90 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



During mild seasons it will be noted that some of tlie pelts have a decided 

 reddish tinge to the guard hairs, and while the exact elTect of this condition 

 is not known to the writer, it appears that its presence is not of sufficient 

 importance to warrant the cessation of trapping. In the two seasons of 1915- 

 16 and 1919-20 this " rusty " condition was particularly noticeahle, but on 

 both of these occasions the furriers subsequently stated that the value of the 

 skins was but slightly lessened thereby. While the darkest furs are the most 

 desirable, a good pelt commands a fair price even though the reddish tinge 

 is in evidence. 



The approach of the end of the season and the lapse of primeness in the 

 skins can not be determined by any rule. The condition of the fur must be 

 carefully watched, for rubbed or felted patches about the throat or rump 

 are a certain indication of unprimeness. The observations nmst naturally be 

 made before the fox is killed. 



Weather eoiiditlons. — There is probably no single indirect factor having a 

 more important bearing on the outcome of the season's trapping than that 

 of weather. Clear, cold nights, with moderate winds from points in the north 

 or east, are the conditions under which trapping may best be conducted at the 

 village. Western winds favor the Zapadni cage. Pligh night tides are advan- 

 tageous, low ones the contrary. While moonlight makes the trapping work 

 easier, the animals may be .seen without difficulty on the darkest night if there 

 is a little snow on the ground. The lower the temperature and the longer the 

 period of cold, the more favorable is the situation ; the cold keeps the beaches 

 frozen and the continuation of it forces the most timid animals to visit the 

 cage in search of food. Storn)s do not necessarily preclude trapping if the 

 winds are from favorable directions and are not exceedingly strong. Wet snow 

 or rain is unfavorable, as the furs become wet and soiled on such occasions ; 

 this dampness is very undesirable when the skins are made ready for stretch- 

 ing. Trapping may, however, be conducted with fair results during mild 

 weather when rain is not falling. Persistence is required if a large catch is 

 to be made. 



Location of traps. — Two cage traps are used at the present time, one at 

 the village, the second at Zapadni. The advisability of installing a third is 

 doubtful. The second trap was the natural outcome of the feeding of foxes 

 at Zapadni and it is useful when winds are unfavorable for work at the 

 village. The desirability of securing the largest number of pelts at the village 

 trap is readily seen. 



The village' trap is the original building set up by James Judge shortly after 

 his experiment of 189G, and, like all cage traps, it is near the shore Ihie. The 

 second is simply a wire cage set up in 1919 close by the Zapadni watch house. 

 Efforts are occasionally made to secure foxes at Garden Cove (on the southepi 

 shore) by means of string or noose traps, but the results are quite dispropor- 

 tionate to the labor involved. It should also be mentioned that the foxes 

 having their homes in the immediate vicinity of the village form a distinct 

 colony, the members of which rarely visit the cage trap and nmst be obtained 

 by noose traps placed within the village and operated from the windows of 

 the village buildings. 



Descriptiwi of traps. — Herewith is a diagram showing the arrangement of the 

 village trap. The drop door " F," sliding in a groove, is operated by a man 

 stationed within the darkened room " B," who watches the animals through the 

 small window " H," which commands a view of the trap interior. The Zapadni 

 trap is on the same general plan, the cage standing apart from the house and 

 being operated from the window. At Zapadni the foxes must be caught and 

 removed from the trap by hand, while at the village it is much more readily 

 done, as will be seen later. 



The noose trap is a very simple arrangement. A small doorway is cut in the 

 end of a common packing case, which is then placed with its open face to the 

 ground, the door remaining open on the end of the case. Some bait having a 

 strong odor, such as old seal meat or seal oil, is placed within the box, and a 

 noose is hung about the doorway. As the fox endeavors to investigate the 

 contents of the box, the noose is closed about his neck by an operator stationed 

 within a near building. This trap is an unsatisfactory arrangement to use 

 outside the precincts of the village, as when an animal is captured the result- 

 ing commotion frightens other foxes away from that neighborhood. Further- 

 more, but a single fox can be caught at each operation. 



Operation of traps. — It must be borne in mind during the trapping season 

 that the foxes are largely dependent upon the seal meat for their sustenance, 



