276 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



We were informed that there was a good deal of illicit or 

 Blockade Whiskey as the natives call it, made in these swamps. 

 It is said that it is not safe for strangers to be caught in their 

 domain too often. I found that one needs nearly double the 

 number of traps to trap in the swamps or bays, as these swamps 

 are called by the natives. There is so much ground that is cov- 

 ered with water so near alike that the animal has no regular 

 place to travel, as is the case along the open streams. Instead 

 the animals have vast areas of ground to travel over that ii par- 

 tially covered with water, so that the mink or raccoon travels any- 

 where and everywhere, as it is all alike to the mink and coon. 

 Consequently the trapper needs more traps in order to make the 

 same number of catches as would be possible in a locality where 

 the streams did not spread over such a large scope of land. 



While the trapper in the South has but little snow or ice to 

 contend with, he will not find it all milk and honey, for the 

 swamps are not a paradise with the gall berry brush, the bamboo 

 briers, saffron sprouts and holly brush. As for game birds, they 

 are not so plentiful, but quail in places are found in good num- 

 bers. Wild turkeys "are found in small lots scattered all over the 

 country, but by no means plenty : doves are quite plentiful. 



As for furbearers there are quite a number of opossum. Coons 

 are not found late in the season to any great extent only in the 

 swamps where they are quite plentiful. Grey foxes are plenty. 

 There are many hunters in the South who hunt with dogs, and 

 they do not take kindly to any other way of taking the fur- 

 bearers. Otter signs are seen on nearly all of the streams but by 

 no means are they plenty, and every slide is closely watched by 

 trappers living nearby. The ever present razorback is an obstacle 

 in the way of otter trapping, for thje trap must be set under the 

 water, and this is not always practical in otter trapping. 



We must not close this short letter without stating that our 

 friend and partner, Mr. A. L. Lawrence, who was a native of 

 Randolph County, N. C, was an expert trapper, and especially 

 on mink. Mr. Lawrence was a good cook as well as a good trapper. 

 Mr. Lawrence was hard to beat on baking opossum and bread 



