CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 81 



woods as the marten, but their food is much the same. They 

 prey on hares, raccoons, squirrels, grouse, mice, and small 

 birds, and have been seen watching for fish, lying on a log 

 that crossed the stream, with head inclined downward, ready 

 for a plunge. They, however, prefer flesh -meat to fish. 

 Their breeding season begins in March or April, and from 

 two to four young are brought forth at a time. The young 

 are hidden from the males in hollow trees at a considerable 

 distance from the ground, until they are large enough to take 

 care of themselves. 



Fishers are taken in steel-traps by the same metliods as the 

 mink and marten. The barricade round the trap, however, 

 should be stronger, and the entrance larger. The trap in all 

 cases should be fastened to a spring-pole of sufficient strength 

 to lift the animal clear from the ground, as it is pretty sure to 

 gnaw off a leg or the pole, if left where it can touch the 

 ground. The Hudson's Bay Company's trappers sometimes 

 use the same methods in trapping the Fisher as those em- 

 ployed in fox trapping. Messrs. Holland and Gunter, trap- 

 pers of many years' experience in the Laurentian Hills, of 

 Canada West, describe their mode of trapping the Fisher as 

 follows : — 



" For capturing the Fisher, we always draw a trail composed of 

 tlie oil of anise, assafoetida, and the musk of the muskrat, mixed 

 with fish oil, and placed in a deerskin bag about the size of a mitten, 

 pierced full of holes with a small awl. If drawn along tl.e line of 

 traps the scent is sure to attract the Fisher's attention, and when an 

 animal once finds it, he will follow the trail till he comes to a trap. 

 Mink are sometimes caught along trails of this kind ; and it is a 

 good plan to set a trap for wolves on the line, as they are likely to 

 be attracted to and follow it. In setting tlie trap, we either place it 

 in a hollow log, or build a strong house and place the trap at the 

 entrance. In the latter case the bait sliould be placed in the back 

 part of the house, about two feet from the door. The trap should 

 be covered with finely powdered rotten wood. A spring-pole should 

 be used, as all animals of the canine family will follow the trail and 

 rob the traps. Deer-meat, muskrat-mcat, or fi^h, make good bait 

 for the fisher, marten, mink, or wolf," 



