The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-03
HAUNTS OF FUR TRAPpERS.
HUNTING THAT REQUIRES COURAGE or
NO ORDINARY KIND.
Equipment and stsrA for the Pathiess wilder
ness-Nanner Of Capturing the Gsme-The
rmpiacabIc Enemy Of the Fur Hunter.


WINNrpEG, Manitoba Jan. 1s.-It is safe
to assert that. ut the present time. nine-tenths
OF the inhabitants Of this territory are employed
| in catching or trading furs.
The animals which furnish the valuable furs
| In this region are the silver and cross foxes the
| fisher. marten. otter mink. and lynx. while
! among those Of less worth are the wolverine
beaver crminc. and muskrat. With the single
exception Of the sea otter. which is found only
on the Pacific coast. the silver fox commands
thchighcst price. Its fur is Of n beautiful gray.
| the white hairs. which predominant. being
tipped with black and mixed with others OF
pure black. we'll matched pair Of silver fox
skins are worth from eighty to one hundred
| pounds sterling Tho cross foxes. called
from the dark stripe down the back with n cross
| over the shoulder. like that on a donkey. vary
| in every degree between the silver and common
/ red fox, and the value Of their skins varies in
| the same ratio. The Indians assert that all
three varieties OF fox are found in the same
/ litter. the dam being u common red fox. After
! the cross foxes come the fisher. the marten. and
/ the mink. The skin Of a fisher brings from
| four to seven dollars; marten. three and half
| To live dollars; n mink. two and half to four
dollars all prices being in trade. OF course.
! The otter. which is less common brings one
/ shilling sterling an inch. measured from the
| head to the tip Of the tail. The ermine ~ very
common in the forests Of the Northwest. and Is
! nuisance TO the trapper. destroying the bats
set for the martcn and fisher. 1t is generally
considered Of too little value to be the object Of
pursuit. The black bear Is also occasionally
discovered in his winters hole. and his skin Is
worth about ten dollars. The lynx IL By no
means uncommon. and Is either taken by means
| OF the steel trap or 10y snarcs Of hide. When
easily knocked in the head BY FAR the most
numerous OF the valuable fur-bearing animals
are the marien and mink. and to the capture Of
tho former Of these two-the sable OF the FUR
! ricrs-thc cNcrtlons OF the trappcr are princi-
! pally directed.
Al the beginning Of November. when the ami
mails have got their winter coats and fur II In
into the forest To- lay out his trapping walk. He
wears large leather capote. very much over
Tapped in front. and secured about tho waist by
| u brilliant worstrd snsh. which protects his
| body from the cold. \ thick fur cap covers his
head. and blue cloth !eggngs cncasc his legs,
blanket socks. cioihe his ieet. while huge init.
tens. extending, to tho elbows. complete the
ing to balance u large hunting knife and fire
bag which hang from the other side. His pack
lbs blanket double. he places in il lump q
| pcmmican. sufficient for five or six days con
sumption, tin kettle and cup. and II he be rich.
/ blanket il then tied at the four corners. and
slung over his back 10y II band across the chest.
Tying on a pair Of snow shoes. the trapper
ing silently forward; for the hunter or trapper
can never tighten his solitude by whistline or u
song. He leads desolate. solitary. and dan
ecr0us life, 10 be alone IN the widest soil
! tudes of unknown wastes demands courage
Of no ordinary kind. HIS keen eye scans every
and he rrads the signs left behind rs easily and
truly Is # he had e,sa personal,y present and
ihr footprints Of 4 martcn. or fisher, he un-
slings his pack. and sets Ia work TO construct
fashion:
Having, cut down a number Of saplings. he
| divides them into stakes of about yard in
length which are driven into the ground so as
10 form pnsade. IN the shape OF half an oval.
cut trans erscy. Across the entrance to this
| little enclosure. which IL of q length to admit
about two-thirds Of the animals body. and too
narrow to allow of It's fairly entering and turn
sidera6ie ~. is next fell"d. stripped Of It's
branches. ANA 50 laid that i rests upon the log
bait. generally bit OF tough dried meat or Of
partridge or, squirrel Is placed on the point Of
into the enclosure. and ON the outer end OF Il
rests another short stick, placed perpendicu-
my wGn I'm e aTge ,1 Iree aS across
cred IN with bark and branches. so that the only
Of prsp 70 ls bot d sn S Hs HE 0S Ss S
| meath. When the bait II seized the tree falls
upon the animal and brushes Il to death. An
expert trapper VIII make from forty 10 NIFTY Of
| these traps ia II day. and frequently extends las
linz of them over "A distance Of ten or fifteen
between these deadialls. wherever favor
able place presents itself. are placed the steel
| traps with which the larger fur-bearing ami
mas are caught. The steel trap resembles the
| ordinary rat trap except that II Is larger, and
has two springs instead Of one. In the large
traps used for foxes. wolves beaver. and lynx.
| tines" hay" 10 b" made so powerful that II re-
'turcs all the strength Of "A strong man 10 set
tHrm They are placed in the snow and care
| iully covered over; fragments OF meat are then
scattered about and the place snoothed down;
ihroasG with shoT'i stake Is passed. Wien
t.sltf arrf.a .fFat N..rt
Short disianre. 6ni is soon brought upby the
stake getting entangled In the trees and fallen
timber. and j. seldom able Ia travel any great
/ distance before being discovered by tue trap
| per. III" Wolf or fox Is generally caught BY the
,rls. and sometimes 10y two legs ut once. The
hunter prefers the latter method. rs then there
II not the slightcst possibility OF the animal
often int il III close to the trap, and escape on
the other three, Tho. stump heals over and
Wol,"- are oiicn ;" ,asaiions that they viii
sciai" al! round trap. let II be- ever SO well
ut. and after eating ia" bait walk of unhurt.
| When tn trapp"r discovers II cast Of this kind
he places two traps close together; while the
Won srlares al one he may perhaps get his loot
In trapping beaver the steel trap Is much
used. hut II Is SGT IA II different way. Along the
rLs" 81 a shallow lakr or stream, where the
point, Of a few PUSHES or sedgcs appear above
the surface. are seen number Of small earthly
mounds. III the immediate vicinity OF which the
trees and bushes are cut and barkcd in many
plnces. some Of them cut down. This IL II coll
hll) ~ hfWNtINs III lH' NhIHl lnoutils tllls spot
l. "a Lively, stirring ulace. us the beavers are
thrn employed IN cutting down trees and bush
~ Tor the purpose OF I"pulrn. their dams and
supplying tholr storchouses. The bark OF will
lows 10 their chl"i food. ana all the bushes in
the vicinity ARE more or less cut through by the
persrvrrlng little animals. A beaver is II very
difficult brast TO trap. The trapper knows at u
gluncr the various marks of the animal: these
discovered. the next thing Is TO lind out how
the beaver Ecis to his house, which 10 generally
in shallow water. Then n steel trap Is sunk In
the water. care being taken that il shall not be
more lhan twelve TO fourteen inches below the
suriaer; this Is done rs either rolling in log
or building IN large stones. immediately over
the trap Is the bat. nude from the castor. or
medicine gland of the beaver. suspended from
Il stick. 50 IL 10 Just clear the water. With
long cord, and Il log Of light wood us u buoy. to
mark tn" position oI tho trap when the beaver
swims away. III" tran Is complete. The poor
liilr builder. perhaps returning 10 his home
and family, scents the tempting cnstor. lie
cannot reach 1t rs ne swlms. 80 he feels about
Will his hlnd legs Tor something To stand on !:
thlS, too, has brrn carefully placed Tor him.
luitlns down his fest iu stretch up for the
coveted mursel. he suddenly finds himself
claHprd III an iron cmhra re, there 10 no hope
OF '-'upe. Inc log. revealing the hiding place.
II 81 i@ei by the trapprr. the IMPRISONED beaver
klNrktt ON tho head. and the tran sci tltulu