The St. Johns herald., 1892-09-15
TRAPPING CROWS.
How the Somber Birds Are Caught
 for Shooting Matches.
d Pursuit That Calls for Great Skill on the Fart Of the Trapper-Meth- ods of Capturing the
 Corn Stealers.

While the crow is regarded by most people as black-coated thief, a scav- enger, an enemy to the farmer, and worthless bird generally, there are a number of people in and around Phila- delphia to whom he is source of profit, says the Record of that city. They are the men who make a business of trap ping the birds for shooting matches. The crow is very wary. and the traps used in his capture must be of the most simple construction and nicely hidden, or he will never come near, no matter how tempting the bait may be.
 When the snow covers the ground and everything is frozen up he sometimes becomes bold because of hunger, and at these times he is easily taken in great numbers. The home of the crows around Philadelphia is generally in the most inaccessible pine forests of New Jersey, and at night they congregate there in great numbers, to arise at dawn and wing their way to Pennsyl- vania in search of food. They always fly across at about the same place, and the trappers place their bait on the line of their flight, sometimes feeding them for several days before pull is made. The crows become accustomed to the place and each day swarm on the bait and devour it. The trap or net is then put in position in the evening and ev- erything made ready for pull early in the morning. It consists usually of net made of light but strong twine and quite small-meshed. Two hickory sap lings are cut and the large ends made fast in the ground in such position that the small ends are only few inches above the level. Strong lines are placed on the small ends, and the saplings are pulled back until they bend almost double. They are then hooked on small cleats. These form the spring. The net is made fast to the ground in the rear of the sapling butts and the other corners are placed on the small ends of the saplings. The net is carefully placed in a small roll and lightly covered with snow and lit ter. The bait is placed directly in the sweep of the net. When the crows come to eat, line that is fastened to the cleat holding the springs leads some dis tance away and into the hands of the trapper, who is generally concealed in small matched shanty. When the bait is covered he pulls the cord and the saplings released throw the net over the crows. Lines that are on the ends are then quickly pulled taut, and the crows are captured. A heavy pair of leather gloves is necessary to take the birds from beneath the net, as with their strong bealss and claws they fight to the end. They are placed in large boxes and are usually sold to shooters at twenty-five cents pair.
 Another method is to stretch the net between two poles, their length being just half the width of the net The free end is fastened to the ground, and small blocks, on which the poles can be read fly pulled over, are driven and the ends of the poles placed in them. Guy ropes from the upper ends of the poles are drawn tight and staked out in line with the lower end. Two small lines are run from the upper ends and are spliced together short distance from the net. From there the single line runs to the trapper. A post, with a bully at the top, is put in the ground and the pull line run through in order to get the nets to start easily. When the crows congregate on the bait quick, strong pull throws the poles over on their pulleys and the loose net is spread tightly over the struggling birds.