THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



first locate the traps and avoid them as carefully as if they were 

 exposed to view, regardless of how skillfully they are covered. 

 Trappers often express surprise at a wolf being able to do that 

 after they have taken the precaution to remove all scent of the 

 hands from the traps and even from the ground around them by 

 burning straw or litter over the ground after the traps are set. 

 But they fail to understand that the smell of steel is quite per- 

 ceptible to a wolf if it gets an idea there is a trap around and 

 undertakes to locate it. Once their suspicion is aroused, no amount 

 of work put on the sets to kill the scent will prevent them locating 

 the traps. 



Taking these facts into consideration, a trapper will soon 

 find that he has to resort to tricks that the wolf has not learned. 

 In dealing with these animals it has been found that if they start 

 eating a carcass unsuspiciously they are bolder on following 

 trips and do not take the same precaution to guard against traps. 

 Learning this trait has led good trappers to first put their bait 

 in place and let the wolves begin using, it, then set the traps. 

 When this method is skilfully carried out it is usually successful. 



One of the best baits for such a plan is a carcass of an old 

 horse or cow — something they cannot drag off or consume in one 

 or two trips. As long as there is any meat left they will usually 

 go back to it when they get hungry. But in making such sets 

 every precaution must be taken not to disturb anything or leave 

 any object that was not there before. For that reason it is best 

 to bury the toggle as well as cover the trap and chain. 



As to the best place to locate traps around a carcass, that 

 can be determined by where wolves have tramped around 

 and the lay of the ground, and of natural objects that may guide 

 them over certain routes. Any little trail leading in where an 

 animal has to step over something is usually a good place. In 

 stepping over such an obstacle where a route has been established, 

 they will ordinarily step in the same place every time. ^ trapper 

 with much experience always has an eye out for a naturally 

 adapted place to locate a trap and uses only such locations. Any 

 artificially placed objects to guide wolves over a certain course 

 must be very naturalistic and rot overdone. Where a large car- 



Pag-e five 



