706 



jilaced so that the aiiini.il will nol iiulici' the tia]!, 

 but ill PUcUnivoriiii; to icacii the halt will step on tlic 

 pan. 



TO TRAr A WIIvD CAT. 



Wildcats uiaj be laufj^lit in a steel trap placed at the 

 entrance of a pen made of stakes, arranged in a 

 V-shaped manner at the base of a fallen log or by an 

 old stump, in slashings where these animals live. The 

 pen is usually covered over the top with some brush. 

 The bait, a head of a chicken. Pheasant, Rabbit, or 

 even a piece of fresh beef, is hung inside of the pen, 

 and the trap, attached to a strong chain, to one end 

 of which is fastened a small, strong log or pole, weigh- 

 ing, say, six to eight pounds, which, when dragged 

 along, will not stop the animal by its weight, but 

 which will seriously retard its progress. Sometimes 

 a strong spring pole is u.sed. This, when the animal 

 gets into the trap, draws both the trap and its captive 

 up into the air and out of reach of the ground. Wild- 

 cats are also sometimes caught in wire snares and 

 dead-falls. This animal may be caught with a steel 

 trap hidden under snow, leaves or moss, and a bird or 

 other bait suspended from a twig above the trap as 

 shown in the illustration "How to Fool a Fox." Some 

 say it is best to place a thin piece of paper over the 

 open jaws of the trap so as to keep dirt, moss or snow 

 from preventing the trap working easily. 



TO CATCH A MINK. 



Minks follow the water and they hunt around every 

 nook and corner for food. Tlie steel trap is placed 

 near the edge of the water, about an inch under the 

 water's surface, directly in front of a rock or higli 



