786 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



carefully rubbed with blood or cow-dung or smoked, and 

 never touched with the bare hands. Each trap is fast to a 

 separate drag; that is, a log or rock weighing forty or fifty 

 pounds. Drag and all must be carefully concealed. The 

 trap is sunk in the ground till the pan is exactly on a level with 

 the surface, then the space under the pan is filled with dry 

 grass. Coyote fur, or, best of all, cotton-wool. Dry dust is 

 now sprinkled on everything, the trap logs and bait are com- 

 pletely concealed, a few weeds thrown about, and, last of all, 

 the foot of a Coyote or a Wolf is used to make a few reassuring 

 tracks at the place. The foot of a female dog at the mating 

 season lends an especially helpful touch. This plan seems to 

 play on the Wolf's habit of burying surplus food. If the bait 

 were in plain view he might find some suspicious taint, enough 

 to make him keep his distance, but when it has to be dug out 

 before examination, he has time to pass all around and to get 

 into one or more of the traps. 



Sometimes the traps are set on the trails used by the 

 Wolves in crossing cafions or going to water. The disad- 

 vantage of this is that a great many cattle get into them and 

 it is an awkward job getting the trap off the foot of a range 

 steer. He is not so grateful as he should be. If, however, the 

 traps be not too large, they slip ofi^ the hard hoofs of the cattle 

 when they happen to tread in them. 



An excellent plan is to put a bait up three or four feet 

 from the ground in a rough place; then set traps in the open 

 places that a Wolf would naturally walk in as he circled about 

 suspiciously to inspect the bait. 



Yet another plan is to put the trap under water. A thin piece 

 of stone is laid on the pan, and the trap sunk so that only this 

 stone is above water. This is set eighteen inches from the dry 

 bank, then a foot beyond the trap a bait is put on another stone. 



The Wolf reaching out to sniff the bait, naturally sets a 

 foot on the dry stone between him and the meat, and is caught. 

 The water in this method assists greatly in disguising the smell 

 of the iron. This plan answers also for most other carnivorous 

 animals. 



