The Shasta courier., 1866-07-07
Trapping the Beaver.

The famed beaver (castor fber) in both
structure and habits, is by far the most in
teresting animal killed or hunted for the sake
IF its skin. So much was its fur in demand
prior to the introduction of silk and rabbits
fur, in the manufacture of hats, that the
poor little rodent had in some districts be
come nearly exierminated. Descriptions o.
heir houses and dams have been so fire
quently given by various writers that II
would be waste of space to repeat them here
On the streams in Southern Oregon the beav-
sr is most abundant and one shallow lake
accidentally came upon was literally hiied
with beaver-houses; there must have been
many hundred habitations. as the lake was
quite mile in width. and the trees were
ie!Ied in all directions, as if the land were
being cleared for farming. l do not believe
the curiouslv fattened scaly tail is ever used
save as powerful oar. or rather rudder, AID
ing the animal to dive and swim, but par
ticuarly in towing heavy sticks In rapid
streams or across pools 10 Its dams and
h,uses Quite as many trees are cut by the
beavers sharp testh to procure food as to
construct dams.
The beaver trapper be he white man or
indian, must of necessity, lead solitary.
desolate and dangerous life. To be alone in
mand a courage and endurance of no ordina-
ry kind. The lone traprer knows not the
emulation, the wild hurrah and crash of
music that cheers the soldier as he marches
steadily up to the deadly breach he cannot
feel that powerful incentive to the brave,
arising from the knowledge that gallant
deed will be handed down with his name in
the pages Of history he has no opportunity
for display before his fellow alone
with nature and his Creator. he is self de-
pendent, and his indomitahle courage can
only spring f ON firm reliance ON his own
strength, ever supported by an unseen hand.
A beaver is a very difficult animal to trap
The trapper knows at sight the various
marks of the animal. called signs these dis
covered, the next operation is to find out how
the beaver gets to his house. which is gen.
orally in shallow water. Then steel trap
is sunk in the water, care being taken to
regulate the depth. so that it may not be
more than II or ii inches below the surface
this is accomplished by either ling in
log or building in large stones. Immediate
ly over the trap is bait, made from the
castor, or medicine gland of the beaver, sus-
pended from a stick, so as Just to clear the
water; with.a long cord and log of cedar
wood as a buoy to mark the trap when the
bc''er sWiins away WITH III, the trap is COM
pete. The poor little builder, perhaps re-
turning to his home and family, scents the
tempting castor purposely placed in his road
he cannot reach it as he swims, so he feels
about with his hind legs for something to
stand upon this. too, has been craftily
placed for him. Putting down his feet to
stretch up for the coveted morsel he finds
them suddenly clasped in an iron embrace &;
there is no hope of escape. The log. reveal
his hiding place. is seized by the trarper,
and the imprisoned beaver dispatched by
single blow on the head, and the trap set
again. A trapper will sometimes spend
many weeks campcd near good beaver vii
lage. About 60, 900 skins are now brought
fir, m the Hu1son Bay Company's terrific.
ries, but great many skins also procur-
ed from various places in Europe and the
north Of Asia. just to illustrate the differ
ence between trade in beaver now as COM
pared with what it was, we may mention
that in l743 the Hudson's Bay Company
alone sold 26,I50 skins, and over 127 900
were imported into Rochelle In 1888 Cam
ada supplied 10000, and in 1908, l26, ,927
skins.
The principal use made of the fur now is
the manufacture of bnnnets in France, and
in making cloaks. The long hair is pulled
out. and the under fur shaved down close
and even by machine; some of it is still
felted into kind of cloth. The castor, too,
is. or rather used to be, an article of consid-
erable trade for medicinal purposes but in
these days of progress it has become near
obsolete, although it is still purchased from
the Indians.