PREDATORY ANIMALS IN THE WEST 335 



avoided unless one is ready for a fight; hence, it should 

 be exterminated as rapidly as possible. 



Trapping and Poisoning Predatory Animals. For 

 wolves or mountain lions the best trap is a double 

 spring No. 4, witfi an extra heavy chain ; for coyotes and 

 wild cats a No. 3 will be strong enough. The best re- 

 sults will be obtained if the trap is not fastened to a 

 stationary object but to some heavy block of wood or 

 a rock. If, owing to the nature of the country it is 

 best to fasten it to some stationary object, there should 

 be a swivel in each end of the chain, lest the animal in 

 its turning and twisting winds itself up untirthe chain 

 is all tied up and there is more or less possibility of the 

 captured animal escaping. 



If a clog is used, wire the chain to it by taking some 

 light wire like a piece of No. 12 or 14 telephone wire, or 

 even baling wire, passing each round of the wire through 

 the link of the chain and about the clog, so it will not 

 slip off. Fewer animals will escape from traps fastened 

 to a movable object than to something stationary. The 

 trail left by the drag is easily followed, and even if the 

 clog eventually gets caught in some tree root or brush, 

 the animal by that time has become so tired that it is 

 unable to make much of a struggle to escape. 



Beaver, mink and muskrat and other similar animals 

 will gnaw their feet off to escape, unless the trap is set 

 so as to pull them into deep water as they struggle and 

 thus drown. I believe none of the larger animals, like 

 wolves, coyotes or cats, will do this. 



Traps should always be set so that the animal in order 

 to reach them must approach from a certain side; that is, 

 by setting it with a log or stone at the rear, or between 

 two logs, so placed that the trap is at the sharp end of 



