William Hamilton Gibson - Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping and Trap Making

W >> William Hamilton Gibson >> Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping and Trap Making

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BOOK VII.

CAMPAIGN LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS.

Introductory Remarks.--"Amateur Trapping."--PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.--Selection
of Trapping-ground.--Advantages of a Watered District.--Labor of
transportation lightened by Boating.--Lakes, Ponds and Streams.--The
Adirondacks and Alleghanies.--Remarks on the "Home Shanty."--Selection
of Site for building.--Value of a good Axe.--Remarks on the Bark
Shanty.--Its value in case of Storms.--Wise fore-sight.--Remarks on
the Indian Birch-bark Canoe.--Dug-out and Bateau.--Commencement of
Trapping Season.--Advantages of preliminary preparation.--Extensive
route of the Professional Trapper.--Sixty pounds of Personal
Luggage.--How the traps and provisions are distributed among the
Trapping lines.--Use of the "Home Shanty."--"Keeping Shanty."--Necessity
of its being Guarded.--Wolves and Bears as thieves.--Steel Traps
considered.--Number used in a Professional Campaign.--Number for
an Amateur Campaign.--Their Probable Cost.--The average size of
Trap.--Dead-falls, Twitchups, &c., considered.--Requisite Tools for
a Campaign.--A "House-wife" a valuable necessity.--"Cleanliness next
to Godliness."--The Trappers' Light.--Comparative value of Lanterns
and Candles.--The Trappers' Personal outfit.--The jack-knife.--The
Pocket-Compass.--Necessity of preparing for Emergencies.--Shot
guns and Rifles.--Both combined in the same weapon.--Oil for Fire
Arms.--Fat of the Grouse Used on Fire Arms.--Fishing tackle.--The
Trappers' portable stove.--The Stove versus The Open Fire.--The
Trapper's Clothing.--The Material and Color.--Boots.--High-topped
Boots.--Short Boots.--Their Relative Qualities.--Waterproof Boot
Dressing.--Recipe.--The Trapping Season.--Hints on Trapping-lines.--The
"Wheel" plan.--Mode of following the lines.--"Trap Robbers" or
"Poachers."--How to guard against them.--Hiding furs.--How to store
Traps from Season to Season.--Gnats and Mosquitoes.--The "Smudge."--How
made.--FOOD AND COOKING UTENSILS.--"Roughing it."--"A chance Chip
for a Frying Pan."--A "happy medium" between two extremes.--Cosy
and Comfortable living on a Campaign.--Portable Food.--Combined
Nutriment and lightness in weight to be desired.--The Trappers'
Culinary Outfit.--Indian meal as Food.--The Trappers' "Staff of
Life."--Wheat flour.--Salt Pork.--Seasoning.--Pork Fritters a
luxury.--Cooking Utensils.--The "Telescope" drinking cup.--Recipe
for making Pork Fritters.--"Chop Sticks" a la "Chinee."--A Flat
Chip as a Plate.--Boiled Mush.--Old "Stand by."--Recipe.--Fried
Mush.--Indian meal Cakes.--Recipe.--Johnny Cake.--Recipe.--Hoe
Cakes.--Recipe.--Fresh fish.--How to Cook fish in a most Delicious
manner.--Prof. Blot, and Delmonico, out-done.--The "NE PLUS ULTRA" of
delicacies.--All the sweet Juices of the Fish preserved.--Disadvantages
of the ordinary method of cooking.--Partridge, Duck, Quail, Cooked
deliciously.--Roasting unrivalled!--Hints on Broiling.--An extemporized
Spider or Toaster.--Roasting on a spit.--Venison, Bear, and Moose Meat
broiled in the best style.--Venison cutlets.--The Camp fire.--Usual mode
[Page x]
of building Fire.--How the Kettle is suspended.--"Luxuries"
considered.--The Knapsack a desirable Acquisition.--Matches.--The Bottle
Match-safe.--Waterproof Matches.--How made.--Lucifer Matches.--Recipe
for Waterproof preparation.--The Pocket Sun Glass.--A necessary adjunct
to a Trapper's Outfit.--Its Advantages in case of Emergency.--"Touch
wood" or "Punk Tinder," valuable in lighting fires.--How to light Fires
without matches or Sun glass.--How to light a fire without Matches,
Sun Glass, Powder, or Percussion Caps.--A last Resort.--Matches best
in the long run.--The Portable Camp Stove described.--Its accompanying
Furniture.--The Combination Camp-knife.--Hint on Provisions.--Potatoes
as food.--Beans.--"Self raising" Wheat flour.--Light Bread, Biscuit
and Pancakes in Camp.--Various accessories.--Olive Oil for purpose
of Frying.--Pork.--Indian meal.--Crackers.--Wheaten Grits.--Rice and
Oatmeal.--Tea and Coffee.--Soups.--Liebig's Extract of Beef.--Canned
Vegetables.--Lemonade.--Waterproof bags for provisions.--Painted
bags.--Caution!--Waterproof preparation.--Air-tight jars for
Butter.--Knapsack or Shoulder Basket.--Venison as food.--To preserve
the overplus of meat.--"Jerked Venison" Recipe and Process.--Moose
and Bear meat and Fish, similarly prepared.--How to protect provisions
from Wolves.--The Moufflon and Prong-horn as food.--"Small game,"
Squirrels, Rabbits, and Woodchucks.--"Skunk Meat" as a delicacy.--The
Buffalo as food.--Grouse, the universal Food of Trappers and
Hunters.--Various species of Grouse.--The Sage Cock.--The
Ptarmigan.--How they are trapped by the Indians in the Hudson's
Bay Country.--Waterfowl.--Sea and Inland Ducks.--Various species of
Duck.--Mallard.--Muscovy.--Wigeon.--Merganser.--Canvass Back.--Teal,
&c.--Wild Geese.--Fish as food.--Angling and Spearing.--Salmon
Spearing in the North.--Description of the Salmon Spear used by
the Indians.--Salmon Spearing at night.--Requisites of a good
Spearsman.--Fishing through the Ice.--Cow's udder and Hogs liver as
Bait.--Other Baits.--Assafoetida and Sweet Cicely as fish Baits.--Trout
fishing with Tip-up's.--Pickerel fishing in Winter.--Pickerel Spearing
through the Ice.--The Box Hut.--The "Fish Lantern" or Fish Trap.--Fish
Attracted by light.--Light as Bait.--How the Fish Lantern is made and
used.--THE TRAPPER'S SHELTER.--Introductory remarks.--The Perils of
a Life in the Wilderness.--A Shelter of some form a Necessity.--The
Log Shanty.--Full directions for building.--Ingenious manner of
constructing roof.--How the Chimney is built.--Spacious interior of
the Shanty.--THE BARK SHANTY.--A Temporary structure.--Full directions
for its construction.--Selection of building site.--TENTS.--Advantages
of their use.--Various kinds of Tents.--The House Tent.--The Fly
Tent.--The Shelter Tent.--Directions for making the Tent.--Tent
Cloth.--How to render tents Water and Fire-resistant.--Valuable
recipe.--BEDS AND BEDDING.--Perfect rest and comfort to the tired
Trapper.--A portable Spring bed for the woods.--A Hammock bed.--Bed
Clothes.--The Canton Flannel Bag.--Hammocks.--TENT CARPETING.--Spruce
and Hemlock boughs as bedding.--How to cover the ground evenly.--The
Rubber Blanket.

BOOK VIII.

THE TRAPPER'S MISCELLANY.

Warning to the Novice.--Winged Cannibals of the Woods.--INSECT
OINTMENTS.--Mosquitoes and Gnats.--Their aversion to the scent
of Pennyroyal.--Pennyroyal Ointment.--Recipe.--Mutton tallow
Ointment.--Tar and Sweet Oil Liniment.--Recipe.--Its effect on the
Complexion.--Invasions of Insects by night.--Their pertinacity and
severity.--The experience of our Adirondack guide.--The bloodthirsty
propensities of the Mosquito admirably depicted.--The "Smudge" Smoke
versus Insect Bites.--"Punkeys" and "Midgets."--Their terrible
voracity.--Painful effects of their Bites.--Pennyroyal an effective
Antidote.--Depraved
[Page xi]
appetite of the mosquito.--A Warning to the Intemperate.--Use and abuse
of Alcohol.--A Popular error corrected.--A substitute for Whiskey and
Brandy.--Red Pepper Tea.--Its great value as a remedy in Illness.--The
Mosquitoes' favorite Victim.--Result of the bite of the insect.--The
Mosquito Head-Net.--Directions for making the Net.--Netting attachment
for the Hat.--Portable Sun Shade or Hat brim.--Netting attachment
for the Hat brim.--BOAT BUILDING.--A Boat of some kind a necessity
to the Trapper.--The "Dug-Out" or Log-Canoe.--Requisite Tools for
its Manufacture.--Selection of the Log.--Directions for making the
boat.--Remarkable thinness to which they may be reduced.--Lightness
of the boat.--How to gauge the thickness.--How to stop leaks.--THE
INDIAN OR BIRCH BARK CANOE.--The Indian as a Canoe-maker.--His
remarkable skill.--Perfection of the Indian made Canoe.--Description
of the Canoe.--Capacity of the various sizes.--How to construct a
Bark Canoe.--Selection of Bark.--How to prevent Leaks.--Material
used by the Indians in sewing the Bark.--Advantages of the Birch
Bark Canoe.--Basswood, Hemlock, and Spruce Bark Canoes.--A LIGHT
HOME-MADE BOAT.--Selection of Boards.--Directions for making the
Boat.--Caulking the seams.--Value of Pitch for waterproofing
purposes.--How it should be applied.--THE SCOW.--How to construct the
ordinary Flat-bottomed Boat.--The Mud-stick.--SNOW SHOES.--A necessity
for winter travel.--The "Snow Shoe Race."--The mysteries of a Snow
Shoe.--"Taming the Snow Shoe."--How to make the Snow Shoe.--Complicated
Net-work.--Two methods of attaching the Net-work.--How the Snow
Shoe is worn.--THE TOBOGGAN OR INDIAN SLEDGE.--Its value to the
Trapper.--Winter Coasting.--Great sport with the Toboggan.--How to
make a Toboggan.--Selection of Boards.--How the Sledge is used.--CURING
SKINS.--Importance of Curing Skins properly.--Valuable hints on Skinning
Animals.--How to dry Skins.--How to dress Skins for Market.--Astringent
preparations.--Recipe.--STRETCHERS.--How skins are stretched.--The Board
Stretcher.--How it is made and used.--The Wedge Stretcher.--How made
and used.--The Bow Stretcher.--The Hoop Stretcher.--TANNING SKINS.--To
Tan with the hair on.--Preparation of Skin for Tanning.--Tanning
Mixture.--Recipe.--Second Mixture.--Recipe.--Third Mixture and
Recipe.--How the Skin is softened and finished.--HOW TO TAN MINK
AND MUSKRAT SKINS.--Preparation of Skin.--Tanning Mixtures.--Various
Recipes.--"Fleshing."--The Fleshing-knife.--Substitute for the
Fleshing-knife.--HOW TO TAN THE SKINS OF THE BEAVER, OTTER, RACCOON,
AND MARTEN.--Tanning Mixtures.--How to soften the Skin.--Simple
Tanned Skin.--Recipe for removing the fur.--How to finish the
Skin.--OBSERVATIONS ON THE HISTORY OF FURS AND THE FUR TRADE.--Some
bits of History in connection with Furs.--Ancient use of Furs.--Furs
a medium of Exchange.--Furs and Fashion.--Extravagance in Fur
Costume.--Choice Furs as Badges of Rank.--Their use restricted to
Royal Families.--The Early Fur Trade of Europe.--A Tribute paid
in Furs.--Early History of the Fur Trade in America.--Origin of
the Hudson's Bay Company.--Hostility of the French Canadian
Traders.--Establishment of the North West Company.--Competition and
War.--Consolidation of the two Companies.--Great sales of the Hudson's
Bay Company.--Importance of the Fur Trade.--Cities founded by the
enterprise of the Trapper.--St. Paul.--Montreal and Mackinaw.--Fortunes
built up on Fur Traffic.--John Jacob Astor.--Mink and Muskrat
Skins.--Their extensive use in America.--Estimated value of the
annual yield of Raw Furs throughout the World.--Classification
of Furs by American Dealers.--"Home" Furs.--"Shipping" Furs.--Table
of Sales of Hudson's Bay Company, in 1873.--March Sale.--September
Sale.--Price according to Quality.--Estimated average per Skin.--List
of American "Shipping" Furs.--List of American "Home" Furs.--MARKET
VALUE OF FUR SKINS.--Eccentricities of the Fur Market.--Demand
governed by Fashion.--How Fashion runs the Fur Trade.--The Amateur
Trapper and the Fur Trade.--Difficulty of a profitable disposal
of Furs.--Advice to the Novice.--How to realize on the sale of
Furs.--TABLE OF VALUES OF AMERICAN FUR SKINS.--A complete list of
American Fur bearing Animals.--Various prices of Skins according
to Quality.--USES OF AMERICAN FURS AT HOME AND ABROAD.--The Silver
Fox.--Fifty Guineas for a Fur Skin.--Red Fox Fur.--Its
[Page xii]
use in Oriental Countries.--Beaver Fur.--Its various uses.--Raccoon
Skins, a great Staple for Russia and Germany.--Bear Skins and their
various uses.--Lynx, Fisher, and Marten Skins.--The Mink.--Use of its
hair for Artists pencils.--Muskrat Skins.--Three millions annually
exported to Germany alone.--Their extensive use among the American
poorer classes.--Otter Fur.--Sleigh Robes from Wolf Skins.--Rabbit
Fur.--Its use in the Manufacture of Hats.--Breeding Rabbits for
their Fur.--The Wolverine.--Skunk Fur, dignified by the name of
Alaska Sable.--Large shipments to Foreign Countries.--How the Fur
of the Badger is used.--Opossum, Puma, and Wild Cat Fur.--Robes
for the Fashionable.--Squirrel and Mole skins.

[Illustration]

[Page xiii]
[Illustration: ILLUSTRATIONS.]

FULL PAGES.

1. Caught at last.
2. Traps for Large Game.
3. Snares or Noose Traps.
4. Traps for Feathered Game.
5. Miscellaneous Traps.
6. Household Traps.
7. Steel Traps, and the art of Trapping.
8. Almost Persuaded.--to face.
9. The Campaign.
10. Trapper's Miscellany.

[Page xiv]
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT.

11. "Preface".
12. Initial to Preface.
13. End piece to Preface.
14. "Contents".
15. "Illustrations".
16. Initial to Book I
17. Dead fall for large Animals.
18. Explanatory drawing of pieces.
19. The Gun Trap.
20. The Bow Trap
21. " " " arrangement of parts.
22. " " " Section.
23. Foot String Bow Trap.
24. The Down fall.
25. The Bear Trap.
26. End piece to Book I.
27. Initial to Book II.
28. Quail Nooses.
29. Hedge Nooses.
30. The Triangle Snare.
31. The Twitch-up.
32. Method of Setting.
33. " " " No. 2.
34. " " " No. 3.
35. " " " No. 4.
36. " " " No. 5.
37. The Poacher's Snare.
38. The Portable Snare.
39. The "Simplest" Snare.
40. Modification No. 2.
41. " " 3.
42. The Quail Snare.
43. The Box Snare.
44. The Double Box Snare.
45. The Old fashioned Springle.
46. The Improved Springle.
47. The Figure Four Ground Snare.
48. The Platform Snare.
49. End piece.
50. Initial to Book III.
51. The Brick Trap.
52. Method of Setting.
53. The Coop Trap.
54. The Bat fowling Net.
55. The Clap Net.
56. The Bird Whistle.
57. The Trap Cage.
58. Diagrams of Cage.
59. The Spring Net Trap.
[Page xv]
60. Section of Spring Net Trap.
61. A Simpler Net Trap.
62. The Upright Net Trap.
63. Second Method "
64. The Box Owl Trap.
65. The Box Bird Trap.
66. The Pendant Box Bird Trap.
67. The Hawk Trap.
68. The Wild Duck Net.
69. The Hook Trap.
70. The Fool's Cap Trap.
71. The Limed Twig.
72. Humming-bird Trap.
73. Initial to Book IV.
74. The Common Box Trap.
75. Two Modes of Setting.
76. Box Trap.
77. The Figure Four Trap.
78. Parts of "
79. The "Double Ender".
80. The Self-Setting Trap.
81. The Dead fall.
82. Method No. 2.
83. The Garotte.
84. Arrangement of "Setting".
85. The Bow Garotte Trap.
86. A Fish Trap.
87. End Piece "Maternal advice".
88. Initial to Book V.
89. The Barrel Trap.
90. The Box Dead Trap.
91. The Board Flap.
92. The Box Pit-fall.
93. Diagram of "
94. Cage Trap.
95. Initial to Book VI.
96. Steel Trap. No. (0) or Rat Trap.
97. Steel Trap. No. 1, or Muskrat Trap.
98. " " No. 2, or Mink Trap.
99. " " No. 2-1/2, or Fox Trap.
100. " " No. 3, or Otter Trap.
101. " " No. 4, or Beaver Trap.
102. "The Great Bear Tamer," Steel Trap.
103. Steel Trap No. 5, or Small Bear Trap.
104. Steel Trap set in pen.
105. The Spring Pole.
106. The Sliding pole.
107. The Grappling Iron.
108. The Wolf.
109. The Puma.
110. The Canada Lynx.
[Page xvi]
111. The Wild Cat.
112. The Bear.
113. The Raccoon.
114. The Badger.
115. The Beaver.
116. The Otter.
117. The Mink.
118. The Marten.
119. The Skunk.
120. The Wolverine.
121. The Opossum.
122. The Squirrel.
123. The Moose.
124. Initial to Book VII.
125. Portable Drinking Cup.
126. The Home Shanty.
127. The Shelter tent.
128. The Trapper's Bed.
129. End Piece.
130. Initial to Book VIII.
131. Head Net.
132. Portable Hat-brim.
133. Hat-brim with netting attachment.
134. The Dug-out or Log Canoe.
135. The Birch-Bark Canoe.
136. A Light Home-made Boat.
137. Diagram view of Boat----.
138. The Snow Shoe.
139. The Toboggan or Indian Sledge.
140. The Board Stretcher.
141. The Wedge Stretcher.
142. The Bow Stretcher.
143. "The End".

[Illustration]

[Page 15]
[Illustration: TRAPS FOR LARGE GAME]

[Page 17]
BOOK I.

TRAPS FOR LARGE GAME.

[Illustration: H]owever free our forests may be from the lurking
dangers of a tropical jungle, they nevertheless shelter a few large
and formidable beasts which are legitimate and deserving subjects
of the Trapper's Art. Chief among them are the Puma, or Cougar,
Bear, Lynx, Wolf and Wolverine.

Although commonly taken in steel traps, as described respectively
in a later portion of this work, these animals are nevertheless
often captured by Deadfalls and other devices, which are well known
to the professional Trapper, and which serve excellently in cases
of emergency, or in the scarcity of steel traps.

[Illustration]

THE DEAD-FALL.

There are several varieties of this trap, some of which are described
in other parts of this volume. In general construction they all
bear a similarity, the methods of setting being slightly changed
to suit the various game desired for capture. For large animals,
and particularly the Bear, the trap is sprung by the pressure of
the animal's foot, while reaching for the bait. Select some favorite
haunt of the Bear, and proceed to construct a pen of large stakes.
These should consist of young trees, or straight branches, about
three inches in diameter, and should be of such a length as to
reach a height of four or five feet when set in the ground, this
being the required height of the pen. Its width should be about
two and a half or three feet; its depth, four feet; and the top
should be roofed over with cross pieces of timber, to prevent the
[Page 18]
bait from being taken from above. A straight log, about eight inches
in diameter, and six feet in length should now be rolled against the
opening of the pen, and hemmed in by two upright posts, one on each
side, directly on a line with the sides of the enclosure. Another
log, or tree trunk, of the same diameter, and about fifteen or twenty
feet in length, should next be procured. Having this in readiness,
we will now proceed to the construction of the other pieces. In
order to understand the arrangement of these, we present a separate
drawing of the parts as they appear when the trap is set (_a_).
An upright post, is supplied at the upper end with a notch, having
its flat face on the lower side. This post should be driven into
the ground in the left hand back corner of the pen, and should
be three feet or more in height. Another post (_b_) of similar
dimensions, is provided with a notch at its upper end, the notch
being reversed, _i. e._, having its flat side _uppermost_. This
post should be set in the ground, _outside_ of the pen, on the
right hand side and on a line with the first. A third post (_c_),
is provided with a crotch on its upper end. This should be planted
outside of the pen on the right hand side, and on a line with the
front. The treadle piece consists of a forked branch, about three feet
[Page 19]
in length, supplied with a square board secured across its ends.
At the junction of the forks, an augur hole is bored, into which a
stiff stick about three feet in length is inserted. This is shown
at (_h_). Two poles, (_d_) and (_e_), should next be procured, each
about four feet in length. These complete the number of pieces,
and the trap may then be set. Pass the pole (_d_) between the stakes
of the pen, laying one end in the notch in the post (_a_), and
holding the other beneath the notch in the upright (_b_). The second
pole (_e_) should then be adjusted, one end being placed in the
crotch post (_c_), and the other caught beneath the projecting
end of the pole (_d_), as is fully illustrated in the engraving.
The dead-log should then be rested on the front extremity of the
pole last adjusted, thus effecting an equilibrium.

[Illustration]

The treadle-piece should now be placed in position over a short
stick of wood (_f_), with its platform raised in front, and the
upright stick at the back secured beneath the edge of the latch
pole (_d_).

The best bait consists of _honey_, for which Bears have a remarkable
fondness. It may be placed on the ground at the back part of the
enclosure, or smeared on a piece of meat hung at the end of the
pen. The dead-log should now be weighted by resting heavy timbers
against its elevated end, as seen in the main drawing, after which
the machine is ready for its deadly work.

A Bear will never hesitate to risk his life where a feast of honey
is in view, and the odd arrangement of timbers has no fears for
him after that tempting bait has once been discovered. Passing
beneath the suspended log, his heavy paw encounters the broad board
on the treadle-piece, which immediately sinks with his weight. The
upright pole at the back of the treadle is thus raised, forcing
the latch-piece from the notch: this in turn sets free the side
pole, and the heavy log is released falling with a crushing weight
over the back of hapless Bruin.

There are many other methods of setting the Dead-fall, several
of which appear in another section of this book. The above is the
one more commonly used for the capture of Bears, but the others are
[Page 20]
equally applicable and effective when enlarged to the proper size.

In South America and other countries, where Lions, Tigers, Leopards,
and Jaguars abound, these and other rude extempore traps are almost
the only ones used, and are always very successful. The pit-fall
often allures the Bengal Tiger to his destruction, and the Leopard
often terminates his career at the muzzle of a rifle baited as
seen in our page illustration. A gun thus arranged forms a most
sure and deadly trap, and one which may be easily extemporized
at a few moments' warning, in cases of emergency. The Puma of our
northern forests, although by no means so terrible a foe as the
Leopard, is still a blood-thirsty creature, and while he shuns the
gaze of man with the utmost fear, he is nevertheless constantly
on the alert to spring upon him unawares, either in an unguarded
moment or during sleep. A hungry Puma, who excites suspicion by
his stealthy prowling and ominous growl, may easily be led to his
destruction at the muzzle of a gun, baited as we shall now describe.

THE GUN TRAP.

After a Puma has succeeded in capturing his prey, and has satisfied
his appetite by devouring a portion of its carcass, he leaves the
remainder for a second meal, and his early return to a second banquet
is almost a matter of certainty. Where such a remnant of a bygone
feast is found, the capture of the Cougar is an easy matter. Any
carcass left in a neighborhood where Pumas are known to exist is
sure to attract them, and day after day its bulk will be found to
decrease until the bones only remain. By thus "baiting" a certain
place and drawing the Pumas thither, the way is paved for their
most certain destruction. The gun-trap is very simply constructed,
and may be put in working order in a very few moments. The weapon
may be a rifle or shot-gun. In the latter case it should be heavily
loaded with buck-shot. The stock should be first firmly tied to
some tree, or secured in a stout crotch driven into the ground,
the barrel being similarly supported.

The gun should be about three feet from the ground, and should
be aimed at some near tree to avoid possible accident to a chance
passer-by within its range. The gun should then be cocked, _but
not capped_, due caution being always used, and the cap adjusted
the very last thing after the trap is baited and set. Where a rifle
[Page 21]
is used, the cartridge should not be inserted until the last thing.

It is next necessary to cut a small sapling about a foot or two
in length. Its diameter should allow it to fit snugly inside the
guard in front of the trigger, without springing the hammer. Its
other end should now be supported by a very slight crotch, as shown
in our illustration. Another sapling should next be procured, its
length being sufficient to reach from the muzzle of the gun to
the end of the first stick, and having a branch stub or hook on
one end. The other extremity should be attached by a string to
the tip of the first slick.

[Illustration]

Now take a portion of the carcass and draw it firmly over the hook
in the long stick. Prop the latter in such a position as that the
bait shall hang directly in front of the muzzle. The crotch supporting
the bait stick should be firmly implanted in the ground in order
to hold the bait from being drawn to either side of the muzzle.

The gun-trap is now set, and its merits may be tested. Before adjusting
the cap the pieces should be tried several times to insure their
perfect working. A slight pull on the bait from the front will
draw the short stick forward. This immediately
[Page 22]
acts on the trigger and causes the hammer to snap. By a few trials,
the sticks can be arranged so as to spring the trigger easily,
and where a hair trigger is used, a mere touch on the bait will
suffice to discharge the gun. When all is found to work perfectly,
the trap should be surrounded by a rude pen of sticks and branches,
extending two or three feet beyond the muzzle, in order to insure
an approach directly in the aim of the gun. The cap should now be
placed on the nipple, after which the deadly device may be left
to do its certain work. The remaining portion of the carcass should
be removed, and where the locality is likely to be frequented by
other hunters or trappers, it is well to put up a "danger" signal
to guard against accident. If desired two or three guns may be
arranged like the spokes of a wheel, all aiming near the bait.
Even with one gun the victim stands but little chance, but where
two or three pour their contents into his body, his death is an
absolute certainty.

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