The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-11-16
Haunts of Fur Trappers.

At the beginning of November, when the
animals have got their winter coats and fur
Is in season, the hunter prepares himself
for an excursion into tho forest to lay out
his trapping walk. He wears large
leather capote, very much overlappcd in
front and secured about tho waist by
brilliant worstcd sash, which protects his
body from the cold. A thick fur cap covers
his head, and blue cloth lcggings encase
his legs. Large moocaains, with two or
three pairs of blanket socka, clothe his feet,
while huge mittens, extending to the cl-
bows, complete the costume. A small axe
ls stuck in his belt, serving to balance
large hunting knife and fire bag which
hang from the other side. His pack is pre-
pared in tho following manner: Eolding
hls blanket double, he places in it lump
| OF pcmmican, sufficient for five or six days
| consumption, a tin kettle and cup, and if
| he DO rich, some steel straps, and little
tea and salt. The blanket ia then tied at
the four corners, and slung over kis back
by band across the chest. A gun and
ammunition complete his equipment.
Tying on pair OF snow shoes, the trap
per now starts alone into the gloomy woods,
lrudging silently forward; for the hunter
or trapper can never tighten his solitude
| late, solitary, and dangerous life. To be
a.one in the widest solitudes of unknown
wastes demands courage of no ordinary
| kind. His keen eye scans every mark
| upon the snow for the tracks he seeks !;
and he rcads the signs loft behind as easily
and truly as II he had been personally
present and seen the passing of the animal.
| When he finds the footprints of marten,
| or fisher, hc unslings his pack, and sets to
work to construct his deadfall, or wooden
! trap, in the following fashion
Having cut down number Of saplings,
he divides them into stakes Of about q yard
in length, which are driven into the ground
80 as to form a paaisade, IN the shape Of
half an oval, cut transversely. Across the
entrance to this little enclosure, which is
| of length to admit about two-thlrds Of
the animals body, and too narrow to allow
| of lis fairly entering and turning round, q
| short log ls laid. A tree Of considerable
size is next felled, stripped of it's branches,
and so laid that 1t rests upon the log at the
| entrance in parallel direction. The bait
! generally bit OF tough dried meat, or OF
/ partridge or squirrel, Is placed on the point
of sharp stick. This is projected horl-
zontaily into the enclosure, and On the
| outer end of 1t rests another short stick,
placed perpendlcularly, Which supports the
large tree laid across the entrance. The
| top of the trap Is then covered with bark
| and branches, 80 that the only means of
access to the bait is by the opening between
the propped-up log and the log beneath.
When the bait is seized the tree falls upon
the animal and crushes 1t to death. An OK
pert trapper will mako from forty to fifty
OF these traps In day, and frequently OK.
tends his line OF them over distance OF
ton or fifteen miles.
! Between these deadfalls, wherever a
favorable place presents itself, are placed
! tho steel traps with which the larger fur.
bearing animals are caught. The stool