66 TRAPPING LYNX 



mosses. Through such country a trail is blazed 

 from ten to twelve miles long or less, according to 

 what the trapper cares to visit in one day's walk- 

 ing, as he has to return to his camp, to rest. 

 Along this trail at intervals, a snare, trap, or 

 dead-fall is set, about five or six to the mile. Set- 

 ting twenty snares between two partners is con- 

 sidered a fair day's work. Three or four such 

 lines of traps are made, radiating from the per- 

 manent camp. At other times if the country is 

 suitable, one continuous line is built forty to fifty 

 miles long, with a camp to sleep in about every 

 ten miles. This may appear a very short distance 

 for one day, but it must be remembered that the 

 trapper has to look at each trap each time he 

 passes, see that it is properly baited, scented and 

 cleared of any snow that may be in the way. Af- 

 ter a heavy fall of snow the track has to be broken 

 which is hard work, and sometimes with the 

 addition of a pack to carry. For bait, a portion 

 of hare, a squirrel, or the wings of grouse are 

 used. The skin of a hare, with the head left on, 

 makes the best of all baits, placed in the bottom 

 of the little hut-like enclosure it looks like a live 

 hare. The oil glands of the beaver, with the 

 pounded leaves of the cat-mint (nepeta) makes 

 one of the most attractive scent-baits. Snares are 

 chiefly used to save carrying steel traps. They 

 are made of three strands of strong twine, ca- 



