Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-11-29
WILD ANIMALS
SAY COLD WINTER
Old Irapper From Northern
Idaho InterWets the AC-
lions of Ills Noun
tain Comrades.


of the way places sby trapping the
fur bearing animals in the winter
time and disposing of their pelts in
the spring at good, high prices, are
laying in provisions and otherwise
preparing for long, hard winter
mp there in the mountains. When
asked from what source they
gained their knowledge that they
might expect hard winter, they
were all quick to respond that
they had only to observe some of
the wild animals with which they
were surrounded to foretell, almost
without fail, just what to expect
J. L. Stafford tells of the remark
able traits of some of the animals
10 be found in the surrounding
mountains. Mr.. Stafford has been
closely associated with outdoor
life the past 20 years or more,
much of that time in the mountains
of the west, mining, and prospect
ing He has CLEANED much knowl
edge from a careful study of the
life and habits of the animals
which inhabit these grand old
mountains of the west.
When asked about the statements
of the old trappers expecting a long,
sno Wy winter because of the action
of the animals, MIR. Stafford stated
that from his own observation he
had formed the Same idea, and that
the various animals we're indeed
laying in their provisions for an
early winter.
Mr.. Stafford made the following
statement: well. first of all,
always take sharp notice of the
beavers for any forecastiug of the
weather conditins, for they are
ABOUT the surest prophets we can
find anywhere. know of small
colony of beaver that have held
forth for a number of years on a
small creek which empties it's
waters into the Little North Fork
of the Occur d'Aiene river, about
IS miles north of Old Mission, and
If any one wants weather prophet,
Just let him go up there and sit
around in the brush and watch and
study that colony. Some people
have the idea that beaver likes
work so we'll that ne will work all
the time, but this is mistaken no.
ticn, for the beaver works only
when he finds it necessary, and
puts in much of his time resting
and playing. But when the beaver
is seen out in the early autumn, as
he is this year, putting lots of extra
work on his dam, building it high
~eT and making it stronger, though
al this time the water may be
very low, we who know the beaver
know Just what this means, anc
we may know that the beaver i.
looking out for a great amount o
snow during the winter, and is pre-
pairing his house and dam t
withstand the high water which
will result in the spring. He i:
always seen doing this as late al
he deems il wise, for he does no
want to be handicapped by frozeI
ground and higher water, as he use
"a great deal of soil in daubing vi
his home and dam for the winter
Again, when we see the who'll
beaver colony out gathering ii
their store of provisions for winte
use during the months of Septem
Der and October, as they are thi
fall, you can depend upon il tina
they look for an early winter an
they always make it point
have their storehouses full befor
the winter sets in. They Xix
their food fresh and clean, however
therefore they wait as long as pos
sible before filling up the rooms
the small birch, quakenasp, popls
and cottonwood trees, and cuttin
them into two, four or six foC
lengths, according to the size,
carry them to the water and the
float them to some good, deep plaC
in the pond, sinking and holdir
them down by means Of small roci
placed upon them. Later, whe
the pond is frozen over, they CO
emerge from their house by Il
lower entrance, which, by the wa
as always kept under water, loo
one of the sticks and tow it into Il
house and there, above the water, S
down to the rcpast, which CO
ssists of bark only.
mot only have l noticed L
beaver and their preparations
an early winter, but numero
other animals which come und
my observation are preparing
like manner, one in particular