70 TRAPPING. 



two large poles or logs placed over each other and kept in 

 place by four stakes, two on each side. The top pole is raised 

 at one end sufficiently high to admit the entrance of the animal, 

 and is kept in that position by the contrivance of the stick 

 and spindle, or " figure four." A tight pen is made with sticks, 

 brush, etc., on one side of the trap, at right angles to it, and the 

 spindle projects obliquely into this pen so that the bait attached 

 to it is about eight inches beyond the side of the poles. The ani- 

 mal, to reach this bait, has to place his body between the poles and 

 at right angles to them, and on pulling, the spindle springs the 

 " figure four" and the animal is crushed. 



This contrivance forms the basis of a large variety of traps. It is 

 made of three sticks — an upright, a diagonal piece, and the trigger 

 or horizontal piece. The upright piece should be made about eight 

 inches long, the top end being cut to a thick edge — not pointed. The 

 horizontal piece or trigger, about fourteen inches long and square— 

 has a notch on one side about seven inches from one end. On the 

 upper face of the trigger near the blunt end, and about six and a 

 half inches from the side notch, is another notch. 



The diagonal piece has both ends bevelled or brought to a wide 

 edge, and a notch cut near one end. In setting up the figure, hold 

 the perpendicular up, fit the trigger to its side, adjust the notch 

 in the diagonal to the perpendicular, and then insert the other 

 end of the diagonal in the notch near the end of the trigger. Now 

 let the lid of the trap or the fall, rest on the end of the diagonal, 

 right over the trap. This makes the figure four stand firmly, yet 

 ready to fall at the least pressure on the trigger, to which the bait is 

 fastened. The trigger should extend about three inches from the 

 perpendicular. 



Setting Traps. 



In trapping there are three points to be constantly borne in mind, 

 viz : To set your trap so that the animal will go to it — that it will 

 secure it when it comes — and that your captive shall not release 

 itself. In using the home-made traps, the precautions will suggest 

 themselves; steel traps must always be disguised with some prepar- 

 ation rubbed over them. The trap should be well smoked with 

 hemlock, cedar, or juniper boughs, or immersed in fresh hog's or 

 chicken's blood. Melted fat, or bees wax will also answer the same 



