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

trap resembles the ordinary rat trap except
that 1t .is larger. and has two springs IN
stead OF one. In the large traps, used for
foxes, wolves, beaver, and lynx, these have
to be made 90 powerful that it requires all
the strength OF strong man to set them.
| They are placed in the snow and carefully
| covered over; fragments Of meat are then
scattered about, and tho place smoothed
down, 30 as to leave no trace. To the trap
| ls attached chain, with ring at the free
extremity, through which short stake ls
passed. When an animal Is caught he
carries of the trap for short distance, but
Is soon brought up by the stake getting
entangled in the trees and fallen timber,
| and is seldom abe to travel any great dis
| tance before bong discovered by the trap
per. The wolf or fox ls generally caught
by the leg, as he digs In the snow for the
| hidden morsela, and sometimes by two legs
at once. The hunter prefers latter method,
| as then there Is not the slightest possibility
OF the animal escaping. When foxes are
caught by leg they often bite it OIL close
- the trap and escape on tho other three.
The stump heals oyer and becomes covered
| with hair In very short time Wolves
are often 80 sagacious that they will scrape
all round trap, let it be ever so well set,
| and after eating the bait walk Off unhurt.
When the trappel discovers case of this
kind he places two traps close together;
While the wolf sorapes at one he may per-
haps get his foot In the other.
In trapping tho beaver tho steel trap is
much used, but 1t 10 set in different way.
Along the edge Of shallow lake or stream,
where the points of o few rushes or scdgcs
| appear above the surface, are seen a mum
ber of small earthly mounds, in the immc-
diate vicinity of which the trees and bushes
are cut and bnrked In many places, some
Of them cut down. This is colony Of
beavers. In the warm months this SPOT is
lively stirring place, as tue beavers are
then employed i'll cutting down trees and
bushes for the purpose of repairing their
dams and supplying their store. houses.
The bark Of willows is their chief food,
| and all the bushes In the vicinity arc more
! or less cut through by The persevcring little
ANIMALS. A beaver is q very difficult beast
TO trap. The trapper knows at o glance
| the various marks of the animal; these
| discovered, the next thing is to find out
how the beaver gets to his house, which Is
generally in shallow water. Then O steel
| trap Is sunk in the water, care being taken
I that 1t shall not be moro than twelve to
fourteen inches below the surface: this Is
done by either rolling in log or building
in large stones Immediately over tho trap
Is the bait, made from the castor or med
icine gland of the beaver, suspended from
a stick, so as to just clear the water With
a long cord, and log of light wood as a
buoy, to mark the position of the trap
when the beaver swims away, the trap is
complete. Tho poor little builder, per.
! haps returning to his home and family,
scents the tempting castor. lie cannot
leach 1t as he swims, 80 he feels abou,
with his hind legs for something to stand
on; this, too, has been carefully placed fol
him. Putting down his feot to stretch ur
for the coveted morsel, no suddenly finds
himself clasped IN All iron embraced; there
Is no hope Of escape. The log, revealing
the hiding place, is seized by the trappor
the imprisoned beaver knocked on the
] head, and the trap set again.