r LIBRARY "i I UNIVERSITY OF 1 I CALIFORNIA I 1 SAN DIEGO J / ^'^^ I / 7/- tail Grouse, 103. Cock of the Plains, 103. Dusky Grouse, 104. Canada or Spruce Grouse, 104 White-tailed Ptarmigan, 105. Willow Ptarmi- gan, 105. European Grouse, 107. Water Fowl. 107. 4 CONTENTS. FISHING m AUTUMN AND WINTER PAGE 108—110. Spearing Fish, 108. FisHng througli tlie Ice, 109. Net-fishing in Win- ter, 109. Notes on Trapping and Wood-Craft. By F. R., p. Ill — 131. Plan of a Trapping Campaign. By Peter M. Gunter, p. 122 — 125. Boat-Building, p. 126—129. Snow-Shoes, p. 130. Oil for Fire- Arms, p. 130. NAERATIVES. PAGE 131—205. An Evening "with an Old Trapper, 131 — 137. A Young Trapper's Experience, 138 — 142. The Deer Hunt, 143 — 145. Muskrat Hunt- ing, 146 — 158. An Amateur in the North Woods, 159 — 174. Trav ELLiNG IN a Circle, 175 — 180. An Expedition to the Laurentian Hills, p. 181—205. APPENDIX. PAGE 206—216. History op the Newhouse Trap, 206-212. Description op the Newhouse Trap, 213—215. Conclusion, 216. FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. Portrait of S. Newliouse, Frontispiece. The Miiskrat, opposite pnge 21 The lylink, " " 23 The Marten, " " 25 The Sable, " " 26 The Fisher, " " 30 The Red Fox, " " 32 The Otter, " " 35 The Beaver, " " 43 The Wolf, " " 47 The Grizzly Bear, " " 48 The Raccoon, " " 50 The Badger, " " 53 The Wild Cat, " " 54 The Lynx, " " 56 The Cougar, " " 58 The Opossum, " " 67 The Skunk, " " 68 The Coypu Rat, " " 70 The Chinchilla, " " 71 The Woodchuck, " " 73 The Rat, " " 74 Family of Deer, " " 76 Moose Yard, " " 78 Mr. Newhouse's Tent and Stove, " " 84 Log Shanty, " " 93 Deer Breaking Cover, " " 95 The Ruffed Grouse " " 101 The Wild Goose, " " 107 Canoes, " " 136 Snow-Shoes and mode of wearing them, " " 130 Community Works, Willow Place, Oneida, N. T., " " 206 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT. The Otter SUde, page 37. The Claw Trap, 37. The Deer Trap, 76. Board Stretcher, 80. Muskrat Stretcher, 81. Shelter Tent, 85. Various sizes of the Newhouse Trap, 313-315. INTRODUCTION. BY THE EDITORS This book was not originally designed for amateur sports- men or for the reading public generally, but for practical workingmen who make or propose to make trapping a means of livelihood. The plan of it was suggested by a business necessity in the following manner : Mr. S. Newhouse, a member of the Oneida Community, having become widely known as the maker of an excellent kind of steel-traps, and it being generally understood that the practical perfection of his traps is owing to the wisdom in wood-craft which he gained in early life by actual experience in trapping, he has often been applied to by his customers and others for information in regard to the best methods of capt- uring various animals. The most convenient way to answer such applications seemed to be to put his wisdom in print, and let it go abroad with his traps. In preparing for publication the material furnished by Mr. Newhouse for this purpose, the editors found new facts, inquiries, and written contributions relating to trapping and kindred pursuits crowding upon them, till the original idea of a small technical pamphlet swelled to the dimensions of the present work. The objects which they have finally aimed at have been, on the one hand, to furnish all the information needed in oi-der to qualify a mere novice in trapping to enter upon the business intelli- gently and successfully ; and on the other, to make an inter- esting book for all lovers of wood-craft, and for the reading public at large. The character of the work, however, will be found to be 8 INTRODUCTION. mainly in accordance with its original practical design ; and it might properly be dedicated to poor men who are looking out for pleasant work and ways of making money ; and especially to the pioneers of settlement and civilization in all parts of the world. As honesty is always good policy, it is best also to confess here that the author and editors of this work are exten- sively engaged in the business of making steel-traps, and have an eye to their own interests, as well as to the interests of others, in this effort to help the business of trapping. And here perhaps is the place to say something of the mutual relations of the several trades immediately concerned in the subject of this book, and of their importance in the machinery of universal business. CONNECTION OF TRAPPING WITH OTHER TRADES. Trapping, in the business series, is the intermediate link between trap making and the fur-trade. The trapper buys of the trap-maker and sells to the fur-dealer. The first furnishes him with weapons, and the second buys his spoils. Through the first, he is related to the manufacturers and merchants of iron and steel, who furnish materials for his traps, and to the hardware men who bring them to his door. Through the second, he connects with the fur-manufacturer, the hatter, and the clothes dealer, and sends supplies of com- fort and luxury to the world of wealth and fashion. Trapping and trap-making are directly subservient to the fur-trade. They may be said to be branches of it, or even to be its foundations. The fur-business expands as they pros- per, and, vice versa, they prosper as the fur-business expands. The trapper and trap-maker watch the prices of furs, as the sailor watches the winds and the currents. When furs are high, trapping becomes active, and the trap-maker has his hands full of business. When furs are low, trapping declines, and the trap-maker has to dismiss his workmen. The importance of the subservient trades, trapping and trap-making, can best be judged by looking at the statistics of the great fur-market for which they work. The fur-trade, INTRODUCTION. 9 everybody knows, is an immense business. The making of the weapons and the fighting may be out of sight, but the spoils of the war are seen by all. Many a colossal fortune, like John Jacob Aster's, has been founded on peltry; and many a frontier city, like St. Paul's, has been built up by the traffic that originates in the enterprise of the trapper and trap- maker. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FUR-TRADE. The following statements are made on the authority of members of large fur-dealing firms in the city of New York. The yearly production of raw furs in the whole world is worth from seventeen to twenty millions of dollars, and the whole amount of the fur-trade, including manufactured goods, reaches a value of not less than one hundred millions. The whole number of Muskrat skins alone, taken annually, is estimated at five or six millions ; of which three milUons are used in Germany. Raw furs are divided by American dealers into two classes, viz., shipinng furs, i. e. furs that are to be sent abroad ; and home furs, or furs for use in this country. The leading arti- cles among shipping furs are the Silver, Red and Cross Fox, Raccoon, Fisher, Wildcat and Skunk. Among home furs are the Mink, Opossum, House Cat, Wolf, and Marten. The Muskrat and other furs are classified under both heads. Prices for shipping furs are regulated by the foreign de- mand. The great fur-marts in Europe, are London, Leipsic, and Nijni Novgorod. At these points semi-annual sales (or fairs as they are termed), take place. The spring sales are most important. Here the representatives of the leading fur-houses from all parts of Europe meet to make their purchases during the months of March, April, and May. The fur-trade of Leipsic is estimated at six and a half mill- ions of dollars annually. Raccoon fur is the great staple for Russia ; Red Fox for Turkey and the oriental countries ; Skunk for Poland and the adjacent provinces ; Muskrat for Germany, France, and England. 10 mTRODUCTION. New York is the great fur-inart in this country, and is the main depot of the shipping trade. There are no organized fur-companies at the present time. The business is carried on by private firms of lai'ge means and long experience. The New York Directory gives the names of more than one hun- dred furriers and fur-merchants, thirty of wliom are wholesale dealers. The leading fashionable fur for this country is the Mink ; but the furs that are within the reach of the masses, and most worn, are the Muskrat and the Opossum. The wearing of furs in this country is very little affected by climate^ but is regulated almost entirely by fashion. In Eu- rope, on the other hand, the state of the elements determines the extent of the call for furs as articles of clothing. Hence, notwithstanding the winters on both continents are growing milder, the demand for furs is continually increasing in this country, while in Europe it is falling off. The more thickly settled parts of the United States show a large decrease in the " catch " of furs ; but new territories are continually opening to the trapper ; and though he moves from year to year farther north and west, the supply steadily keeps pace with the demand. SEASON FOR TRAPPING. All furs are best in winter ; but trapping may be carried on to advantage for at least six months in the year, i. e. any time between the first of October and the middle of April. There is a period in the warm season, say from the first of May to the middle of September, when trapping is out of the question, as furs are worthless. The most trapping is done late in the fall and early in the spring. The reason why furs become worthless in summer is, that all fur-bearing animals shed their coats, or at least lose the finest and thickest part of their fur as warm weather ap- proaches ; and have a new growth of it in the fall to protect them in winter. This whole process is indicated in the case of the Muskrat, and some other animals, by the color of the inside part of the skin. As summer approaches, it becomes INTRODUCTION. 11 brown and dark. That is a sign that the best fur is gone. Afterwards it grows light-colored, and in winter when the fur is in the best condition it is altogether white. When the pelt is white it is called prime by the fur-dealers. The fur is then glossy, thick, and of the richest color, and the tails of sucli animals as the Mink, Marten, and Fisher are full and heavy. Beavers and Muskrats are not thoroughly prime till about the middle of winter. Other animals are prime about the first of November. There is probably some variation with the latitude, of the exact period at which furs become prime, the more northern being a little in advance. Trappers are liable to begin trapping too early in the season, conse- quently much poor fur is caught, which must be sold at low prices, and is unprofitable to the trapper, the fur-buyer and the manufacturer. STATISTICS OF THE FUR-TRADE. The following estimates of the annual production of all the fur countries in the world, were given in a volume on the fur-trade, published in 1864, by Heinrich Lomer, one of the principal fur-dealers of Leipzic. The total value is somewhat less than we have given on a previous page and is probably within the truth. YEARLY PRODUCTION OF FURS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. a .J ag g S ;3"S o "C<1 "StJ j= Names of Furs. W c c:^ 3 j:rJ3 -i g <§, [2 lli (Slo 1 ^ Sable 109,000 130,000 6,000 245,000 2,500,000 Mink 200,000 55,000 255,000 700,000 Pine Marten . . . ^ 120,000 60,000 180,000 840,000 stone Marten . . . 2.50,000 150,000 400,000 1,350,000 Fitch 380,000 220,000 000,000 600,000 Kolinsky or Tartar ) Marten . . . ) 80,000 80,000 80,000 Ermine 350,000 50,000 400,000 100,000 Squirrels . . . . 6,000,000 1,000,000 7,000.000 1,001,000 Muskrat 150,000 2,850,000 3,000,000 1,000,000 German Marmot . . 200,000 200,000 2,000 Chinchillas .... *100,000 100,000 80,000 Silver Fox .... 500 1,500 2,000 200,000 Cross Fox . . 5,600 4,300 100 10,000 77,000 Blue Fox .... 0,500 6,500 60,000 White Fox .... 54,000 8,000 23,000 85,000 85,000 Red Fox 46,000 140,000 60,000 85,000 830,000 700,000 12 INTRODUCnON. YEARLY PRODUCTION OF FURS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. — (Continued.) Names of Furs. a •i =* II .2t; Middle Europe. a CO "g lis p ?^ £ 3 s ■a _3 > Gray Fox .... KitFox Raccoon Fisher or Pekan . . Skunks Opossum .... Marmot or Wood- ) chuck . . . . / Bears Lynx Wolf Buffalo Wolverene .... Badger ..... Beaver Sea-Otter .... Otter Fur-Seals .... Seal Coypu Hnres Hiibbits C»t Lambskins .... Monkey Lion and Tiger . . 30,000 40,000 1,700 15,000 6,000 300 30,000 1,200 4,000 25,000 130,000 2,000,000 250,000 700,000 5,000 500 30,000 12,000 20,000 1,300,000 4,420,000 500,000 2,000,000 25,000 10,000 600,000 12,500 100,000 250,000 5,000 15,000 26,000 12,500 60,000 2,500 2,000 130,000 300 20,000 *30,000 f 20,000 ) 500,000 *3,000,000 580,000 45,000 *40.000 *500 *30,000 5,000 2,300 9,000 6,000 700 23,000 9,000 330,000 1,200,000 205,000 330,000 25,000 40,000 600,000 12,500 100,000 280,000 55,000 19,000 50,000 25,000 60,000 3,500 65,000 160,000 1,500 45,000 55,000 1,000,000 3,000,000 4,500,000 5,000,000 1,000,000 3,030,000 40,000 500 25,000 40,000 600,000 100,000 80,000 80,000 11,050 195,000 175,000 40,000 480,000 10,600 41,000 675,000 200,000 305,000 280,000 1,000,000 400,000 1,030,000 800,000 235,000 1,325,000 50,000 5,000 32,050,500 17,456,6501 t Value in American coin, $12,724,152.50. In tlie above table the numbers marked with an * are the products of South America, Southern Asia, Africa, Australia, the islands adjacent to these countries, and the South Sea Islands. TPIE TRAPPER'S ART. By S. NEWHOUSE. I. PRELIMINARIES. Wild animals are taken for various reasons besides the value of their furs. Some are sought as articles of food ; others are destroyed as nuisances. In these cases the meth- ods of capture are not essential. Animals that are valuable for food may be run down by dogs, or shot by the rifle or fowling-piece ; and nuisances may be destroyed by poison. But for the capture of fur-bearing animals, there is but one profitable method, namely, by steel-traps. Other methods were much used by trappers in old times, before good steel- traps were made ; and are still used in semi-barbarous coun- tries, where steel-traps are unknown, or cannot be had. I will briefly mention two or three of these methods, and the objections to them, and after that give my views of the true method. THE DEAD-FALL. This is a clumsy contrivance for killing animals, which can be made anywhere, with an axe and hard work. It con- sists of two large poles (or logs when set for bears and other large animals), placed one over the other and kept in place by four stakes, two on each side. The upper pole is raised at one end high enough above the lower to admit the entrance of the animal, and is kept up in that position by the familiar contrivance of the stick and spindle, or " figure four." A tight pen is made with sticks, brush, &c., on one side of this structure, at right angles to it, and the spindle projects ob- 14 THE TRAPPER'S ART. liquely into tliis pen, so tliat the bait attached to it is about ei^ht inches beyond tlie side of the poles. The animal, to reach the bait, has to place his body between the poles and at riivht angles to them, and on pulling the spindle, springs the "figure four," and is crushed. The objections to this contrivance are, first, that it takes a long time to make and set one, thus wasting the trapper's time ; and second, that animals caught in this way lie exposed to the voracity of other animals, and are often torn in pieces before the trapper reaches them, which is not the case when animals are caught in steel-traps, properly set, as will be shown hereafter. Moreover, the dead-fall is very uncertain in its operation, and woodsmen who have become accustomed to crood steel-traps, call it a " miserable toggle," not worth bait- ing when they find one ready made in the woods. POISONING. Animals are sometimes poisoned with strychnine. I have myself taken foxes in this way. I used about as much strych- nine as would be contained in a percussion-cap, inclosed firmly in a piece of tallow as large as a chestnut, and left on the fox's bed. After swallowing such a dose, they rarely go more than three or four rods before they drop dead. The objection to this method is, that it spoils the skin. Furriers say that the poison spreads through the whole body of the animal, and kills the life of the fur, so that they can- not work it profitably. Poison is used very little by woods-" men at the present time. SHOOTING. This method of lulling fur-bearing animals, is still quite prevalent in some countries. It is said to be the principal method in Russia, and is not altogether disused in this coun- try. But it is a very w\istefu] method. Fur-dealers and manufacturers consider skins that have been shot, especially by the fowling-piece, as hardly worth working. The holes that are made in the skin, whether by shot or bullets, are but a small part of the damage done to it. The shot that enter PRELIMINARIES. 15 the body of the animal directly, are almost harmless compared with those that strike it obliquely, or graze across it. Every one of these grazing shot, however small, cuts a furrow in the fur, sometimes several inches in length, shaving every hair in its course as with a razor. Slits in the skin have to be cut out to the full extent of these furrows, and closed up or new pieces fitted in. Hence when the hunter brings his stock of skins to the experienced furrier, he is generally saluted with the question, "Are your furs shot, or trapped?" and if he has to answer, " They were shot," he finds the dealer quite indif- ferent about buying them at any price. The introduction of good steel-traps into Russia would probably add millions of dollars annually to the value of the furs taken in that vast territory. STEEL-TRAPS. The experience of modern trappers, after trying all other methods, and all kinds of new-fashioned traps, has led them almost unanimously to the conclusion, that the old steel-trap, when scientifically and faithfully made, is the surest and most economical means of capturing fur-bearing animals. Some of the reasons for this conclusion are these: Steel-traps can be easily transported ; can be set in all situations on land or under water ; can be easily concealed ; can be tended in great numbers ; can be combined by means of chain and ring with a variety of contrivances (hereafter to be described) for se- curing the animal caught from destruction by other animals, and from escape by self-amputation ; and above all, the steel- trap does no iiijury to the fur. And here I think it my duty as a true friend to the trapper, to give him the benefit of my experience and study in regard to the form and qualities of a good steel-trap, that he may be able to judge and choose the weapons of his warfare intelli- gently. REQUISITES OF A GOOD TRAP. The various sizes of traps adapted to different kinds of animals, of course requii*e different forms and qualities, which will be spoken of in tlie j)roper places hereafter. But several of the essentials are the same in all good traps. 16 THE TRAPPER'S ART. 1. The jaws should not he too thin and sharp-cornered. Jaws made of sheet-iron, or of plates approaching to the thinness of sheet-iron, and having sharp edges, or, still worse, sharp teeth, will almost cut off an animal's leg by the bare force of the spring, if it is a strong one, and will always materially help an animal to gnaw or twist oiF his leg. And it should be known, that nearly all the animals that escape, get away by self-amputation. 2. The pan should 7iot he too large. A large pan, filling nearly the whole space of the open jaws, may seem to increase the chances of an animal's being caught, by giving him more surface to tread upon in springing the trap. But there is a mistake in this. When an animal springs a trap by treading on the outer part of a large pan, his foot is near the jaw, and instead of being caught, is liable to be thrown out by the stroke of the jaw ; whereas, when he treads on a small pan, his foot is nearly in the centre of the sweep of the jaws, and he is very sure to be seized far enough up on the leg to be well secured. 3. Tlie sjjring shmild he strong enough. This is a matter for good judgment, that cannot well be explained here ; but it is safe to say that very many traps, in consequence of false economy on the part of manufacturers, are furnished with springs that are too weak to secure strong and desperate animals. 4. The spring should he tempered scientifically. Many springs, in consequence of being badly tempered, " give down " in a little while, i. e., lose their elasticity and close together ; and others break in cold weather, or when set under water. 5. TJie spring should he correctly proportioned and tapered. Without this, the stronger it is and the better it is temj^ered, the more liable it is to break. 6. The form of the jaivs must he such as to give the how of the spring a proper inclined plane to ivorh upon. In many traps, the angle at the shoulder of the jaws is so great, that even a strong spring will not hold a desperate animal. 7. The adjustment of the spring and jaws must he such, PRELIMINARIES. 17 that the jaws will lie fiat when open. Otherwise the trap can- not well be secreted. 8. TJie jau'S must work easily in the posts. For want of attention to this, many traps will not spring. 9. The adjustment of all the parts and their actual working should he so inspected and tested that every trap sJiall he ready for use — '■''sure to go^'' and sure to hold. In consequence of the unfaithfulness of trap-makers in inspecting and testing their work, many a trapper, after lugging a weary back-load of traps into the wilderness, finds that a large portion of them have some " hitch " which either makes them worthless or requires a tug at tinkering before they can be made to do the poorest service. German and English traps are almost universally liable to criticism on all the points above mentioned ; and most of the traps made in this country fail in one or more of them. In addition to the foregoing requisites, every trap should be furnished with a stout chain, faithfully welded, with ring and swivel. And let the trapper look well to the condition of the swivel. Many of the malleable iron swivels used by second-rate, careless manufacturers, Avill not turn at all ; and many an animal escapes by twisting off chains that have these dead swivels. In treating of the capture of particular animals, I shall have occasion to refer frequently to several contrivances tliat are used in connection with the fastening of steel-traps. I will therefore describe those contrivances here, once for all. THE SPRING-POLE. In taking several kinds of land animals, such as the mar- ten and fisher, it is necessar}^ to provide against their being devoured by other animals before the trapper reaches them, and also against their gnawing off their own legs, or breaking the chain of the trap by violence. The contrivance used for this purpose is called a spring-pole, and is prepared in the fol- lowing manner : If a small tree can be found standing near the place where your trap is set, trim it and use it for a spring 18 THE TRAPPER'S ART. as it stands. If not, cut a pole of sufficient size and drive it firmly into the ground ; bend down the top ; fasten the chain- ring to it ; and fasten the pole in its bent position by a notch or hook on a small tree or a stick driyen into the ground. When the animal is caught, his struggles, pulling on the chain, unhook the pole, which flying up with a jerk, carries him into the air, out of the reach of prowlers, and in a con- dition that disables his attempts to escape by self-amputation or other yiolence. The size of the pole must be proportioned to the weight of the game which it is expected to lift. THE SLIDING-POLE. Animals of aquatic habits, when caught in traps, invariably plunge at once into deep water ; and it is the object of the trapper, availing himself of this plunge, to drown his captive as soon as possible, in order to stop his violence, and keep him out of the reach of other animals. The weight of the trap and chain is usually sufficient for this purpose in the case of the muskrat. But in taking the larger amphibious animals, such as the beaver, the trapper uses a contrivance Avhich is called the sUding-pole. It is prepared in the following man- ner : Cut a pole ten or twelve feet long, leaving branches enough on the small end to prevent the ring of the chain from slipping off. Place this pole near where you set your tx'ap, in an inclined position, with its small end reaching into the deep- est part of the stream, and its large end secured at the bank by a hook driven into the ground. Slip the ring of your chain on to this pole, and see that it is free to traverse down the whole length. When the animal is taken it plunges desperately into the region towards which the pole leads. The ring slides down to the end of the pole at the bottom of the stream, and, with a short chain, prevents the victim from rising to the sur- face or returning to the shore. THE CLOG. Some powerful and violent animals, if caught in a trap that is staked fast, will pull their legs off, or beat the trap in pieces ; but if allowed to drag the trap about with a moderate PRELIMm ARIES. 19 weight attached, will behave more gently, or at least will not be able to get loose for want of purchase. The weight used in such cases is called a clog. It is usually a pole or stick of wood, of a size suited to the ring of the trap-chain, and to the size of the game. As the object of it is to encumber the animal, but not to hold it fast, the chain should be attached to it near one of its ends, so that it will not be likely to get fast among the rocks and bushes for a considerable time. The usual way is to slip the ring over the large end of the pole and fasten it with a wedge. RULE FOR BAITING. There is one general principle in regard to baiting animals that may as well be recorded and explained here, as it is ap- plicable to all cases. It is this : Never put bait on the pan of a trap. The old-fashioned traps were always made with holes in the pan for strings to tie on bait ; and many if not most novices in trapping imagine that the trae way is to attract the animal's nose straight to the centre of action, by piling bait on the pan, as though it were expected to catch him by the head. The truth, however, is, that animals are very rarely taken by the head or the body, but almost always by a leg. When an animal pulls at a bait on the pan of a trap, he is not likely even to spring the trap, for he lifts in the wrong direc- tion ; and if he does spring it, the position of his head is such, especially if the bait is high on the pan, that he is pretty sure to give the jaws the slip. Besides, bait on the pan calls the attention of the wary animal to the trap ; whereas he ought to be wholly diverted from it, and all signs of it obliterated. Bait should always be placed so that the animal in attempting to take it shall put a foot on the pan. This can be done in several ways, all of which will be explained in detail here- after. But this general direction may be given for all cases that are not otherwise prescribed for : Place the bait either on a stick above the trap, or in an inclosure so arranged that the animal will have to step over the trap to reach it. 20 THE TRAPPER'S ART. PROPER OUTFIT OF TRAPS. In preparing for a trapping excursion, the novice naturally inquires how many traps he shall take along. If the question were simply how many traps he could tend, I should probably say from one to two hundred. But the main question really is, how many traps can he carry? If he is going on a marsh, lake, or river, where he can travel by boat, or into a region where he can carry his baggage by horse and wagon, he may take along all the traps he can tend, — the more the better. But if he is going by overland routes into the rough, woody regions where most game abounds, and consequently must carry his baggage on his back, he will probably find that seventy-five small traps, or an equivalent weight of large and small ones, will be as much as he will like to carry. PROFITS OF TRAPPING. The provident candidate for wood-craft will want to know what wages a man is likely to make at trapping. I will give him a few instances of what has been done, and then he may judge for himself. I have cleared seven dollars per day for a five weeks' trip. A man that once trapped with me, caught fifty-three muskrats in one night, which at present prices would be worth fifteen dollars and ninety cents. I know several men in Jefferson county (New York), who paid for good farms with furs that they caught within eight miles of home. It is not uncommon for two men to make five hun- di*ed dollars in a trapping season. But too much reliance must not be placed on these specimens. Good weather, good trapping-grounds, good traps, good judgment, and good luck must be combined, to secure good profits. II. CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. It will be useful to the inexperienced trapper to have some account of the appearance and habits of each animal in con- nection with instructions for capturing it. Such information is often indispensable as the basis of plans and contrivances for capture. I shall confine myself to brief descriptions in common language, not attempting any thing scientific ; and I shall avail myself of the help of books where my own obser- vation and experience fail. THE MUSKRAT OR MUSQUASH. This is an animal of amphibious habits. Its head and body are from thirteen to fifteen inches in length. The tail is nine or ten inches long, two-edged, and for two thirds its length I'udder-shaped, and covered with scales and thin, short hair, the edges being heavily fringed. The hind feet are slightly webbed ; so that it can " feather the oar," as boatmen say, when they are brought forward in swimming. The color is brown above and ashy beneath. Muskrats are nocturnal in their habits ; but are frequently seen swimming and feeding in the day time. They are excellent swimmers, and can go from ten to fifteen rods under water withovit breathing. Their natural food is grass and roots ; but they will eat clams, mus- sels, flesh, corn, oats, wheat, apples, and many other vegeta- bles. In open winters they sometimes find their way into farmers' cellars through drains, and make free with whatever they find in store. They thrive best in sluggish streams or ponds bordered with grass and flags. The roots of these plants are their chief support, and from the tops they con- struct their abodes. These structures are dome- shaped, and 22 THE TRAPPER'S ART. rise sometimes to the height of five or six feet. The entrances ai-e at the bottom, under water; so that the inside of the houses are not exposed to the open air. The Muskrats hve in them in winter, gathering into famihes of from six to ten members. Hundreds of these dwelhngs can be counted from a single point in many large marshes. Muskrats have a curious method of travelling long distances imder the ice. In their winter excursions to their feeding- grounds, which are frequently at great distances from their abodes, they take in breath at starting and remain under the water as long as they can. Then they rise up to the ice, and breathe out the air in their lungs, which remains in bubbles against the lower surface of the ice. They wait till this air recovers oxygen from the water and the ice, and then take it in again and go on till the operation has to be repeated. In this way they can travel almost any distance, and live any length of time under the ice. The hunter sometimes takes advantage of this habit of the Muskrat, in the following manner : When the marshes and ponds where Muskrats abound are first frozen over and the ice is thin and clear, on striking into their houses with his hatchet for the purpose of setting his traps, he frequently sees a whole fiimily plunge into the water and swim away under the ice. Followino- one of them for some distance, he sees him come up to renew his breath in the manner above described. After the animal has breathed against the ice, and before he has had time to take his bubble in again, the hunter strikes with his hatchet directly over him and drives him away from his breath. In this case he drowns in swimming a few rods, and the hunter, cutting a hole in the ice, takes him out. Mink, otter, and beaver travel under the ice in the same way ; and hunters have frequently told me of taking otter in the manner I have described, when these animals visit the houses of the Muskrat for prey. In summer, Muskrats live mostly in banks and in hollow trees that stand near a stream ; and sometimes, for want of suitable marshes and ponds, they remain in the banks and trees through the winter. They are very prolific, bringing J^ •" // ^-v CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. • 23 forth from six to nine at a birth, and three times a year. The first kittens also have one litter, which attain to about the size of house-rats in September. They have many enemies, such as the fox, wolf, lynx, otter, mink, and owl. They are found from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Rio Grande to the Arctic Regions. But they do not inhabit the alluvial lands of Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, though in other regions they live much further south. The modes of capturing the Muskrat are various. One of them we have already seen. Another is by spearing, of which a fine example will be given in a subsequent article by Mr. Thacker. These methods are good at certain seasons and in certain conditions of the ice, &c, ; but for general serv- ice there is no means of capture so reliable as the steel-trap. Traps should be set in the principal feeding places, play- grounds, and holes of the Muskrat, and generally about two inches under water. Bait is not necessary except when game is scarce and its signs not fresh. In that case you may bait with apples, parsnips, carrots, artichokes, white flag-roots, or even the flesh of the muskrat. The musk of this animal will sometimes draw effectually at long distances. The bait should be fastened to the end of a stick, and stuck over the trap about eight inches high, and in such a position that the animal will have to pass over the trap to take the bait. Care should be taken to fasten the trap to a stake in such a position that the chain will lead the captive into deep water and drown him. If he is allowed to entangle himself or by any means to get ashore, he will be very likely to gnaw or twist off" a leg and get away. THE MINK. The Mink is found in the northern parts of America, Eu- rope, and Asia. Its fur is very valuable, and in this country of late years has been the most popular kind. The Mink is carnivorous, and belongs to the fnustelidce or weasel family. It resembles the ferret and ermine. It is not amphibious like tlie muskrat, yet lives on the banks of streams and gets much of its food from them. It is of a dark brown color , has ehort legs, a long body and neck, and a bushy tail. In this 24 . THE TRAPPER'S ART. country there are two varieties, which some naturahsts have supposed were distinct species ; one small, dark-colored, com- mon in the Northern and Eastern States and Canada ; the other larger, with lighter-colored, coarser, and less valuable fur, common in the Western and Southern States. The dark- colored variety measures from eleven to eighteen inches in length from the nose to the root of the tail, and has a tail from six to ten inches in length. The European and Asiatic Mink is a distinct species. Mink are ramblers in their habits, except in the breeding season. They feed on fish, frogs, snakes, birds, mice, and muskrats ; and the hen-roost frequently suffers from their dep- redations. They are very fond of speckled trout, and pretty sure to find out the streams where those fish abound. Their breeding season commences about the last of April, and the females bring forth from four to six at a litter. The young are hid by the mother till they attain nearly half their growth, as the males of this species, as well as of the marten, fisher, weasel, panther, and most carnivorous animals, destroy their young when they can find them. Mink can be taken in steel-traps, either on land or in the water. Experts generally prefer to take them on land. The trap should be set near the bank of a stream. If one of their holes cannot be found, make a hole by the side of a root or a stump, or anywhere in the ground. Three sides of the cavity should be barricaded with stones, bark, or rotten wood, and the trap set at the entrance. The bait may be fish, birds, or the flesh of the muskrat, cut in small pieces ; and it should be put into the cavity beyond the trap, so that the animal will have to step over the trap in taking the bait. The trap should be concealed by a covering of leaves, rotten vegetation, or, what is better, the feathers of some bird. In very cold weather the bait should be smoked to give it a stronger smell. Mink can be attracted long distances by a scent that is pre- pared from the decomposition of eels, trout, or even minnows. These fishes are cut in small pieces, and put into a loosely- corked bottle, which is allowed to hang in the sunshine for two or three weeks in summer, when a sort of oil is formed CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 25 which emits a very strong odor. A few drops of this oil on the bait, or even on a stick without bait, will draw Mink very effectually. The chain of the trap should be fastened to a spring-pole, strong enough to lift the animal, when caught, out of the reach of the fisher, fox, and other depredators ; or if the trap is set near deep water, it may be attached to a sliding-pole, which will secure the game by drowning it. Both of these devices are fully described on pages 17 and 18. THE MARTEN. The Marten is found on this Continent from about north latitude forty degrees to the northern limits of the woods, or about sixty-eight degrees. On the Eastern Continent they in- habit all the North of Europe and Asia, except the treeless districts of the cold regions. The principal species are, the Pine Marten, which inhabits both continents, the Beech or Stone Marten of Europe, the Sable of Russia and Nortliern Asia, and the Japanese Sable. Naturalists class tlie fisher, also, with the Martens. The Russian Sable is the finest and most valuable of all the Martens. The Hudson's Bay and Lake Superior Martens are next in value. Those from Hud- son's Bay, though really a variety of the American Pine Marten, are commonly called Hudson's Bay Sables, and their fur is known by that name in the markets of Europe. The Marten belongs to the weasel family, and is carnivo- rous. It is about as large as the mink, and differs but little from the latter in form, save that its feet are larger and hairy to the toes, and its tail is somewhat larger and of a dark brown or black color. The fur of the American Pine Marten is gen- erally of a yellowish brown, but varies greatly in color accord- ing to season, latitude, and locality. The Hudson's Bay and Lake Superior Mai'tens are very dark-colored. Tiie favorite haunts of these animals are the thick dark woods of the cold snowy regions. They are strictly arboreal in their habitat. They generally live in hollow trees, but occasionally they ex- cavate dens in the ground. They feed on rabbits, birds, squirrels, mice, and other small animals ; are fond of beech- 26 THE TRAPPER'S ART. nuts, and, it is said, resemble the bear in their fondness for honey. They are active climbers, and their small size enables them to pursue the gray squirrel and capture him in his hiding-places. They are, however, unable to cope in speed with the red squirrel or chickaree. They are not strictly nocturnal in their habits, as some have asserted, being fre- quently seen and killed in the daytime. Their breeding sea- son begins in March or April, and they have from three to five young at a time, which are hidden from the males during infancy. Sir John Richardson, the Arctic explorer, says that " par- ticular races of Martens, distinguished by the fineness and dark color of their fur, appear to inhabit certain rocky dis- tricts." Throughout the Hudson's Bay Territory there is a period- ical disappearance of the Martens, w^hich is very i-emarkable. It occurs, according to Bernard Rogan Ross, in decades, or thereabouts, with wonderful regularity, and it is not known what becomes of them. They are not found dead, and there is no evidence of their migration. The failure extends through the whole territory at the same time. In the seasons of their disappearance, the few that remain will scarcely touch bait. There seems to be a providential instinct in this by which the total destruction of the race is prevented. Martens are taken in steel-traps by the same method as the mink. In winter, however, the traps should be set in hollow logs or trees, secured from the covering of snows, and con- cealed by the feathers of a bird. The Marten trappers of the Hudson's Bay Company commonly bait with fish-heads, pieces of flesh-meat, or, what they consider still better, the heads of wild fowl, which the natives gather for this purpose in au- tumn. THE SABLE. As I have already remarked, the Sable is closely allied to the martens. It is classed with them in Natural History, un- der the scientific name of 3Iartes Zibellina. Two species are known : the 3Iartes Zibellina or Russian Sable, and the Jap- anese Sable. The latter is marked with black on its legs and CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 27 feet. It is thought by some of the Hudson's Bay Company's agents, that a marten exists in the northwestern part of Brit-. ish America, and in the late Russian Possessions, Avhich, if not the same, is A'ery closely allied to the Russian Sable. The Russian Sable is spread over a vast extent of territory, being found from the northern parts of European Russia eastward to Kamtschatka. Its size is about equal to that of the marten, beins about eighteen inches in length exclusive of the tail. It too o is not very prolific, seldom bringing forth more than five at a birth, and generally only three. This takes place in March and April. They make their homes chiefly near the banks of rivers, and in the thickest parts of the woods. They usu- ally live in holes which they burrow in the earth. These burrows are commonly made more secure by being dug among the roots of trees. Occasionally they make their nests in the hollows of trees, and there rear their young. Their nests are composed of moss, leaves, and dried grass, and are soft and warm. Their food varies with the season, and is partly ani- mal and partly vegetable. In the summer, when hai'es and other small animals are wandering about, the Sable devours great numbers of them. But in winter, when these animals are confined in their retreats by the frost and snow, the Sable is said to feed on wild berries. It also hunts and devours the ermine and small weasels, and such birds as its agility enables it to seize. Sometimes, when other sources of food fail, it will follow the track of wolves and bears, and feed on the rem- nants of prey these animals may have left. The fur of the Sable is in great request, and is the most beautiful and richly tinted of all the martens. The color is a rich brown, slightly mottled with white about the head, and having a gray tinge on the neck ; it varies somewhat according to locality, and in some regions is very dark. The best skins are said to be obtained in Yakootsk, Kamtschatka, and Russian Lapland. Atkinson, in his " Travels in Asiatic Russia," says that Bagouzin, on Lake Baikal, is famed for its Sables. No skins have yet been found in any part of the world equal to them. The fur is of a deep jet black, with points of hair tipped with white. This constitutes their peculiar beauty. 28 THE TRAPPER'S ART. From eighty to ninety dollars are sometimes demanded by the hunters for a single skin. The Russian Sable is monopolized by the imperial family and nobility of that country. Only a few skins find their way into other countries. Some, however, are obtained privately in Siberia, by Jewish traders, and brought annually to the Leipzig fair. The fur of the Sable has the peculiarity of being fixed in the skin in such a manner that it will turn with equal freedom in all directions, and lies smoothly in whatever direction it may be pressed. The fur is rather long in propor- tion to the size of the animal, and extends down the limbs to the claws. The best method of capturing the Sable is by the steel-trap, the same as I have already described for taking the mink and marten. The Sable can be domesticated with success. THE ERMINE. Next in importance to the sable, amongst European furs, is that of the Ermine. The Ermine belongs to the Aveasel fam- ily, has the general weasel shape and appearance, and inhabits the northern parts of Europe and Asia. It is a small animal, measuring only about fourteen inches in total length, of which the tail occupies four inches. There is, however, considerable variation in the size of individuals. The Ermine is carniv- orous and a most determined hunter. It preys on hares, rab- bits, and all kinds of small quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles. It is very fond of rabbits, of which, especially the young, it destroys great numbers. The pheasant and partridge also suffer greatly from its predacity. It pursues its game with great pertinacity and rarely suffers it to escape. It is also a great plunderer of birds' nests of all kinds. Its favorite mode of attacking its prey is by fastening on the neck and sucking the blood of its victim. Wood, in his " Illus- trated Natural History," gives the following account of the manner in which the hare is hunted by the Stoat or Ermine : "Although tolerably swift of foot, it is entirely unable to cope with the great speed of the hare, an animal which frequently falla CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 29 a victim to the Stoat. Yet it Is enabled, by its great delicacy of scent and the singular endurance of its frame, to run down any hare on whose track it may have set itself, in spite of the long legs and wonderful speed of its prey. When pursued by a Stoat, the hare does not seem to put forward its strength as it does when it is fol- lowed by dogs, but as soon as it discovers the nature of its pursuer, seems to lose all energy, and hops lazily along as if its faculties were benumbed by some powerful agency. This strange lassitude, in whatever manner it may be produced, is of great service to the Stoat, in enabling it to secure an animal which might in a very few minutes place itself beyond the reach of danger, by running in a straight line. " In this curious phenomenon, there are one or two points worthy of notice. "Although the Stoat is physically less powerful than the hare, it yet is endowed with, and is conscious of, a moral superiority, which will at length attain its aim. The hare, on the other hand, is sensi- ble of its weakness, and its instincts of conservation are much weaker than the destructive instinct of its pursuer. It must be conscious of its inferiority, or it would not run, but boldly face its enemy ; for the hare is a fierce and determined fighter when it is matched against animals that are possessed of twenty times the muscular powers of the Stoat. But as soon as it has caught a glimpse of the fiery eyes of its persecutor, its faculties fail, and its senses become oppressed with that strange lethargy which is felt by many creatures when they meet the fixed gaze of the serpent's eye. A gentleman who once met with a dangerous adventure with a cobra, told mc that the creature moved its head gently from side to side in front of his face, and that a strange and soothing influence began to creep over his senses, depriving him of the power of motion, but at the same time removing all sense of fear. So the hare seems to be influenced by a similar feeling, and to be enticed as it were to its fate, the senses of fear and pain benumbed, and the mere animal faculties surviving to be destroyed by the single bite." The mink, marten, fisher, and other members of the weasel family, are said to exercise an influence on their prey sunihir to that above described. The color of tlie Ermine in summer is a light reddisli brown on tlie upper parts of the body, and lighter tinted or nearly wliite underneath. In winter, in the high northern latitudes, 30 THE TRAPPER'S ART. its fur changes to a delicate cream-colored white, on all parts of the body except the tip of the tail, which retains its black color and forms a fine contrast to the rest of the body. It is only in the coldest portions of Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Siberia that the Ermine becomes sufficiently blanched in win- ter to become of any commercial value. Russian Asia fur- nishes the greater portion of those caught. In England the Ermine, when in its summer coat, is commonly called the Stoat, and, on account of its predaceous habits, is thoroughly detested. Ermine fur was formerly monopolized by the royal families and nobility of Europe, but now finds its way into the gen- eral markets. The same general methods should be pursued in trapping the Ermine as in the case of the mink and marten. THE FISHER. This animal is usually called Pennant's Marten by the naturalists. From some hunters it also receives the name of Pekan. But in the fur-trade it is generally known as the FiSlier. It is strictly a North American animal, ranging from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee to the Great Slave Lake, and perhaps still further north. The Fisher belongs to the weasel family, and resembles both the marten and the wolverene in its habits and general appearance, though much larger than the former and less than the latter. Its general shape is like that of the marten, but its head is more pointed, its ears are more rounded, its neck, legs, and feet are stouter in proportion, and its claws much stronger. An averao-e, full-sized Fisher will measure about two feet from the nose to the root of the tail. Its tail is about fifteen inches in length. Its feet are large, short, and stout, and thickly covered with fur and hair. The color of its fur is dark brown or black, and its tail is black and bushy. Fishers are found chiefly in the cold, snowy regions of the north, and are generally nocturnal in their habits, though less so than the fox. They do not live so exclusively in the CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 81 woods as the marten, but their food is much the same. They prey on hares, raccoons, squirrels, grouse, mice, and small birds, and have been seen watching for fish, lying on a log that crossed the stream, with head inclined downward, ready for a plunge. They, however, prefer flesh -meat to fish. Their breeding season begins in March or April, and from two to four young are brought forth at a time. The young are hidden from the males in hollow trees at a considerable distance from the ground, until they are large enough to take care of themselves. Fishers are taken in steel-traps by the same metliods as the mink and marten. The barricade round the trap, however, should be stronger, and the entrance larger. The trap in all cases should be fastened to a spring-pole of sufficient strength to lift the animal clear from the ground, as it is pretty sure to gnaw off a leg or the pole, if left where it can touch the ground. The Hudson's Bay Company's trappers sometimes use the same methods in trapping the Fisher as those em- ployed in fox trapping. Messrs. Holland and Gunter, trap- pers of many years' experience in the Laurentian Hills, of Canada West, describe their mode of trapping the Fisher as follows : — " For capturing the Fisher, we always draw a trail composed of tlie oil of anise, assafoetida, and the musk of the muskrat, mixed with fish oil, and placed in a deerskin bag about the size of a mitten, pierced full of holes with a small awl. If drawn along tl.e line of traps the scent is sure to attract the Fisher's attention, and when an animal once finds it, he will follow the trail till he comes to a trap. Mink are sometimes caught along trails of this kind ; and it is a good plan to set a trap for wolves on the line, as they are likely to be attracted to and follow it. In setting tlie trap, we either place it in a hollow log, or build a strong house and place the trap at the entrance. In the latter case the bait sliould be placed in the back part of the house, about two feet from the door. The trap should be covered with finely powdered rotten wood. A spring-pole should be used, as all animals of the canine family will follow the trail and rob the traps. Deer-meat, muskrat-mcat, or fi^h, make good bait for the fisher, marten, mink, or wolf," 82 THE TRAPPER'S ART. The Fisher is an exceedingly powerful animal for its size, and will tear down wooden traps, or " dead-falls," with ease. It frequently annoys the trapper by robbing his marten-traps of their bait, or of the animals they have caught. Indeed, the marten-trappers of the Hudson's Bay Territory consider an old Fisher as great an infliction as a wolverene. It will follow a " line " of traps for miles, and visits them with ex- emplary regularity. The structure for taking the marten being too small to admit the entrance of a Fisher, he breaks in from behind, and thus secures the bait without getting into the trap. THE FOX. The members of the Fox or Vulpine genus are numerous. Foxes are distributed through all latitudes, but they are most abundant in the North. Naturalists recognize fourteen different species. On this continent we have the Red, the Cross, the Silver or Black, the Prairie, the Swift or Kit, the Gray, the Coast, and the Arctic species. Northern Asia is re])rescnted by the Black and Gray, the White, the Red, and tlie Kit ; European Russia, Sweden, and Norway, by the Black and Gray, the Cross, the Blue, the White, and the Red ; Middle Europe, by the Red ; and Greenland by tlie Blue and the White. In Southern Africa the Asse or Cnama, and in Northern Africa the Fennec or Zerda, belong to the Fox genus. Fur-dealers say that there are thirteen different varieties or species of the Fox in Russia. The Fox is one of the most important of the fur-bearing animals. The most valuable, most beautiful, most rare, and most sought for of all the foxes, is the Silver Gray or Black. It is found in the high northern latitudes of both continents, but only about two thousand skins in all are annually ob- tained. The best ones bring at the London sales as much as two hundred dollars each. The Cross Fox is next in value. On this continent the Black, Cross, and Ref Otter Slide. I have shown on page 14 that the shooting of fur-bearing animals is a wasteful practice, because it injures the fur. It is especially wasteful in the case of aquatic animtils, because they sink when shot in the water and generally are lost. Very few Otter are saved that are killed in this way. Some trappers take the Otter with what is called a " claw- trap " — an instrument that springs like a common steel - trap, but strikes and kills the animal with claws or hooks. This trap should be set on the steepest " slides," at about the middle of the descent and in the centre of the path, so that the Otter, in his game of sliding down hill shall Claw Trap. 38 THE TRAPPER'S ART. spring the hooks and be struck in the centre of the body or breast. The trap must be carefully secreted. But the common steel-trap is undoubtedly the best means of taking the Otter; and this instrument should be placed not on the middle of the " slide," but at the highest point of it, where the animal starts for his descent. The reason is, that at that point he is likely to be in a walking position, so as to be caught by his legs ; whereas when he is on his way down the hill, he is sliding and rolling with his fore legs under his body, and is very apt to spring the trap with his breast or belly so as not to be seized by the jaws. Also the trap should be placed a little on one side of the central path of the " slide," because the leo;s of the Otter stand out on the sides of his body and are so far apart, that he is likely to put down his feet on each side of the trap and not in it, if it is set in the middle. of the path. A small cavity should be made in the earth with a knife or hatchet, and the trap inserted so as to be nearly level with the path. Under the pan and around the jaws and springs there should be a light packing of leaves and moss. The top covering should be dry leaves of some •evergreen or rotten wood broken very fine and brushed off smooth so as to appear natural. The trap should be fastened in the following manner : Cut a small tree of the size of the chain-ring and set it upright near enough to the path to assist in guiding the animal into the trap, supporting it in that posi- tion and securing the trap and game by withing or tying the top to another tree. The ring should be slipped on the butt and fastened by a wedge. After the trap is thus properly set, covered and fastened, a dry bush may be carelessly dropped in such a position as to turn the Otter in the right direction toward the trap. The whole apparatus should then be thor- oughly drenched wntli water, which can be done by dipping an evergreen bough in the stream and sprinkling. Finally, perfume the place of the trap with a few drops of the fish-oil described on page 24. The musk of the Otter (which is an oil taken from two small glands, called oil-stones, lying next the skin on the belly of both sexes) may be added to complete the charm. The trapper, in his rounds of inspection, should CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 39 be careful to keep at a proper distance from the trap while it is unsprung, so as not to leave any disturbing scent on tlie field of operations ; for the Otter's sense of smell is incredibly delicate. The art of taking Otter in the winter under the ice is not generally understood by trappers, and deserves an explanation. These animals do not hibernate, but travel about in winter as well as in summer. In the coldest weather they keep their feeding holes in the ice open, and are frequently seen near the edges, playing, sliding, and catching fish. They can be taken by the following process : Ascertain the deptli of water at one of these holes, and cut a pole, suitable to the ring of the chain, and long enough to rise some distance above the ice when the butt is driven into the bottom. The ring of the chain should be slipped on the butt before it is driven, and should be free to traverse the length of the pole, except that a twig should be left near the lower end to prevent it from slipping off when you come to raise the trap. Two branches should emerge from one place toward the upper end, and should be left three or four inches long. Drive the pole so that these branches will be about eight inches below the ice, and fill into the fork of the branches with evergreens, so as to give the appearance of a bird's nest. Set your trap on this nest, and the Otter, climbino; over it to assist him in emergincp from the water, will spring it and be taken. Then he will make a desperate plunge to the bottom of the stream, and the ring of the chain sliding down on the pole, he will be unable to rise again and will drown. In this way many can be taken successively in a single trap. They travel mostly under the ice in winter, and in their rounds visit all the feeding holes on their way ; and are often taken in traps set as above directed, when the holes are entirely frozen over. During the winter the migrations of the Otter on land are toilsome, and it leaves a deep furrow or path in tiie snow. If a trap be set on this path the Otter is nearly certain to be caught, as it has a strong objection to opening new paths through the snow. Other methods of trapping the Otter than those I have de- 40 THE TRAPPER'S ART. scribed are pursiied by different trappers. Some trappers prefer to take them as tliey come out of the water near their " shdes." It should be understood that Otters do not come ashore di- rectly on to the " slide." They choose for their " slides " that part of the bank, of the stream or lake, wliich descends at a steep angle into deep water, so that when descending the " slide" they may plunge swiftly into the water without ob- struction. In coming out of the water to go on the " slide," they choose a place where the water is shallow at the shore, and where they can walk up the bank easily. Hence, their place of exit is generally at a little distance from the " slide." The Canadian trappers, Holland and Gunter, describe their mode of trapping the Otter, as follows : — " We set the trap close to the land, where the Otter comes out of the water to go on the ' slide.' We place the trap about three inches under water, and a little on jne side of the path of the animal, so that the pan of the trap is about three inches from the centre of the path. The chain-ring of the trap we fasten to a pole fifteen feet long and one and a half inches in diameter. Then to the chain close to the pole we fasten a stone of about eight pounds' weight, to serve as an anchor ; so that when the Otter is caught and makes for deep water, the stone sinks him to the bottom and he drowns. In cases where the water is too shallow to admit of setting the trap ai)propriateIy, an excavation should be made. If the water is too deep, place a flat stone or a piece of sunken wood under the trap. In all cases the trap should be set level ; the anchor-stone and chain should be sunk under water; and the pole should be placed upright on one side of the path, in such a manner as to let the Otter get into deep water. We use the Newhouse Fox-Trap altogether for Otter." Spencer J. Clark, of Oneida County, New York, who for- merly trapped in Wisconsin, recommends setting the trap where the Otter comes out of the water, in the following position : The Otter swims to the shore, and as soon as his fore feet strike the ground his hind feet sink to the bottom, and he walks out erect. Find the point where the Otter's hind feet strike the bottom, and set the trap there. The ad- vantages of this method are, first, the trap is in a position CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 41 where it is not likely to be sprung, except by the Otter's feet ; secondly, the trap can generally be set and visited in a boat without disturbing the shore, or leaving foot-prints and scent about the " slide." A sliding-pole should be used. Other trappers prefer to set the trap several feet from the shore, on the path which the Otter takes in ascending to the top of the " slide." It should be set in the same manner as I have described for taking the animal when coming on to the " slide," on a preceding page. J. P. Hutchins recommends this method. THE SEA-OTTER. Along the northern shores of the Pacific Ocean, especially in Kamtschatka and Russian America, another species of Otter exists, called the Sea-Otter or Kalan. It is much larger than the fresh water Otter, weighing from sixty to eighty pounds. During the colder months of the year this Otter dwells by the sea-shores, where it is very active in the capture of marine fish. When warm weather approaches, the Kalan leaves the coasts, and with its mate proceeds up the rivers till it reaches the fresh water lakes of the interior, where it remains till cold weather again approaches. It is a rather scarce ani- mal and not very prolific. The head and body measure from three to four feet in length. Tiie tall is about seven inches long. Their food consists of fish, Crustacea, mollusks, &c. This Otter haunts sea-washed rocks, around bays and estua- ries, hves mostly in the water, and resembles the seals more than the Otters in its habits. It is very timid, and prefers the neidiborhood of islands where it can find both food and shelter. The fur of the Sea-Otter is very beautiful and of great value. Its color is variable, but the general hue is a rich black, slightly tinged with brown on the upper parts of the body, while the under portions and legs are of a lighter hue. About the head there is occasionally more or less vvliite. The principal market for the skins is in China, Avhere they are greatly prized by the official classes. I cannot learn that any method of trapping the Sea-Otter 42 THE TRAPPER'S ART. has ever been resorted to. They are usually hunted with boats, and shot. Audubon says that they are carefully ap- proached by the boat, and when within a short distance are shot, and then harpooned by the bowsman before they sink. A careful study of their habits and haunts would probably indicate some method of taking them with the steel-trap, which would be more successful and inexpensive than any other. THE BEAVER. The Beaver belongs to the same family with the muskrat, and, like the latter, is amphibious. Indeed, these two species are so nearly alike, that a Beaver seems to be only a muskrat enormously enlarged. The body of the Beaver is thick, heavy, and squat ; about two feet and a half long ; weighing, when full grown, from sixty to eighty pounds. The tail is the most notable part of the animal. It measures from ten to twelve inches in length, and from three to four and a half inches in breadth. It is oval in shape, but flattened on the upper and under sides, and is covered with a species of hairy scales, which are set upon a thick, dusky skin. It is believed by trappers who have diligently watched the ways of this ani- mal, that it uses its tail as a spade or trowel in working mud and sand. This member also answers the purpose of a prop, to help the animal stand erect while at work. It serves as both rudder and oar in swimming, being turned under the body at a right angle, and swung from side to side with great rapidity and power, tlie operation being like the sculling of a boat. Beavers are not gregarious in summer, but become so at the approach of winter, when they build their huts and dams and gather their stores of food. Their huts are built first, generally in September, and are much like those of the musk- rat, but larger and stronger. They rise out of the water, and have their entrances at the bottom. They are made to hold ten or twelve animals each. Some Beavers live on the banks of large rivers and lakes, and, having of course plenty of water, do not build dams, but have their holes in the banks, 2 «, CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 43 with their entrances under water, and their huts in front of them. These are called Bank Beavers, though they differ in nothing from their dam-building brethren. Those that live on small streams, where there is not water enough to surround their huts and protect their stores from freezing in winter, build dams to raise the water and create ponds suitable for their purpose. They commence by cutting down with their teeth trees of all sizes, from those of ten inches in diameter to the smallest brushwood. These are cut into pieces suitable for transportation by a single animal, and then are conveyed to the place chosen for a dam, the Beaver laying one paw over tlie timber, as he drags it along with his teeth. The smaller materials, such as mud, sticks, and stones, are carried between one of the fore-paws and the chin. Tlie dams differ in shape according to the nature of the stream Avhere thej^ are built. In streams where the current is rapid or powerful, the dams are built with a convex curve up-stream, which strengthens them against the floods and the ordinary constant pressure of the stream. In streams where the water has but little mo- tion, the dams are built straight across ; and sometimes they have been observed with a curve down-stream. No special order or method is observed in building the dams, except that the work is carried on with a regular sweep, and all the parts are made of equal strength. They are frequently six or eight feet high, and from ten to thirty rods in length. The trees, resting on the bottom, are so mixed and filled in with mud, sticks, stones, leaves, and grass, that very little water escapes, except by running over the top ; and the height is so uniforin that the water drips evenly from one end to the other. After the dams are built, but before they are frozen over, the Bea- vers lay in their winter stores, which consist of the bark of the willow, aspen, poplar, birch, and alder. They fell these trees with their teeth, cut them up into short sections, and sink them in the w^ater near their huts. In the winter, when their ponds are frozen over, they enter the Avater by the holes at tlie bottom of their huts, collect these sunken trees and take them to their dwellings, as they require them for food. The breeding season of the Beaver commences in April or 44 THE TRAPPER'S ART. May, and they have from two to four young ones at a birth. The young remain with their parents for three years. In the fourth year they start a new colony, and commence breeding, the pai-ents assisting in buikling the new dam. This is prob- ably the reason why so many dams are built one above an- other on the same stream. Several can fi-equently be seen from a single point, and they are generally so arranged that the water from one dam sets back to the next above. The houses of the Beaver are built of the same materials as their dams. They are proportioned in size to the number of their inhabitants, which seldom exceed four old and six or eicht young ones, though more than double that number have sometimes been found. Hearne, in his narrative of explora- tions in the Hudson's Bay country nearly a hundred years aco, relates an instance where the Indians of his party killed twelve old Beaver and twenty-five young and half-grown ones out of one house ; and it was found, on examination, that several others had escaped. This house, however, was a very large one, and had near a dozen apartments under one roof, which, with two or three exceptions, had no communication with each other, except by water, and were probably occupied by separate families. In the spring. Beavers leave their houses, and roam about during the summer. On their return in the autumn, they repair their habitations for winter use. This is done by covering the outside with fresh mud. This operation is not finished until the frost has become pretty se- vere, as by this means the surface soon freezes as hard as stone, and prevents their great enemy, the wolverene, from disturbing them during the w^inter. The food of the Beaver, beside the bark of the several kinds of trees I have mentioned, consists chiefly, in winter, of a large kind of root, somewhat resembling a cabbage-stalk, that grows at the bottom of lakes and rivers. In summer, they vary their diet by eating various kinds of herbage, and such berries as grow near their haunts. Beavers are found in the northern parts of America, Europe, and Asia. They are generally supposed to belong to one spe- cies. They are most abundant on this Continent. Within a CAPTURE OP ANIMALS. 45 recent period, Beavers were abundant in all the Northern, Middle, and Western States of the Union, as the large num- ber of their dams, and the beautiful "beaver meadows" caused by the filling up of their ponds with alluvial matter, sufficiently indicate. But they retire at the approach of man ; and the gradual clearing up and cultivation of the soil has driven them nearly all from the country. In the upper and lower provinces of Canada, however, they ai-e still found in abundance. There are several methods of taking Beaver in steel-traps. A few of the most successful I will endeavor to describe. A full-grown family of Beavers, as I have said before, con- sists of the parents (male and female), their three-year-old offspring, the two-year-olds, and the yearlings, — four genera- tions of four different sizes, occupying one hut, and doing business in one pond. When a trapper comes upon such a pond, or one that he has reason to believe is inhabited by a large number of Beavers, his object should be to take them all ; and, in order to do this, he must conduct his operations so that when one Beaver is caught it will not have opportunity to alarm the rest ; for otherwise the whole family may leave for parts unknown. His care should be directed therefore to two points, namely, first, to the setting of his traps in such a Avay as to take each Beaver while alone ; and, secondly, to arrangements for drowning them as speedily as possible after they are taken. To secure the first point, he should not set his traps very near the dwelling of the Beavers, but should select places at some distance up the pond on some point or neck of land projecting into the stream, where the animals will pass and repass, but where each -w ill be most likely to be alone. The trap should be set close to the shore, about three inches under water, and should be carefully secreted by a covering of some soft substance that will not interfere with its spring- ing. For bait, a small portion of beaver-castor (a milky secretion found in glands near the testicles of the male Bea- ver) may be left on the bank near the trap. If the trapper's * approach was made by land, all foot-prints should be erased by drenchintr with water. To secure the second point, the chain 46 THE TRAPPER'S ART. of the trap should be attached to a shding-pole, in the manner described on page 18, which Avill lead the captured Beaver into deep -water and drown him. Beavers are sometimes taken by breaking away their dam, two inches below the surface, in one or two places, and set- ting traps in the breaches. They keep sentinels who examine their dams every night, and the least break is soon detected and put under repair ; so that, Avith traps properly set, some of the Beavers will be likely to be taken while at work at this business. But, as the whole family is summoned out when a breach is considered dangerous, and as in any case several Beavers are likely to be engaged in a work of repair, the cap- ture of one is almost sure to frighten away the rest, for Avhich reason this method of capture should be generally discarded as impolitic. The surest way of taking Beaver is by trapping in winter in the following manner : When their ponds are frozen over, make a hole in the ice about three feet across, near the shore and near a hut. Cut a tree of birch, poplar, or alder, about two inches in diameter ; press the top together and shove the whole under the ice in such a direction that the Beavers will be likely to pass and repass it in going to and from their house. The butt of the tree should be fastened at the shore under the ice. Directly under the butt, about ten or twelve inches below, a platform should be prepared by driving stakes or by any other means that is convenient, on which the trap should be set. The chain ring should be attached as before to a dry sliding-pole. After the trap is set and secured, the hole in the ice should be filled up with snow and allowed to freeze. The Beaver, passing the newly cut tree and discover- ing its freshness, will proceed toward the butt for the purpose of securing the whole for food, and, in gnawing it off near the shore over the trap, will be likely to be taken. The reason why the sliding-pole should be dry is, that if it is green the remaining Beavers will be likely to gnaw it off and take it home with them, trap, Beaver and all, for the sake of the bark. The Beaver is said to renew its breath, when, travelling under the ice, in the same manner as the muskrat ; and of CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 47 course might be caught at certain times in the way described on page 22. THE WOLF. There are many varieties of the Wolf, and they are found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. They are substantially the same in form everywhere, but vary in color from black through shades of brown, fulvous, yellow, and gray, to white. The most common color is gray. They vary in size from the great White and Gray Wolves of the northern regions of America to the Coyote of the western plains. They inhabit chiefly unsettled and mountainous regions. They be- long to the same family with the dog and fox. They are car- nivorous, and combine both ferocity and cowardice in their character. Though lean and gaunt in appearance, they are fleet and powerful animals. They hunt mostly in packs, and destroy great numbers of deer in the stiff snows of winter, sometimes slaughtering whole herds in a single night. The sheepfold of the frontier farmer also suffers from their depre- dations. They feed on almost all the smaller animals they can overpower. Troops of them have been known to pursue and attack men. When hunting in packs and pressed with hunger they are bold and exceedingly ferocious. At other times, when roaming singly, they are sneaking and cowardly. The Gray Wolf of this country, which may be taken as the standard of size, is about four feet long from the point of the nose to the root of the tail ; the length of tail being about seventeen inches. In the far north they are very large, some- times measuring six and one half feet in total length, and weighing fifty pounds. In North America the leading varieties are the Gray Wolf, the White Wolf, the Black Wolf, the Red Texan Wolf, and the Prairie Wolf or Coyote. In South America a Red Wolf is found in the marshy districts of the Rio de la Plata. In Europe there are Gray, Black, Brown, Red, and White Wolves. The latter are confined mostly to the Northern and Alpine regions. In Asia there are several varieties peculiar to that Continent. It has been supposed by some that there is a variety on this 48 THE TRAPPER'S ART. Continent which should properly be called the Giant Wolf. Old hunters say that occasionally there is seen in a pack of Wolves one that is larger and fleeter than its fellows. These are called " racers." They will run down a deer with ease. Whether such Wolves form a distinct variety, or are only overgrown individuals of the common varieties, has never been determined. The breeding season of Wolves is in April or May, and they have from six to ten young at a time. They burrow in the ground or inhabit hollow logs or caves. For capturing the Wolf by the steel-trap, the directions given in the first method of taking the fox should be followed, except that the honey should be left out, and the clog of the trap should be of fifteen or twenty pounds' weight. The small Prairie Wolf that is so troublesome to the western farmer can be captured in the same way. Care should always be taken to keep at a proper distance when looking after the trap, as the Wolf's sense of smell is very acute, and enables him to detect the foot-prints of the hunter with great sagacity. The following plan for taking the Wolf is given by Peter M. Gunter, of Canada West : " Find two trees standing eighteen inches or two feet apart. Place the bait between the trees, and set a trap on each side of it. The traps should be smoked over hemlock or cedar boughs, to destroy any odor of iron. After being carefully set, the traps should be cov- ered with finely powdered rotten wood. A clog of hard-wood of about twenty pounds' weight should be fastened to the chain of each trap. When all is arranged, rub some asafoetida on the trees to attract the attention of the wolves. If two trees cannot be found a suitable distance apart, lean two large logs against a tree where you wish to set your traps. It is better to use old logs, if lying about, than to make any fi'esh chop- ping." THE BEAR. The Bear family is very large. Its members inhabit nearly all parts of the globe, except Australia and the greater part, if not all, of Africa. They range through all latitudes from the equator to the poles. The following varieties and species CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 49 have been described by naturalists : Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, European Brown Bear, American Black Bear, Cinna- mon Bear, Asiatic Bear, Siberian Bear, Spectacled Bear of South America, Thibetan Bear, Bornean Bear, and Malay Bear. The three latter are called Sun-Bears, fi-om their habit of basking in the midday rays of the sun. They are the smallest members of the family, and live exclusively on vegetables. Bears differ from each other, in consequence of differences of climate, more than almost any other animals. Those that inhabit the frozen wastes near the North Pole, or such high cold regions as the Rocky Mountains, are monsters of strength and ferocity ; while those that inhabit warm coun- tries are small, feeble, and inoffensive. The extremes of the scale are the Bornean Bear, which weighs less than one hun- dred pounds, and the great Polar Bear, which is thirteen feet in length, and weighs twenty-four hundred pounds. The American Black Bear is the species with wdiich trappers have most to do. It is found in the western and northern parts of the United States and in the two provinces of Canada. Its weight when full grown is from thi'ee to six hundred pounds. The Cinnamon Bear of the Pacific coast is probably only a variety of this species. Bears (except the Sun-Bears) are omnivorous, feeding in- discriminately on roots, berries, nuts, corn, oats, flesh, fish, and turtles. The farmer's calf-pasture, sheepfold, and hog- pen are frequently subject to their depredations. They are particularly fond of honey. They generally sleep through the coldest part of the winter. They bring forth their young in the months of May and June, and generally two at a time. The cubs are hid in caves or hollow trees till they are large enough to follow the dam, and then ramble about with her till the following spring. The hunting of Bears with fire-arms, besides being objec- tionable on account of injury to the fur, is often dangerous business. They are very tenacious of life, and very bold and ferocious when wounded. A Grizzly Bear, shot by Captain Clark's party in the Rocky Mountain region, survived twenty 60 THE TKAPPER'S ART. minutes and swam half a mile after receiving ten balls in his body, four of which passed through his lungs and two through his heart ! Records of Bear-hunting are full of perilous ad- ventures, and those who engage in open battle with the great Grizzly Bear of the Rocky Mountains, rarely escape without loss of life or limb. But steel-traps of the right size, and properly managed, subdue these monsters with greater cer- tainty than fire-arms, and without danger to the hunter. In trapping for Bears, a place should be selected where three sides of an inclosure can be secured against the entrance of the animal, and one side left open. The experienced hunter usually chooses a spot where one log has fallen across another, making a pen in this shape >. The bait is placed at the inner angle, and the trap at the entrance in such a sit- uation that the Bear has to pass over it to get at the bait. The trap should be covered with moss or leaves. Some think it best to jmt a small stick under the pan, strong enough to prevent the smaller animals, such as the raccoon and skunk, from springing the trap, but not so stiff' as to support the heavy foot of the Bear. The chain of the trap should be fast- ened to a clog. (See page 18.) The weight of the clog for a Black Bear should be thirty pounds ; for a Grizzly Bear, eighty pounds. The chain shovald not be more than eighteen inches in length, as the habit of the Bear, when caught, is to attempt to dash the trap in pieces against trees, logs, or rocks ; and with a short chain, fastened to a heavy clog, he is unable to do this. The bait should be meat, and the Bear should be invited to the feast by the smell of honey or honey-comb, burnt on heated stones, near the trap. Bears seem to entertain no suspicion of a trap, and enter it as readily as a hog or an ox. THE RACCOON. The Raccoon is allied to the Bear family. It is found only on the Western Continent, where it is represented by two species : the Common Raccoon of the United States, and the Crab-eating Raccoon of the tropics. The former is spread over the greater part of North America from Texas to Hud- son's Bay. On the Pacific coast it has been seen as far north CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 61 as sixty degrees. The Crab-eating species is found from Cal- ifornia and Texas to the 26th degree of south latitude. The Common Raccoon is the one of principal interest to the trapper and fur-dealer. Its body is about two feet long, and is thick and stout like the badger's. Its head resembles that of the fox. Its tail is about a foot long, large, and bushj. The color of the whole is grayish white, streaked and barred with darker colors. In some of the Western States the Raccoon is of altogether a darker color, sometimes approaching to black. The Raccoon is nocturnal and omnivo- rous in its habits, and hibernates like the bear. It feeds on nuts, green corn, eggs, mice, frogs, turtles, fish, shell-fish, birds, &c., and frequently makes havoc in the poultry-yard. It is an excellent swimmer, and is fond of rambling about small streams and marshes in search of frogs, shell-fish, and turtles. It is also a good climber, and generally lives and rears its young in the hollow of a tree, with the entrance at a considerable height from the ground. Its breeding season is in April or May, and from four to six young are brought forth at a time. Raccoons are sometimes taken by secreting traps in the paths which they make into corn-fields. Or traps may be set by the side of streams where they resort. In this case they should be baited with fresh fish ; or, as some prefer, with salt cod-fish, roasted to give it a strong smell. They are not very cunning ; and with their acute sense of smell, and their keen appetite for such provender, they rarely pass a trap thus baited without being taken. THE BADGER. This animal also belongs to the bear family. It is found in America, Europe, and Asia. Four species are recognized : the American Badger, the common Badger of Europe, the Indian Badger, and the Anakuma Badger of Japan. The European species is the most important in the fur-trade, fur- nishing 53,000 out of the 55,000 skins which annually find their way into the fur-markets. Though spread over a large portion of the globe, the 52 THE TRAPPER'S ART. Badger is nowhere numerous, except in a few localities on this Continent. It is omnivorous, feeding chiefly on roots, fruits, insects, and frogs. It also destroys the eggs and youno- of partridges, and other birds which build their nests on the ground. It is fond of the nests of wild bees, which it seeks out and robs with impunity, its tough hide being comparatively impervious to the stings of these insects. The Badger is a quiet, inoffensive animal, except when attacked, when it is a terrible antagonist to the dog or man who comes in contact with its sharp teeth and formidable jaws. Its length is about two feet six inches from the nose to the root of the tail. The tail is short. The head is small, flat, and has a long snout. The height at the shoulder is about eleven inches. The body is broad and flat, as though compressed. The legs are sturdy and powerful. The feet, bfefore and behind, have each five toes strongly set in the flesh, and armed with powerful, com- pressed claws, adapted to burrowing in the ground, digging for roots, and unearthing the marmot, ground-squirrel, and other small, burrowing animals. * The Badger chooses the most solitary woods for its resi- dence. It lives in burrows, where it makes its nest and rears its young. When pursued, it commences digging in the earth, and, if pressed too closely to be able to hide by burrow- ing, it makes a hole large enough to cover its body, backs into it, and fices its pursuers Avith claws drawn in an attitude of defiance ; and woe to the dog that attempts to dislodge it from its fort ! If it has time to get its body -fairly buried, it is se- cure from any dog, or even a man with a shovel, as it digs so rapidly that it will work its way into the earth faster than dog or man can follow. The fur of the Badger, when properly dressed, is said to make the best pistol furniture, and the coarser hairs are used for the fine brushes of the oil-painter. The hairs of the upper part of the Badger's body individually have three distinct colors : yellowish-white at the root, black in the middle, and ashy-gray at the end. This gives a uniform sandy-gray color to all the upper parts. The tail is furnished with long, coarse hair of the same color and quality. The throat, under parts, CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 53 and legs are covered with shorter hair of a uniform deep- black. The female Badger brings forth from three to five young in the early spring, suckles them for five or six weeks, and then turns them oft' to shift for themselves. The American Badger differs considerably from the Euro- pean species, to which the foregoing description applies. Its snout is less attenuated, though its head is equally long. The claws of its fore-feet are much longer in proportion, and its tail shorter. Its fur, both in color and quality, is different. It is also more carnivorous. Audubon describes its color and fur as follows : " Hair on the back, at the roots dark-gray, then light-yellow for two thirds its length, then black and broadly tipped with white, giving it in winter a hoary-gray appearance ; but in summer it makes a near approach to yellowish-brown. The eyes are bright, and piercing black. .... There is a white stripe running from the nose over the forehead and along the middle of the neck to the shoul der. Legs, blackish-brown ; chin and throat, dull-white ; the remainder of the under surface, yellowish-white ; tail, yellow- ish-brown." The fur on the back in winter is three inches long, dense and handsome. The body is broad, low, and flat. The American Badger is abundant on the plains of the buf- falo region of Dakotah and Nebraska, and in the timberless regions in the neighborhood of the Yakima River, Washing- ton Territory. It is not found east of the Mississippi. It has been traced as far north as latitude fifty-eight degrees, and south into Mexico, where a distinct variety is found. Badgers can be taken by setting traps at the mouths of their holes, or by the method prescribed on a preceding page for taking the raccoon. The trap should be carefully con- cealed, as the Badger is somewhat cunning, and disposed to be suspicious of such apparatus near his haunts. THE WILD CAT OR BAY LYNX. Tlie American Wild Cat is a species of lynx. It is about thirty inches long, with a tail of five or six inches, and weighs from seventeen to twenty pounds. Its general color above 54 THE TRAPPER'S ART. and on the sides is a pale reddish brown, overlaid with gray- ish ; the latter color most prevalent in spring and summer. The throat is surrounded with a ruff or collar of long hair. The imder parts are light-colored and spotted. On the sides are a few obscure dark spots, and indistinct longitudinal lines along the middle of the back. The tail is marked with a small black patch above at the end, and with half rings on its upper surface. The inner surface of the ear is black, with white patch. The legs are long, the soles of the feet naked, and the hind-feet are partially webbed. The fur is moder- ately full and soft. The ears have a pencil of dark hairs in winter. A variety of the American Wild Cat exists west of the Rocky Mountains, which was called by the early settlers in that region the Red Cat. Its color is somewhat darker than the common variety, being a rich chestnut-brown on the back ; sides and throat, a little paler. Fur soft and full. The Wild Cat is cowardly, rarely attacking any thing larger than a hare or young pig or lamb. The pioneer's henroost sometimes suffers from its nocturnal visitations. It feeds on grouse, partridges, squirrels, mice, and other small birds and quadrupeds. It is fond of the dark, thick cedar swamps, where it preys on rabbits, pouncing on them from an over- hanging cliff or tree. In the Southern States, it frequents the swamps and canebrakes bordering on rivers and lakes, and also the briery thickets which grow up on old fields and deserted cotton lands. In dry seasons, or during the sultry weather of summer, it explores the courses of small streams, to feed on the fish that are left in the deep holes as the water dries up. Wild Cats are taken in the same way as raccoons or minks, by baiting with meat, and covering the trap smoothly over. The best way is to find a place where they have killed a hare, grouse, or other game, and have left a part of the flesh for a second meal. Set your trap there, and you will be pretty sure of- a visit. The European Wild Cat is a distinct animal from the Bay Lynx. Goodrich, in his " Illustrated Natural History," gives 5 'dvlw CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 65 the following account of this Cat and of its relations to the common Cat : — " There are many kinds of Wild Cat, but that from which the do- mestic Cat is supposed to have sprung is called the Common Euro- pean Wild Cat, and is found in most parts of that quarter of the globe, as well as in Asia and Africa; it is also sometimes met with in this country. When America was first discovered, t!iis species, either tame or wild, was not found here; all our domes: ic Cats, as well as the wild ones occasionally found in the woods, are the de- scendants of those brought hither by the Europeans. The Wild Cats of the European Continent are either the descendants of the original races that have continued untamed from the beginning, or of domes- ticated cats that have wandered from their homes, and, living apart from man, have relapsed into barbarism. It is said that the wild and tame Cats, in their wanderings, sometimes meet ; when this is the case, the females of the tame breed are well treated by the sav- age Cats, but the males are rudely set upon and sometimes torn in pieces. The wild and tame Cats sometimes breed together, and pro- duce the kind called Tiger Cats. Some authors hold that the Wild Cat is a distinct species, because its tail is shorter and more bushy than that of the domestic Cat ; but this opinion seems not well founded, for still greater diffei-ences are found in dogs which are ac- knowledged to be of the same race." The European Wild Cat is common in France, Germany, Russia, Hungary, and some other parts of Europe, and is found in Northern Asia and Nepaul. It was formerly found in Eno-land, and a few yet linger among the hills of Scotland. It resembles the tame Cat, but is rather larger and more ro- bust, and has a more savage aspect. Its fur is long, soft, and thick. Its color is gray, darker on the back than below, with a blackish stripe along the back and paler curved stripes on the sides. It is a very shy animal ; lurks in the woods and preys on hares, squirrels, and birds, and is for the most part nocturnal in its habits. It makes its home in clefts among rocks or in hollow trees. The feiuale brings forth from three to six young at a time. A full-grown male is about two feet and a half long from the nose to the root of the tail ; with a tail of considerable length. The female is smaller. 56 THE TRAPPER'S ART. This Wild Cat is of great strength, and when pursued and hard pressed exhibits daring and ferocity in an extraordinary degree. When cauglit in a trap they fly without hesitation at any person who approaches them, without waiting to be assailed. The directions given for trapping the American Wild Cat are appropriate for the capture of this species. St. John, the author of a AA'ork on " Highland Sports," gives the following plan for taking them : " Like other vermin, the Wild Cat haunts the shores of the lakes and rivers, and it is, therefore, easy to know where to lay a trap for them. Hav- ing caught and killed one of the colony, the rest of them are sure to be taken, if the body of their slain relative is left in some place not far from their usual hunting-ground, and sur- rounded with traps, as every Wild Cat who passes within a considerable distance of the place will surely come to it." THE LYNX. There are several species of Lynx. The Canada Lynx and the European Lynx are the most important to the trapper and fur-dealer. The former inhabits North America from the latitude of Northern New York to the northern limits of the woods, or within the Arctic Circle. It is not found in the Mississippi Valley, but occurs west of the Rocky Moun- tains, and is supposed to exist in the northeastern part of Asia. Its size is between that of a fox and a Avolf. Its length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail is about three feet. The tail is shorter than the head, and is densely furred and tipped with black. Its feet are large, thickly covered with fur, and armed with strong claws. The ears are pointed, not large, and tipped with a pencil of long black hairs. The color in winter is a silver-gray on the back, paling towards the belly, which is sometimes white. A rufous under-shade mixes wnth the tints. It has a ruif on the sides of the neck and under the throat. In winter its fur is long and silky. The average weight of this Lynx is about twenty-five pounds. The Canada Lynx lives in the darkest woods and swamps, preying on hares, mice, squirrels, grouse, and smaller birds, and rarely attacking the deer. When pressed with hunger CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 67 it prowls about the pioneer's cabin in search of lambs, pigs, and poultry. It is an active climber, and frequently seizes its prey by pouncing upon it from an overhanging tree ; at other times it crawls stealthily like a cat within spi'inging dis- tance, or leaps upon it from a cliff. It pursues birds to the tops of the loftiest trees, and kills fish in the streams. It also feeds on carrion, and, when pressed with hunger, 'On its own kind. It is said to have a strong passion for perfumes, par- ticularly the castoreum of the beaver. This is the principal scent or " medicine " used by trappers in capturing the Lynx. The female brings forth generally two young ones at a time, and hides them in hollow trees or caves till they are large enough to follow her. The Canada Lynx is a stupid animal and easily caught. It readily enters a trap that is properly set and baited with meat. The general directions already given for trapping various car- nivorous animals are applicable in this case. The Hudson's Bay Company's trappers practice the following method, ac- cording to Bernard Rogan Ross : ' The trap is covered, inside the jaws, with a well-fitting " pallet " of birch bark. On the pallet a piece of hair skin, well rubbed with the " medicine " or scent, is tied. The trap is then placed indifferently either under or on tli« snow. The Lynx, scenting his favorite per- fume, endeavors to withdraw the skin with his paw, and con- sequently springs the trap. It does not, like most of the fur- bearing animals, make violent efforts to escape, or drag the trap to a distance ; it generally lies down until aroused by the approach of the hunter, when, instead of attempting to escape by flight, it springs at him. The European Lynx closely resembles the Canada species ; its habits are also similar. Its fur is valuable. Its general color is a dull reddish gray above, whitish below, mottled with black. On the sides are dark oblong patches. In winter the fur is longer and lighter-colored than in summer. The keen- ness of its sight has long been proverbial. It is found from the Pyrenees to the far North, and throughout Northern Asia. The directions given for trapping the Canada Lynx are suffi- cient in the case of this species. 68 THE TRAPPER'S ART. THE COUGAA or AMERICAN PANTHER. This animal is one of the largest of the cat family that exists on the Western Continent, being rivaled only by the jaguar. It inhabits every latitude from Canada to Patagonia. In different localities it receives different names and varies somewhat in size. In the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, it is commonly called the Panther, and sometimes the Catamount ; on the west coast it is called the CaHfornia Lion ; in South America its common name is Puma. Couiiar, however, is the scientific and proper name. The true Pan- ther is confined to the Eastern Continent ; and is a variety of the leopard, being found mostly in Asia. In the north, Cougars prefer for their retreat ledges of rock inaccessible to man, called by hunters panther ledges. They appear rarely by daylight, except when pressed for food, but conceal them- selves behind rocks and fallen trees till evenino;. In South America their favorite haunts are the vast grassy plains, where they destroy great numbers of wild cattle. Full grown Panthers killed in northern New York have been known to measure over eleven feet from the nose to the tip of the tail, being about twenty-eight inches high, and weighing nearly two hundred pounds. Their color is a red- dish-brown above, shading into a lighter color underneath. They are armed with sharp teeth and long, heavy claws. They feed chiefly on deer, crawling stealthily to within springing distance, or watching on some cliff or tree, and pouncing like a cat on their prey. Their activity enables them to take the deer with ease. It is asserted by hunters that each Panther destroys as many as tw^o deer per week, and a pair of Panthers have been known to attack and kill a full-grown moose. In newly settled countries, they fre- quently carry off young cattle and sheep. They are good climbers and readily take to a tree when pursued by dogs, from which they can easily be brought down by the rifle. This is the most common way of taking them. They are cowardly, and rarely attack a man unless wounded, when they are dangerous. CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 69 The best way to take Panthers with steel-traps is to find where they have killed a deer or other animal, and left part of the carcass. Secrete the trap near the remains, and you will catch them when they return for a second meal. They seldom leave the vicinity of an animal they have killed, till it is all devoured. The same is true of all the large animals of the cat kind, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, &c. THE JAGUAR. Like the cougar, this is an exclusively American animal. Though scarcely equalling the cougar in extreme length, the Jaguar is stouter and more formidable. It is found from Louisiana to Buenos Ayres. This animal has a large head, a robust body, and is very ferocious. Its usual size is about three fourths that of the tiger. Humboldt, however, states that he saw Jaguars which in length surpassed that of all the tigers of Asia which he had seen in the collections of Europe. The Jaguar is sometimes called the American tiger. Their favorite haunts are the swamps and jungles of tropical Amer- ica. There they subsist on monkeys, capabyras or water- hogs, tapirs, peccaries, birds, turtles and turtle eggs, lizards, fish, shell-fish, and insects. Emerging from these haunts into the more open country, they prey upon deer, horses, cattle, sheep, and farm stock. In the early days of the settlement of South America the Jaguar was one of the greatest scourges the settlers had to meet. They haunted the clearings and plantations and devoured horses, cattle, and sheep without mercy. Nor were the settlers themselves and their children free from their attack. For many years where Jaguars abounded the settlers had an arduous warfare before they could exterminate the ferocious marauders, or drive them from the vicinity of their habitations. The Jaguar is a cautious and suspicious animal. It never makes an open attack on man or beast. It approaches its prey stealthily, and pounces upon it from some hiding-place, or some position of advantage. It will follow a herd of ani- mals for many miles in hopes of securing a straggler ; and always chooses the hindmost animal, in order that if turned 60 THE TRAPPER'S ART. upon, it may escape witli its prey the more easily. In this way it pursues men. A Jaguar has been known to follow the track of travellers for clays together, only daring to show itself at rare intervals. A full grown Jao;uar is an animal of enor- mous strength, and will kill and drag off a horse or ox with- out difficulty. They commit vast havoc among the horses which band together in great herds on the plains of South America. Full grown colts and calves are their favorite prey. Goodrich, in his Natural History, describes their operations as follows : " Frequently two Jaguars will combine to master the more powerful brutes. Some of them lie in wait around the salt-licks, and attack the animals that resort to these places. Their habit is to conceal themselves behind some bush, or on the trunk of a fallen tree : here they will lie, silent and mo- tionless, for hours, patiently waiting for their victims. When they see a deer, or a mule, or mustang approaching, the eyes dilate, the hair rises along the back, the tail moves to and fro, and every limb quivers. When the unsuspecting pi'ey comes within his reach, the monster bounds like a thunderbolt upon him. He fixes his teeth in his neck and his claws in the loins, and though the dismayed and aggravated victim flies, and rears, and essays to throw off his terrible rider, it is all in vain. His strength is soon exhausted, and he sinks to the earth an easy prey to his destroyer. The Jaguar, growling and roaring in triumi)h, already tears his flesh while yet the agonies of death are upon him. When his hunger is appeased he covers the remains of the carcass Avith leaves, sticks, and earth, to protect them from the vultures ; and either remains watching near at hand or retires for a time till appetite revives, when he returns to complete his carnival." The Jaguar makes its attack upon the larger quadrupeds by springing upon their shoulders. Then placing one paw on the back of the head and another on the muzzle, with a single wrench it dislocates the neck. The smaller animals it lays dead with a stroke of its paw. The Jaguar in external appearance and in habits closely resembles the leopard of the Old World. The female pro- duces two at a birth. The oround color of a full-grown CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 6] animal is yellow, marked with open figures of a rounded-an- gular form. In each of these figures are one or. more black spots. The figures are arranged longitudinally and nearly parallel along the body. The belly is almost white. There is considerable variation in color among Jaguars, some being very dark or almost black, with indistinct markings. The richly tinted skins are highly valued, and are exported to Europe in large numbers, where they are used by the mili- tary officers for saddle coverings. For capturing the Jaguar in steel-traps the directions given for trapping the cougar should be followed. THE LION. The principal habitat of the Lion is in Africa. Some also exist in Asia, but nowhere else. There are three African varieties — the Black, the Red or Tawny, and the Gray. In Asia the dark-colored Beno-al, the light-colored Persian or Arabian, and the Maneless Lions exist. A full-grown Lion, in its native wilds, is usually four feet in height at the shoul- ders, and about eleven feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. He is of great strength and ferocity, and is commonly called the " king of beasts." Lions belong to the cat family, and prey upon all animals they can master. They approach their prey stealthily, like a cat hunting a mouse, and spring upon it unawares. Human beings are not exempt from their attack, but form their most coveted prey when once an appe- tite for human flesh has been established. In Africa they hang round the villages, and carry off every man, woman, or child they can secure, and make great havoc among all kinds of domestic animals. Gerard, the French Lion-hunter of North Africa, estimates that the average length of life of the Lion is thirty-five to forty years ; and that he kills, or con- sumes, year by year, horses, mules, horned cattle, camels, and sheep, to the value of twelve hundred dollars. Taking the average of his life, which is thirty-five years,, each Lion costs the Arabs of that country forty-two thousand dollars. The Lion is mostly nocturnal in its habits, hunting its prey and satisfying its appetite during the night, and sleeping and 62 THE TRAPPER'S ART. digesting its food during the day. Tlie Lioness is smaller than the male, and brings forth from one to three young at a time, about the beginning of the year. Lions are not numerous in Asia, and are steadily growing less so in Africa. They are now seldom found near the coasts of that Continent. Wher- ever the white man appears he wages relentless warfare against the "king of beasts." Its favorite haunts are the plains rather than the forests, and it is content with the shelter of a few bushes or low jungle. They sometimes hunt in troops — several attacking a herd of zebras, or other animals, in con- cert. Their strength is very great, and one has been known to carry a horse a distance of a mile from where he had killed it. Their most common prey are the deer and antelope which abound on the plains of Africa and in India. The zebra, the quagga, and the buffiilo are their frequent victims. The directions already given for taking the cougar with the steel-trap are adapted to the Lion. It may also be taken by setting a trap near its haunts and baiting it with a dead sheep or other animal. Great care must be taken to thoroughly secrete the trap, as the Lion is a very suspicious and intelli- gent beast. It is said that when a Lion is killed, all others retire from and avoid that immediate vicinity. The Lion is not a fastidious feeder. While, on the one hand, he likes to strike down a living animal and suck the hot blood from its body, on the other, he will devour any dead animal he may find, whether fresh or otherwise. " So thoroughly is this the case," says Wood, " that Lion-hunters are in the habit of de- coying their mighty game by means of dead antelopes or oxen, which they lay near some water-spring, knowing w^ell that the Lions are sure to seize so excellent an opportunity of satis- fying at the same time the kindred appetites of thirst and hunger." THE TIGER. If the lion is the scourge of Africa, the Tiger holds that place in India and Southern Asia. The Royal Tiger of India rivals the lion in size, strength, ferocity, and activity, and excels him in beauty of form and color, and grace of move- ment. The Tiger is of great size, measuring in the largest CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 68 specimens, four feet in height, four feet eight inches in girth, and thirteen feet six inches in total length. Its color is a tawny yellow, Avith transverse, dark-colored or black stripes. The under parts, the chest and throat, and the long tufts of hair on each side of the face are nearly white, and the mark- ings on these parts are indistinct. The general make of the Tiger is a little more slender than that of the lion. Their haunts are the forests and jungles, and they prey upon all ani- mals which come within their reach and power. They are of amazing strength and often bound upon their prey by a single leap of fifty feet. The Indian buffalo, which is as large as an ox, is killed and dragged off by the Tiger without difficulty. Tiie female has from three to five young at a birth, which she defends with great fierceness. The range of the Tiger is con- fined to Asia, and to certain districts of that Continent. Some sections are terribly infested with them, and the inhabitants are kept in a state of terror by their depredations. They are common in the wilds of Hindostan, in various parts of Central Asia, even as far north as the Amoor River, and are also found on some of the large Asiatic Islands. Portions of Sumatra are so infested with them as to be almost depopulated. Here and in some parts of India, the Tiger is protected by the superstition of the people, who regard it as a sacred ani- mal, animated by the souls of their dead ancestors, and none are killed but the " Man-eaters." Wood in his Natural History gives the following description of the habits of the Tiger : — " When seeking its prey, it never appears to employ openly that active strength which would seem so sure to attain its end, but creeps stealthily towards the object, availing itself of every cover, until it can spring upon the des-tined victim. Like the lion, it has often been known to stalk an unconscious animal, crawling after it as it moves along, and following its steps in hopes of gaining a nearer approach. It has even been known to stalk human beings in this fashion, the Tiger in question being one of tliose terrible ani- mals called ' Man-eaters,' on account of their destructive propen- sities. It is said that there is an outward cliange caused in the Tiger by the indulgence of this man-slaying habit, and that a ' Man-eater' 64 THE TRAPPER'S ART. can be distinguished from any otlier Tiger by the darker tint of the skin, and a redness in the cornea of the eyes. Not even the Man- eating Tiger dai-es an open assault, but crawls insidiously towards his prey, preferring, as does the lion, the defenceless women and children as the object of attack, and leaving alone the men, who are seldom without ai'ms. " The Tiger is very clever in selecting spots from whence it can watch the approach of its intended prey, itself being couclied under the shade of foliage or behind the screen of some friendly rock. It is fond of lying in wait by the side of moderately frequented roads, more particulai-ly choosing those spots where the shade is the deepest, and where wafer may be found at hand wherewith to quencli the thirst that it always feels when consuming its prey. From such a point of vantage it will leap with terrible effect, seldom making above a single spring and, as a rule, always being felt before it is seen or heard. " It is a curious fact that the Tiger generally takes up his post on the side of the road which is opposite his lair, so that he has no need to turn and drag iiis prey across the road, but proceeds forwai'd with his acquisition to his den. Sliould the Tiger miss his leap, he gen- erally seems bewildered and ashamed of himself, and instead of re- turning to the spot, for a second attempt, sneaks off discomfited from the scene of his humiliation. The spots where there is most danger of meeting a Tiger, are the crossings of nullahs, or the deep ravines through which the water-courses run. In these localities the Tiger is sure to find his two essentials, cover and water. So apathetic are the natives, and so audacious are the Tigers, that at some of these crossings a man or a bullock may be carried off" daily, and yet no steps will be taken to avert the danger, with the exception of a few amulets suspended about the person. Sometimes the Tigers seem to take a panic, and make a general emigi-ation, leaving, without any apparent reason, the spots which they had long infested, and making a sudden appearance in some locality where they had but seldom be- fore been seen " There is a certain bushy shrub, called the korinda, which is specially affected by the Tigers on account of the admirable cover which its branches afford. It does not grow to any great height, but its branches are thickly leaved, and droop over in such a manner that they form a dai-k arch of foliage, under which the animal may creep, and so lie hidden from prying eyes, and guarded from tiie unwelcome light and heat of the noonday sun. So fond are the Tigers of this CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 65 mode of concealment that the hunters always direct their steps to tlie korinda-bush, knowing well that if a Tiger should be in the neighborhood, it would be tolerably certain to be lying under the sombre shade of the korinda branches." There are a number of modes adopted by the natives of Asia, for killing the Tiger, such as spring-bows armed with poisoned arrows, nets, cages with trap-doors, enticing them into locations where they can be shot, &c. ; but they are all inferior to the steel-ti'ap. This instrument should be intro- duced wherever this lurking marauder abounds. The habit of returning to tlie unfinished carcass of the beast it has slain or found, which I have already noticed as pertaining to the cat family, is very strong in the Tiger, and can be taken advantage of in trapping them, in the same manner as de- scribed for the lion and cougar. The trap shovild be set near the hind parts of the carcass, as the Tiger always be- gins with those parts and eats toward the head. They may also be taken by setting traps along the paths which they make through the jungle near tlieir lairs. In all cases the traps should be carefully secreted. A Tiger is easily killed with a bullet. Next to the brain and heart, the luno-s and liver are its most mortal parts. A Tiger when struck by a bul- let in the liver generally dies within fifteen or twenty minutes. If once wounded anywhere they usually die, though perhaps not immediately. From some unknown cause a wound on a Tiger very soon assumes an angry appearance, becomes tainted and the abode of maggots, and finally proves flital. This tendency to putrefaction in the Tiger, renders it neces- sary that they should be skinned immediately after thev are killed if the preservation of the skin is any object. Especially should the Tiger be removed out of the sunslilne, instantly after it is slain. A delay of ten or fifteen minutes will often ruin the skin by the loosening of the hair from putrefaction. The skin after being removed should be at once stretched, and treated with a very strong solution of salt, alum, and catechu. Several other large animals of the cat kind are found in Asia and Africa, such as the Leopard, the Ounce, the Riman- 5 66 THE TRAPPER'S ART. Dihaii or Tree-Tiger, &c. They are all carnivorous and of similar habits, and should be trapped on the same general principles as the tiger and cougar. Of these animals, the Leopard is the most formidable and destructive. It is found in both Asia and Africa, but in greatest numbers in the latter country. It is much smaller than the tigei', but of extraor- dinary strength for its size. It does not usually attack man, unless wounded or pursued. It is very destructive among the herds of domestic animals, antelope, deer, and monkeys. It is celebrated for the beauty of its skin and the agility and grace of its movements. Its haunts are the forests where thick, high undergrowth prevails. THE WOLVERENE. This animal is found throughout a large part of British America, and in some of the wildest portions of the Northern States. It is about three feet long from the nose to the root of the tail, and has a tail fourteen inches in length. In gen- eral appearance and movements it resembles the bear, while its head bears a strong likeness to that of the fisher except that the muzzle is shorter. The habits and food of the Wol- verene are much like those of the marten. They hunt hares, mice, birds, and kill disabled deer. They are powerfully built and possess great strength. Their prevailing color is dark brown on the back and under parts. A broad stripe of yellowish brown sweeps along each side and ends at the root of the tail. The legs and feet are black. Stripes and patches of black and yellow occur on the under parts. The fur is lono-, soft, and tolerably fine, overlaid with larger and coarser hairs, which are about three inches long on the rump but shorter in front. The Wolverene is a great mischief-maker for the trapper in the regions where it dwells, especially the marten- trappers of British America, who use the old-fashioned " dead-fall." One of these animals will follow a line of traps for miles, tearing them down, devouring bait and the animals that have been caught. They are also very troublesome in destroying caches of provisions. On account of its destruc- tive propensities, and great cunning and sagacity, the Indians \ ^,f. ,,,1.^ 1^ 4->- ■ ^^ .IM .V VJ ^Pf .P;?, , \-: ■'■;.■ ■■^■■'■'^^%{ ^^ / 74 CAPTURE OF ANBIALS. 67 call the Wolverene the Evil One or Devil. They are seldom caught in traps, and the most successful way of destroying them is said to be by strychnine. THE OPOSSUM. This animal inhabits the warmer parts of the United States, and several species of it are said to exist also in Australia. In form it somewhat resembles the common house rat. Its body is about twenty inches long, stoutly built, and its tail, which is generally fifteen inches in length, is prehensile, like that of some monkeys, i. e., capable of holding on to any thing that it encircles. The Opossum is five-toed, and walks on the sole of its foot like the bear. Its ears are large, rounded, and almost naked. The female has from nine to thirteen teats, tlie odd one being in the centre of the ring formed by the rest. The fur is long, soft, and woolly, whitish at the roots, and brown at the top. The Opossum is omni\'- orous, feeding on corn, nuts, berries, roots, insects, young birds, eggs, mice, &c. It is nocturnal in its habits ; hiding in the thick foliage of the trees in the daytime, and seeking its food b}^ night. It is an active climber, and is said to spend much of its time and even to sleep suspended from the limb of a tree by the tail ! The females are very prolific, producing from nine to thirteen young at a birth, and three or even four litters in a year. They are provided with a pouch under the belly, in which they protect and suckle their young. These animals are trapped in the same manner as the rac- coon and the badger, by setting traps in their haunts, and bait- ing with any of their favorite kinds of food. They have a habit, when caught, of feigning death, and will bear consid- erable torture without betraying any signs of life. This habit doubtless gave rise to the common by-word which calls cer- tain kinds of deceit " playing 'possum." THE SKUNK. This animal, tliough generally much despised in this coun- try, is said to furnish the staple fur to Poland, and deserves at least the respectful attention of the trapper. It is related 68 THE TRAPPER'S ART. to tlie weasel. Its head is small, with a projecting, naked nose, small, piercing eyes, and short, romided ears. The body is about eighteen inches long ; the tail twelve or four- teen inches, and bushy. The feet are short, and well adapted to digging, having naked soles and closely united toes with claws. The prevailing color is white and black, some varie- ties being mostly white and others mostly black. The fur of the latter is the most valuable. The Skunk walks witli its back much curved, and its tail erect, as though proud of its beauty. It is nocturnal in its habits, and during the summer months searches the fields in the vicinity of its havints every night, feeding principally on worms, bugs, and grasshoppers, but sometimes devouring frogs, mice, young birds, green corn, &c., and occasionally making fi'ee with poultry and eggs. Its services in clearing the farmer's fields and gardens of bugs and worms more than pay for its depredations, and it ought to be regarded as a useful animal. Its breedino- season is in April or May. From six to nine young are brought forth at a litter, and are reared in holes or among rocks, till they are large enough to shift for themselves. These animals are taken in traps set at the mouths of their holes or in the fields where they search for food. The trap should be covered with loose earth or soft vegetable substances, and should be baited with small pieces of meat scattered around it. They are not cunning, and require no great skill in taking them. The great difficulty in trapping for them or meddling with them in any way is in the liability of catching a charge of their perfumery, which is very disagreeable, and ruins all clothing that is once impregnated with it. This offensive essence is ejected from two glands near the anus by the contraction of the muscular coverings, and the only way that I know to prevent the discharge is to approach the animal in the trap stealthily, and give it a smart blow with a club across the back near the tail, which will paralyze the ejecting muscles. But this expedient is not always available, as the animal sometimes takes tiie trap for a living enemy and dis- charges when first taken. One thing, however, is in its favor, namely, it is very neat in its personal habits, rarely allowing CAPTURE OF AlS^IMALS. G9 its own fur to be soiled with its offensive secretions ; so tliat if you can get away its skin without being overwhehned your- self bv its perfumery, your spoil is likely to be as clean and saleable as in the case of any other animal. [We are indebted to an old Connecticut trapper, Mr. H. Mansfield, for the following valuable addition to Mr. New- house's article on the Skunk. — Editors.] " In summer, Skunks can be taken in great numbers by the follow- ing method : Find a place where they travel from their holes to a hen-coop or through a corn-field. Make a path for them by tread- ing down the grass, and set up sticks along on each side to guide them more surely. Set traps at intervals, and strew pieces of meat or dead mice before and behind each trap. A whole family of Skunks will walk down this path, the old ones heading the procession ; and as one after another is caught, those behind will climb over and pass on. till all are taken. I have caught in this way two old ones and eight young ones in one path on a single evening. They seldom dischai'ge when first caught ; and can be prevented from doing so at all, either by a blow on tiie back, or by boldly seizing the parts where the offensive secretion lies with one hand, and piercing the throat with a knife in the other. " In winter my method is to track them to their holes and dig them out. They are obliged to go to some stream for water every day, and when there is snow, they can easily be tracked back to their burrows. In digging them out, I prevent them from using their terrible weapon by carefully uncovering only one at a time, and only the head of each at first, filling in and even ' tamping ' the dirt around the body, till I can despatch them in succession by opening the jugular vein. " The surest way to take Skunks without bad consequences is by the snare and spring-pole. " With all the precaution that can be taken, the trapper's clothes will sometimes be si)rinkled ; and there will be more or less scent about the skins. The best way to cleanse articles in this condition is to hold them over a fire of red-cedar boughs, and afterwards sprinkle them with chloride of lime." 70 THE TRAPPER'S ART. THE COYPU RAT. The Coypu Rat, or Racoonda, as it Is sometimes called, furnishes the fur known in commerce as Nutria. But one species is known^ which is a native of South America, and is found in great numbers in the La Plata region. In general appearance and character it resembles the beaver. Its tail, however, instead of being flattened, is long^^round, and rat- like. Its favorite haunts are the lagoons of the plains or pampas, and the banks of rivers and streams. Its fur is short, fine, silkv, similar to that of the beaver, and light brown in color. Overlying the fur are long hairs of a brown- ish yellow color. The fur is lieaviest and best on the belly. It is used for the same purpose as that of the beaver, in the manufacture of hats and caps. The Coypu is about two feet long exclusive of tail, which is about fifteen inches in length. It is veiy prolific, the female producing six or seven at a birth. They feed on vegetables, are quite gentle in their character, and easily tamed. They inhabit South America on both sides of the Andes : on the east, from Peru to forty-three degrees south latitude ; on the west, from Central Chili to Terra del Fuego. They are also found in the small bays and channels of the archipelagos along the coast. They are burrowing animals, and form their habitations in the banks of lakes and streams. They are nocturnal in their habits, and seem to be equally at home in fresh or salt water. The Coypu is usually hunted with dogs, and is easily cap- tured. It is, however, a bold animal, and fights fiercely with the dog employed in pursuing it. We cannot learn that any attempt has been made to take them by the steel-trap, but this would no doubt prove the best and easiest method of cap- ture. Their habits resemble those of the beaver and muskrat, and they should be trapped on the same general principles. Great numbers of the skins of this animal are annually ex- ported. In some seasons the number has been over three millions, constituting an important branch of the fur-trade. CAPTURE OF AMMALS. 71 THE CHINCHILLA. The most delicate and silken of all furs is that pi'oduced by the Chinchilla. This animal is found in South America, along the Andean region from Chili to Peru. It burrows in the valleys which intersect the hilly slopes, and collects together in great numbers in certain favored localities. It belongs to the group of animals called Jerboidce, which are characterized by- great comparative length of the hind legs. It is a small animal, measuring only about fourteen or fifteen inches in total length, of which the tail forms about one third. They are very prolific, the female bringing forth five or six twice a year. Their food is exclusively vegetable, consisting mostly of bulbous roots. They are very cleanly in all their habits. The fur of the Chinchilla is long ; its color is a delicate clear gray vipon the back, softening into a grayish white on the under portions ; and its texture is wonderfully soft and fine. It is used for muffs, tippets, linings to cloaks and pelisses, and trimmings. The skins which are obtained in Chili are the best. Great numbers of Chinchillas are caught in the vicinity of Coquimbo and Copiapo. They are usually hunted with dogs by boys. The true method is to take them at the mouth of their burrows with a small steel rat-trap. THE SQUIRREL. The American varieties of the Squirrel do not produce fur of much value, and are of little importance in the fur-trade. They are generally taken only for food or as nuisances. The European variety, however, is much more valuable, and its skins are brought into the fur-markets of Europe by the mill- ion. They are spread over all the north of Europe and Asia. Those of Russia and Siberia produce the finest and hand- somest fur. This kind is a small Squirrel with tufted ears and a beautiful gray coat. For taking Squirrels, the trap should be set on the top rail of a fence near a wood that they frequent. A pole, with an ear of corn or some other favorite squirrel-food fastened to the end of it, should be set up by the side of the fence, lean- 72 THE TRAPPER'S ART. ing in such a position as to bring the bait over the trap at the height of six or eiglit inches. In reaching for the bait the Squirrel gets into the trap. To give a complete view of the business of trapping, sev- eral less valuable animals should be briefly noticed, not as fur- bearing, but as legitimate subjects of the ti'apper's art. THE WOODCHUCK OR MARMOT. Marmots are burrowing animals. There are a number of species, and they are found on both Continents. In this country, they are commonly called Woodchucks. The cu- rious Prairie Dog of the Western plains is allied to the Mar- mot. This latter animal lives in villages from a few acres to several miles in extent, in the country bordering on the Arkansas and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries. The entrance to their burrows is in the summit or side of a small mound of earth, somewhat elevated, but seldom more than eighteen inches high. In pleasant weather, they may be seen sporting about the entrance of their burrows ; and five or six individuals may be sometimes seen sitting on a single mound. They make a noise somewhat like the barking of a dog, whence their name, Prairie Dog. When alarmed, they re- treat at once into their holes. The skin of the common Woodchuck is valuable for whip-lashes, and its fur even is not despised by rustics. All kinds of Marmots may be taken by setting steel-traps, completely covered and without bait, at the mouth of their holes. THE GOPHER. This animal, called also the Canada Pouched Rat, inhabits the prairie region west of the Mississippi, It is a burrownng animal, and lives on roots and vegetables. Its body is firmly built, about nine inches long, with a short tail and legs, the latter armed with lonii claws for digmnp;. The head and neck are relatively large, and the mouth has four broad long in- cisors, two on each jaw, adapted to cutting roots. On the sides of the face and neck, extending back to the shoulders, CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 73 are large pouches, in which to carry earth, food, &c. The Go])]ier digs paths or galleries of an oval form, several inches in diameter, a short distance below the surface, coming to the surface once in about a rod, where the excavated earth is de- posited in little hillocks. These galleries ramify in all direc- tions. When the animal has brought to the surface in one place as much earth as its sense of econoni}- dictates, it closes up the hole, and begins a new deposit further on, so that notli- Tlie Goph-er and its Burrow. ing remains but a neat little mound of earth, laro;e enonsh to fill a half bushel, more or less. Gophers are great pests to the western firmers, injuring and destroying the roots of their crops, and infesting tlieir fields and gardens. The}^ may be trapped in the following manner : Carefully cut away a square section of sod on a line between the two most recent deposits. On finding the gallery, excavate down till a trap will set on a level with the bottom of the passage. Place the trap there ; then lay a piece of board or shingle across the ex- 74 THE TRAPPER'S ART. cavation, just above the passage, and replace the sod. The Gopher while at work will run into the trap and be taken. THE RAT. This pest of all countries may be taken in any or all of the following ways : 1. Set your trap in a pan of meal or bran ; cover it with meal and set the pan near the run-ways of the Rats ; or, 2, set the trap in a path at the mouth of a Rat's hole, with a piece of thin brown paper or cloth spread smoothly over it ; or, 3, make a run-way for the Rats by placing a box, barrel, or board near a wall, leaving room for them to pass, and set the trap in the passage, covered as before. In all cases, the trap should be thoroughly smoked over a fire or heated over a stove before it is set, and at every re-setting ; but care should be taken not to overheat the trap so as to draw the temper of the spring. Also the position of the trap should be frequently changed. To conclude these instructions for capturing animals, I will introduce the trapper to one or two of a larger and nobler family, which he will find well worthy of his attention, not for their skins or furs (though these are valuable), but for their flesh, which, in his more distant and adventurous excur- sions, will often be the only resource of his commissai'iat. The soldier must look out, not only for his means of fighting, but for his means of living — for his larder as well as for his enemy — and happily I can show the soldiers of the trap how to supply themselves Avith food by the same weapons that they use in taking animals for their furs. THE DEER. This family of ruminating animals embraces a great variety of species, ranging in size from the Pigmy Musk-Deer of Java, which is not larger than a hare and weighs only five or six pounds, to the gigantic Moose-Deer of America, whose height is seven or eight feet and its weight twelve hundred pounds. But the species with which American trappers are most prac- tically concerned, are the common Red or Virginia Deer, and CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 75 the Black-Tailed Deer of the reo;ion west of the Missis- sip})!. These species differ but little in habits and general characteristics, and a description of the Virginia Deer is suf- ficient for the purposes of the trapper. The Virginia Deer are found in nearly all the States of the Union east of the Rocky Mountains, and abound in both provinces of Canada. The}^ are gregarious in their habits, though frequently seen alone. Their food in summer consists of twigs, grass, berries, nuts, roots, acorns, persimmons, &c., and at that season they frequent rivers and lakes to feed on water-plants, as well as for the purpose of freeing themselves from insect pests. They are also fond of visiting the pioneer's clearing and appropriating his wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, turnips and cab- bages. In winter they retire to the elevated ridges, where maple and other hard-wood trees abound, the bark, twigs and branches of which are at that season their chief support. They form " yards" by trampling down the deep snows, and live together in large herds, numbering sometimes thirty ani- mals in a single " yard." These inclosures are enlarged from time to time as the Deer require more trees for browsing. Wolves and panthers are their most formidable enemies — al- ways excepting man. Packs of wolves frequently attack them in their " yards," and sometimes when the snow is deep and crusted over, whole herds are destroyed. Wolves sometimes pursue a single Deer with the " long chase." In summer a Deer thus pursued generally takes to the water, and so baffles his pursuers ; but in winter when the streams and lakes are frozen over, he rarely escapes. Panthers take Deer by crawling within spinnging distance of them in their " yards '' or elsewhere, or by watching and pouncing on them from some cliff or tree, as they pass below. The methods by which men take Deer are various. They are sometimes driven by dogs into rivers or lakes, and are then overtaken and dispatched by the hunter in his canoe. A favorite method is to shoot them at night at the places by the water-side, where they resort to feed on aquatic plants and re- lieve themselves of insects. For this purpose the hunter pre- pares himself with a boat, gun, and lamp. The light is set on 76 THE TRAPPER'S ART. the bow of the boat, so that it will shine on the forward sight of the gun, and at the same time conceal hy its glare the hun- ter crouching behind. With muffled oar the boat approaches the game. The reflected gleams from the eyes of the Deer be- tray his position to the hunter. If no noise is made the victim will stand and gaze at the light until it is within a few yards, and so give a sure opportunity for the fatal shot. Many are taken in this way in the early autumn ; and later in the sea- son, when snow first comes, many more are taken by the " still hunt," either by following on their trail, or by watching at their run-ways. The steel-trap, it must be confessed, is not much used for takine: Deer : and I am not sure but that this use of it is re- garded by sportsmen as somewhat barbarous. But all the ways of deceiving and killing these noble animals seem to be open to the same objection ; and the necessities of the trapper often forbid him to be very particular as to the means of fur- nishing himself with food. There are times when the trap is the best, and even the only, available means of taking Deer ; for instance, when the trapper is without his rifle, or has ex- hausted his ammunition, and finds himself in the far wilder- ness without food. In such circumstances, he might starve if he could not betake himself to his traps for supply. And even when rifle and anmiunition are at hand, sometimes in dry weather (technically called a " noisy time ") every thing is so crisp and crackling under foot, that it is impossible to ap- proach the Deer within shooting distance. I therefore rec- ommend to practical woodsmen to learn how to take Deer in traps, and not be over-scrupulous in doing so when occasion requires. For taking Deer the trap must be a strong one, and the jaws should be spiked, and so shaped and adjusted I that when sprung they will remain open about half an inch, to pre- Deer Trap. vent breaking the bone. The trap should be placed in the path of the deer where it :.r^ I' /'Yl V /' *C..-^-^5# CAFTUliE OF ANIMALS. 77 crosses a stream or enters a lake ; and it should be set under water and concealed by some covering. If it is as heavy as it ought to be (say of three or four pounds' weight), it should not be fastened at all or even clogged ; as the animal is very active and violent when taken, and will be sure to break loose by tearing off a limb or smashing the trap, if his motions are much impeded. If the trap is left loose, the Deer, when caught, will make a few desperate plunges and then lie down ; and will seldom be found more than ten or fifteen rods from where he was taken. When the hunter approaches he will make a few more plunges, but can easily be dispatched. Mr. Gunter, the Canada trapper, whom I have heretofore quoted, gives the following directions for trapping Deer in winter : — " Fell a maple or bass-wood tree near where the Deer haunt. These trees furnish their favorite browse. Make a small hole in tlie snow, close to the top of the tree. Set your trap, lower it into the hole and shove it to one side, eighteen or twenfry inches, through the snow. Finally take some deer-scent, obtained from the glands on tiie hind legs of a Deer, and which has a very strong odor, and rub it on your trap. This done, when the Deer come to feed on the twigs of the fallen tree, you will be pretty sure to take one." THE MOOSE. This is the largest kind of deer, and its habits are in many respects like those of the common deer. It is more confined, however, to the snowy regions of the North. It is found throughout the greater part of British America, ranging as far north as the Arctic Sea. In the United States, it is found in Maine, Northern New York, Oregon, and Washington Territory. On the Eastern Continent, it is found throughout the northern parts of Europe and Asia. Its favorite haunts are the hard-wood lands. In general color, it is yellowish- brown or ashy-gray. The hair in summer is short and soft, and long awd coarse in winter. The full-grown Moose weighs from eight hundred to fifteen hundred pounds, and stands seven and even eight feet high. Its horns have an expanse of nearly six feet between the tips, and a palm or spade on 78 THE TRAPPER'S ART. each, of a foot in width, and weigh from forty-five to seventy pounds. Under the throat of both sexes there is a tuft of coarse, bristly hair, a foot or more in length, attached to. a sort of dewlap. Tiie breeding season of the Moose is in May. At tlie first birth, but a single one is brought forth ; after- wards two are brought forth annually. Moose, like the com- mon deer, frequent rivers and lakes in summer, to feed on the roots of the w^ater-lily and other aquatic plants ; and retire in Avinter to the high ridges, to browse on the twigs of the striped maple and birch. Their height enables them to crop the overhangino- branches of laro;;e trees ; and their weight and strength enable them to bend down small trees and slide over them with their bodies, stripping the bark and twigs to the very extremities. Like the common deer, they form "yards" by treading down the snows, and enlarge them as fast as they strip the trees and require more. In these " yards " there are commonly found a male, female, and two fawns. Moose are taken in winter by the "long chase" on snow- shoes, and in summer they are shot at their feeding-places in marshes. They are, however, very wary and timid ; and their sense of smelling is so acute that the greatest caution is necessary on the part of the hunter in approaching them. The males in the rutting season are very dangerous, and will attack, and if possible kill, any persons who approach them. Moose can easily be taken either in summer or winter by set- ting steel-traps in their haunts, as they are not cunning, and enter a trap as readily as an ox or a horse. The trap should be a strong one of about forty pounds' weight, and it should be fiistened to a clog of sixty pounds' weight. The flesh of the Moose is much esteemed by hunters and trappers, being generally preferred to that of the common deer. The marrow in the large bones is an excellent substi- tute for butter. u. Moose- Yard. III. CURING SKINS. However successful a trapper may be iu taking animals, he will not secure a full reward for his labor unless he knows how to take care of their skins, and prepare them fur market in such a manner that they will command the higliest prices. As skins that have been riddled with shot find little favor with fur-dealers, so skins that have been cut in stripping off, or tliat are encumbered with remnants of flesh, or that have passed into a state of incipient putrefaction before drying, or that have not been properly stretched, or that have been dried too fast, or that have been neglected and exposed after being cured, are very sure to be thrown out by the fur-inspector as second or third rate skins, deserving only poor prices. Great quantities of valuable furs, taken by boys and inexperienced trappers, are rendered almost worthless by bad treatment in some of the processes of preservation. I shall give such in- formation on this part of the trapper's business as I have ob- tained, both from my own experience and from conversation with fur-dealers. GENERAL RULES. 1. Be careful to visit your traps often enough, so that the skins will not have time to get tainted. 2. As soon as possible after an animal is dead and dry, attend to the skinning and curing. 3. Scrape off all superfluous flesh and fat, but be careful not to go so deep as to cut the flbre of the skin. 4. Never dry a skin by the fire or in the sun, but in a cool, shady place, sheltered from rain. If you use a barn door for a stretcher (as boys sometimes do), nail the skin on the itiside of the door. 5. Never use "preparations" of any kind in curing skins, nor even wash them in water, but simply stretch and dry them as they are taken from the animal. 80 THE TRAPPER'S ART. STRETCHING SKINS. In drying skins, it is important that they should be stretched tight, like a strained drum-head. This can be done after a fashion by simply nailing them flat on a wide board or a barn door. But this method, besides being impracticable on the large scale in the woods (where most skins have to be cured), is objectionable because it exposes only one side of the pelt to the air. The stretchers that are generally approved and used by good trappers are of three kinds, adapted to the skins of different classes of animals. I shall call them the board-stretcher, the bow-stretcher, and the hoop-stretcher, and will describe them, indicatintr the different animals to which each is adapted. THE BOARD-STRETCHER. This contrivance is made in the following man- ner : Prepare a board of bass-wood or other light material, two feet three inches long, three inches and a half wide at one end, and two inches and an eighth at the other, and three eighths of an inch thick. Chamfer it from the centre to the sides almost to an ed«2;e. Round and chamfer the small' end about an inch up on the sides. Split this board through the centre with a knife or saw. Finally, prepare a wedge of the same length and thickness, one inch w^ide' at the large end, and tapering to three eighths of an inch at the small end, to be driven between the halves of the board. This is a stretcher suitable for a mink or a marten. Two larger sizes, with similar pro- NJ portions, are required for the larger animals. The largest size, suitable for the full-grown otter or wolf, should be five feet and a half long, seven inches Avide at the large end when fully spread by the wedge, and six inches at the small end. Board-Stretcher. An intermediate size is required for the fisher, raccoon, fox, and some other animals, the proportions of which can be easily figured out. m' CURING SKINS. 81 These stretchers require that the skin of the animal sliould not be ripped through the belly, but should be stripped off whole. This is done in the following manner : Commence with the knife at the hind-feet, and slit down to the vent. Cut around the vent, and strip tlie skin from tlie bone of the tail with the help of the thumb-nail or a split stick. Make no other slits in the skin, except in the case of the otter, whose tail requires to be split, spread, and tacked on to the board. Peel the skin from the body by drawing it over itself, leaving the fur-side inward. In this condition the skin should be drawn on to the split board (with the back on one side and the belly on the other) to its utmost length, and fastened with tacks or by notches cut in tlie edge of the board, and then the wedge should be driven between the two halves. Finally, make all fast by a tack at the root of the tail, and another on the opposite side. The skin is then stretched to its utmost capacity, as a boot-leg is stretched by the shoemaker's " tree," and it may be hung away in the proper place, by a hole in one end of the stretcher, and left to dry. A modification of this kind of stretcher, often used in cur- ing the skins of the muskrat and other small animals, is a simple board, without split or wedge, three sixteenths of an inch thick, twenty inches long, six inches wide at the large end, and tapering to five and a half inches at six inches from the small end, chamfered and rounded as in the other cases. Miiskrat-Stretchcr. The animal should be skinned as before directed, and the skin drawn tightly on to the board, and fastened with about four tacks. Sets of these boards, sufficient for a muskrat cam- paign, can easily be made and transported. They are very light and take up but little room in packing, thirty-two of them making but six inches in thickness. 6 82 THE TRAPPER'S ART. THE BOW-STRETCHER. The most common way of treatins; the muskrat is to cut off its feet wi-th a hatchet; and rip with a knife from between the two teeth in the lower jaw, down the belly, about two inches below where the fore-legs come out. Then the skin is started by cutting around the lips, eyes, and ears, and is stripped over the body, with the fur-sid6 inward. Finally a stick of birch, water-beech, iron-wood, hickory, or elm, an inch in diameter at the butt, and three feet and a half long, is bent into the shape of an ox-bow and shoved into the skin, which is drawn tight, and fastened by splitting down a sliver in the bow, and drawing the skin of the lip into it. This method is too common to be easily abolished, and is tolerable when circumstances make it necessary ; but the for- mer method of stretching by a tapering board, in the case of muskrats as well as other small animals, is much the best. Skins treated in that way keep their proper shape, and pack better than those stretched on bows, and in the long run boards are more economical than bows, as a set of them can be used many times, and will last several years ; whereas bows are seldom used more than once, being generally broken in taking out. THE HOOP-STRETCHER. The skins of large animals, such as the beaver and the bear, are best dried by spreading them, at full size, in a hoop. For this purpose, a stick of hickory or other flexible wood should be cut, long enough to entirely surround the skin when bent. (If a single stick long enough is not at hand, two smaller ones can be spliced together.) The ends should be brought around, lapped, and tied with a string or a withe of bark. The skin should be taken from the animal by ripping from the lower front teeth to the vent, and peeling around the lips, eyes, and ears, but without ripping up the legs. It should then be placed inside the hoop and fastened at opposite sides, with twine or bark, till all loose parts are taken up, and the whole stretched so that it is nearly round and as tight as a drum- CURING SKINS. 83 head. When it is dry it may be taken from the hoop, and is ready for packing and transportation. This is the proper method of treating the skin of the deer. Some prefer it for the wolf and raccoon. In many cases the trapper may take his choice between the hoop and the board method. One or the other of these methods will be fomid satisfactory for curing all kinds of skins. IV. LIFE IN THE WOODS. [The outfit for campaigning in the woods proposed by Mr. Newhouse in the following chapter may seem rather elaborate and luxurious, adapted perhaps better to amateur sportsmen than to the " rough and ready " fol- lowers of the trap. But it is best to encourage and help forward as far as possible good civilized living, even in wild places. Those who prefer a freer and less expensive style of outfit can leave Mr. Newhouse and take lessons of the older trapper, John Hutchins, or of Mr. Gunter, both of whose programmes are given fui-ther on, and are simple enough for the hardiest. — Editors.] The great question, after all, for the trapper as well as for the soldier, is, how to live and keep himself comfortable while he carries on the war. He requires in some respects even more than a soldier's courage, for he is to encounter the hard- ships of camp-life alone^ or with but one or two companions, and without a baggage-train to bring up provisions at every halt. The very first article of outfit that he should equip himself with, I should say, would be a firm trust in Provi- dence. But as Cromwell told his soldiers to " trust God and keep their powder dry," so the trapper will need to provide some thincrs for himself, while he trusts Providence. I will therefore tell him as well as I can, how I equip myself for life in the woods. OUTFIT FOR A CAMPAIGN ON FOOT. If the region in which you propose to trap cannot be reached by boat or wagon, you must be content with such necessaries as you can carry on your person. A trapper on foot should not tire himself with long stiff-legged boots, but should wear short half-boots (with soles well nailed), fitting snugly above and around the ankle. His pants should be gray woolen, closely fitting below the knee, but roomy above. His coat should be of the same material and color, with plenty of Mr. Newuouse's Tent and Stove. LIFE IN THE WOODS. 85 p-^cket-room. His hat should be of soft felt, gray, and witli a moderate brim. He should carry a " change " of woolen drawers, wrappers, shirts, and stockings. A towel with soap, a night-cap, and a blanket, or, what is better, a Canton-flannel bag to sleep in, will complete his personal equipments. Then he must carry for shelter a small tent, made of firm cotton- drilling, Aveighing not more than two pounds and a half; Shelter Tent. for subsistence, a double-barrelled gun (rifle and shot), weigh- incr seven or eight pounds, with ammunition, and fishing- tackle ; and, for all sorts of purposes, an axe of two and a half pounds (with a good length of handle), and plenty of tacks and nails. For cooking and table service he must carry a frying-pan, a camp-kettle, a hunting-knife, some knives and forks, spoons of two sizes, a few tin pressed plates and basins, and a drinking-cup. Above all, he must not forget to take a good supply of matches and a pocket-compass. These neces- saries (exclusive of clothing) will weigh, according to my reck- oning, about twenty-five pounds. The rest of his load must be made up of traps and provisions. If he is stout enough to imdertake trapping on foot, he ought to be able to travel with about fifty pounds. He may take then five pounds of provisions and twenty pounds of traps, or any other propor- tion of these articles that will make up the remaining twenty- 86 THP: TRAPPER'S ART. five pounds. His provisions should consist of articles that will be desirable as accompaniments to the produce of his gun and fishing-tackle, namely, sugar, tea and coffee (rather than whiskey), salt, pepper, butter, lard, sifted Indian meal, white beans, crackers, &c. The butter and lard should be put up in air-tight cans, and on arrival at the trapping grounds should be sunk in a spring. The best kind of knapsack for carrying such an outfit is made of rubber-cloth, with shoulder-straps : but vou can easily convert your sleeping bag or your blanket into a knapsack that will serve very well.* If you trap with one companion or more (which is a good plan and according to the creneral practice), many of the articles named in the above list will answer for the party, and so the load for individuals will be lightened. Thus equipped, you can turn your back on the haunts of men, march into the wilderness, and, with a little hunting and fishing in the intervals of trap-duty, live pleasantly for months, and return with your load of furs, a stouter and healthier man than when you started. OUTFIT FOR AN EXCURSION BY WAGON OR BOAT. If your trapping district can be reached by road or by water, some changes should be made in the foregoing inven- tory. For the interest of your larder it will be best to take more ammunition, and a greater variety of fishing-tackle. A lamp and lantern, with a supply of oil, a camp-hatchet of twelve ounces in weight with a fourteen-inch handle, a stone for sharpening knives, axes, and hooks, a magazine of needles, thread, scissors, &c., and many other like conveniences, may * One of the most satisfactory arrangements we have ever seen for carrying lug- gage on the back is the Indian shoulder-basket. They are made nearly square, or about ten inches by twelve, at the bottom, and twelve or fourteen inches high. One side is flat, the others are rounded and drawn in toward the top, making the mouth of the basket only about half the size of the bottom. Over the mouth, and extend- ing some distance down the sides, a cover of rubber or enamel-doth should be fitted. On the flat side of the basket shoulder-straps are fastened, crossing each other in the form of an X. These straps should be made of two thicknesses of strong cotton cloth, sewed together and stuffed with cotton. The great advantages of this basket are, that it is light, easily managed, fits the back well, bringing the load just where it is wanted, does not get out of place, and does not heat the back like a close-fitting knapsack. Combined with the basket the trapper needs a small enamel-cloth hav- ersack such as is worn by soldiers. — Editors. LIFE IN THE WOODS. 87 be stowed away in the odd corners of your luggage. You mav also carry more clothing and more provisions, such as potatoes, and ought certainly to take along at least one hun- dred and fifty traps of different sizes, and a good set of board- stretchers for curing skins. TENT. In the place of the light half-tent recommended for a cam- paign on foot, you should take a regular A tent of eight or nine pounds' weight, house-shaped, and buttoning up in front. This should be dipped two or three times in a solution pre- pared by mixing equal parts of sugar of lead and alum in a pailful of milk-warm water. This treatment will render the tent almost impervious to rain, and will protect it from the pparks of fire that will occasionally be blown upon it. Instead of a ridge-pole and two forked stakes for supporting it, all you need is a cord thirty or forty feet long, to be drawn ' through the ridge of the tent, fastened to it about midway, and tied at the ends to two trees at the proper height. The sides should be drawn down tight and fastened by hooks driven into the ground. STOVE AND FURNITURE. A much needed convenience for life in the woods is a stove with its furniture, that shall on the one hand afford all neces- sary facilities for cooking and warming, and on the other shall take up the least possible room in packing. Having devoted considerable study to this matter, I flatter myself that I can put the ingenious trapper in a way to make or procure the exact article that he wants. Your stove should be made of sheet-iron, and should be twenty-seven inches long, ten inches wide, and eight inches deep, having on the top two eight-inch holes for boilers and one four-inch hole for the smoke-pipe. Ten feet of pipe will be sufficient, and this can be made in five joints of two feet each, tapering in the whole length from four inches in diameter to three, so that the joints will slip into each other and the whole can be packed for transporta- tion inside the stove. For an outlet of the pipe through the 88 THE TRAPPER'S ART. roof of the tent, there sliould be a piece of tin, ten inches square, with an oblong hole, to be fastened at the proper place on the roof by means of lappels. Tlie furniture of the stove should be two dripping-pans of Russia iron ; one thir- teen inches long, nine inches wide, and an inch and a quarter deep ; the other enough smaller to pack inside the first ; a kettle, also of Russia iron, nine inches across the top, seven inches and a half deep, and six inches and a half across the bottom ; and two or three tin pails and several basins, all made in a diminishing series, so that they Avill slip into each other, and all into the iron kettle. The kettle and pails match the holes in the top of the stove, and when used in cooking tea, coffee, &c., should be covered with tin pressed plates. The whole of this furniture can be packed with the pipe in the stove. For supporting the stove in the tent, prepare four posts eighteen inches long, made of three-eighths inch iron rod, sharpened at one end, flattened at the other and fash- ioned like a small tenon. Two pieces of band-iron should then be made just long enough to reach across the bottom of the stove and receive the tenons of the posts into holes drilled in each end. Then, to set up your stove, drive the posts into the ground, adjust the cross-pieces to their places, and place the stove on the cross-pieces. Small depressions should be filed in the edge of the stove-bottom, to fit the ends of the tenons, above the cross-pieces, so as to prevent the stove from moving from its position. Your tent is large enough to ac- commodate any number of persons from two to six ; and your stove will warm them and do their cooking, with an amount of fuel that will be a mere trifle com])ared with what is re- quired for an open fire. It has the advantage also of giving a quick heat, and, with a damper, will keep fire all night. BED AND BEDDING. Good sleeping accommodations can be provided in the fol- lowing manner : Take two pieces of sacking or other coarse cloth, six and a half feet long and two feet and three quarters wide, and sew them firmly together at the sides, making a bag with both ends open. Cut two poles, each seven feet long LIFE IN THE WOODS. 85 and two inches in diameter, and run them through the bag, restinc the ends in notches on two logs placed parallel to each other at the proper distance apart. The notches should be so far apart that the poles will tiglitly stretch the bag. Four forked stakes, if more convenient, may be substituted for the logs and driven into the ground so as to receive the ends of the poles and stretch the sacking. The space in the bug be- tween the poles should be filled with dry grass, leaves, ever- green boughs, or moss, which will give it the warmth and softness of a straw bed. By this arrangement you have an extempore bedstead, raising you above the cold, damp ground, and a bed as good as the best. For bed-clothes, the best con- trivance is a bag made of wide, firm Canton flannel, six and a half feet long, open at one end. Let the tired hunter insert himself in this bag feet foremost, and he will need no " tuck- ing up " to keep him comfortable even on the ground or in the snow ; and if he is fortunate enough to be perched on such a bed as is above described, in a tent well buttoned up, with a friendly stove at his feet, the cry of the loon, the howl of the wolf, or the scream of the panther, will hardly disturb his slumbers.* CAMP-CHEST. A chest made of light materials, two feet nine inches in length, eighteen inches in width, and fourteen inches in depth — not larger tiian an ordinary trunk — will hold in trans- portation the stove with its pipe and all its furniture, the bed and bedding, the tent and all its rigging, and in fact nearly the whole outfit that has been described. The cover of the chest should be made of two thicknesses of boards, five eighths of an inch thick, with double hinges, so that the upper lid can be turned back separately, and form with the other lid a good table. COOKING. It will not be expected that the trapper's larder will be sup- plied with all the varieties and luxuries that can be found at the St. Nicholas, or at a Saratoga hotel. But it will always • For a winter campaign, we would recommend the addition of a woolen blanket — Editoks. 90 THE TRAPPER'S ART. be a satisfaction to know that flesh, fish, and fowl, are fresh from their native elements, and have not hung in the market two or three weeks before coming on the table. The ways of cooking in camp are as various as in the Kitchen at home. Fresh fish can be fried in butter, lard, or the fat of the deer ; or they can be boiled, or broiled and but- tered. Venison can be fried, or broiled in cutlets, or roasted before a camp-fire in joints, or stewed a la fricassee, or boiled into soup with potatoes. Squirrels, ducks, partridges, wood- cock, quails, pigeons, prairie fowls, and any other game that comes to hand, can be fried, broiled, or boiled as well in the woods as in the best hotel. The very best way of cooking fish and fowl ever devised is familiar to woodsmen, but unknown to city epicures. It is this : Take a large fish — say a trout of three or four pounds, fresh from its gambols in the cool stream — cut a small hole at the neck and abstract the intestines. Wash the inside clean, and season it with pepper and salt ; or if convenient, fill it with stuffing made of bread-crumbs or crackers chopped up with meat. Make a fire outside the tent, and when it has burned down to embers, rake it open, put in the fish, and cover it with the coals and hot ashes. Within an liour take it from its bed, peel off the skin from the clean flesh, and you will have a trout with all its original juices and flavors pre- served within it ; a dish too good, as Izaak Walton would say, "for any but very honest men." Grouse, ducks, and vai*ious other fowls can be cooked de- liciously in a similar way. The intestines of the bird should be taken out by a small hole at the vent, and the inside washed and stuffed as before. Then wet the feathers thor- oughly, and cover Avith hot embers. When the cooking is finished, peel off the burnt feathers and skin, and you will find underneath a lump of nice juicy flesh, which, when once tasted, will never be forgotten. The peculiar advantage of this method of roasting is that the covering of embers pre- vents the escape of the juices by evaporation. Everybody knows how to cook potatoes and make tea and coffee, and anybody fit for a trapper must " know beans," and LIFE IN THE WOODS. 91 how to cook them. But bread ! asks the novice ; what are we to do for bread ? Well, Ave have good, sifted Indian meal, and we will put some into a basin or pail, add a little salt, pour on scalding water, and mix to the consistency of stiff batter. After our venison or fish is cooked, we will put this batter into the hot fat that remains, a spoonful in a place, leveling it down smoothly, and turning it over till it is "done brown." Such a Johnnycake, served up with butter and sugar, would tempt a man to leave the best wheat bread that ever was made. JERKED MEAT. If you have the fortune to kill a deer or a moose in warm weather, and have an over-supply of meat that is likely to be tainted, you can preserve it by the following process : Cut all the flesh from the bones in thin strips, and place them, for convenience, on the inside of the hide. Add two or three quarts of salt for a moose, and a pint and a lialf for a deer, well worked in. Cover the whole with the sides and corners of the hide to keep out flies, and let it remain in this condition about two hours. Drive four forked stakes into the ground so as to form a square of about eight or ten feet, leaving the forks four feet high. Lay two poles across one way in these forks, and fill the whole space the other way with poles laid on the first two, about two inches apart. The strips of flesh should then be laid across the poles, and a small fire of clean hard wood should be started underneath, and kept up for twenty-four hours. This process will reduce the weight of the flesh more than half, bringing it to a condition like that of dried or smoked beef, in which it will keep any length of time. This is called jerked venison. It is good eating, and always commands a high price in market. An over-supply of fish can be treated in the same manner. They should be split open on the back and the backbone taken out. PREPARATIONS AGAINST INSECTS. In the warm months, chiefl}'' from the first of June to the first of September, woodsmen are annoyed by myriads of files, gnats, and mosquitoes. These can be driven out of a tent by 92 THE TRAPPER'S ART. smoke, and can be kept out by buttoning all tight. But the trapper should also provide himself with a protective against these pests. A good preparation for this purpose may be made by warming about three ounces of hog's lard, and add- ing to it half an ounce of the oil of pennyroyal. This oint- ment, applied once in an hour or less, to the parts exposed, will give entire protection. Another preparation can be made by mixing equal parts of common tar with sweet oil, applying as before. This prepa- ration is by some considered the best, because it also prevents tanning, and is easily washed off with soap, leaving the skin soft and white. THE SHANTY. The tent which I have recommended is probably best adapted to the irregular operations of amateur sportsmen, the volunteers and guerrillas of the trap. The old regulars and veterans of the service always have built, and probably will continue to build, rude huts, called shanties, at various points in. the region of their operations. Shanties are of two kinds, temporary and permanent. The temporary shanty is made by driving two forked stakes into the ground, laying a ridge- pole across, leaning many other poles against this, and cover- ing the skeleton thus formed with bark or split boards. The permanent shanty is made of logs, laid one above another in a square form, joined at the corners by means of notciies, and roofed over with split logs formed into troughs, and placed in this form : '''^:i::r^l::J^l:;^l::^^^. The crevices should be stopped with clay or moss. At one end a rude fire-place and chimney of stone should be built, the latter reaching just above the top of the shanty. TRAPPING LINES. Trapping, when carried on systematically and on the large scale, has, like an army, its lines of operation, its depots of provisions, and its arrangements for keeping open its commu- nications with its base. The general proceedings of a regular trapping campaign may be described as follows : The trappnig LIFE IN THE WOODS. 93 company, which consists generally of two, three, or four per- sons, start out a little before the trapping season commences ; select their lines, extending into the woods frequently from thirty to fifty miles ; carry along, and deposit at intervals on the line, traps and provisions ; and build slianties at conven- ient points, for slee])ing-posts and shelters from storms. These preparations sometimes require several journeys and returns, and are made in advance of the trapping season, so that, when trapping commences, all hands may have nothing else to at- tend to. If the line extends directly from a settlement, so that it has what may be called a home-base, none but rude, temporary shanties are built ; and once in about ten days, during the season, a man is sent back to the settlement, to carry out furs and bring back provisions. But, if the line commences so far from the frontier that such return-journeys are impracticable, then, besides the temporary shanties, a more substantial and permanent hut, called the home-shanty, is built at some point on the line, for depositing furs, provis- ions, and other valuables ; and this becomes the base of opera- tions for the season. A boy is sometimes taken along to "keep shanty," as trappers say, i. e., to remain at the home- shanty as housekeeper and guard. Such a resident at the main depot is very necessary, as' bears and other wild animals (not to mention fire and human thieves) have a habit of breaking into an unguarded shanty, and destroying every- thing within reach. Prudent trappers rarely leave furs in a shanty alone, even though it is strongly barricaded. If they cannot carry them out to the settlement, and have no boy to " keep shanty," they generally hide them in hollow trees. At the close of a season, if the party are satisfied with their line, and intend to trap on it another season, they hide their traps under rocks, where they will not be exposed to the fire^ that sweep the w^oods in dry times. CONCLUSION. The trapper's art, like tliat to wliich I have so often com- pared it — the art of war — is, or should be, progressive. It is evidently yet in its infancy, and has hardly begun to emerge 94 THE TRAPPER'S ART. from the narrowness and ignorance of mere individual cun- nino-, into the liberal inventiveness and broad combinations which will come when trappers shall gather into conventions, compare experiences, and avail themselves of the help that all sciences are ready to give them. All that I can claim to have done in the preceding pages is, the presentation of the art of capturing animals, curing their skins, and living in the woods, as it now stands, or at least as I understand it. J^.-^§X^^xv-C*^ DElin BREAKING COVEK. THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. By T. L. PITT. The trapper on his expeditions must often depend on hia rifle or trap for subsistence. I will indicate the leading kinds of game which supply his wants, and methods of obtaining them. DEER. Among food animals, Mr. Newhouse has noticed the Deer and Moose. These are the trapper's most desirable game throughout all northern countries. In America, we have the common Red or Virginia Deer ; the Black-tailed Deer, two varieties ; the Long-tailed Deer of the Pacific slope ; the Wapita or Stag, once distributed over a large portion of the Continent, but now found principally west of the Mississippi, in Oregon and Washington Territory, and in some parts of British America ; the Moose ; two varieties of the Caribou or Reindeer, in British America ; and the Mule Deer of the Rocky Mountains. In Europe and Asia are the Moose or Elk ; the Stag or Red Deer ; the Fallow Deer ; the Rein- deer ; the Persian or Indian Red Deer ; the Thibetan Stag ; the Sika of Japan ; the Axis Deer of India ; besides many other varieties in Asia, especially in the southern part. The best method, and the one most to be relied on by the trapper, for hunting Deer, is what is called the " still hunt." The practice of hunting by boat and torch on lakes and streams, at night, is only adapted to the summer months, when trapping is out of the question, and when Deer should not be hunted, it being their breeding season. The plan of runninor Deer into lakes with dogs, though often practiced, is discarded 96 THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. and condemned by the best Deer hunters, as it tends to make the Deer wild, and to drive them into other regions. It may be resorted to wlien necessary, but cannot be recommended. It involves also the keeping of a dog which is generally of little use for any other purpose, and is a constant bill of ex- pense. " Still hunting" is practised by finding the fresh track of the Deer, and carefully and noiselessly following up the trail till the location of the animal is discovered, when, by careful approach, a good shot can generally be obtained. Practiced Deer hunters become wonderfully keen, accurate, and successful in the still hunt. Messi's. Holland and Gunter, of Hastings County, Canada West, — the former of whom is one of the most accomplished deer-hunters in Canada, — give the following directions for this method : — *• For still hunting, the hunter should provide himself with a good rifle and a pair of deer-skin moccasins. When finding the trail he should walk carefully, and keep a good lookout ahead, as Deer are always watching back on their trail. When routed they almost al- ways stop on hills. In order to get witliin gunshot it is necessary to circle round and come up toward them in front or at the side — always circling to the leeward side, as their sense of smell is very acute. The Deer, when the early snows come, usually get up and feed till about ten o'clock, A. m. ; then they lie down till about three o'clock, p. M., when they start on a rambling excursion till near the next morning. In these excursions they almost always return to the place from whence they started, or near to it." In still hunting, if buck, doe and fawns are found together, shoot the doe first, as in that case the buck will not leave the place till you have had opportunity for another shot. Deer when they lie down, turn off from their run-way, or track, and take a zigzag course back a short distance. They lie in a position which commands a view of the back track. THE BUFFALO. This animal is the great resource of the hunter for food on the western plains. Their range is from Texas to within about twenty miles of the Great Slave Lake. But few, however, reach this latter limit. They are seldom found THE BUFFALO. 97 west of the Rocky Mountains, and never, at the present time, east of the Mississippi. Tliey are migratory animals, mov- ing nortli in the spring with the advance of vegetation, and south in the autumn with the decline of pasturage. They move in large bodies, grazing as they go, and breed on the march. They usually reach the Platte River on their way north about the last of May. On their return they reach the same river in September. A few probably winter north of that latitude. These are mostly animals that wander from the great herds and get lost among the valleys in the moun- tains. On the uplands the Buffaloes live on a short, fine grass, called Buffalo grass. On the low lands they feed on a coarse, high grass. On their general march they move in a scattered, grazing order. Only when disturbed do they herd together and move in compact masses. When moving in the mass they stop for nothing, rushing through ravines, swimming rivers, and trampling all ordinary obstacles under foot. It is exceedingly dangerous to get in the way of a drove when on the rush. They should only be approached on the outskirts. Cows run the fastest. The bulls generally take the lead when the rush is made, but are soon out- stripped by the cows. The cows and calves keep on the outskirts of the drove. A drove lie down where night over- takes them. The common way of hunting the Buffalo is on horseback, as a person on foot cannot approach them without screening himself. Experienced hunters prefer a largest sized or eight inch navy revolver for hunting them. A breech-loading car- bine or rifle, is also a good weapon. Find a drove feeding. Approach them from the leeward side, otherwise the animals will scent you and move off. They are not disturbed by a horse as long as they do not scent the rider. Lie down on the horse and let him gradually work his way into the drove. Select a cow and approach her on the left side if you have a pistol, on the right side if you have a rifle, in order, in either case^ that you may have the best opportunity for using your weapon. Shoot for the heart, which lies, comparatively, very \ow. The ball should be aimed just back of the fore leg, a few 7 98 THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. inches above the brisket. The ball if aimed right will gen- erally go through, and the animal will soon bleed to death. New hunters are liable to aim too high, being deceived by the height of the hump on the shoulders. They suppose the heart is near the middle of the space from the top of the shoulders to the brisket ; it is some distance below that point. The danger in Buffalo hunting for beginners, is in getting too far into the drove. As soon as an animal is wounded the rest take the alarm and close round, and if the hunter has not secured a way of escape he will probably be run down and both horse and rider destroyed. When chasing a Buffalo and shooting on the gallop, the hunter should bring his horse into time with the animal ; otherwise he will probably miss his aim. He should fire just as the horse and the Buf- falo strike the ground with the fore feet. The cows are best for eating. The tongue and tender-loin are prefejred, the rest of the meat being rather coarse, espe- cially that of the bulls, unless the animals are fat. It is, how- ever, all eatable, and somewhat resembles beef, but has a strong, peculiar, wild flavor of its own. Much of its reputa- tion may be due to the good appetites of those who hunt it. The cows furnish the Buffalo robes of commerce, the skins of the bulls having no fur on the hinder parts, and only the long coarse mane in front ; their hinder parts are covered Avith short hair. The bull- skins make a coarse kind of leather, used by the Indians of the plains to cover their wigwams and for other purposes. THE MOUFFLONS OK GREAT HORNED SHEEP. There are several species of wild sheep which are of some interest to the trapper. The first of these is THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP OR BIG-HORN. This animal is larger than the common sheep, being some- times six feet loner, about three feet hicrh at the shoulders, and weighing nearly three hundred and fifty pounds. They are found throughout the whole range of the Rocky Mountains, from the 80th to the 68th degree of north latitude. The horns THE ARGALI. 99 of the males are enormous, measuring over two feet ten inches in length round the curve, and being very large at the base. Their color is a rufous gray, except the rump, belly, and the inside of the hind legs, all of which are a gray- isli white. In winter they become lighter-colored. The hair is coarse and slightly crimped. Underneath the hair is a soft fur or wool. The Big-horn is, or becomes after contact with hunters, an exceedingly shy, Avild animal. In the retired parts of the mountains where they have never been hunted, they are sometimes found quite tame and unsuspecting. They are gregarious and live in small flocks among the peaks and most inaccessible regions oj the mountains, never descending into the plains. They subsist on mountain grass and herbage, and inhabit the rocky recesses. The young rams and the females herd together during the winter and spring, while the old rams separate in flocks, except at the rutting season in December. The rams fight fiercely with each other like common rams. The ewes bring forth one or two young in June and July. The flesh of the Big-horn is excellent, superior to the best venison or the finest mutton. They can only be hunted suc- cessfully by the exercise of extreme caution and strategy in approaching them ; and if only wounded by the first fire they retire to their recesses among the rocks, and there die, inac- cessible to the hunter. Dogs are worse than useless in hunt- ing them. Another Moufflon is THE ARGALI. The Argali of Siberia and Central Asia greatly resembles the American big-horn, and some naturalists have regarded them as the same species. They are very large, being about four feet high at the shoulders and proportionately large in build. The horns of a full grown male are nearly four feet in length, measured along the curve, and about nineteen inches in circumference at the base. They rise from the fore- head a short distance, then curve downward below the chin, then recurve upward and terminate in a point. They are mountain-loving animals and are found in the highlands and 100 V THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. mountain ranges of Siberia and Cential Asia. They are very fleet and sure of foot, and when disturbed rush to the most inaccessible places among the rocks and peaks. They are gregarious and live in small flocks. In the winter these flocks are sometimes enveloped in the deep snow-drifts. In sucK cases they lie quietly under the snow and respire through a small breathing-hole. The hunters eagerly liunt for these imprisoned Argalis, and spear them through the snow. At other times tiiey are hunted with the same cautious strategy that is required in the case of the big-horn. THE PRONG-HORN ANTELOPE. This animal abounds on the western plains of the United States. It is the only species of Antelope in North America. It is of nearly the same size as the Virginia deer. They differ from all other Antelopes in having a prong or branch on each horn. This prong is situated about the middle of the horn on the anterior face. The tops of the horns curve inward and backward, forming a small hook like those of the cha- mois. The less of the Prong-horn are loner and slender, the ears long, narrow, and pointed, and the tail short and bushy. The whole form is stately, elegant, and graceful. The color of the upper parts is a yellowish-brown ; the under parts, with a patch on the rump, are grayish-white. Their favorite haunts are the low prairies adjoining the covered woody bottoms. They are also found on the upland prairies, and along the rivers and streams. They swim well. They sometimes congregate in large flocks ; at other times only one or two are seen. In the winter the Indians take advantage of their cono;reo;atino; together and hunt them by a " sur- round." The manner of doing this is as follows : A large number of Indians distribute themselves around the Antelope at such a distance as not to alarm them. Then they advance with cries and noise from all sides. The Antelope, instead of endeavoring to escape, herd closer together in their fright, and suffer themselves to be beaten down with clubs. In this Avay great numbers are sometimes killed. Though very vvild and shy, the Antelope is full of curiosity. Any novel object at- THE RUFFED GROUSE. 101 tracts their attention. At length curiosity overcomes timidity, and they advance to examine it. The hunter takes advantafire of this trait. Concealing himself, he attaches a red or white flag to his ramrod, and with it attracts the animal within range of his rifle. Their sense of smell is very acute, conse- quently the hunter should always keep to the leeward of them. They are among the fleetest of all animals. They hihahit all the western part of North America from the Saskatchewan to the plains of New Mexico. Their flesh is inferior to that of the deer. SQUIRREL HUNTING. Squiri'els are usually considered "small game" by trappers, requiring more ammunition to kill them than they are worth. There are times, however, when they furnish an acceptable addition to woodland fare. The best way to hunt them is this : Find a piece of woods where they abound. Go into the woods and seat yourself on a fallen tree or rock. Remain motionless and quiet. Soon you will begin to hear the Squir- rels at their work or see them among the trees. By patience and the most quiet strategic movements you will soon get a shot. Several may sometimes be shot from one position, in a short time. The great point in Squirrel hunting is to avoid all unnecessary moving about. GROUSE. The Grouse family furnishes the trapper his most desirable winged game, throughout the world. In this country the leading kinds of Grouse are the following: — THE RUFFED GROUSE. This bird is known in New England as the Partridge, and in some of the Southern and Middle States as the Pheasant. Neither of these names is the proper one, for this bird belongs to neither the partridge nor the pheasant families. The wild turkeys are the only representatives of the pheasant family in North America ; and the so-called quail is our true par- tridge. Let us hereafter, not only as naturalists, but as hunters and trappers, call this noble bird by its true American name 102 THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. — Ruffed Grouse. There are three species of the Ruffed Grouse : the common species which inhabits the country from the Southern States .to Labrador and the Saskatche- wan ; the Oregon or Sabine's Grouse of the Rocky Mount- ains and the Pacific slope, and the AlUed Grouse inhabiting the Rocky Mountains northward to the frozen regions. The Oregon Grouse is much darker and redder than the common species. The AlHed Grouse is of a Hght gray color, and is smaller than either of the others. All are excellent for the table. Ruffed Grouse are generally found in small flocks, except where they have been much hunted. In the latter case more than two are rarely found together. They delight in upland and mountain forests, where springs and small brooks abound. They are particularly fond of the high, sloping banks which border on such streams. These are their favorite feedincr-o-rounds. Their flesh is white and unsurpassed in flavor by other Grouse. They should be hunted with a trained dog. Sportsmen prefer cockers. In the back woods they may occasionally be hunted with moder- ate success without a dog ; but such hunting is generally tedi- ous and uncertain. They are easily snared by building a low fence of twigs with occasional openings, large enough to per- mit a bird to pass through, and placing a slip-noose across the opening. The noose should be made of small copper wire. Some hunters prefer to attach the noose to a spring-pole. THE PINNATED GROUSE. This species is commonly known as the Prairie Hen. They formerly existed in great numbers in the Atlantic States, but are now mostly confined to the prairies and plains of the West, east of the Rocky Mountains, within the limits of the United States. They differ from the ruffed grouse in preferring the open country to the forests. They choose the dry lands for their habitat, avoiding as far as possible marshy or wet places. They depend for their drink on the dew which they collect from the leaves of plants. In color the Prairie Hen resembles the ruffed grouse, but its markings are different.. It is about nineteen inches long and when in good order, weighs about THE COCK OF THE PLAINS. 103 three and a half pounds. Its meat is dark-colored but fine fla- vored. The neck is furnished with a pair of supplemental wings, about three inches long ; underneath these are orange- colored air-sacs, which can be inflated to the size of a medium sized orange. Audubon says that when these sacs are " per- fectly inflated, the bird lowers its head to the ground, opens- its bill, and sends forth, as it were, the air contained in these bladders in distinctly separated notes, rolling one after another from loud to low, and producing a sound like that of a large mufiled drum. This done, the bird immediately erects itself, refills its receptacles by inhalation, and again proceeds with its ' tootings.' " These tootings can be sometimes heard at the distance of a mile. Their food consists of the seeds of the sumach, grapes, grain, wild strawberries, cranberries, partridge- berries, whortleberries, blackberries and young buds. They also eat worms, grasshoppers and insects, and in winter feed on acorns, the tender buds of the pine, clover leaves, and, when possible, frequent grain stubbles. They are best hunted with a trained dog. THE SHARP-TAIL GROUSE. This bird is allied to and greatly resembles the preceding. It takes the place of the prairie hen in the far West, on the plains that skirt the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. It avoids the highlands and mountains, and has its habitat on the prairie and open grounds. There they congregate in flocks, feeding on wild rye. Near settlements they frequent grain stubbles. They hybridize with the pinnated grouse, and are equally excellent for food. They are destitute of the gular sacs on the neck. Their range extends northward into British America. In the far North there is another species called the Arctic Sharp-tailed Grouse. They are about the same in size as the preceding, but are darker in color, being black where the other is brown. THE COCK OF THE PLAINS. This is the largest of the American grouse. Its common name is the Sage Cock. Its habitat is chiefly on the western 104 THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. plains on both sides of tlie Rocky Mountains where the wild sage or artemisia grows. It feeds on the leaves of this plant, which being very bitter, give the flesh an unpalatable flavoi'. In the autumn, however, they frequent the streams of the Columbia, where they feed on the pulpy-leaved thorn. At this season their flesh is good. The males have large, orange- colored gular sacs on the sides of the neck, which they inflate, and by expelling the air produce " a loud, grating noise, resembling hurr-hurr-r-r-hoo, ending in a deep hollow tone, not unlike the sound caused by blowing into a large reed." Their' general color is light brown, marked with black, dark brown and yellowish white. They are large, weighing fre- quently five or six pounds. The tail is long and pheasant- shaped. THE DUSKY GROUSE. The species next in size to the preceding is the Dusky Grouse, sometimes called the Pine Grouse. It is an inhabit- ant of the Pacific slope and of the Rocky Mountains from the Columbia River to Texas. They are supposed to be par- tially migratory, leaving their accustomed haunts in November and being absent until spring. Their flesh is said to be excel- lent, having a slight pine flavor, which is not disagreeable. The Dusky Grouse is easily captured. Their habit is to spend most of their time on the ground. They lie close till almost stepped on, and when disturbed take refuge in the nearest tree, alio-htine amonc; the branches and reniainincp motionless. Richardson's Grouse resembles the Dusky Grouse, but its hab- itat is in the Rocky Mountains from the South Pass northward. THE SPRUCE OR CANADA GROUSE. This bird is found from the northern United States to the Arctic Sea, and from the Atlantic nearly to the Rocky Mount- ains. Their favorite habitat is the thick evergreen swamps. They are less wild and shy than the other kinds of Grouse, and are said to be easily tamed. When confined, they feed readily on oats, wheat, or other grain. Their flesh is quite dark, and in winter, when they feed on the leaves of ever- greens, is unpalatable. In the season of berries it is much THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN. 105 better flavored. In the Rocky Mountains a species of Grouse is found which closely resembles the Spruce Grouse, except that its habitat is in the mountains rather than in the swamps. This species is called Franklin's Grouse. PTARMIGAN. Allied to the grouse, and known by the name of Snow Grouse are the Ptarmigans. They inhabit the northern parts of both continents, especially the cold snowy regions near or within the Arctic Circle. They differ from the common Grous-e in having their legs and feet completely feathered, leaving no portion of the body exposed except the bill and nails. They all turn white in winter, but in summer are beautifully mottled with A^arious colors. Only one species has its habitat within the limits of the United States. This is the WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN of the Rocky Mountains. They inhabit the regions of eternal snow, and only descend to the lower levels to breed. Not much is known of this species except that they are wild and shv. Their color in winter is the same as their snowy surroundings, and in summer resembles that of the moss and lichen covered rocks. THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN. This is an important bird and furnishes a large amount of food to the inhabitants of British America, particularly to the natives and trappers of the Hudson's Bay territory. In winter they sometimes enter the limits of the Northern States, and their ranrre is from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and the Arctic Sea. They breed plentifully in Newfoundland, Labrador and the fur countries. Tiiey live mostly on the ground. They are wonderfully prolific, and vast numbers of them are found and captured in some localities. Hearne, who travelled and explored in the Hud- son's Bay region nearly a hundred years ago gives the follow- ing account of them : — " They are by far the most numerous of the grouse species that 106 THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. are found in Hudson's Bay, and in some places, when permitted to remain undisturbed for a considerable time, their number is frequently so great as almost to exceed credibility. I shall by no means ex- ceed the truth if I assert that I have seen upwards of four hundred in one flock near Churchill River; but the greatest number I ever saw was on the north side of Port Nelson River, when returning with a packet in March. At that time I saw thousands flying to the north, and the whole surface of the snow seemed to be in motion by those that were feeding on the tops of the short willows. ... In summer they eat berries and small herbage. Their food in winter being dry and hard, makes it necessary for them to swallow a con- siderable quantity of gravel to promote digestion, but the great depth of snow renders it very scarce during that season. The Indians, having considered this point, invented the method now in vogue among the English of catching them in nets by means of that simple allurement, a heap of gravel. The nets for this purpose are from eight to twelve feet square, and are stretched on a frame of wood, and are usually set on the ice of rivers, creeks, ponds, and lakes, about one hundred yards from the willows, but in some situations not half that distance. Under the centre of the net a heap of snow is thrown up to the size of one or two bushels, and, when well packed, is covered with gravel. To set the nets when thus prepared requires no other trouble than lifting up one side of the frame and supporting it with two small props about four feet long ; a line is fastened to these props, the other end being conveyed to the neighboring wil- lows, so that a man can always get at it without being seen by the birds under the net. When everything is thus prepared, the hunters go to the adjacent willows and woods, and, when they start the game, endeavor to drive it into the net, which at times is no hard task, as they frequently run before them like chickens ; and sometimes re- quire no driving, for, as soon as they see the black heap of gravel on the snow they fly straight toward it. The hunter then goes to the end of the line, and when he sees that there are as many about the gravel as the net can cover, or as many as are likely to go under at that time, with a sudden pull he hauls down the stakes and the net falls on the snow, and incloses the greater portion of the birds that are under it. By this simple contrivance I have known upwards of three hundred caught in one morning by three persons." The weight of the Willovs^ Ptarmigan is about one and a half pounds. Another species called the Rock Ptarmigan is WATER FOWL. 107 found in British America, throughout nearly the same range. They are smaller than the Willow Ptarmigan, and congregate together in great numbers in the open grounds in winter. EUROPEAN GROUSE. The principal Grouse of Europe are the Capercaille and the Black Grouse. The former is a very large bird, about three feet long, and inhabits the wooded portions of Northern Eu- rope, especially those of Sweden and Norway. The Black Grouse is also quite large. They are abundant in Sweden and Norway, and Northern Europe. Several species of ptar- migan are also found on the Eastern Continent. WATER FOWL. Two families of water fowl are of considerable importance to the trapper. These are the Ducks and the Geese. The for- mer are so familiar as to need no description. I will merely enumerate the species that are esteemed for the table. These are divided into the sub-families of Sea Ducks and River Ducks. The latter principally frequent the inland waters, and are all good for the table. They are the Pin-tail, the Mallard, the Black or Dusky, t