we decided to trap for a short time just as the ice com- 

 menced to open in early spring. The skins are then 

 prime, the kits fairly well grown weighing from 

 twenty-four to thirty pounds, and, what is of still 

 greater importance, early spring trapping is less diffi- 

 cult and it is then possible to practically avoid catch- 

 ing female beaver. I find that the females do not go 

 very far, perhaps not over a quarter of a mile, from 

 their lodges in early spring, whereas the males are then 

 very active and travel a great deal. By setting the 

 traps at bank holes clear across the lakes from the 

 lodges, and especially at the ends of beaver portages 

 from lake to lake, it was possible to secure principally 

 full grown males; in fact, of the forty beaver caught 

 only six were females. The traps used were No. 4 

 New house and Victors, the Newhouse being more sat- 

 isfactory, not only because they were stronger but be- 

 cause the swivel in the chain acted more freely, pre- 

 venting the twisting off of the fastenings under the 

 powerful struggles of the animals. To extend the chain 

 telephone wire was used, and it is none too strong. 

 Hay wire is easily broken by a big beaver. The traps 

 were set under water, usually at a depth of twelve to 

 fourteen inches, so that the animal would strike the 

 pan with its hind feet rather than with its breast in 

 swimming up to the bank. The front feet are folded 

 back and not used in swimming, and of course a trap 

 has nothing to catch hold of on the smooth body of a 

 beaver except his large webbed hind feet. If the trap 

 is set in shallow water, there is likelihood of catching 

 the front foot as the animal lands and begins to walk ; 

 but the small front foot is likely to be torn or bitten off 



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