BEAVER 73 



of it in some way, and the chances are that you 

 will never see that trap again. I have seen a three- 

 year-old beaver, caught in a large No. 4 trap, 

 the chain of which had been fastened with a 

 staple to a tree nine or ten feet long, drag the 

 whole away out into the lake 150 yards before it 

 drowned. In setting traps in winter under the 

 ice, no weight is needed. The use of castoreum, 

 as scent bait, is very useful in the spring, but not 

 much required at other seasons. A nice young 

 birch of poplar tree stuck in the bank near the 

 trap and somewhat leaning towards it, is all that 

 is required. Cleanliness is essential in handling 

 traps and baits. 



Dead-falls are very sure for trapping beaver, 

 and are set in their paths or runways and on the 

 dam, but they require experience and skill in hand- 

 ling, also an approximate idea of the size of the 

 animal to be trapped. The cuttings serve as a guide 

 for this. Shooting is a very nice and quick way 

 of securing beaver when a lodge is found, but 

 only practicable in the fall and spring. The 

 afternoon is the best time, but they are to be met 

 with at any hour ol the day, especially when 

 working at their dam or lodge. Large sized shot 

 is required, as the bones of the head are very 

 hard. AAA is the kind preferred by most trap- 

 pers. Personally, I used much smaller, BB being 

 my favorite, but I never fired at more than eight 



