258 FUR FACTS 



of the animal is of course drawn to where the trap is, but is far better 

 to conceal the trap entirely from view and depend on the animal 

 stepping into it in searching around for the bait that attracted him 

 to the spot. This is done by scooping out a little hollow in the 

 ground and setting the trap in the hollow, covering it over carefully 

 with moss, grass, feathers, rotton wood in powdered form, chaff, or 

 any other substance calculated to drive away suspicion and make the 

 surroundings natural. Some trappers recommend scraping out a 

 little hollow large enough to hold the trap and covering it over with 

 a thin piece of paper and sprinkling earth over the paper in order to 

 make the ground appear perfectly natural, and thus covering the 

 trap entirely. Directly over the trap or close by it, it is best to 

 sprinkle a few drops of Funsten Animal Bait. The animal will smell 

 this at a great distance and be attracted to the spot where the bait 

 is and in sniffing around for it is very apt to be caught, if the steel 

 trap is properly set. Recently there has been a steel trap invented 

 that not only catches the animal, but also kills it instantly. This is 

 the Funsten Two Trigger Trap. This trap can be handled in identi- 

 cally the same manner as the ordinary steel trap. The ideal place 

 for the bait is directly over the trap and at a spot that will require 

 the animal to reach up to it so that it will step on the pan of the trap 

 with its hind foot and thus spring it. Some trappers depend on 

 hiding their steel traps in the middle of a beaten track which indicates 

 the runway of the animals. If this plan is followed it is advisable to 

 construct a small enclosure or lay a stone, or stick, in such a position 

 as to narrow down the middle of the runway over which the animal 

 will pass, and then place the trap in the narrow part of the runway. 

 In selecting a place to set a trap in a runway, select a spot between 

 two trees, or between two stones, or wherever the runway narrows 

 down. The expert trapper is always on the lookout for natural 

 advantages which he can turn to good account and thus save the 

 construction of artificial runways. 



Many farmers use steel traps to catch animals that raid their 

 chicken houses at night, and oftentimes find valuable furbearers in 

 the traps the next morning, such as mink, weasel, and sometimes 

 skunk. If the poultry house is being raided, the box trap method is 

 very successful in getting the killer. This consists of a long oblong 

 box with one end open and a trap set just inside. Cut an opening 

 in the top of the box and across this place some slats or a piece of 

 wire netting. Construct another box with no bottom and set this 

 over the wire netting. When the time comes to set the trap place 



