THE GROUND SQUIRRELS OF CALIFORNIA. 



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When rats are abundant, the large French wire cage traps may be used to advan- 

 tage. They should be made of stiff wire, well reinforced. Cage traps may be 

 baited and left open for several nights until the rats are accustomed to enter them 

 to obtain food. They should then be closed and freshly baited, when a larger catch 

 may be expected, especially of young rats. It is better to cover the trap than to 

 leave it exposed. A short board should be laid on the trap and an old cloth or bag 

 or bunch of hay or straw thrown carelessly over the top. If a single rat is caught 

 it may be left in the trap as a decoy to others. 



DIRECTIONS FOR POISONING COYOTES. 



In poisoning coyotes it should be borne in mind that the animals are of more than 

 ordinary cunning. Their ability to detect the whereabouts of a trap or the presence 

 of poison in bait is remarkable. Great care should be taken in preparing the bait 

 to avoid human scent, for the coyote regards man as his worst enemy. In handling- 

 baits do not touch them with bare hands, but use a pointed stick or wooden forceps. 



To prepare poisoned bait place 3 grains of strychnine in a capsule and insert it 

 into a piece of suet or cow's udder about the size of an English walnut, being- 

 careful to remove all strychnine from outside the capsule. Strychnine is very bitter 

 and if not put into capsules will be detected as soon as taken into the mouth, and 

 the animals, becoming suspicious, will not swallow the bait, especially if very much 

 poisoning has been done in the neighborhood. Baits should be allowed to stand in 

 a wooden bucket about 48 hours before using to make sure that no human scent 

 remains. 



•Coyotes can best be attracted to these small baits by dragging a piece of meat 

 behind a saddle horse over foothills raid across trails where the animals come from 

 the mountains to the valleys for food and water, and then dropping the baits along 

 the path thus made. As the animals cross the path they will follow it and pick up 

 and swallow the poisoned baits, as their attention is on the scent of the meat drag. 



Never po'son a carcass, but wait until coyotes have eaten half or more than half 

 of the flesh, then place poisoned baits around the carcass, from 20 to 30 feet away. 



As coyotes are very fond of fruit, dried figs and prunes make good bait. Unless 

 an attractive lure is placed near the baits to keep the animals busy until the strych- 

 nine takes effect, they may get away and go a long distance before dying, as the 

 capsule has to dissolve to free the poison. 



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