96 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



in a spring that comes out of the side of the hill. I like to set 

 traps in those springs for they never freeze up and the bait keeps 

 much longer. No, there is nothing in it, I can see the clog there 

 all right. Yes, there is something in it; it is a coon and it is 

 dead. Look, there is a fox in a trap." 



"Where was the trap set, I do not see any bait pen?" 



"Fred, you take this stick and walk up slowly to him; go up 

 close and give him a sharp blow across the back of the neck 

 that will fix him. You see that big mossy log laying- on the bank 

 over there? That was where he was caught. We will now set the 

 trap again. See this little sink in the log? That is where the trap 

 was set ; this limb is what the trap was fastened to, one end on 

 the ground and the other comes just up to the log where the trap is 

 set and we will staple the trap to it. We will now cover it with 

 moss, just like on this log, but we will get it from another log. 

 No one could tell that there was a trap there." 



"Will not the fox smell it?" 



"He might if it was not for this fox carcass. We will skin the 

 fox, just as we did the mink. Look out there Fred, do not disturb 

 the moss , or anything on that log where the trap is. Keep away 

 from that. We will put this carcass in the little hollow and will 

 drive a crotched stake straddle of its neck; drive it well down; now 

 take this stick and rake some leaves over it, cover the neck where 

 the stake is quite well, the rest of the carcass only slightly. You 

 have done it very well and the fox will not notice what scent there 

 is on the trap as long as that carcass is there." 



"But you had no carcass there when you caught this one and I 

 have heard that a fox was afraid of the scent of iron?" 



"That is all bosh. Keep your traps free from all foreign scent 

 and you need not be afraid of the scent of the iron, but if you 

 catch some animal in -the trap, then you should have some of the 

 scent of that animal around near the trap, this will overcome what 

 scent there is on the trap. This, however, is only necessary with 

 shy animals like the fox. Coon and skunk are not afraid of what 

 they smell." 



"Do you ever wear gloves when setting your traps?" 



