a great deal by trappers when trapping for 'rats, especially 
 when the trapping takes place during the late fall before the 
 ice forms on the rivers and lakes and during the spring 
 months when the streams are open. This method is used 
 
l6 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 where a floating log or plank forms the location of the set. 
 It consists merely in setting the trap on the log or plank — 
 which, of course, has been anchored to the shore — and fast- 
 ening the chain to the under side of that on which the trap is 
 set. To facilitate fastening the chain, the log or plank may 
 be temporarily turned bottom-upward; and only sufficient 
 slack to permit the proper placing of the trap should be per- 
 mitted in the chain. This method of fastening forces the 
 captured muskrat to jump into the water on the side of the 
 set next to the chain, where, owing to the weight of the 
 trap, he is speedily drowned. In using this method, one 
 should use large traps, in order to insure sufficient weight 
 to prevent the 'rat from regaining the surface, once he makes 
 his plunge. 
 
 A very common method of fastening traps, and one not 
 to be recommended except in the few cases where no other 
 method can be used, is that of stapling the trap chain to a 
 log, tree, or similar, fixed object. I can call to mind, at 
 present, but one method of fastening traps that equals it in 
 lack of efficacy;- that method is the one of fastening the trap 
 by driving a stake into the ground through the ring of the 
 trap chain. These two methods of fastening traps are any- 
 thing but good, and should be used only when conditions and 
 surroundings are such as to bar all other methods. The 
 trapper should ever remember that the instant the trap is 
 sprung and clamps itself to the foot of a wild animal, that 
 that animal is prompted by instinct to make a wild dash for 
 liberty. It is this first wild dash that tests the holding power 
 of the trap; and when the trap is fastened to a fixed object, 
 as in the two methods mentioned above, the strain on the 
 trap and chain is tremendously great. Especially is this true 
 if the captured animal be one of great strength, such as the 
 timber wolf, the wolverine, etc. When it is absolutely neces- 
 sary that the trapper use either of these methods of fastening 
 traps, he should attach either an extension chain or a piece 
 of strong wire to the regular trap chain. This lessens the 
 strain on the trap and chain, and, by reducing the purchase, 
 adds to the holding power of the trap. 
 
 There is one other method of fastening traps that I wish 
 to bring to the notice of the reader; namely, the spring pole. 
 The objects of this method are to prevent the captured ani- 
 mal from gnawing off its foot, and to swing the catch up into 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION yy 
 
 the air out of reach of predaceous animals. The spring pole 
 may be the flexible limb of a tree — if one is found conven- 
 iently near the set — or it may be a sprout, or, if neither tree 
 or sprout is found in the proximity of the set, a slender pole 
 may be cut, trimmed of its branches, and fastened, firmly, in 
 the ground near the set. 
 
 A notch is cut in the pole near the top, and the ring of 
 the trap chain is fastened to the pole just below this notch. 
 The top of the pole is now bent down until this notch engages 
 a similar notch in a stake driven in the ground some three 
 or four feet back from the base of the pole. When an animal 
 is caught its struggles disengage the notch in the pole from 
 the notch in the stake and the pole springs back to its orig- 
 inal, upright position, carrying into the air with it the trap 
 and its victim. The size of the pole, of course, is determined 
 by the weight of the game it is expected to lift. 
 
 In deciding the proper method of fastening to use in 
 making a set, there are many things that the trapper must 
 take into consideration; he is governed in making his deci- 
 sion by the size of the animal he is endeavoring to capture, 
 by whether the animal is aquatic or otherwise in its habits, 
 by the surroundings of the set, by the prevailing weather at 
 the time of making the set, and by the general surroundings 
 of the section where the set is to be made. And while tak- 
 ing these governing influences into consideration, he must 
 ever keep in mind the primary object to be gained by the use 
 of the method — the prevention of the escape of the animal 
 by pulling from the trap, eating or twisting off a foot, or by 
 breaking the trap or trap chain. 
 
78 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 SKINNING DEVICES. 
 
 ittle skinning device. Of course, every trap- 
 
 Here IS a 
 
 per has his own way, but this device is practical and handy 
 and can be made anywhere. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 79 
 
 STEEL TRAPS. 
 
 All trappers agree that it pays to use the best traps that 
 are made; you simply lose your fur, the fur you might get, 
 by using traps that are too cheap to he good. Keep your 
 traps clean — this does not mean bright, but it does mean free 
 from rust, and clear of dried dirt or mud in the spring — a 
 trap that cannot be easily set, and that is hard to spring, is 
 not good no matter how much it costs. It is worth while to 
 put your good traps away in proper order at the close of the 
 trapping season. 
 
 If trap set for fox has a small pan, leaving considerable 
 space between jaws and pan, rivet on a larger pan; this will 
 make it impossible for the animal to step in the trap with- 
 out touching the pan and springing the trap. 
 
 Method of keeping traps from close to opening of fol- 
 lowing season: Boil for about half an hour in strong solu- 
 tion of fresh black walnut bark, remove from liquid with a 
 hook and let dry; treated thus the traps will not rust. Traps 
 should be thoroughly cleaned before boiling. 
 
 To prepare traps for use, boil in clean water; if rusty 
 add lye or wood ashes to the water; next boil traps in water 
 with hemlock or spruce foliage, or maple leaves, to remove 
 odor of iron; handle traps at all times, especially when set- 
 ting, with buckskin gloves rubbed with dirt. Above general 
 instructions not necessary when traps are to be set in run- 
 ning water. 
 
 TRAP SIZES. 
 
 Size O. — Common house rat, Southern muskrat, weasel. 
 
 No. I. — Muskrat, opossum. 
 
 No. i^. — Muskrat, mink, lynx, skunk. 
 
 No. 2. — Lynx, mink, skunk, raccoon. 
 
 No. 3. — Fox.. 
 
 No. 4. — Fox, otter, wolf, coyote, beaver. 
 
 No. 5 and 6. — Bear. 
 
 Where we give more than one number as satisfactory 
 for the same animal, we do so because trappers in various 
 sections recommend the different sizes; trappers also use for 
 mink, i^ and 2 Victor, 2 and 2^ stop thief, and 2 and 2^ 
 
8o 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 jump; and for skunk, 8i, 91 and 91^. It is mainly important 
 not to use a trap that is weak, or unnecessarily strong. 
 
 No. 115-X — "Triple Clutch" High Grip for muskrat, 
 skunk, mink, etc. 
 
 No. 215-X — "Triple Clutch" High Grip for fox, 'coon, 
 'possum, etc. 
 
 No. i-X — "Triple Clutch" Kangaroo for muskrat, skunk, 
 mink, etc. 
 
 No. 2-X — "Triple Clutch" Kangaroo for fox, 'coon, 'pos- 
 sum, etc. 
 
 No. 2-X — "Triple Clutch" Triumph for fox, 'coon, wild- 
 cat, etc. 
 
 BOX TRAP. 
 
 May be used for catching skunks, opossums and similar 
 animals. Take one-inch board (weather-beaten) make a 
 box four feet long, two and a half feet wide tnd three feet 
 high. On one end make a door the whole width of box and 
 one and a half feet high and hinged at the top. Now take 
 two pieces of wood and cut them so that a cleat one and a 
 half inches wide can work (Fig. 2) up and down in the slots, 
 and nail them as in Fig. i. Make a cleat one and a half 
 inches wide and about two feet long to work up and down 
 in these cleats. When the door is up (trap set) the cleat 
 will rest on the top of door and stay up. Now nail a stick 
 about one foot long at the upper edge in front and have it 
 project about 10 inches above top of box. Make a little hole 
 through this for the string from trigger to pass throijgh. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 As to the trigger part, about 12 inches from rear of trap 
 drive two nails .on opposite sides of the box and about six 
 inches from the floor. Make a stick one-half by one-half 
 inch and about three feet eight inches long, and tie string 
 about six inches from one end, and then pass through hole 
 in top and then through the cleat and onto a staple driven 
 in lower edge of door. Draw door up and fasten trigger 
 under nails and the right height can be guessed. Put bait in 
 back of box and you will have a fine trap. Animals caught 
 in this trap, being caught alive, can often be sold at a much 
 better price alive than when trapped only for the fur; if 
 very young and small, they can be reared until full grown, 
 or may be given their freedom. 
 
 CHAINS. 
 
 Have chains four to six feet long, the latter is the better, 
 so that the drag may be far enough away from the trap not 
 to attract attention of the animal. 
 
 DROWNERS. 
 
 Fasten a strong wire to a heavy stone, sink the stone in 
 deep water 10 or 20 feet from shore, have iron ring at end of 
 trap chain, run wire (that is attached to stone) through the 
 ring, and fasten other end of wire to a stake securely driven 
 down under water about a foot from shore. 
 
 DRAGS. 
 
 Many experienced trappers prefer movable drags to 
 firmly fixed stakes to which to attach traps; a brush drag is 
 recommended, fastened to the chain with piece of bailing 
 wire. 
 
82 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 83 
 
 Mol. 
 
 No.f 
 
 /V0.2, 
 
 FIGURE FOUR. 
 
 The parts of the figure four set here shown are not in 
 exact length or proportion; in using figure four the length 
 of upright must be determined by the size of animal for 
 which box or deadfall is set. 
 
84 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 FOX SNARING AS PRACTICED BY A NOVA 
 SCOTIA TRAPPER. 
 
 I make the snares of wire altogether, and the kind of 
 wire most generally used is No. 20 brass or copper, and about 
 six strands of this wire loosely twisted together so that it 
 will close smoothly and easily around the fox's neck. The 
 noose of the snare is made about seven or eight inches in 
 diameter, and the tail piece used for tying the snare is made 
 in different lengths, suitable for attaching it to the dififerent 
 kinds of sets used. Then the bright shine and brassy odor 
 that is on them must be got rid of. The best way I know of 
 is the way that the Indians go about it. First they take the 
 bark of a hemlock tree, peel it right off to the wood, and 
 then chop it into small pieces and put it into a pot and cover 
 it with water and boil it for about an hour and then put in 
 the snares and boil them until they are a nice dark brown 
 color. Then they are ready to set. 
 
 I will first describe the most successful set I know of — 
 that is, on logs over brooks and streams of water. In most 
 any wooded place where there are foxes you will find streams 
 of water with old logs and fallen trees lying across from 
 one bank to another, and I find this an ideal place for snares, 
 as the foxes use those logs for crossing. Now, the chances 
 are that there may be an old tough limb still attached and 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 85 
 
 standing to one side of the log, and this is a place provided by 
 nature to fasten your snare to. Tie the snare securely to the 
 bottom of the limb and have it hanging fair over the center 
 of the log, and the bottom of the snare should be about six 
 inches above the log; you will have to set a small limb mid- 
 way between the snare and the limb that the snare is tied to. 
 Set it firmly in the log, and put a split in the upper end and 
 press the tail piece of the snare into this split, so as to keep 
 the snare in the right position. If there is no limb like this 
 on the log to fasten the snare to, y^u will have to drive a 
 stake in the log instead; and if the log is hard you will have 
 to bore a hole for the stake. You don't need a large stake; 
 one an inch in diameter is large enough to hold any fox. Tie 
 the end of the snare to the stake close down to the log, then 
 split the top end of the stake across the log and lift the snare 
 up and press the wire down firmly in this split so that the 
 noose will hang fair over the centre of the log. 
 
 Sometimes you will find a small sapling growing up 
 from the bottom of the stream and right against the side of 
 the log; this is an excellent place to tie your snare to. 
 
 A spring pole is not needed in this kind of a set, for as 
 soon as foxes get fast in the snare they tumble off to one 
 side in a few seconds and are strangled by the tight drawn 
 snare very quickly. 
 
 Next is the trail set. There are different ways of mak- 
 ing trail sets, and I will first try to describe the spring pole, 
 or balance pole way of setting. In my estimation the bal- 
 
86 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 ance pole is much superior to spring pole; as you all know, 
 a spring pole, especially green wood, after it is set for a 
 short time, loses the spring and retains the position it is set 
 in; but a balance pole is always ready for business. 
 
 I am sending a drawing of one of the sets, which I think 
 will explain itself. No. i is a stake with a prong of a limb 
 left on, and the end of the balance pole is caught under this 
 prong to hold the pole down. Have it so that it will spring 
 beside the trail, the upper end of which is split and the wire 
 pressed down in this si;^it to hold the snare in the right posi- 
 tion over the trail. If possible, set so that the balance pole is 
 screened by bushes, so that it cannot be plainly seen from 
 the trail. 
 
 Next I will try to tell you how I snare foxes on trails 
 without the balance pole. I fasten the snare in two different 
 ways — and one of those ways is tying the snare solid to a 
 bush close beside the trail. Perhaps some of you may think 
 this a very crude way of setting; but it is very successful, if 
 the conditions are right for making the set. As I said before, 
 I tie the snare solid and hang it over the trail the same as 
 with the balance pole, but there must ibe another bush close 
 behind the one that the snare is tied to, and the fox will soon 
 wind itself up tight between those two bushes and they 
 strangle as quickly as though they were hung up by a bal- 
 ance pole. Or, if the bush that the snare- is tied to is Hmbed 
 close down to the ground, it will do the trick alone without 
 a second bush. • . ^ 
 
 The other way I set is by laying a limb lengthwise beside 
 the trail and fasten the snare to the middle of it, and have 
 the snare hung over the trail as in the former sets. 
 
 Now, there may be better ways of snaring foxes than the 
 four different ways I have described to you, but those same 
 sets are good enough to take the foxes we have in this corner 
 of Canada, and I think our foxes are just as hard to snare 
 or trap as any you find. It was from an old Indian that I 
 learned how to snare fox and he was the best hand at the 
 business that I ever saw. The first season that he snared 
 around here he set out over two hundred snares, and by the 
 time that he was forced to quit on account of deep snow 
 falling, he had 50 foxes caught. I know that to be a fact, as 
 I am personally acquainted with the men that he sold those 
 fox pelts to. This was the Indian that taught me how to 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 87 
 
 snare foxes. But you may be sure he did not let me on to 
 the job until he was ready to leave this part of the country 
 for good himself. And when he was leaving he told me 
 some things about setting snares — what to do, and what not 
 to do — that enabled me to get four foxes out of twenty 
 snares. 
 
 The things that the Indian told me to ibe most particular 
 about was, whenever possible to have everything as natural 
 as the surroundings, and when making these sets to try and 
 
 make them so that they would be serviceable for future sea- 
 sons, so that the foxes would be no ways suspicious, as they 
 some times are of new settings. And when making new sets 
 to have them made as long as possible before trapping time. 
 And when going the rounds of the snares, not to go any 
 closer than necessary when there is nothing in them. And to 
 be sure and not walk on the path near the snare. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
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 RED FOX CAUGHT IN A SNARE WITH LIFTING POLE. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 89 
 
 BAITS. 
 
 Best baits for muskrats are the following in order given: 
 Carrots, mellow apples, wild parsnips, turnips, corn, pump- 
 kins, artichokes, roots and grasses. 
 
 Good fox bait consists of the meat of the muskrat, cat, 
 chicken, crow, skunk and horse. 
 
 Mink bait — fish, frogs, crayfish, crabs, muskrat, chicken, 
 small birds, squirrel, rabbit. Do not use a very large piece; 
 the bait will prove most effective if lightly covered. 
 
 A successful trapper says: "I have tried fish, rabbit and 
 squirrel for mink, and find squirrel much the best." 
 
 Rabbit is a good bait for fox, wolf, lynx, skunk and 
 nearly all animals you wish to trap. 
 
 Raccoon — apples, frogs, muskrat, fish, grubs, insects, 
 green corn. 
 
 An English sparrow, which you can easily catch, set up 
 to appear as natural as possible, makes a good bait for mink, 
 skunk, fox or squirrel. 
 
 Make a study of the various kinds of food eaten by the 
 animals you wish to catch, and then vary your bait. 
 
 SCENTS. 
 
 A trapper recommends as a good scent: Mink scent — 
 pint fish oil, two muskrat musks, three mink musks; let 
 stand for week or more. 
 
 A scent for foxes and minks can be made of musk from 
 the muskrat alone, or muskrat and fox musk mixed with a 
 little honey or glucose. Three-fifths honey, one-fifth skunk 
 essence, and one-fifth musk. 
 
 Scents for muskrat — oil of anise, sweet fennel or assa- 
 foetida — a very little of the scent should be put on the bait. 
 
 A Saskatchewan trapper makes a mink scent as follows: 
 Fish oil, a little alcohol, oil of anise, and a small amount of 
 beeswax boiled together; it is also good for foxes and 
 wolves; has proved satisfactory for past 10 years. 
 
 FISH OIL. 
 
 Fish oil may be made by cutting up small fish, eels 
 especially good; put the pieces in a colorless bottle, cork 
 nearly air tight and let stand where the sun will shine on it 
 for four or five weeks, then strain through a cloth, or mus- 
 lin, and it is ready for use. 
 
cp TRAPPER'vS COMPANION 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 CUYU \ C ^^ sAfy^E A^ RED FOX GREY FOX I To the R£o r 
 
 SIMILAR 
 
 TRACKS AND TRACKING. 
 
 In order to be a successful trapper one should be able 
 to read the tracks and signs of the various animals; he will 
 then have a better idea of the number and varieties of fur- 
 bearers to be found on his trapping grounds. 
 
 In the fall is the best time to look for signs; the 
 roads and stock paths are then usually dry and dusty, and 
 such of the animals as travel in such places will leave their 
 tracks there during the night. In sand bars and muddy 
 strips along streams is also a good place to look for tracks 
 of several of the fur-bearers, such as 'coon, mink, etc. 
 
 Around drifts, large stones, logs, etc., one is likely to 
 find droppings of the 'coon, which, in the fall usually con- 
 sist of grapes, and other fruits, crawfish, etc. 
 
 Along the streams you will find the tracks of the 'coon; 
 at places you will see where he has waded out quite a ways 
 into the stream in search of fish, crawfish, etc. The hind 
 track is very long, as they walk on the entire bottom of the 
 foot part of the time. In the drawing I have shown the 
 track of the front and hind foot, but the front track does not 
 always show. They usually go on a lope somewhat like the 
 mink. The track of the hind foot will be from two and a 
 half to five and a half inches in length, some will tell you 
 less, but I caught one that made a track nearly six inches 
 long and it was not an extra large one, if I remember cor- 
 rectly it only weighed i6 pounds. 
 
 Sometimes you will see his tracks several miles from 
 any stream and in the early fall there will be, at times, sev- 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 91 
 
 eral 'coons together, sometimes five or six. This, I think, 
 is the mother and her young, that still run together in search 
 of food. 
 
 The foot is bare and the long, slender toes make a very 
 distinct track where conditions are favorable. 
 
 Tfhe fox makes a track somew^hat like a small dog; but 
 they make a more distinct and regular trail than the dog. 
 
 The track of the red fox will measure about one and 
 three quarters or two inches in length, and the usual step 
 about 12 to 16 inches in length. The Southern grey fox will 
 make a track somewhat rounder than the red fox, and 
 resembles the track of the cat some. You will find the tracks 
 of the fox around old fields, woods, roads, etc. They are 
 fond of grapes, poke berries, and other fruits and around 
 such places you are liable to find their tracks. 
 
 The opossum is another animal that is fond of grapes, 
 poke berries, persimmons, and other fruits, and where such 
 
 SKUNK — Walking- 
 
 red FOX 
 
 ^ lO' ^ 
 
 RED FOX — Walking- 
 
 «^ ^^ ^ 
 
 ^^ ^0^^^^ R ^^ ^OX RUNN I NG- ,Q^^^ ^^ 
 
 V^ r^ *^ ?'^ >4j^ ^ 
 
 OPOSSUM, Walking — Tront track usually does not show 
 
92 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 BOTH WALK , RWN Etc. 
 SIMlUAti TO THt FOX. 
 OO&S MAKE A MORE. 
 IRREGVLAR TRAIL THAN 
 THE WOLF OR. FOX - 
 
 ■ Front Foot 
 
 »• — HiNO Foot 
 
 RACCOON 
 
 OPOSSUM 
 
 <-HiMOFO0T FRONT FOOT-^ 4 
 
 4r- 
 
 fruits are to be found is a good place to look for signs. 
 They also travel roads and trails considerable in the fall 
 season and you will see their tracks there. Their feet make 
 a broad track, caused by their long, slender toes spreading. 
 I have shown the tracks of both the front and hind foot; 
 but the front track is usually ruined by the hind foot. 
 
 Sometimes they travel when the snow is on the ground, 
 but usually they do not. 
 
 The wolf and coyote make tracks similar to the fox and 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 93 
 
 dog — about the only difference between the wolf, coyote and 
 red fox track is in size. Sometimes when several wolves are 
 traveling together they will all step in some tracks and a 
 person would think there was only one wolf. 
 
 The track of the grey wolf will be about four inches in 
 length, the length of the step about i8 inches. 
 
 The track of the coyote will be about two and one- 
 fourth inches in length and the usual step about 15 or 16 
 inches. 
 
 I have shown the track of the dog, to show the differ- 
 ence between the dog and wolf. 
 
 The skunk makes a rather ibroad trail, the individual 
 tracks being about one or one and one-half inches in length 
 and the step only four or five inches, owing to their short 
 legs. 
 
 The wildcat makes a track like a common house cat, 
 only larger and perhaps a trifle shorter and broader in com- 
 parison to the size. The track will be about one and one- 
 half or one and three-fourths of an inch in length and the 
 usual step about 15 or 16 inches. The tracks of this animal, 
 however, are not as common as some animals, unless there 
 is snow on the ground, as they like a rough country. In 
 some places one is liable to find cat tracks of various sizes, 
 for the common house cat runs wild and interbreeds with the 
 wildcat and that makes an animal in size between the house 
 cat and the wildcat. There are such cats in this country 
 (Arkansas) and Mr. E. Kreps says he has heard or known 
 of such cats being found in Pennsylvania, Tennessee and 
 Massachusetts. I have seen one such cat. It had a longer 
 tail than the wildcat and had the head and ears of a wildcat 
 and had the grey color of the wildcat. It's tail looked to be 
 about 10 or 12 inches in length. 
 
 The muskrat makes a rather long track compared to the 
 size of the animal. Their tracks will be found around water 
 and they are so well known that I do not think it advisable 
 to say much about them here. 
 
 The track of the mink will usually be found near water 
 and one foot will be somewhat in front of the other and 
 the tracks in pairs. Their method of travel is a lope; the 
 two tracks will be about two and one-half or three inches 
 apart and the jump from 12 to 24 inches. The footprints 
 
94 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 will measure about one to one and three-fourths inches in 
 length. 
 
 I have shown the track of the ra'bbit, as some beginners 
 might mistake it for some other animal. 
 
 I have only shown some of the commoner animal tracks, 
 such as are found in the South, and there are a few more. 
 Otter, beaver, bear, panther, etc., are found in the South; 
 but my aim was to give only the more common ones and I 
 think by studying the accompanying illustrations one will 
 be able to tell the tracks of different animals when they find 
 the real tracks on their trapping grounds. I will say, though, 
 that sometimes a few animals will make lots of tracks and 
 one not pretty well up on tracking is liable to be misled and 
 think that there are more fur-bearers than there really are. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 95 
 
 A, BUCKLES TO FASTEN FLAPS; B, FLAP ON BAIT 
 POCKET; C, FLAP ON MAIN SACK. 
 
 A PACK SACK. 
 
 I am sending a description and sketch of the pack sack 
 that I find most convenient in the trapping and trading- 
 business. I first purchase a piece of i6-ounce duck two feet 
 wide by three feet long. I fold this so as to make a sack 
 two feet square, as is shown in diagram. There is then left 
 a flap which is two feet wide by one foot long, I cut this 
 to a point, which makes a covering for the sack. On this I 
 sew a pocket (xz) which can be made of blue denim, or any 
 strong cloth which is handy. 
 
 This makes what I call the bait pocket. 
 
 The shoulder straps can be fastened to the other side in 
 most any way the maker wishes. 
 
96 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 Handy game and trap carrier, easily made from handle 
 of a bucket or pail. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 97 
 
 EARLY AND LATE TRAPPING. 
 
 It is positively wrong, foolish and wasteful to trap too 
 early in the season, that is a day before the fur is prime; all 
 skins taken too early rank low in value invariably, whereas 
 if the same animals were not killed until a few weeks later 
 the fur would command a much higher price and prove more 
 satisfactory to everyone, from the trapper to consumer. 
 Trapping too late in the season is just as bad, as it results 
 in many faded, rubbed and shedded skins being caught, all 
 of which grade low in price — and what is worse and inex- 
 cusable, tend to the all to rapid extermination of fur-bearing 
 animals of every kind. 
 
 HANDLING SKINS. 
 
 It is impossible to give too much care to the work of 
 handling the skins you catch, as it decidedly affects their 
 value, that is the amount you receive for them; great care' 
 should be taken in every operation — skinning, stretching, 
 scraping, drying and packing for shipment. Do not skin the 
 animal while the fur is wet, as the skin is to be stretched 
 with the fur turned inward, and if the fur is wet, or even 
 damp, it will become musty, and may be so badly damaged 
 that the value will rank a number of grades lower than it 
 otherwise would have. Bear, beaver, wolverine and wolf 
 (except very fine Northern skins) should be "open," that is 
 cut from the under lip down the center of the belly to the 
 tail and stretched flat, skin side out, and as near as may be 
 natural in shape; raccoon may be stretched open or cased — 
 skins that are cased are cut from one hind foot across to 
 the vent, and then across to the opposite hind foot, and then 
 pulled carefully down over the body, and the fur is turned 
 inside before the pelt is placed on the board or other 
 stretcher. All skins not specified above should be dressed 
 cased. Before or after stretching remove all fat or fiesh 
 adhering to the skin, being careful not to cut the. pelt; 
 stretch the skin while it is fresh; do not attempt to exceed 
 natural size — stretchers should be of different sizes. In skin- 
 ning, remove the tail bone; take out the skull and meat 
 about it, but do not cut off the pelt covering the head; do 
 not cut off ears or tail — except tail of muskrat, opossum and 
 beaver — do not dry by fire or any artificial heat. Pack 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 neatly and firmly, so that skins will present a good appear- 
 ance on arrival at destination. Following these instructions 
 means more money for you. 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 No. 2. No. 
 
 No. 4. 
 
 GRADING RAW FURS. 
 
 The following was specially written by an expert grader 
 of raw furs, and those who carefully study it will be able to 
 grade their fur and know approximately what they should 
 receive for it, and thus not only avoid loss, but actually save 
 many dollars in the course of the season: 
 
 SKUNK. 
 
 Skunks are one of our most common fur-bearers, being 
 found practically throughout the country. In marking there 
 are four grades — black, short stripe, full narrow stripe and 
 broad. In former years a skunk to be classed black, or No. 
 I, should have only a white scalp, while now skins are 
 classed No. i where slight stripes reach to the shoulders, 
 and even to the middle of the pelt, if the stripe is very thin 
 or broken and the skin is a large one. This is supposing 
 skunk to be in fair to good demand. If in poor favor the 
 assortment is rigid and severe until it approaches that of the 
 old days. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 99 
 
 Short stripe, or twos, are medium sizes with stripes to 
 the middle or an inch beyond, and large skins with heavy- 
 stripes; also small quarter stripes which would have been 
 classed No. i if of larger size. The threes have stripes of 
 about one inch, reaching entire length of skin, or very near 
 it. If a larger stripe than one inch in width is permitted the 
 skin must be an extra large one. The broad, or fours, are 
 those skins which contain more white than black. 
 
 In several of the Western and Northwestern States 
 nearly all skunks are full striped. But they are of a very 
 large size and bring more money than ordinary skunks for 
 that reason. In Ohio and Northeastern Indiana collections 
 often sort out 50 per cent, to No. is. The further South we 
 go the thinner furred we find skunks to be, and they are also 
 lacking in gloss, and consequently sell for less. South Indi- 
 ana skins are worth 10 per cent, less than North Indiana 
 skins. 
 
 Now we come to the seasonable skins. To be classed 
 prime the pelt side must be white. If blue, or even slightly 
 so, they grade one below in markings. The unprime ones go 
 down into the twos, the twos into the threes, the threes into 
 the fours, while unprime fours are cut in price. Many skins 
 are collected when heavy with grease, which in a measure 
 disguises the unprime state, and yet a close observation on 
 the sorter's part will usually inform him if the skin will turn 
 out blue when it comes from the scraper's hands. Skunks 
 caught so early as to be black on flesh side are termed scabs 
 and have no value. 
 
 All autumn and early winter skins should be scraped 
 before leaving the trapper's hands, for the reason that a 
 blanket of fat often causes sweating and the fur to loosen. 
 Such burned or heated skins have no value. From the deep 
 yellow and sticky nature of the fat the expert grader quickly 
 detects them and a slight pull on the fur brings away a good 
 patch. Certain skunks are mangy and poorly furred at their 
 best, and have little or no value. 
 
 By March i, in Central and Northern sections, and 
 earlier still in Southern sections, skunks begin to shed, or 
 threaten it, and are termed "springy." At this stage the 
 flesh side loses its flinty white look of winter and acquires a 
 very red appearance. The under fur becomes thin and the 
 guard hairs crumpled and kinky and the whole coat is said to 
 be woolly. 
 
loo TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 There are also rubbed skins usually in late winter. The 
 chafed portion is always somewhere in the best of the coat, 
 usually between the shoulders. A skin that is rubbed a spot 
 the size of a nickel places it a grade below, and a larger 
 rubbed surface puts a skin two grades below, or more, 
 according to how much damaged, and if badly rubbed it may 
 be worthless. 
 
 MUSKRAT. 
 
 Equally common with skunk is the muskrat, and while 
 not quite so many things engage our attention as in the 
 handling of skunks through the season, yet there is enough 
 to be heeded, as regards sizes, heft of pelt, whether spring, 
 winter or fall in primeness, and also handling, and if dam- 
 aged or not. 
 
 In the greater portion of the country rats have put on 
 the fur coat by November i. At first the majority of autumn 
 caught rats are classed as "fall," while the pelts are princi- 
 pally bluish on fiesh side, and even after there is a small 
 amount of red. Large and medium sizes, if of good heft, sell 
 together as No. i fall; the small rats of good heft are the 
 next grade in value, and here also belongs the full-sized 
 skins, if papery pelted. Third and last comes little kits, 
 and also rated with them are the papery, small-sized skins 
 from older rats. 
 
 To be classed as "winter" the skins must be at least one- 
 half red and full furred. Small winter are graded with the 
 No. I fall, and small papery pelted winter go into the small 
 fall. Winter rats continue to be so termed until spring, 
 when all dark spots disappear and the pelt becomes all red 
 and white. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION loi 
 
 MINK. 
 
 For the reason that minks inhabit a wide range of lati- 
 tude and that the value of this fur depends not only upon 
 sizes, primeness and section from which it comes but upon 
 shade of color as well, few furs demand a greater share of 
 our attention in grading. 
 
 Minks from Northern sections comprise the smallest 
 skins of the species, but are far more valuable than any other 
 on account of their dark gloss, fineness and density of coat. 
 Minks of Central States are larger than those of the North, 
 and Western minks average a fourth larger, but the coat is 
 browner and coarser and worth correspondingly less. 
 
 A Northern large mink is 30 inches from tip of nose to 
 end of tail, a little more or less than when boarded. Four to four 
 and one-half inches at base of skin and an inch less at should- 
 ers. A Western large mink is often found to stretch 35 or 
 36 inches from tip to tip, and in width five to six inches at 
 base and four to four and one-half inches at the shoulders. 
 
 Medium and small minks grade in proportion, according 
 to section. In Southern sections minks are thinner furred, 
 coarser, and run largely to pale, and the fur is of shorter 
 growth than that of a colder climate. 
 
 There are no black minks; a rich brown, accompanied 
 b}^ gloss, is the nearest approach to black. It has been said 
 that the ony black furs we have are those of the black bear, 
 skunk, black house cat and black fox. 
 
 From all sections minks are classed large, medium and 
 small in size, dark brown and pale in shade, and are four 
 degrees in seasonableness. A No. i being white in pelt and 
 full furred; a No. 2 is bluish pelted but full furred, though 
 still possessing too much top hair ; a No. 3 has a fair growth 
 of fur, but is hairy and the pelt is dark blue or black; a four 
 has but a very small growth of fur and the pelt side is black. 
 
 Torn and badly shot skins are classed as damaged, and 
 minks not cured the proper shape are worth less than .well 
 
102 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 handled skins. For example, a skin that is stretched wide 
 and short like the shape of a muskrat, or short and pointed 
 like a flatiron, is only worth half price or less. 
 
 So long as a mink is of ordinary color, a good brown, 
 prime, well furred and well handled, it should bring top 
 quotations. There are, however, shades between dark and 
 brown and between brown and pale, so that the dividing line 
 is often difftcult to determine. But in such case the buyer 
 endeavors to obtain such skins at a grading for color which 
 he is sure it will be rated at when he sells it. 
 
 In Central sections minks are prime by November 15, 
 or December i at the latest. A mink is most valuable in 
 early winter, because it is the darkest. After January they 
 fade rapidly. Shedding takes place in March, except in the 
 Far North, and before March in the South. 
 
 Before I close on the mink question, I will mention the 
 so-called cotton minks, often found in the West and South. 
 The outward appearance is about that of the ordinary mink, 
 but a pufT of breath into the fur shows it to be white from 
 near the surface to the roots. The value is small. 
 
 RACCOON. 
 
 In 'coons there are three sizes — large, medium and 
 small, and four grades in regard to when caught. It is rather 
 difficult to explain what size a skin should be in this fur to 
 establish the dimensions of what should constitute a large, 
 medium or small. Grading for sizes must be largely acquired 
 by eye practice, so that a glance suffices to determine which 
 pile a skin belongs in. And then 'coons run to smaller sizes 
 in one section than another. 
 
 ■ Arkansas and Missouri, and similar sections, 'coons are 
 much smaller than those of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and 
 Eastern States. Southern and Southwestern 'coons are also 
 thin pelted, light colored and the fur short. They are termed 
 coat stock by the manufacturing furrier and flat skins by the 
 raw fur dealers. Eastern, Northwestern and Central 'coons 
 are long in top hair and dense in fur; the colors a good grey 
 to a brown, sometimes dark brown, andthe sizes and heft of 
 leather far excels their Southern cousins. 
 
 The same directions as to primeness for assorting minks 
 is applicable to 'coons in the four grades, a No. 4 having lit- 
 tle or no fur and worth about 10 cents. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 103 
 
 rj^s^^m. 
 
 TWO WAYS OF STRETCHING RACCOON. 
 
 'Coon pelts, like the skunk, require scraping to prevent 
 the grease from heating and loosening the fur. To sell for 
 the most money they should be stretched square as possible, 
 with nails driven an inch apart, and all shanks and irregular 
 points that spoil appearance trimmed off. 'Coons that have 
 been stretched and cured, using about six nails, one in each 
 leg, one in nose and one in tail, make a ludicrous appear- 
 ance. They are badly shrunken and possess but little value. 
 The entire scalp, ears, nose, eyelids, etc, must be left on 
 the pelt in skinning, so that it does not appear mutilated. 
 
 OPOSSUM. 
 
 Beginning with a line that crosses North Indiana, Illi- 
 nois and Ohio we enter the opossum country, and this ani- 
 mal becomes numerous further South. Opossum is a cheap 
 fur, and the assortment dealers make is usually more strict 
 than in other furs. Here primeness of pelt does not count, 
 should it be lacking in fur. The coat itself must be ex- 
 
]04 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 PROPER WAY TO STRETCH OPOSSUM: 
 
 amined, and if found thin in growth it is valued accordingly. 
 As a rule, opossums inhabiting their Northern range are 
 well furred when prime in pelt, though there are exceptions. 
 As we proceed South into the cotton growing districts, opos- 
 sums are thinner furred, even when at their best, so that 
 the entire collection is bought for less money than skins 
 taken in Central States. 
 
 In assorting opossums of the Northern portion of the 
 range, thin furred, large skins, although prime in pelt are 
 rated one grade in size lower. A medium-sized skin, if 
 poorly furred, goes into the small, well-furred pile, and a 
 small, prime skin, but poorly furred, goes into the No. 2s or 
 35, according to quality. 
 
 A No. 2 opossum, although the pelt may have appeared 
 white at the time of skinning, when dry and by the time it 
 reaches market it has acquired a creamy yellow cast, and 
 the coat, even if full furred, is hairy. If a No. 2 in prime- 
 ness does not possess a good growth of under-fur it must go 
 into the No. 3s. 
 
 The threes are slightly bluish in pelt and possess but a 
 small growth of under-fur. Into this, grade also go poorly 
 furred No. 2S and the damaged skins of the ones and twos. 
 
 Skins taken so early as to be black pelted and haying no 
 under-fur are trash and worthless. Some furred skins are 
 also so badly torn or shot as to be classed "trash." Even 
 prime, large, well-furred skins are graded one or two grades 
 below if badly peppered by shot. 
 
 All fur-bearers killed by shot are damaged to a certain 
 extent. The shot plows furrows and shears the fur off so 
 that consequent deductions have to be made on all furs so 
 secured. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 105 
 
 Lynx. 
 
 Coyote. 
 
 Wolf. 
 
 FOX AND WOLF. 
 
 Foxes and wolves are assorted for sizes, heft of fur and 
 brightness of colors, as well as primeness. If these skins 
 have been scalped to obtain bounties a sufficient deduction 
 must be made to compensate for such mutilation. 
 
 Occasionally a fox is found in which the coat is wilted 
 and cotted and kinked, as if singed by fire. Such foxes are 
 termed "Sampson" locally and are worth but little. 
 
 As in most other furs, foxes and wolves are superior in 
 fur and beauty from the coldest sections. Red foxes of 
 Michigan, Wisconsin and the Eastern States being of greater 
 value than those of Indiana and Illinois and similar latitude 
 where they are thinner furred, light or dull colored and 
 smaller in size. 
 
 LYNX AND WILDCAT. 
 
 Lynxes and wildcats are assorted the same as foxes and 
 similar to the long-haired furs. 
 
io6 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 OTTER. 
 
 Otters are similar to minks in fur, and the same assort- 
 ing according to season, section, sizes and shade of fur 
 applies to them. 
 
 BEAR. 
 Bears are assorted for primeness, brightness, heft of coat 
 and perfection of same. Imperfect skins are those with 
 rubbed spots on hips, shoulders or elsewhere. Also for size 
 — large, medium and small, or cubs. In cold sections bears 
 are in full fur from early winter until June. 
 
 BADGER. 
 Badgers are mainly of value when prime and the guard . 
 hair is of good length. The principal value lies in the hair 
 itself, which is used for shaving brushes, etc. Therefore a 
 prime skin, if short in coat, brings a low price. 
 
 WEASEL. 
 All that need be said of weasels is that white furred 
 prime skins only are of value. Brown furred and unprime 
 of any section possess little or no value. 
 
 MARTEN. 
 
 Martens are graded same as minks as regards sizes. 
 There are but few unprime martens marketed, as trapping of 
 this fur does not begin until winter sets in, and the catch 
 usually ends with the first break-up. In fact marten fur 
 holds up in beauty and winter quality until the spring rains 
 occur, when it quickly shows signs of shedding. 
 
 They are classed dark, brown and pale, and fancy prices 
 are quoted for dark skins. The bulk of marten collections 
 are rated brown and pale, and but few skins fetch anything 
 like outside quotations. A large proportion of martens are 
 pale or yellow and bring the same money that mink gf the 
 same section sell for. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 107 
 
 BEAVER. 
 
 Beavers are stretched open and round in shape. They 
 are assorted for size — large, medium and small, and there 
 are four degrees of seasonableness, Nos. i, 2, 3 and 4. The 
 colors vary from a light silvery pale for Utah and Montana 
 sections to the almost black skins from sections of Canada 
 and Kamchatka. 
 
 SKINNING. 
 
 Always skin an animal as quickly as possible after kill- 
 ing; following this simple rule will insure you good skins 
 and full value. 
 
 DRYING. 
 
 Do not dry your skins by the fire or any artificial heat, 
 as that method injures both the leather and the fur, and 
 you have to stand the loss. Dry in a cool, shady place, where 
 there is a free circulation of pure dry air; do not place the 
 skins for drying in bunches; hang them so that there will be 
 some space between the several skins. 
 
 HUMANE. 
 
 Trappers should he humane. Steel traps set on land 
 cause considerable suffering to the animals caught therein, 
 
iu8 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 and this condition should be fully considered, and be lessened 
 as much as possible; all traps should be visited early every 
 day, so that the animals captured may be taken out of the 
 traps without unnecessary delay; to do this the trap or place 
 need not be unduly disturbed, as it will suffice to go near- 
 enough to the trap to see if a catch has been affected. 
 
 SUCCESS IN TRAPPING. 
 
 Success in trapping depends on several things — a very 
 thorough knowledge of the habits of the animals you hope to 
 catch, which can only be acquired by long continued study 
 in the haunts of the creatures; patience and persistence — it 
 will not do to become discouraged because you do not catch 
 your fur with the first set; self-control with regard to the 
 right time to trap — not beginning too early, or continuing 
 too late; catching a fur that will bring only 50 cents, but 
 which a few weeks later would be worth $1.50 or $2.00, is 
 not success; catching a fur so late in the season that it is 
 off color and rubbed and worth only half price, and certain 
 to reduce the supply for the following season, is not suc- 
 cess — it is rank folly. It is important to use good traps, 
 whethed you buy or make them, instead of merely cheap or 
 poorly made contrivances called traps. 
 
 All the knowledge you can acquire is essential to suc- 
 cess in trapping — learn all you can about animals, localities, 
 traps, sets, handling skins and particularly about marketing 
 your fur — 100 skins caught with hard work, properly handled 
 and carefully shipped to a concern paying you only the value 
 of 10 skins, is not success. Many trappers have lost good 
 sums by shipping to disreputable concerns, when $1.00 wisely 
 spent just to know would have placed them in touch with 
 reliable buyers. 
 
 STRETCHING SKINS. 
 
 Mink, otter, opossum, cat and muskrat should be cased. 
 This is accomplished by slitting the hindlegs up inside to the 
 vent and down the tail, to remove the bone. Then pull the 
 skin from the animal by drawing toward the head, turning 
 the pelt inside out. Care should be taken that the skin is 
 not cut or torn, and use caution in working about the ears, 
 eyes and mouth, as the head is often used entire. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 109 
 
 'Coon, beaver, wolf, deer, goat and sheep should be 
 skinned by cutting a slit from the under-jaw down the belly 
 to the vent; make a slit on the inside of each leg, and cut 
 off the paws or hoofs; after this the skin can be easily re- 
 moved. After taking ofT the skin, stretch it smooth across 
 a board, flesh side out, and tack the edges firm. Do this as 
 soon as possible, or it may become tainted and lose the fur. 
 
 The rules are simple and easily followed, a little care 
 being all that is necessary to insure perfect success. In 
 every case the skin should be removed shortly after death, 
 or at least before it has become tainted with decay. Avoid 
 the adherence of flesh or fat to the skin and guard against 
 cutting through the hide, as a pierced skin is much injured 
 in value. 
 
 The board stretcher is the simplest form and is in most 
 common use among trappers for the smaller animals. These 
 stretchers are of two kinds, the plain and the wedged. The 
 plain stretcher consists of a piece of a board a quarter of an 
 inch in thickness, about 18 inches long and four to six inches 
 in width. One end of the board is rounded off, and the 
 sides should also be whittled and smoothed to a blunt edge. 
 
 The board stretchers are used only for those skins which 
 are taken off cased. The skins should be drawn tightly 
 over the blunt end of the board, fur side in and its edges 
 caught in notches cut in the edges of the square end or 
 secured by a few tacks. This stretcher is particularly adapted 
 to the skins of opossum, skunk, mink, muskrat and animals 
 of a like size. 
 
 The wedge stretcher is more elaborate than the fore- 
 going, and is said to be an improvement. The first requisite 
 is a board of about three-eights of an inch in thickness, 
 two feet or more in length and three and a half inches at 
 one end, tapering to the width of two inches at the other. 
 This end should now be rounded and the edges of the board 
 whittled off to a blunt edge, as already described in the fore- 
 going, commencing near the center of the board, thinning to 
 the edge, and finishing with the notches at the square end. 
 Now, by the aid of a rip saw, sever the board through the 
 middle lengthwise. 
 
 The wedge is the next thing to be constructed and 
 should consist of a piece of wood the thickness of the centre 
 
no 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 of the board and of the same length, tapering from an inch 
 in width at one end to half an inch at the other. 
 
 To use the stretcher the two boards are inserted into 
 the skin (the latter with the fur side inward). The wedge 
 is then inserted between the large ends of the boards and 
 driven in sufficiently to stretch the pelt to its full capacity, 
 securing it in the notches by slight cuts in the hide, or by a 
 tack or two at the edge. It should then be hung in a cool, 
 airy place and the pelt left to "season." 
 
 STRETCHING BOARDS. 
 
 We give herewith drawings showing the proper shape 
 to make stretching boards for different furs that should be 
 cased. The boards should be about three-eighths of an inch 
 in thickness and the edges should be nicely rounded off. 
 Boards for marten and mink are about the same shape, but 
 the marten board should be a little wider than the mink 
 board for the same length skin. It is well to have a set of 
 boards of different sizes, so that skins can be stretched 
 properly. 
 
 When stretching skins pull them on the boards tightly, 
 but not so much as to make the fur appear thin. Tack 
 around edge of skin at bottom of board, so that skin keeps 
 its shape while drying. It is well to insert a small stick be- 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 ii: 
 
 tween the skin and board; when the skin is dry the stick 
 can be removed, thus making it easier to get the skin off the 
 board. 
 
 ■FOA 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 Ho J Wt'oyi<^ 
 
 h<^i Wr. 
 
 "^ 
 
 In the figures shown above, stretcher No. i is wrong. 
 It gives the skin a wedge shape. No. 2 shows a board with 
 a "neck," which is not necessary. No. 3 is the right shape. 
 
 Boards should not be thicker than larger end of common 
 shingles. For muskrat, board should be somewhat tapered, or 
 a little wider at the straight end — board should be longer 
 than the skin, to allow for tacking. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 113 
 
 STRETCHER. 
 
 Figure shows the wire bent in proper shape. Figure 
 2, the block to nail skin to, showing nail holes ready to re- 
 ceive ends of wire. Figure 3, skin after being properly 
 stretched and nailed. 
 
 Twenty-five cents' worth of No. 9 wire and 25 cents' 
 worth of any kind of soft wood lumber, one by three inches, 
 cut in lengths of about six inches for rat and seven to eight 
 inches for skunk, will make about 65 stretchers. Cut the 
 wire 30 to 36 inches long for rat and 36 to 40 inches for 
 skunk. Take hold at the ends of piece and bend them 
 together and past each other enough so that when they 
 spring back the ends will be about three inches apart. By 
 doing this the wire bends exactly in the middle or center. 
 Then take a pair of wire-cutters, or a vice, or even a ham- 
 mer, and bend a square, turn inward, three-fourths or one 
 inch long. Then drive a nail a little smaller than the wire 
 into each end of the blocks, one inch from the side, which 
 makes a hole to drive each end of the wire into. After driv- 
 ing the ends of wire into the block you will see that it can 
 be easily turned over, so that in pulling the skin over them, 
 should it be a little too short to reach the block to nail to, 
 you can turn the board over and your stretcher is one to two 
 
114 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 inches longer or shorter. The wire should be some wider in 
 the centre than at ends, then in pulling the skin over it it 
 springs outward, holding it after being nailed to the end 
 board in perfect shape to dry, when it slips off easily. 
 
 Some trappers stretch muskrat skins over willow or 
 other bows cut in the woods; each bow or switch should be 
 long enough to bend one end across to the other. Then put 
 on the pelt and tie the tail over the bar. A notch cut in the 
 bow where it is bent across will help to make a square turn 
 and fasten the crosspiece. Draw skin over the bow as far 
 as possible, cut through the edge of skin deep into the wood 
 toward the nose of pelt. The strip of skin above slips into 
 the cut in wood and stays. As fast as stretched the project- 
 ing end of the stretcher may be stuck in the ground in a 
 shady place. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 115 
 
 SCRAPING BEAM AND KNIFE. 
 
 To make a scraping beam take a piece of timber five feet 
 long, eight inches wide and four inches thick; make this as 
 near round as possible on one side, leaving it flat on the 
 other. Sharpen one end of the beam and then drive it into 
 the ground in a slanting direction until the upper end is, say, 
 three feet from the ground. Put a brace near the lower end 
 to keep the beam from swaying while in use. By the aid of 
 the scraping beam shippers can remove fat and grease from 
 skins before shipping. 
 
ii6 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 CAMP BUILDING. 
 
 Much has been written on camp building, but as there is 
 always something new to learn, here are a few points on 
 camp building in the woods. 
 
 First, select ground that is sheltered from the north 
 winds and close to good water, A spring is the best, and if 
 you cannot build your camp close to the spring, cut some 
 long poles about four to six inches in diameter; then cut 
 grooves in the poles. Lay these from the spring to the 
 camp, letting one end lap on the next, so that the water will 
 run to the camp. To keep them ofT the ground drive forked 
 stakes into the ground, laying the troughs in the forks. 
 
 Having selected a good place to build your camp, you 
 cut some trees as near uniform in size as possible, and 
 straight, about six to ten inches in diameter. Then cut the 
 trees up into the size you want your camp, and that depends 
 on how many is in the party, and whether it is for a trapper's 
 camp or for party of hunters. 
 
 We will call it a trapper's camp, and it does not require 
 much room for two, as that is all that should be in a party on 
 the trap line — and sometimes that is one too many; but that 
 does not matter now. 
 
 Now, there are two sizes of camps; both are good. One 
 size for general camping is 13 x 15 feet; but for a trap line a 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 117 
 
ii8 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 camp 11x13 feet is plenty large enough. Cut your logs 11 
 feet long one way and 13 feet the other. Notch in near the 
 end of each log, placing one log on top of the other until 
 you have them high enough, which should be about five feet 
 at the eaves; then in the centre of the 13-foot sides, or half 
 way of the 13-foot sides, toe-nail an upright piece about two 
 and one-half feet long and six inches in diameter, and on top 
 of this place the ridge pole. 
 
 Or you can lay small poles on the 13-foot sides, laying 
 each pole on top of the other. Spike them together up to 
 the required height of your ridge pole, and lay your ridge 
 pole on top, by using poles at the gable end. You make it 
 warmer by putting mud on the logs. Then slant your poles 
 off with an axe the pitch you want the roof to be. 
 
 Now saw out your door in the centre of the 13-foot side. 
 Then split some slabs out of straight grained wood, hew 
 them off smooth, spike one on each side of the door against 
 the ends of the log. Then split out some pieces for a door, 
 and if the door is very wide, say over two feet, nail some 
 cross pieces on to hold the door together. If you have no 
 tools to make wooden hinges with, set your door in the 
 frame and fasten a stout piece of cord to the door on the 
 inside, tying the other end to the roof of the camp on the 
 inside, and when you go out lay a pole in some hooks nailed 
 on each side of the door. This will hold it in place from the 
 outside. 
 
 For roof, peel bark during summer and lay flat, holding 
 it down with some heavy weight, so as to keep it from curl- 
 ing up. 
 
 If you cannot get to peel the bark, then do the next best 
 thing — which is considered by many who follow the woods 
 and streams much better than the bark. That is, cut some 
 blocks of wood two feet long, then split some shooks for 
 your roof. The timber should be straight grained so it will 
 split easy. 
 
 Now the rafters should be laid crosswise, and not up and 
 down like the dwelling house roof. 
 
 Now we will say the camp is enclosed and the fire-place 
 or stove, whichever you choose, should be opposite the door 
 and the bunks should be, say in the left end, as you enter 
 the door; and to make plenty of room should be built just 
 wide enough for one. Then about two feet above, another 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 119 
 
 bunk, and sometimes three bunks are built, one above the 
 other. Yes, I have seen in the mountains of Virginia as 
 many as five bunks, one above the other; and the last one 
 was so near the roof there was just room enough to get in 
 and out. 
 
 In the pposite end build your table. This will give you 
 plenty of room at the table; also at the stove to dry your 
 clothes, at the same time give the cook his share to do his 
 work. 
 
 Gather some moss and with a wedge-shaped paddle fill 
 •the cracks between the logs from the inside and fill with mud 
 from the outside. For a window some use a piece of white 
 cloth. Glass is best; but sometimes hard to get. This 
 makes a very convenient camp. A good material for roof is 
 a roll of tarred paper. It is soon put on and is warmer than 
 shook roof. In back places where you have to pack in your 
 outfit a dirt roof is put on. First cover over with poles laid 
 close together, then put on six to eight inches of dirt. 
 
 For camping one night in a place, cut brush, small 
 bushes, evergreens and anything that has thick branches. 
 Place them against a pole laid in the crotches of forked 
 stakes driven into the ground in a slanting position, letting 
 one end rest on the ground. It is best to drive three forked 
 stakes in a half circle. Lay a pole in the forks, then place 
 bushes against the pole in a slanting position. Place some 
 fine brush on the ground for a bed. Build .your fire in front. 
 The fire should be built against a large log or by the side of 
 a steep bank, so the heat will strike in under the roof of your 
 camp. I saw once while trapping in western Virginia a camp 
 built in the shape of a wigwam. Stout poles were set in a 
 slanting position, letting the top rest against a tree. These 
 were covered with spruce boughs, commencing at the bot- 
 tom. They were laid on same as shingles, letting them lap 
 enough to shed water, putting on several layers until there 
 was enough to shed water. This makes a very good camp 
 for two ; ^ but is too small for a party of more than two, as 
 the tree in the center takes up some room. 
 
 In building a fire-place, all depends on where you are — 
 in the mountains, along the rivers, how you are going and 
 whether you are going into a country where there are rocks 
 to build a fire-place. 
 
 If you have to pack in your outfit a stove is out of the 
 
120 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 question; if in a country where there are no rocks to build 
 a fire-place, then a mud chimney is better than none. 
 
 First select a spot to build your camp close to a steep 
 bank, so that you can dig a hole deep enough for your 
 fire-place. Then build your chimney on the outside of camp. 
 
 Commence by laying up poles cut the size you want the 
 fire-place, which should be about five feet by three. Lay 
 them the same as you would for the camp. Notch the ends, 
 laying one on top of the other to a height of four feet; then 
 gradually draw in until you reach the top at a height of eight 
 to ten feet. These poles should not be over four to five 
 inches in diameter. 
 
 Next cut some larger poles and lay up around these on 
 the outside, leaving a space between of eight inches, and fill 
 this space with mud. But commence to fill with mud before 
 you get the outside poles laid to the top. Lay up poles to 
 height of four or five feet, then fill in with mud; then lay 
 on some poles; then fill in more mud, and so on until you 
 reach the top. 
 
 Now your chimney is completed. Build a fire and the 
 inside poles will burn out, and mud will bake the same as 
 a brick. Care must be taken in putting in the mud to get it 
 in compact form, so there will be no holes left for fire to get 
 to the outside poles or logs. 
 
 I never took much fancy to this kind of a chimney for 
 after they are used some time they will burn through and 
 are unsafe. They are in use throughout the sand hills of the 
 South and many a time I have seen a ladder set against the 
 chimney with a colored woman perched on the top round, 
 with a bucket of water, putting out the fire where it had 
 burned through the mud. But for camping where you have 
 no rocks to build with, they answer the purpose and are all 
 right for a short time, until they get old. 
 
 WARMING TENTS. 
 
 On very cold nights your tent may be made more com- 
 fortable by placing on the ground in the centre two or three, 
 large stones that have been superheated in your camp fire. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 121 
 
 INDIAN SNOWSHOE HITCH. 
 
 If you are a "down East" man you will undoubtedly 
 select some kind of snowshoe boot, harness, fastening or 
 whatever you choose to call it. Most of these give satis- 
 faction, but I have used the Indians' method mostly, the 
 same being a tie or hitch with a piece of five-eights-inch 
 lampwick, about four feet long. The toe strap is separate 
 and is fastened by weaving the ends in and out of the filling 
 
122 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 at the sides of the toe opening. The way of tying to the foot 
 is shown in the illustration more plainly than I can describe 
 it. Both strings are tied together above the heel, and when 
 properly adjusted it is not necessary to untie for putting the 
 shoe on or removing it from the foot; a simple twist will do 
 it. I have used snowshoes for a week or more without un- 
 doing the fastening, and it is very nice in extreme cold 
 weather to be able to put on or remove shoes without baring 
 the hands. 
 
 BEE HUNTING. 
 
 We have a box with a false bottom in it and a glass 
 slide on the top in place of a lid an^ honey is put in the box 
 and when we come to a flower with a bee on it we put the 
 box over the bee and flower and close the bottom and the bee 
 will fly up against the glass. Then we slacken the bottom a 
 little and lift the box ofif the flower; then by shading the 
 glass with the hand we can drive the bee over to where the 
 honey is and as soon as it gets to drinking honey we draw 
 out glass stop gently. This leaves the box open and all that 
 remains to do is keep your eye on the bee. When the flowers 
 are all gone they are drawn by burning wax and by having 
 honey close by, one can easily line them. Some like to use 
 anise seed oil; while others prefer the wax and salt method. 
 All these methods have to be performed in an open place, so 
 that the hunter can determine what direction they go and by 
 placing Vermillion or flour on the backs of one or two of the 
 bees one can tell about how far away the hive or tree is by 
 timing them. 
 
 BEE SCENT. 
 
 Thinned honey, small quantity of oil of anise and oil of 
 rhodium. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 123 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF A ONE-MAN TRAPPING 
 BOAT. 
 
 No. I, board 12 inches by 14 feet cut at dotted 
 lines. 
 
 No. 2, as side looks after being bent over form 
 and stem and transom are in place. 
 
 No. 3, end view. 
 
 No. 4, shows how to bend and hold while putting 
 in stem and transom or stern board. 
 
 No. 5, shows end view with inside strip and part 
 of floor and piece of keel strip on also shows corner 
 blocks inside where transom and side are nailed to- 
 gether. 
 
 No. 6, shape of stem (make of white oak). 
 
 No. 7, form can be made of board or plank, 10 
 or 12 inches wide, but cut flare at rate of 4 inches to 
 the foot. 
 
 In No. I see mark to place form by. Keep bot- 
 tom edge of form 2^ inches from edge of side- 
 board. Make the marks to place form by on the 
 inner side of sideboards. After sides are bent and 
 fastened to ends, side will look like No. 2, which 
 will have too much rocker or belly. To get rid of 
 this, on side near form mark down three-fourths of 
 an inch and take straightedge and mark out each 
 way about four feet from this mark. (See dotted 
 lines No. 2). 
 
 If boat was placed right side up on floor now 
 about eight feet of the edge of sideboards should 
 touch the floor. If this rocker is not taken off you 
 will not have a good running boat. Dress off edges 
 where floor boards go, so a straightedge laid across 
 will touch on both sides and edges of sideboards. 
 Put in strips of %-inch stuff now, about 2}'2 inches 
 wide along jnner edges of sides to nail floor to (your 
 
124 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 ..i-^ 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 125 
 
126 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 corner blocks should be put in when tranrom is put 
 in). Strips should run from stem to corner blocks 
 and when placing them leave enough of edge above 
 sideboard to dress off even with sideboards, so floor 
 will nail to both side and strips. 
 
 Before putting on bottom take a line and draw 
 tight from center of transom over form to center of 
 stem. Now if center line on form comes under line 
 you are ready to put on floor ; if not you will ^ave to 
 fasten both ends of boat and put a shore against the 
 side near form, and shove the whole midship part 
 over until the stretched line comes over the line on 
 form and keep it there until you get your bottom 
 boards all on. 
 
 Do not use matched stuff for bottom ; jointed 
 edged boards are best. Caulk seams before putting 
 on rib. Now turn over and put in two iron ribs 
 made of iron about like buggy tire is made of ; old 
 one cut up will make them. Paint where they go 
 against the wood before putting in, using two coats 
 of paint and you are done. 
 
 For seat use a bag of hay or straw, placing it 
 about where the after rib is (see sketch No. 8) ; 
 seats in a trapping boat are no good. For paddles 
 use a 5^-foot short one, and for punting, when 
 standing, an 8^-fobt paddle or seasoned pole. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 127 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^\ S-f6>v> 
 
128 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 Learn Taxidermy 
 
 It is easy to learn how to 
 mount birds, animals, game 
 heads and fish, also how to 
 make novelties of deer horns, 
 deer feet, etc., by studying 
 "The Amateur Taxidermist." 
 
 You can then mount your 
 own specimens and there is 
 always work for the man who 
 understands taxidermy, mount- 
 ing birds, game heads, etc., for 
 others, at good prices. Learn 
 this art, then advertise and you 
 will have plenty of work. 
 
 "THE AMATEUR TAXIDERMIST" 
 
 gives more information on this subject than any 
 book or correspondence course ever written. It 
 is the work of a practical taxidermist of many 
 years' experience, and gives information which 
 cannot be gotten from "correspondence" courses. 
 
 "The Amateur Taxidermist" is finely illus- 
 trated with photographic reproductions, showing 
 specimens of mounted birds, animals, game heads, 
 etc., and each lesson is accompanied by a full page 
 plate, consisting of from one to fourteen draw- 
 ings fully explaining the lesson. 
 
 NEAV EDITION. 
 PRICE 50 CENTS, POSTPAID 
 
 Address all orders to 
 
 FUR NEWS 
 
 71 WEST 23rd STREET NEW YORK 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 129 
 
 TURTLE TRAPPING. 
 
 Snapping turtles are found in most all lakes and streams 
 but they like it where there is muddy bottom best, as they 
 have a better chance to cover up to fish. They are great 
 fishers, next to the otter, as they can catch large fish and 
 hold them. Have known them to catch pike as large, as 9)4 
 pounds and the turtle only weighed 12 pounds, as I caught 
 him. The way I catch them is with nets and hook. The 
 hook is made of an old horse rake tooth, 18 inches long, with 
 a small hook on end i]/^ across and set in a rake handle and 
 used as a gaff hook and also used to lift nets with, as the 
 nets are from i to 6 feet under water. The nets are a trap 
 net or a fike without the wings and only one pocket. 
 
 I make them on a square hoop in front, 17 by 24 inches 
 of ^::^-inch round iron, with three 17-inch round hoops in 
 back and I use No. 30 hard laid seine twine for netting. 
 Commence on square hoop and knit the funnel and then the 
 outside. They are 3 feet 10 inches long, with a drawn string 
 in back end so can be opened to get turtles out and to bait. 
 The mesh is 2 inches square, all but the funnel, which is i>< 
 inches and smaller at end. The funnel has a string on each 
 side to hold it in place, tied to third hoop. They are braced 
 open with two sticks, one on each side, so as to hold them 
 stretched solid and are oiled or parafined to keep them from 
 rotting. I use 40 to 50 nets at a time, all I can tend and keep 
 baited, as it takes fresh bait for turtle. Fish is the best, but 
 they will take most any fresh meat (not spoiled meat) 
 as they don't like it if it stinks. I use dog fish for bait as 
 they are the best. I set nets in streams, on bare bottom, 
 close to weeds or flood piles, as they like these kind of places 
 so they can get in the shade and hide. Always set net with 
 mouth down stream, as they follow the scent of the bait they 
 come to mouth of net first and get in the first thing. 
 
 To keep turtles have crates made of 2-inch strips or 
 some light stuff. Make crates 4 or 5 feet long by 2^ wide 
 and 14 inches high with cover with hinges and clasp so can 
 be locked to keep people from letting them out. Set crate 
 in water 6 inches deep and turtles will keep fresh until you 
 get enough to ship. Ship by express in sacks. 
 
 Turtles may also be caught in No. i^^ steel traps set 3 or 
 4 inches under water, baited with fish fastened to pan of 
 trap — fasten tray to stake in deep water. 
 
130 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 NET MAKING. 
 
 To make our gill net, or seine, the necessary tools re- 
 quired are easily and cheaply made, i. e., a gauge stick and 
 shuttle and a sharp knife and cigar box is all that are re- 
 quired to make them. A cedar or walnut cigar box make a 
 good gauge stick and shuttle; but any old cigar box will do. 
 The drawings show the proper size for a Iwo-inch square 
 mesh, and are quickly whittled out with a sharp knife. We 
 also need a one-quarter-inch stick, or piece of round iron 
 four or five feet long to tie our first row of loops to when 
 starting the net, as shown in the drawing at Fig. i. These 
 are simply two half hitches thrown on and the gauge stick 
 slid in to form half the mesh and drawn tight with the 
 shuttle. 
 
 Fig. 2 shows the best net knot that I know of and the 
 drawing explains how to tie it. Take a string and practice 
 on the knot first and get it down fine; if you have patience 
 and perseverance you will have no trouble. If you are a 
 quitter, then don't try to tie nets. 
 
 On your stick that you start your net on, you need not 
 have the loops two inches apart; you can lay them on one- 
 quarter inch apart; but use your gauge stick to form the 
 one-half loop below. Hold the thumb and forefinger (thumb 
 on top of gauge stick and forefinger on bottom) so as to hold 
 thread tight while tying the knot. Then pass shuttle up 
 through loop from below of next mesh and slip gauge stick 
 along and tie another mesh and so on. 
 
 Handle your gauge stick with the left hand and the 
 shuttle with the right hand; and don't grab the gauge 
 stick as you would an ax; but let it lie lightly flat always 
 across your four fingers and handle it with the forefinger 
 and thumb. Go slow at first; it is best to use coarse twine 
 at first like No. i6 (medium hard laid seine twine); then you 
 can untie knots if you make a bull. 
 
 We will assume you wish to knit a seine or hammock 
 and you wish it to be three feet deep or wide, and of two 
 inches square mesh. You will lay on to your one-quarter- 
 inch round iron six meshes to the foot until you have three 
 feet laid out; then knit it as long as you wish. Now you 
 probably knit right-handed, so when you get your three feet 
 laid on and are at the end you will have to step around on 
 the other side and knit back right-handed and so on. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 131 
 
 IronorwoodX / \ / 
 
 Drop down twice widl"tK- 
 
 oF Gauge 5-tick wher\ 
 s-tariing back 
 
 'Showing how Gauge Stick 15 passed along, making the rr\e?K 
 proper size. Hold Gau^e Stick in palm of Kc^nd flat, with thumb 
 on top and fingerj underne&th to hold thread at X v>hen tying the 
 knot Dotted lines show thread on opposite side of Gauge S-tick 
 
 Shuttle 
 
 The Knot 'shown tied 
 loosely. Pull hard on B" 
 and form knot above dotted 
 llne"C'.' The shuttle is afB" 
 
 rill 
 
 Gauge Slick 
 
 For 2" Square Mesh 
 
 H at Fig. I shows you knitting or laying on your meshes 
 toward the right; aaa shows you dropped down the width of 
 your gauge stick twice or four inches, and supposedly stand- 
 ing on the opposite side and knitting back. In order to 
 make the turn your last mesh at each end will be four inches 
 long and the middle of this mesh ties onto your backing cord 
 for your floats or sinkers. 
 
132 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 Don't expect to knit a perfect gill net or seine right off 
 the bat; you must pay the price of spoiling a few yards for 
 learning. You will observe that you can knit a larger or 
 smaller mesh by using a large or small gauge stick. 
 
 Whatever size mesh you wish, have the gauge stick the 
 same width as one side of your mesh. 
 
 METHOD OF TANNING FUR OR WOOL SKINS. 
 
 If the skin is not fresh, soak it thoroughly in soft water 
 (never use hard water in tanning), then beam or scrape off 
 all meat or loose fibre. Next put the skin in a hike warm 
 bath made of water with enough oil of vitriol to make it as 
 sharp as vinegar (the mount of vitriol to be used can be 
 determined by adding a little gradually, and tasting the liquor 
 after stirring it thoroughly), and add a handful of salt. 
 Leave the skin in this bath 24 hours, when the native grease 
 should be removed and the glue in the skin loosened from the 
 fibre, so as to give the tanning materials an opportunity to 
 take effect on the glue and fibre. 
 
 Next wash the skin (wool or fur) in strong soap suds, 
 removing all dirt or grease from the wool or fur, then rinse 
 in clean water. Next dissolve in hot water, two ounces alum, 
 one ounce glauber salts, one ounce borax, a piece of saltpeter 
 the size of the end joint of your thumb, and add a little salt. 
 Add this mixture to sufficient water (that is a little below 
 blood heat) to cover the skin. Leave the skin in this 24 
 hours, stirring it up occasionally so that the liquor will reach 
 all parts of the skin. When the skin is taken from this tan- 
 ning liquor, strip out all that can be done with the hands, and 
 hang up in the shade to dry (the sun will make it hard). 
 
 When bone dry, sprinkle the flesh side with water, fold 
 up until the leather is evenly damp (not wet), then stretch 
 to length then to width. Repeat the pulling process until the 
 skin is dry, when it may be finished off with sandpaper. If 
 the skin is handled according to directions the leader will be 
 as soft and pliable as velvet. 
 
 Success in working leather depends more on the manner 
 of handling than on the materials used. To tan a skin with- 
 out first removing all the native grease and oil means that 
 the leather will soon become rotten. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 133 
 
 WINTER FISHING FOR PICKEREL. 
 
 To those who Hve near a large pond or a lake, winter 
 fishing through the ice is one of the best of sports. I will 
 describe my method of catching pickerel and perch. 
 
 It is a cold, cloudy day in December that we set off for 
 a small lake about two miles away, laden with an axe and 
 ice chisel, about a dozen tip-ups and a plentiful supply of 
 minnows for bait. 
 
 Arriving at the lake we start chopping holes in the ice 
 a little ways out from the shore, where we know the water is 
 deep and is full of weeds and pond lilies. The pickerel stay 
 mostly in these places during the winter. 
 
 With the axe we chop a hole about eight or ten inches in 
 diameter almost through the ice. The last couple of inches 
 
 m 
 
 W 
 
 B 
 
 ThE Tf?)GGE/2 
 
 FIGUPE TWO 
 
134 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 TPIGOEQ 
 
 5P/?inG- 
 
 U..j 
 
 FIGURE 1 
 
 METMODOF 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 135 
 
 THE COMPLETED SET 
 FIGUQE TliPEE- 
 
 we' take out with the ice chisel, for were we to use the axe 
 only we would be splashed with water, which would soon 
 freeze. 
 
 About two inches from the hole we chop a small, narrow 
 hole to fit the end of the tip-up. It need only be about two 
 inches deep. 
 
 We need a thin piece of board about 15 inches long by 
 one and one-half inches wide — a piece of lath will do — and a 
 narrow, flexible piece of steel about 10 inches long. If you 
 have whalebone this is good. Now we need a piece of stiff 
 wire eight inches long and a small square of colored cloth for 
 a flag. 
 
136 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 Perhaps the drawing will explain it better than I can. 
 The spring and trigger are fastened to the board with small 
 staples. To make the trigger, take a piece of wire and twist 
 a small loop in each end. At one end leave about an inch of 
 wire projecting beyond the loop. This is to hold the line. 
 Now fasten the trigger to the board about five inches from the 
 top with a staple through the loop marked (a). 
 
 The spring should be fastened on the opposite side near the 
 top, as shown in the small drawing. The piece of cloth may 
 now be sewed on the spring, leaving an inch of spring project- 
 ing beyond the flag. 
 
 Now we will insert the end of this tip-up in the small hole 
 already mentioned. But before we set it we should find the 
 depth of the water by placing a sinker on the hook and drop- 
 ping the line in it. About two feet more than the depth is now 
 measured off on the line and a slip noose made in it. Now 
 bend over the spring and put the end of it into the 
 loop marked (b), as shown in Fig. 3. The tension in the 
 spring will hold the trigger in a horizontal position. Now put 
 the noose of the line over the projecting end of the loop (b), 
 bait hook with a live minnow and wait for a bite. 
 
 We have made three sets when we happen to glance back 
 to the first one made. The flag is up and we run to the 
 tip-up. There is a fine pickerel on the hook. We give him 
 time to get well hooked and then slowly pull him up. He 
 weighs a pound and a half and is 13 inches long. 
 
 TRAIL. 
 
 If you are simply traveling through the woods aimlessly 
 with no intension of making future use of the trail it makes 
 little dift'erence how you go, but if you are a trapper and are 
 breaking out a trap line you will, of course, aim to strike the 
 good places for sets, and you should make your trail with a 
 view of using it afterwards, avoiding steep ascents and dense 
 thickets. 
 
 Mark the trail by breaking half through, so they will hang 
 down, small bushes — these will be more easily seen after a 
 snow storm than marked trees. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 137 
 
 A GRAND BUCK. 
 
138 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 HOW TO COOK GAME. 
 
 Any hunter may cook his game and cook it properly. 
 The fishy taste of certain game may be removed by putting a 
 small, finely cut onion or a carrot in the vessel in which the 
 game is cooking. In boiling wild game a very little soda added 
 to the water will make it sweet and tender. Or a teaspoon- 
 ful of vinegar will answer the same purpose. Another thing 
 that may trouble you is to keep the birds from scorching. But 
 this can be prevented by putting a pan of water in the oven. 
 
 Quail or Woodcock. — After dressing, split down the back, 
 and lay, inside down, on a well-greased gridiron. Broil slowly 
 until delicate brown. Season with salt, pepper and plenty of 
 butter. Serve on dry buttered toast. 
 
 Roast Quail. — Dress the birds, rub with butter, tie a strip 
 of bacon over the breasts and set in the oven for about 20 
 minutes ; season to taste. 
 
 Roast Snipe. — Dress and wipe carefully, season with salt 
 and pepper; cut as many slices of bread as you have birds, 
 toast it brown, butter and lay in a meat pan. Dredge the 
 birds with flour, place upon the toast, and set in the oven. 
 Have a brisk fire, baste frequently with butter. Cook 20 min- 
 utes. Serve upon the toast. 
 
 Pigeon Pie. — Dress and quarter the pigeons, wipe dry and 
 fry slightly in butter or drippings. Sprinkle well with salt and 
 pepper. Have a greased pudding dish ready and rich biscuit 
 dough. Lay pieces of pigeon in the bottom of the dish, cover 
 with a mixture of chopped eggs and giblets, boiled tender, then 
 minced. Add more pigeons and another layer of forcemeat. 
 Stir two tablespoonsful of butter rolled in flour into the hot 
 water in which the giblets were boiled. Season and pour 
 enough into the pie to half cover the birds. Cover with a 
 thick crust; slit in the middle. Bake one hour, if medium- 
 sized pie is made. Glaze with beaten egg just before removing 
 from the oven. 
 
 Venison. — Broil over a fairly hot bed of coals; turn fre- 
 quently. Bear steaks may be cooked in the same way. 
 
 Opossum. — Bake in pan in oven, basting frequently ; sweet 
 potato stuffing is good. 
 
 Muskrat. — May be baked in oven same as opossum, or 
 made into a stew. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 139 
 
 VENISON AND BEAR. 
 
 Here is a recipe for roasting venison and bear that will 
 give satisfaction — has done so many times. 
 
 Kept compact; don't spread; bind with twine if neces- 
 sar}'; soak in vinegar water three or four hours, then wash 
 off vinegar. This process makes the meat tender, and the meat 
 will not taste of the vinegar. Baste repeatedly with its own 
 juices and add water occasionally when necessary. Don't 
 cook too long. When the fork passes into the flesh easily it is 
 done. If you add butter the flesh will brown too fast. Use 
 fryings or lard. If you wish to destroy the wild taste of the 
 meat make several holes and insert a small piece of onion. 
 When the flesh is cooked remove the onion. Don't brown too 
 fast or the meat will dry out. If you use a baker turn occa- 
 sionally to keep from becoming too dry. 
 
 TO KEEP GAME. 
 
 Clean the game thoroughly, rub the inside and neck with 
 pepper, and place small pieces of charcoal inside, cover with 
 a white cloth and hang in a dark, cool place, and you can keep 
 it sweet for several days in case you are out hunting. 
 
140 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 FUR FARMING. 
 
 We have no doubt that the supply of fur in the not very 
 remote future will be obtained from animals raised in cap- 
 tivity, or semi-captivity; early beginners will enjoy many ad- 
 vantages over those who wait to learn how others succeed, 
 and who will finally discover that experience is the best teacher 
 — for the reason no one should suppose that raising fur-bear- 
 ing animals for profit is to be taken up as a side issue, or sim- 
 ply an entertaining pastime ; it demands much time, close 
 attention, and involves real work, more or less disappointment 
 at the outset, and unless persistently pursued will end in 
 failure. These statements apply to all fur farming, and we 
 set it forth plainly, so that no one will begin under a misap- 
 prehension — no enterprise can be successfully conducted with- 
 out strenuous effort. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 141 
 
 HAWKS AND OWLS. 
 
 Hawks and Owls may be divided into four classes — wholly- 
 beneficial, chiefly beneficial, beneficial and harmful qualities 
 about equal, and harmful. 
 
 To the wholly beneficial class belong the large rough- 
 legged hawk, its near relative, the squirrel hawk or ferrugin- 
 ous rough-leg, and the four kites — the white-tailed kite, Mis- 
 sissippi kite, swallow-tailed kite, and everglade kite. 
 
 The chiefly beneficial class contains a majority of our 
 hawks and owls, and includes the following kinds: Marsh 
 hawk, Harris hawk, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, 
 short-tailed hawk, white-tailed hawk, Swainson hawk, short- 
 winged hawk, broad-winged hawk, Mexican black hawk, Mexi' 
 
142 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 can goshawk, sparrow hawk, Audubon caracara, barn owl, 
 long-eared owl, short-eared owl, great gray owl, barred owl, 
 western owl, Richardson owl, Acadian owl, screech owl, flam- 
 mulated screech owl, snowy owl, hawk owl, burrowing owl, 
 pygmy owl, ferruginous pygmy owl, and elf owl. 
 
 The class in which the harmful and beneficial qualities 
 balance includes the golden eagle, bald eagle, pigeon hawk, 
 Richardson hawk, Aplomado falcon, prairie falcon, and great 
 horned owl. 
 
 The harmful class comprises the gryfalcons, duck hawk, 
 sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper hawk, and goshawk 
 
 Do not destroy the wholly or chiefly beneficial specimens. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 143 
 
 CROWS. 
 
 Make a tight house of boughs along a hedge, fence or in 
 a field. Have the house near a tree, and if the tree is dead, 
 so much the better. Make the house of brush, sticks, old hay 
 or anything else; but it must be made so that the crows can't 
 see through it. Make a small port hole in the house, in such 
 a position that you can see the tree. Now take a great horned 
 owl ; if you can't get a live one, a stuffed one will answer, if 
 it has been mounted in 'a natural manner. Fix the owl on the 
 fence or post or haystack, or even on the ground a short dis- 
 tance from the tree. Have everything ready before day- 
 light. Then crawl into the bough house with a pocket full of 
 cartridges loaded with smokeless powder and about No. 6 
 or 7 shot. About sunrise a crow will spy the owl and give a 
 yell and less than a minute after there will be a black cloud 
 whirling around the owl. Then they will begin to light in the 
 tree. Now all you have to do is bang away. But don't show 
 yourself; for if you do, the game will be up. It is well to 
 have the house made a week or two before using, so that the 
 crows will get used to it. 
 
 PEARL HUNTING. 
 
 Fresh water pearls, which have a ready sale, are found 
 in clams and mussels in many rivers in the Middle West — 
 pearl hunting can be conducted in summer, when trapping is 
 out of season. 
 
 Two methods may be used in securing the clams: i. A 
 heavy iron rake, with wire basket at the back, is dragged 
 along the bed of the stream, usually from a boat, and what 
 clams are encountered fall back into the basket. The plan 
 most used is by taking a piece of steam pipe six or eight feet 
 long and having holes drilled through it, say four or five to 
 the foot. A strong cord or wire is passed through these holes 
 and a three-pronged hook made of wire dangles from each 
 hole. A rope is run lengthwise through the pipe, the ends 
 tied together and the anchor line is fastened to the centre of 
 this. The length of pipe is thrown overboard from the boat 
 and allowed to drag along the bed of the river. Clams, when 
 feeding undisturbed, have their shells open and when a drag 
 hook touches them they shut up on it and hang on. It is 
 surprising how many clams can be dredged up in a short time 
 by tfiis method, where a bed is discovered. 
 
144 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 THE USEFUL LEMON. 
 
 Two or three slices of lemon in a cup of strong tea will 
 cure a nervous headache. 
 
 A teaspoonful of juice in a small cup of black coffee will 
 relieve a bilious headache. 
 
 The juice of half a lemon in a cup of hot water on awak- 
 ening in the morning is an excellent liver corrective and suc- 
 cessful substitute for calomel and other alterative drugs. 
 
 An old-fashioned remedy for croup is honey, alum and 
 lemon juice. 
 
 Salt and lemon juice will remove rust stains from white 
 goods. 
 
 POINTERS. 
 
 The following pointers will prove helpful ; some of them 
 are contributed by trappers of many years' experience: 
 
 Learn all you can about the animals in your section — and 
 those in other sections as well — you may change your location. 
 
 Good traps should be used ; very cheap traps are not good. 
 
 Be honest ; never touch your brother trapper's trap, and 
 if you see anyone else do so, have the guilty party punished. 
 
 Do not dig out dens and kill the whole family of fur- 
 bearers found therein ; that is not real trapping, fair sport, 
 or good business ; it is the method of ending all trapping. 
 
 Remember that you cannot trap every animal in your 
 vicinity in one season, and do any trapping the next year. 
 
 In covering your traps when set use material lying about 
 the place — leaves, dead grasses, sand, as the case may be — 
 make it natural, not strangely noticeable. 
 
 Never destroy a den made, or selected, by any fur-bearing 
 animal — if you do, you drive the animal away, keep others 
 from coming, and may never find the new den. 
 
 Any trapper will tell you that a skunk can be caught 
 easier in September than in November ; some trappers be- 
 lieve the skunk knows that its fur is worth very little in Sep- 
 tember, hence the easy catch; you say that is a nature story; 
 perhaps ! but we believe the skunk thinks you ought to know 
 that its fur is worthless when not prime — if you don't that's a 
 human nature story that is not creditable to you. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 145 
 
 HOW TO PREPARE GAME HEADS FOR MOUNTING. 
 
 Directions Given by an Experienced Taxidermist. 
 
 "When you have killed a good buck, do not disfigure his 
 neck by cutting his throat, but start where the neck joins the 
 back, keeping the point of the knife under the skin, edge up; 
 divide the skin in a circle all around the neck, being careful 
 to keep down to the brisket in front, and never split the 
 skin on the throat. Open it in a straight line along the back 
 of the neck to a point between the ears, then make a straight 
 cut to each antler; cut off the butts of ears close to the head 
 and carefully cut and pry the skin away from the base of 
 each antler. Skin down on each side and over the forehead 
 until you come to the eye. Be very careful in skinning around 
 the eye, not to cut the lid. By inserting the fingers beneath 
 the skin and into the eye, they will guide you in cutting. 
 When the skin is off, proceed to pare off all the flesh that 
 adheres to it, especially from butts of ears and around lips 
 and nose; split the lips on the inside and remove the flesh, 
 
146 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 being careful to leave the lip cartilarges, as they are very 
 necessary in modeling the lips. I would advise you to skin 
 the ear upon the back side as far as you can easily, and salt 
 well, rubbing salt and water mixed to the consistency of 
 paste into the hair on both sides of the ear. When you have 
 the scalp all cleaned, it is ready for a liberal dose of fine salt, 
 and be sure to rub it over every inch of surface. You can 
 now roll it up and let it lay for 12 hours or longer; then 
 unroll, scrape off the salt, which will have taken out most of 
 the blood and water from the skin; then salt it well again 
 and dry it gradually and it will keep for months. Never 
 stretch a skin or tack it up to dry, or hang it up by the nose. 
 Just lay it out in the shade. By following these instructions 
 the head will come out in fine shape for mounting." 
 
 RULES FOR SPORTSMEN. 
 
 The Albuquerque Game Protective Association presents 
 the following six rules for sportsmen : 
 
 I — There is only one way to treat a gun — always con- 
 sider it loaded. 
 
 2 — There is only one way to treat a land owner — with 
 respect. 
 
 3 — There is only one safe time to shoot — in daylight. 
 
 4 — There is only one way to tell a buck — by his horns. 
 
 5 — There is lonly one kind of cow you have a right to 
 shoot — your own. 
 
 6 — There is only one way to observe the law — observe it. 
 
 USES OF CARBOLIC ACID IN FUR BUSINESS. 
 
 Carbolic acid will be found a very handy article for the 
 trapper for the purpose of drowning out offensive odors of 
 furs, and it is also purifying in the curing and fleshing rooms. 
 It can be used by pouring the acid on a piece of cotton and 
 hanging it up at the ceiling of the room — and it is very use- 
 ful for cleaning the hands. To use for this purpose pour a 
 few drops into a basin of water, in which the hands should be 
 washed. Carbolic acid is very effective in many other ways 
 similar to the above mentioned. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 147 
 
 COLLECTING BOTANICAL DRUGS. 
 
 The roots of annual plants may be dug in the spring; 
 but other roots should not be disturbed until late in summer, 
 or such date in the fall after the seeds have ripened, for if 
 the roots are dug early in the year they are not in good con- 
 dition, as much of the sap has passed upward into the stalk 
 to facilitate the new year's growth; and unless the seeds are 
 allowed to ripen, digging the roots will soon exterminate the 
 plant. Never dig ginseng in the spring. Sassafras, or any 
 plant of which only the bark of the root is used, may be dug 
 any time. 
 
 Barks may be most easily obtained in the spring while 
 the sap is running freely from root to branch, as the bark can 
 then be peeled readily, and in large sections; it is only the 
 inner man, or that immediately next to the wood that is 
 
148 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 wanted; the rough outer bark should be carefully scraped off, 
 and this may be effectively done while the bark is on the tree. 
 
 Seeds should be gathered just before the seed pods open, 
 as these pods very generally burst open more or less violently, 
 scattering the seeds to a considerable distance. This is nature's 
 method of securing to the largest possible extent the perpetu- 
 ation of the plants reproduced from seeds. Flowers should 
 be picked as quickly as may be after the buds open, as they 
 will then, if properly dried, most nearly retain their natural 
 color — a condition determining their value and selling quality. 
 
 Leaves of commercial value should be carefully picked so 
 as to avoid gathering therewith parts of the stalk of the plants ; 
 use extreme care in drying the leaves, choosing a dry place, 
 and spreading thin — only bright, natural colored leaves, free 
 from black spots, are saleable. 
 
 All roots and the bark of roots should be thoroughly 
 cleaned in pure water, and should then be carefully dried in 
 the air — do not dry by artificial heat or in the sun, and do not 
 leave out of doors in either rain or dew. The same care and 
 methods should be employed in drying barks, except in that 
 washing is necessary only for the bark of roots. 
 
 Any of these goods may be packed in bags or boxes. 
 
 Dock and similar heavy roots may be dried more thor- 
 oughly, and to better advantage for selling, by being sliced; 
 roots of this class should be examined frequently while in 
 process of drying to insure freedom from mold. 
 
 Any of these goods may be packed in bags or boxes for 
 shipment to market — the quantity, weight and particular char- 
 acter of each should determine whether you should use box or 
 bag — but be sure that the article is dry, absolutely dry, and 
 packed so that it cannot readily be affected by moisture. 
 
 DRYING RACK FOR ROOTS. 
 
 A root digger soon finds that it takes a lot of space to dry 
 his goods in, and those who have small space are often incon- 
 venienced by not having enough room. A rack can be made at 
 small cost that will give a large amount of space, and at the 
 same time take up very little room. A rack three feet 
 wide, eight feet long and six feet high can be divided so as to 
 hold 14 shelves, which will give a drying space of 336 square 
 feet. A rack like this will hold more bontanical drugs than a 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 149 
 
 floor space of 10x33 f^et. A rack of this kind need not cost 
 very much, as it can be made of cheap lumber. The shelves 
 can be made of plaster lath, or if the cost is not so important, 
 wire setting would be better. The shelves should be made 
 so that they will slide in and out of the rack. When in use 
 the rack should be placed where it will have a free circulation 
 of air about it, and when not in use it can be moved into some 
 corner out of the way. A rack like this, if carefully made, 
 will last for years, and any one who is handy with tools can 
 make one in a few hours. 
 
 WATERPi^OOFING SHOES. 
 
 One of the greatest sources of La Grippe, colds and 
 pneumonia, I think, is wet feet. If one will keep the feet 
 warm and dry, I think there will be little danger of catching 
 colds, or its attendant troubles. 
 
 I do not beheve there is anything that will permanently 
 waterproof the shoes or boots ; but if the following is put on 
 the shoes before going out in the wet I think the reader will 
 find that the feet will remain dry as long as the oil is in the 
 leather. Take one pint each of tallow and neatsfoot oil, a 
 half teacupful of lamp black and a piece of rosin the size of a 
 walnut. Melt the rosin in a little tallow, mix all together and 
 when it comes to a boil, stir a little and when cool or nearly 
 so, rub in all the leather will take with a sponge or soft flannel 
 cloth. 
 
 SNAKE POISON. 
 
 If bitten by a poisonous snake instantly tie a ligature 
 above the bite, tie tightly to stop circulation of blood; then 
 cut the wound larger and rub in about ten grains of perman- 
 ganate, a cheap drug, procurable at any drug store. Keep the 
 ligature in place for some time. 
 
 HIDES. 
 
 After skinning, go over hide thoroughly scraping off all 
 meat and fat, and then lay flat and run in salt freely; cover 
 every part of the flesh side of the hide with salt, and let lie 
 for two or three days, then fold up, hair side in, to keep 
 in place, pack in securely sewed or tied burlap covering, and 
 ship. 
 
150 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 CARE OF THE RIFLE. 
 
 A rifle should never be laid away after use without clean- 
 ing. If allowed to lie over night, especially when smokeless 
 powder is used, the burnt powder begins to harden and forms 
 a crust which soon induces rust. Rust spots form, causing 
 pits which soon interfere with the accuracy of the arm and 
 eventually ruin it. The only way to remove these spots is to 
 run through a wire scratch brush several times. If this does 
 not remove them, sprinkle a little emery dust on a small piece 
 of cloth moistened in some fine machine oil, and run this 
 through the barrel briskly by means of a cleaning rod. Some- 
 times a cloth soaked in kerosene oil is run through and the 
 oil allowed to remain over night. Next day, the oil and much 
 of the residue can be removed by using dry cloth on the rod. 
 
 Rust spots injure the accuracy by gouging out particles 
 of lead from the ball, thus producing a misshapen globe which 
 cannot be fired accurately. After the rust has attacked the 
 metal of the barrel it can never be removed so that a rough 
 spot is not left on which rust easily forms at the first oppor- 
 tunity. Therefore, if buying a second-hand rifle, or even a 
 new one kept in stock or one that has never been fired, one 
 should examine the inside of the barrel and consider no rifle 
 in which rough spots are seen. 
 
 After use a rifle should be cleaned by wiping with patches 
 of soft cloth attached to a cleaning rod. A piece soaked in 
 some fine machine oil, a kind used in typewriters or any fine 
 machinery will do, should be run through dry. When they 
 begin to come out nearly clean, moisten another with oil and 
 continue this process until the patches come out with no color- 
 ing but that of the oil. 
 
 If the arm is to be used at once, the last cloth put through 
 should be dry to remove all oil. If a rifle is fired when there 
 is oil in the barrel, the oil adds to the residue remaining in the 
 barrel. If the arm is to be laid away, even for a day or two, 
 run a piece of cloth through well soaked in oil so that the 
 entire inside of the barrel gets a coating of oil. This pre- 
 serves the metal from dampness and possible rust. It is well 
 to run a dry cloth through the rifle after two or three days 
 when it will be found that some of the residue still remained 
 and now comes out dis'^oloring the cloth. After removing it 
 thoroughly, and again moistening the barrel with oil, the arm 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 151 
 
 is ready to stand in some dry place for several weeks without 
 further mention. 
 
 By care, a rifle may be made to last many years, while 
 carelessness will ruin the best of arms within a very short 
 time. Make it a regular practice never to leave the rifle un- 
 cleaned and cleaning will soon become a habit that occupies 
 little time that is well spent. 
 
 USES OF TURPENTINE IN THE FUR BUSINESS. 
 
 Turpentine is a very handy article for trappers. It is very 
 effective for removing skunk odor. When clothes are scented 
 with skunk odor, it can be removed by rubbing turpentine i.ito 
 them, then hang them out in the open air a short time and it 
 will soon disappear. After skinning a skunk the hands may 
 be rubbed with a little turpentine and the knife that is used in 
 skinning can be cleaned by pouring turpentine on it, and allow- 
 ing it to remain for a little while. 
 
 TEMPERING STEEL. 
 
 To temper a steel cold chisen, sharpen first, heat in quick 
 fire until bright red hot, remove from fire, hold till cherry 
 red, plunge in cold water and let remain in water until cold. 
 To temper a steel tool that is to be used on wood, heat until 
 nearly white, take out, hold till red, and plunge into cold 
 water. A hoe or other tool which you wish to sharpen should 
 be heated until between cherry red and blue, and then plunge 
 into cold soft water. 
 
 CLEANING FUR. 
 
 When white or light colored fur is soiled (a made-up 
 fur) it may be cleaned by rubbing white cornmeal, dampened 
 with benzine, gently into the fur in the direction in which the 
 fur naturally lies; dust carefully after fur is dry. Black and 
 dark furs may be improved in appearance by using bran made 
 hot and rubbed well into the furs. Brush with a clean, not 
 too stiff brush, until the dull look is removed. When moisten- 
 ing meal for fur cleansing purposes use gasolene or benzine 
 rather than water. 
 
152 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 DOGS. 
 
 Well trained hounds are best for general hunting, and 
 are good rabbit, 'coon and fox dogs. The shepherd dog is 
 good for 'coon and skunk. Some very insignificant dogs, 
 without pedigree, are first-class hunters; training for the 
 purpose is the all important consideration. 
 
 KNIFE. 
 
 In skinning an animal a knife is needed chiefly for the 
 operation about the head, tail and thighs; use a sharp knife, 
 but learn to handle it deftly and lightly, cutting no more than 
 is absolutely necessary as you progress. 
 
 BURNING GLASS. 
 
 Do not depend wholly on matches — carry a good lense 
 or burning glass and you can surely kindle a fire so long as 
 the sun shines. 
 
 COMPASS. 
 
 Do not go into an unknown country or heavily wooded 
 section without a good compass. 
 
 DAMP BOOTS. 
 
 Boots or shoes that have become damp during the day 
 may be perfectly dried at night by placing in each a pint or 
 more (according to size) of heated dry sand — remove sand 
 from boots in the morning about a half hour before put- 
 ting on. 
 
 MATCHES. 
 
 Keep your matches dry; this may be done by wrapping 
 the match box in thin oil skin; in rainy weather, when the 
 dew is heavy, or operations require much wading in streams, 
 carry the matches in a tightly corked bottle. 
 
 SALT. 
 
 Do not salt your skins, as salt makes the pelt soft and 
 injures the fur — and lowers the value. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 153 
 
 SOAP. 
 
 Soap is an essential article; and there are many good 
 kinds, but none equal to tar soap, which cleanses, heals and 
 disinfects; it is specially serviceable when afield, where it 
 would be inconvenient to carry carbolic, as it is neither 
 heavy nor bulky, and is always ready for use — the very best is 
 worth the difference in cost. 
 
 TAIL BONE. 
 
 The tail bone should be completely taken out in the 
 operation of skinning all animals when the tail is to remain 
 attached to the pelt, as the bone is quite certain to become 
 tainted and measurably spoil the fur. 
 
 RUBBERS. 
 
 Small breaks in rubbers can be mended by applying a 
 rubber cement made of a small quantity of real rubber dis- 
 solved in chloroform; keep cement in bottle with air tight 
 cork, and as desired apply with a brush — work rapidly so 
 that the cement will not harden before it is put on. 
 
 PRIME. 
 
 Skins become prime late in November, or about the first 
 of December; the skin side of the pelt is white when dry, 
 and the growth of under fur is well developed. On early 
 caught skins the skin side shows blue or greenish. These 
 conditions cannot be changed or disguised. 
 
 Prime skins are worth much more than the others. 
 
 Moral — Do not trap early. 
 
 SPRINGY. 
 
 Late caught skins show conditions plainly, are faded, 
 rubbed, and have shed a part of the fur, and are denoted 
 "Springy" and graded as No. 2, No. 3, or lower. 
 
 All good skins are now so high priced that springy skins 
 are graded very strictly, and in very many instances are not 
 worth labor of catching and handling — do not trap too late; 
 it does not pay. 
 
154 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHY. 
 
 All outdoor men should own a good camera and keep a 
 photographic record of their outdoor work. Many are the 
 times when you have wished for a good camera and the 
 knowledge of how to use it when you have seen some beauti- 
 ful or unusual scene, or some rare animal, bird or natural 
 scenery that you wished your friends to share with you. 
 Then, too, a permanent record of your work can be kept by 
 taking photographs of the different operations, and many 
 saleable views can be secured of wild life and natural scenery 
 in the deep woods. 
 
 A four by five camera is about the proper size for gen- 
 eral outdoor work; a good one is a folding camera with 
 rapid rectilinear lens, reversible view-finder, seven-inch bel- 
 lows, rising and falling front, iris diaphragm, shutter for 
 instantaneous, bulb or time exposure, back focus, and tripod 
 attachment; a set of three plate holders, holding two plates 
 each; a set of extra auxiliary lens, consisting of one portrait 
 lens, one ray filter and one telephoto lens, and a telescopic 
 tripod. This last is a very necessary part of the outfit, as it 
 is used in taking "time pictures." Such an outfit as the 
 above can be bought at most mail order houses for $8.00 or 
 $10.00. 
 
 Use the tray method of develoment and print the pic- 
 ture on developing paper, using a washing box to wash the 
 prints in; also use the box for washing plates after develop- 
 ing and fixing. Dry the prints in a blotter book and keep 
 them unmounted. Pictures may be printed on developing 
 postcards, as these need no mounting and are convenient to 
 mail. 
 
 GUNS. 
 
 A little attention now and then to the working parts of a 
 gun will keep them in good working order, and make the gun 
 ready for instant use at all times; all screws should be tight, 
 and springs should be clean. 
 
 A Canadian hunter and trapper writes to Fur News : 
 Some hunters prefer large calibre rifles for big game; for 
 one, I have settled on .30-30 and .38-55 as best all round 
 rifles; the latter is all right every way for antelope and bear; 
 the .30-30 for anything from partridge to elk. 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 155 
 
 Subscription price, One Dollar per year. And worth 
 a good deal more, our subscribers say. Oui* usual guar- 
 antee : If after receiving your first copy, you prefer 
 your money to the magazine, say so and we will return 
 it at once. xA.ddress subscriptions to 
 
 FUR NEWS, 71 West 23rd St., NEW YORK 
 
156 trapper's companion 
 
 /contents. 
 
 Page 
 
 Badger Trapping 55 
 
 Baits 89 
 
 Bear Trapping 53 
 
 Beaver Trapping 51 
 
 Bee Hunting 122 
 
 Boat — One Man Trapping 123-127 
 
 Boots — ^How to Dry 
 
 Box Trap 80 
 
 Botanical Drugs — How to Collect 147-148 
 
 Burning Glass 152 
 
 Camp Building 116-120 
 
 Carbolic Acid — Uses of 146 
 
 Care of the Rifle 150-151 
 
 Carrier for Game and Traps 96 
 
 Chains 81 
 
 Civet Cat Trapping 55 
 
 Cleaning Fur 151 
 
 Collecting Botanical Drugs 147-148 
 
 Compass 152 
 
 Cooking Game 138-139 
 
 Crows 143 
 
 Deadfalls 82 
 
 Dogs 152 
 
 Drags 81 
 
 Drowners 81 
 
 Drying Furs 107 
 
 Drying Rack for Roots 148-149 
 
 Early and Late Trapping 97 
 
 Ermine Trapping 59 
 
 Fastening Traps — Methods of 70-77 
 
 Figure Four Trap 83 
 
 Fish Oil 89 
 
 Fisher Trapping 51 
 
 Fox Trapping 12-15 
 
 Fox Snaring 84-88 
 
 Fur Farming 140 
 
 Game — How to Cook 138-139 
 
 Game — How to Keep 139 
 
 Game Heads — How to Prepare for Mounting 145-146 
 
 Grading Raw Furs 98 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 157 
 
 Page 
 
 Guns 154 
 
 Hawks 141-142 
 
 Handling Skins 97-98 
 
 Hides 149 
 
 Hot Water — Uses of 44 
 
 Humane 108 
 
 Indian Snowshoe Hitch 121 
 
 Knife 152 
 
 Late Trapping and Early 97 
 
 Lemon — Uses of 144 
 
 Lynx Trapping 46 
 
 Marten Trapping 53 
 
 Matches 152 
 
 Mink Trapping 4-12 
 
 Mole Trapping 15 
 
 Muskrat — Preparing for Market 33-35 
 
 Muskrat — Shooting 36 
 
 Muskrat — Trapping 16-33 
 
 Net Making 130-132 
 
 Opossum Trapping 55 
 
 Otter Trapping 46-51 
 
 Owls 141-142 
 
 Pack Sack — How to Make 95 
 
 Pearl Hunting 143 
 
 Photography 154 
 
 Preparing Skins for Market 33-35 
 
 Prime 153 
 
 Raccoon Trapping 57-59 
 
 Rifle — Care of 150-151 
 
 Rubbers — How to Repair 153 
 
 Rules for Sportsmen 146 
 
 Salt 152 
 
 Scents — How to Make 89 
 
 Scraping Beam 115 
 
 Skinning Device 78 
 
 Skunk Trapping 61-62 
 
 Snake Poison 149 
 
 Snaring Foxes 84-88 
 
 Snow Shoe Hitch — Indian 121 
 
 Soap 153 
 
 Springy 153 
 
 Steel Traps— Sizes to Use 79-80 
 
158 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 Stretcher — Wire 113 
 
 Stretching Boards 110-112 
 
 Stretching Skins 108-1 10 
 
 Success in Trapping 108 
 
 Tail Bone — How to Remove 153 
 
 Tempering Steel 151 
 
 Tents — How to Warm 120 
 
 Tracks and Tracking 90-94 
 
 Trail — How to Mark. . , 136 
 
 Trail Sets 63-67 
 
 Trap Carrier 96 
 
 Trapping Boat — One Man 123-127 
 
 Turpentine — Use in Fur Business 151 
 
 Turtle Trapping 129 
 
 Venison — How to Cook 139 
 
 Waterproofing Shoes 
 
 Warming Tents 120 
 
 Weasel Trapping 59-6i 
 
 Wildcat Trapping 44 
 
 Winter Fishing 133-136 
 
 Wire Stretcher 113 
 
 Wolf Trapping 37-42 
 
 Wolves — Hunting Young 42 
 
 Wool Skins — How to Tan 132 
 
TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 159 
 
 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 
 
 FUR 
 FARMING 
 
 FOR- PROFIT > 
 
 A Practical Book for those who wish to take up 
 Fur Farming as a profitable occupation, or conduct 
 it as a side line with other stock raising. 
 
 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT is written from 
 the knowledge of various breeders who have learned 
 the business by actual experience. It is COMPLETE, 
 CORRECT and AUTHENTIC. 
 
 TEL,L.S HOW TO RAISE 
 
 MUSKRAT 
 FOX 
 
 SKUNK 
 
 MINK 
 
 OTTER 
 
 RACCOON 
 
 OPOSSUM 
 
 BEAVER 
 
 192 PAGES- 
 
 -60 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PRICE: 75 CENTS 
 
 -CLOTH BOUND 
 
 ORDER FROM 
 
 FUR NEWS, 71 West 23rd Street, New York 
 
i6o 
 
 TRAPPER'S COMPANION 
 
 44 
 
 MANY A MICKLE 
 MAKES A MUCKLE" 
 
 Small profits on 
 thousands of Raw 
 Fur Shipments are 
 more satisfactory to 
 us than large prof- 
 its on a few ship- 
 ments. Getting a 
 little bit more for 
 every shipment 
 means a good many 
 dollars at the end 
 of the season for the 
 raw fur shipper. 
 
 We do a large 
 volume of business, at a very close margin of profit and 
 
 YOU BENEFIT WHEN YOU SHIP TO US 
 
 Price List Free on Request 
 
 MAIBACH & EHLERS 
 
 Raw Fur Dealers 
 167 GREENE STREET NEW YORK 
 
pearls¥pearung 
 
 An Absorbing Book on a Fascinating Subject 
 
 Pearl Hunting, "Clamming," «^''P?^^^^"|ls AND 
 variously called, is fascinatmg work. PEARLb ANU 
 PEARLING'' is a new took by a practical peail 
 
 ^'"n^ describes fresh water clams; tells how and where 
 
 Other methods of pearl hsh- 
 ing • how to open the shells and 
 find the pearls ; tells why trap- 
 pers and hunters make good 
 pearl hunters; about the care, 
 value and sale of pearls; how 
 to improve imperfect pearls, 
 and everything else that a pearl 
 hunter wants to know. Valu- 
 able pearls have been found m 
 the rivers of Alabama, Arkan- 
 sas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, 
 ^... „... .. lo^va, Kansas, Kentucky, Louis- 
 
 iana Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New 
 Jersey New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,^ Tennessee, 
 Texas,' Virginia, West Verginia, Wisconsin, the New 
 England States and the Eastern Provinces of Canada. 
 
 Every trapper, hunter, fisherman and outdoor man 
 who Hves near a river which contains fresh water 
 clams ought to have a copy of this book. 
 
 Size 5x7 Inches 
 
 "03 PA.GES 56 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PRICE: 75 CENTS 
 
 -CLOTH BOUND 
 
 ADDRESS ORDERS TO 
 
 FUR NEWS, 71 West 23rd Street, New York 
 

 C=C_fiS 
 
 BANK ON BLUSTEIN 
 
 For best prices on all shipments. 
 
 For fairest assortments to all 
 shippers. 
 
 For quickest remittances on re- 
 ceipt of 
 
 Large or Small Lots of Raw 
 Furs and Ginseng 
 
 David Blustein & Bro. 
 
 The fastest Grilling Far 
 House in Nem York 
 
 162-164 West 27th St, New York 
 

 
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