260 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



Killing traps are in use exclusively in Louisiana, as elsewhere, in harvesting the 

 annual fur c:op. To meet the demand that has arisen for a so-called "humane' trap, 

 the Department has been experimenting with a variety of traps designed to take the 

 animals alive and unhurt so that those having unprime pelts, as well as the immature 

 animals, can be released unhurt when caught. As yet, no 100 percent "sure fire" trap 

 has been devised. 



surface runways, zig-zagging here and there and every- 

 where. Laterals, short blind runs, and main travelways 

 are dug. They all connect and an examination of such a 

 labyrinth under acres of land shows conclusively that they 

 are the work of many individuals. A sketch of such a work 

 is reproduced on page 257 and shows surface trails as 

 well as the many underground routes and the dive holes 

 which connect the subways, often from 12 to 18 inches deep, 

 with the surface. 



These tunnels dug are not wholly for the purposes of 

 travel but to allow the animals to feed on the white, suc- 

 culent running root systems of the food plants that cover 

 the surface. 



