Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-25

YOR
stones above it. When the trap is
sprung the bear is buried in the pit un-
der the heavy load.
This kind of a pit and deadfall is
similar to the one | used to trap my
bear during my wilderness expert
ment. If l had had an ak, l would
have built a regular deadfall. AS 1t
was, l was forced to use what loose
material l found about me. With this
rough material l constructed a combi-
nation pit and deadfall which caught
the bear alive.
The only difference between my trap
and the one used by the squaws was
that my trap did not crush the life out
of the animal.
In a previous chapter I have ex-
planned one way of catching a par
fridge Partridges may also be trap
ped in a snare, just as rabbit Is
caught. The snare can be made out Of
many different materials that grow in
the woods. Even grass and roots vii!
make strong snares and the lining bark
of the cedar.
In making a snare, make loop will!
a slip moose in it, Bend little bush
over the trail and fasten this bush in
a notch made on another bush. At
tach the loop to the bent bush and
hang it just little above the trail.
When a partridge or rabbit touches
this snare in attempting to pass
through, he brings a strain on the bent
bush, which is released with a swish,
catching the quarry by the neck and
dangling him over the trail.
1t is a cowardly thing to snare a
deer, but it can easily be done. A man
who gets a deer in this way or in a
bear trap is called a pot hunter"
BY making a snare out of rawhide
and using a large tree for a spring, 1t
is just as easy to hang a deer in the
trail as it is a rabbit.
The trapping of mink is a different
story. The trapper goes alongside Of
stream and digs a hole in the bank.
Into this hole he forces some stale fish
or other bait. Then he places his steel
trap which is attached by chain to
hitcher, at the mouth Of this hole.
The trap and hitcher are well covered
up with dirt and leaves. The mink
in trying to get at the bait in the hole
steps on the hidden trap and is caught.
To catch these animals in the lake
country, set your trap in about two
feet of water on a fiat rock or nat
ural stepping place which the mink
would use in coming from the water.
The placing of the bait close by entices
the animal, who, coming by way of
your trap, falls victim.
Beaver castor, the essence Of the
seven barks which the beaver eats, is
very penetrating, and a little Of this
spread in the vicinity of the traps will
attract the animals very quickly.
Catching the otter is somewhat more
difficult. If he is going upstream, he
always goes through the biggest swell
of water.
Offers breast themselves against the
flow Of water and push themselves
over the falls with their hind feet un-
til they reach another flow, and so on.
Their front feet, which they use very
little, are so small that a trap would
slip off one in a second. They must
be caught by the powerful hind legs.
Place a trap below the flow in about
eight inches of water and attach the
chain of the trap to a hitcher which
has been put out in deep water. For
this particular hitcher limb is chosen
with it's branches, which are trimmed
down to about an inch in length
pointing downward. Thus the ring OF
the hitcher can go down over these
small projections, but it cannot be
pulled up.
When the otter starts to push him
self over the flow he pushes his foot
into the trap and Immediately dives
pulling the ring down the stick. Then
the sunken hitcher holds him under
water, where he browns.
In case the otter is coming down
stream the trap is set just below the
flow.
Not being in sympathy with the
| wholesale slaughter Of animals through
our system of hunting today, l will not
Il, hot ri
of wood life However, l wish to say
just a word. Anything that the law al
lows a hunter to do is accepted by ev-
erybody to be fair.
For tn, mere payment of so much
money to the state authorities, hunters
| are allowed to go into the forest with
rifles and rapid fire guns and kill !
stipulated number of deer and moose
But they can't do this unless they pay
so much money.
Such practices are not in accord with
nature. They are not in harmony with
the great out of door movement and
are of no benefit to the people.
The killing of animals for the mere
sport of it should be absolutely stop
ped. Let woodsmen and campers Kill
game only when they are forced to dc
so out of necessity.
There should never be law prohib-
| iting the killing of animals for use in
| case of necessity.
The animal has not got square dea
when he is pitting his craft against
| that of the hunter with a gun. The
gun should only be used when meat
or skin is necessary. Under such con-
ditions it's use is perfectly fair.
So-called sport as it exists today is
nothing more than the instinct in mar
to kill inferior animals. What pleas
ure is there in putting bullet through
running deer? Why does man xii
a deer?
After all my life'in the forest have
not got a single animal head or any
thing like that in my home. | would
rather know that the animals were
roaming free in their natural haunts