Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-08-25

muskrat, raccoon. and other animals.
that seek their food in and near the
water. All these signs should be care
fully observed and their location noted
for the purpose of trapping later in
the season. They tell their tales to
the experienced trapper, and If the
amateur is to make success of trap
ping, he must be of an observing dis
position, study out the cause of these
signs, and learn to read the forest, so
that he may successfully match his
reason against the instinct and natural
wariness of the various animals.
If you trap in your neighborhood,
you should go over the ground in the
late summer and early fall and pre-
pare places to set your traps, so that
the animals will become accustomed
to the change before the season opens.
by placing log. stump or chunks in
ditch or small stream in such man
ner that there is left only small pas
sa geway for the animals at one side,
by digging a trench across n neck OF
land, running into a stream, so that
the water will pass through about one
inch deep, and covering it over with
grass or chunks and the passing mink
cannot resist the temptation to pass
through; by making cubbies in the
woods, and by scattering bait at diff
ferent places and observing on your
next trip whether it has been taken,
thus learning what animals, II any,
are in that particular locality: in this
manner you become thoroughly ae-
auainted with your grounds. and when
| the season opens for trapping you
know the best places. to set your traps.
It is we'll to remember that few
| fur bearing animals travel to any ex-
| tent in the daytime, and that many
a fine mink has been caught in local.
, ties where the oldest inhabitant' has
declared he has not seen one for ~
years.
| The successful trapper is one who
! is observing, uses good judgment and
is careful to make his set properly
using that set best adapted to the
circumstances of the case and the
animal he desires to capture, and IN
| this manner secures furs which II
properly handled bring him very
substantial return for the time spent
| besides aSfording him the pleasure
and excitement of life lived in the
open
Don't use bright traps, but bol
them in water with pine. spruce, hem
lock- or balsam boughs or walnut
hulls: after boiling half an hour the
trap becomes coated with a paint-likt
substance Take the traps out, hans
in the sun to dry. The coating viii
get hard, and will keep them from
lrusting.i and kill the smell of iron
rust, etc.
Don't commence trapping too early
One prime skin frequently brins'
more money than two or more caugh
early in the season.
From February to March is th'
mating season for mink. Save every
mink sack, squeeze contents into
bottle, with fish oil, as it is lure te
both sexes to bait, dip stick in the
| bottle and place in the hole beyond
the trap.
An excellent way to kill either i
mink or a weasel is to stun it with
club, and then crush in the ribs
| When this is done there will be NJ
blood clot on the pelt.
When setting traps, do not disturb
the surroundings more than is abso
iutely necessary, and leave them look
ing as natural as possible; while SOM
animals are not suspicious, other
are, and if care is used. you will fire.
quently1 catch some other animal IL
! your trap than the one expected.
| Use gloves smeared with blood OIL
coated with beeswax when handling