THIRTY YEARS A HUNTER. 69 



same hi height, of beech and maple logs. The top 

 covered with heavy logs, leaving a hole five feet one 

 way by two and a half the other. Into this a trap 

 door is fitted, with a spring underneath. The bait 

 is placed in such a position that the wolf, to reach it, 

 must step upon the trap-door, when it drops down 

 and precipitates the animal to the bottom, when it 

 springs back to its place. If a female is the first to 

 fall into the trap, the others will keep running about 

 over the trap door, and one after another will fall in, 

 until the greater part of the whole pack is caught. 

 The house is built several months before the season 

 for its use, to accustom them to it. 



About the first of September the wolves com- 

 menced running deer into the river. This is another 

 favorable season for hunting them. When we saw a 

 deer running and no dog in sight, we were sure it 

 was pursued by wolves. If we wished to save the 

 deer for our own use, we shot it before it was over- 

 taken by the wolves. We then let the deer lie some 

 time, and if the wolves were not too much fright- 

 ened by the report of the gun, they would come up 

 to the deer, when we could perhaps kill two or three 

 of them. This is always done early in the morn- 

 ing, and the wolves lie still the rest of the day. 

 When I was a young raan, steel traps were scarce 

 and dear, and we were compelled to invent substi- 

 tutes which would be unnecessary at the present day. 



Bears were hunted and caught by us in the follow- 

 ing manner. About the first of May they could be 

 found at the streams, turning over the stones along 



