TRAPS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM 
ROBERT 
It is hardly safe to give instructions in 
the art of trapping and trap making in these 
days of rapid disappearance of game of 
all kinds, of fur bearing animals and of 
song and insectivorous birds, yet I have 
thought it best to do so for the benefit of 
farmers and others who really need such 
aid. 
There are many small rodents that are 
destructive to 
crops, to trees 
A ce . ee 
K\ —<——== an e who 
e.\ Balt aidsam the des 
= struction of 
such is a pub- 
lic benefact- 
or. In many 
parts of the 
country rab- 
bits are a pest, and farmers and fruit growers 
are thankful for any help they can get in de- 
stroying them. Then the fox, the weasel, the 
coon and other ‘“‘ varmints”’ are hard on game, 
and poultry, and should be killed. 
Some of the traps here illustrated are 
good medicine for jack rabbits and cotton- 
tails. Others 
are good for 
Norway rats, 
gophers, prai- 
rie dogs, or 
moles. 
Co Cie WS Cy 
however, no 
One WINO 
reads this will 
ever make 
improper use of the information here given. 
Don’t ever capture or kill a harmless bird or 
mammal, unless for real scientific purposes. 
Don't ever trap or snare a game bird, either 
for food or for sale. The man who would 
do so is no better than the man who steals his 
neighbor’s chickens. 
If you go after deer, moose, or other big 
game, in the 
North, woods 
or the moun- 
tains, it is nat- 
Ural \)x7om 
should want to 
bring in a few 
pelts of fur 
bearing animals for rugs, or for mounting. 
This is entirely legitimate, and a few traps set 
about camp will often take valuable trophies 
while you are hunting or sleeping. For such 







B LEA 





H J EO ZZ 

28 
ACKER. 
use it is well to take into camp a few steel 
traps of assorted sizes. Full instructions as 
to the use of these are given in a book issued 
by the Oneida Community,: Kenwood, 
N. Y., and which will be sént free if you 
mention RECREATON. 
But to return to the subject of wooden 
traps: 
No. I is a box 12x 12x 20, but may be 
N%. 








m, 
~ 
i 

= 

made smaller or larger, according to size of 
animal to be caught. One end of the box 
is about 22 inches in height, tapering to a 
pomt. hey topreandl the other cnuderane 
nailed together, one end of the top is 
hinged, either by strap hinges or by iron 
rod running through the lid. The setting 
apparatus is composed of a small piece of 
wood bevelled at 2 ends, to which a piece 
of string is 
fastened in 
the NGie miter; 
and which 
runs to the 
Mahe a @ 
other piece 
which holds 
the bait is somewhat longer, and a small 
opening is cut in one end, into which a bevel- 
ed piece fits and which is fastened in center 
by a small piece of heavy wire. When the 
animal gets hold of the bait, the least upward 
pull will e 
spring the : 
trap. 
No. 1S 
same as No. 
I but with 
different set- 
ting appara- 
(Ks. Win Dore 
larger end 
bore 2 holes. 
In one put a 
plug about 
= 


Uj 
oan 
i ee nenies 
long. In the other insert a stick on which 
the bait is fastened loosely; so that when 
the animal pulls on the bait the stick will 

