Figure 27. — This New York trapper, 

 standing beside a muskrat house on a 

 badly eaten cattail-burreed marsh, is 

 well equipped to trap on the frozen 

 marsh. 



loss" traps are usually equipped 

 with a delayed-action overguard. 

 When sprung, they hold the trapped 

 animal in such a tight position that 

 it cannot gnaw or wring loose and 

 escape. Older-type traps that a 

 trapper may have on hand can be 

 utilized along river banks and in 

 deeper water where the muskrat is 

 quickly drowned by its struggles. 



Traplines should be visited each 

 day for the best results. When 

 there is ice or heavy snow, warm 

 clothing, rubber boots or waders, a 

 long-sleeved glove, and an ax are 

 necessary equipment (fig. 27). Ice 

 grippers on the soles of the rubber 

 boots help prevent falls on slippery 

 ice. A long box rigged on sled run- 



FiGURE 29. — Snowshoes, pack basket, ax, 

 and snow toboggan are required equip- 

 ment for trapping in heavy snow. 



ners helps in carrying traps and 

 poles into the frozen marsh and in 

 bringing a large catch out (fig. 28). 

 Toboggans and snow-float sleds 

 serve a similar purpose in deep 

 snows and drifts (fig. 29). The 

 spring thaw with its soft ice neces- 

 sitates the use of lightweight boats 

 equipped with steel runners (fig. 

 30) . In Louisiana, the narrow flat- 



FiGURE 28. — A box on runners is often 

 used to bring in the catch from frozen 

 marshes. 



F'iGURE 30. — Thaw-outs do not stop the 

 trapper equipped with a lightweight 

 boat such as this one, of white cedar 

 with metal runners to protect the wood 

 and make the boat easier to handle on 

 ice. 



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