A FEW WORDS ON DEADFALLS. 229 



and stakes were split from the pine logs and driven into the ground 

 the entire length of the bottom log on both sides of the log. 

 These stakes or boards were long enough to come above the drop 

 log when the trap was set. The drop log was placed between the 

 two rows of stakes and above the bottom log. The common figure 

 4 trigger was used and placed about midway of the bottom log and 

 raising the drop log six or eight inches from the bottom log. This 

 made a runway that enabled the animal to enter from either end of 

 the run and the animal necessarily was on top of the bottom log 

 and directly under the drop log. The bait was fastened to the 

 spindle. This deadfall may work well on mink, skunk and opossum, 

 but I hardly think it a good trap for other animals and it requires 

 too much time to construct it. 



Another deadfall that I saw in common use on the Pacific Coast 

 as well as in other sections of the country was the ordinary string 

 deadfall. It is hardly necessary to describe this trap for every boy 

 who works a trap line knows how to make them. The trap is made 

 by using a bottom log three or four feet long and a drop log of the 

 same size, but much longer. If the trap is not heavy enough of 

 its own weight, place logs on the drop log until it is sufficiently 

 h avy to kill the animal. Four stakes are driven, two on either side 

 of the log and close to the bottom log and about two feet apart and 

 driven so that the top or drop log will work easily between the 

 stakes. Two of the stakes, the ones driven on the side where the 

 bait pen is, had a crotch or fork and a stick was placed in these 

 crotches. A string was tied to the drop log and to a stick of the 

 proper length so that when the drop log was raised up eight or 

 ten inches from the bottom log and the string passed over the stick 

 in the crotches, one end of the trigger stick would rest against 

 the stick placed in the crotches. The other end would slightly 

 catch onto another stick, laid direcfly under the one that rests 

 in the crotches and resting against the forked stakes and about 

 two inches from the bottom log. This stick is called the treadle, 

 as the animal going into the bait pen to get the bait must step on 

 this treadle, pushing it down, which will release the trigger spindle 

 and allow the drop log to fall. 



