traps are laid in waters (as indeed it is best to 

 place them for all aquatic animals.) This should 

 be done at points where previous search has re- 

 vealed such places as they enter or leave the 

 water, sometimes called slides. In all cases of 

 trapping animals of any kind it is obvious that of 

 the toods, those they like, are best suited lor baits, 

 be \ifleshj fish or zegetable. If they are carniv- 

 orous animals, (flesh eating) flesh is undoubtedly 

 preferable. If omnivorous (eating everything in- 

 discriminately) almost any foods will suffice al- 

 though preference should be shown to those kinds 

 of which they are especially fond. If the animal 

 is nocturnal, as indeed most animals are, night is 

 the best time for their capture and as land ani- 

 mals must come to the waters to drink, their 

 routes approaching such waters must be noted 

 and traps laid in their paths at various points. In 

 this, as indeed, all things, one has to tax his in- 

 genuity so as to unconsciously lead the animal in- 

 to the tiap. 



One of the most successful trappers I have 

 known told me his success was due to setting his 

 traps in such positions, as for instance, directly in 

 the narrow path between two banks, well inside 

 their holes, or in arranging logs almost V shape 

 leaving the smaller part of the V open so as to 

 permit an animal tr pass through, and setting his 

 - trap hid in the opening. Again in naturally plac- 

 ii ing a twig or two in such a way as the animal 

 lj\ would lift his feet over it and step on the pan (by 

 / his carefulness.) Again, in placing his bait well 

 'ft under logs and then arranging his trap in such a 

 way, close to it, that the animal would when he 

 went to paw the bait out touch the pan of the hid- 

 den trap. Again by leading a trail of tiny pieces 

 of meat or blood to his trap and fastening his bait 

 just over the trap. Another method which partic- 

 ularly struck my fancy was by cutting down a 

 small tiee and laying (as though 'twas killed by 

 the falling of the tree) a bird or rabbit under it, 

 leaving a certain portion exposed. This was care- 

 fully done and his traps deftly laid on either side 

 of it. (After those parts that were exposed had 

 been found and eaten first^) For the animal was 

 pretty sure to return for the remaining portion 



