NATURAL HISTORY. 



When a bird or a wild animal is killed, that is the end of it. If photographed, it may still live and 

 its educational and scientific value is multiplied indefinitely. 



TRAPPING ON A MICHIGAN LAKE. 



. A. NEWTON. 



Nagley's lake, in Michigan, is a prof- 

 itable trapping ground for the taking of 

 animals amphibious in habits. While the 

 water is open, it affords satisfactory returns 

 for the trapper's efforts for about one week 

 each autumn. 



In the fall of '98, in company with my 

 old partner, Al., I trapped there, it being 

 our 4th season on the lake and its outlet 

 and feeders. We had been there, too, in 

 summer to test the fishing, and found that 

 on certain days we could take more grass 

 pike, bass, etc., than we wanted. Then the 

 bittern was booming, the frog orchestra 

 was in tune and the night hawk descended 

 with its spinning swoop. 



Now nature's summer garb was laid 

 aside, and a strenuous little army of work- 

 ers had already prepared their habitations 

 for winter. Dozens of mud-bedaubed grass 

 huts were to be seen extending up the 

 shore oi an arm of the lake as far as the 

 eye could reach. This panorama of homes 

 was a pleasing outlook for profit, and Al 

 chuckled at the thought of pelts galore. 

 He is thoroughly practical in his nature, 

 believing that all creatures are made to be 

 sacrificed either as a benefit or a nuisance. 

 I have tried to reason with him that our 

 taking of life should be tinctured with pity, 

 if not remorse; but Al laughs and says I 

 am too conscientious to be a trapper. 



We launched ®ur boats, Al taking the 

 main shore and I the island, which is some 

 300 acres in extent, a part being heavily 

 timbered. Signs of muskrat were every- 

 where numerous, and there were also signs 

 of coons and minks in the muddy margin. 

 No traps can be set for the latter until a 

 catch of rats has been made, because flesh 

 of some kind must be used for bait, and 

 for this purpose nothing equals muskrat 

 meat. 



Three hours sufficed to set out my traps, 

 and as Al was hidden among the flags and 

 tall reeds of a bay, I judged he was still 

 occupied in placing his share. Turning 

 about, I made for the landing, feeling con- 

 fident of a large catch on the morrow. My 

 traps were set at the foot of houses on the 

 most sloping sides, oiii feed beds where 

 fresh cuttings were seen, and in runways 

 where they meet the water. Then there 

 were bogs and snags containing signs 

 where the hatchet was used to make a 

 bed for the trap. In all cases the trap was 

 set barely submerged and staked in deep 



water, so the rat would drown when 

 caught, lest it wring a foot off and escape. 



On the island, game was plentiful in the 

 wooded portion, and being but little hunted, 

 was exceedingly tame. Evening was ap- 

 proaching, and fox squirrels were barking 

 on every hand. Now and again I heard 

 the sound of their claws ripping the bark 

 as they moved in haste. Grouse were also 

 numerous, and so tame that after flying a 

 few yards they would alight and crane their 

 necks askance at my intrusion. 



"How many traps did you set?" I asked 

 Al on his return. 



"Thirty-nine," he said, "and I didn't get 

 over half of the ground.'' 



I had set 33, making a total of 6 dozen. 

 While preparing our supper we fell into 

 speculation as to our probable catch for 

 the night. No sport causes a keener sense 

 of anticipation than the thought of what 

 one's traps may contain. It was therefore 

 with the greatest alacrity that we plied 

 our paddle the following morning in run- 

 ning the traps. 



The first trap was off a bog, and I pulled 

 from the slimy ooze a large drowned rat. 

 The next was at a house. The trap had 

 sprung, but failed to catch. I reset it and 

 came to a dense patch of floating flags, 

 where, in a space of a dozen feet, I had set 

 5 traps. Around 3 the flags were all 

 chewed down, proving that many rats had 

 been prisoners and had bitten everything in 

 reach in their efforts to escape. Taking 

 hold of the chains I brought up 2 well 

 furred rats ; the other trap had become en- 

 tangled and contained only a foot. The 

 poor animal was now in some retreat nurs- 

 ing a bleeding stump. 



It is a curious fact that a dismembered 

 foot rarely causes the death of the rat. It 

 soon heals, and but little inflammation oc- 

 curs, probably on account of the cooling in- 

 fluence of the water. 



In fall many kits or rats of a late litter 

 are caught, which have but little value, and 

 the trapper learns to expect a percentage of 

 them in his catch. 



Suddenly the sharp report of Al's re- 

 volver came across the lake to me, which 

 presaged larger game than rats, for I knew 

 he never wasted a 38 cartridge. Coming to 

 a sand bar where no traps were set curiosity 

 prompted me to run across and find out 

 the meaning of that shot. He had run no 

 more of his traps than I, but had taken 16 

 rats to my 13. He also had a large coon. 

 Blood trickling from the coon's head ex- 



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