513 
November, 1922 
^ with an action 
swift and sure 
cold with which to contend. Neverthe- 
less, a trapper with twenty-five traps on 
his line must make his rounds ; must re- 
set sprung traps and must establish new 
locations. Two beaver a day from such 
a line is an excellent average. The trap- 
per returns to his cabin wet and cold; 
the meal must be cooked and the catch 
skinned; the hides well scraped of their 
fat and stretched to dry. Often it is late 
in the night before the trapper turns into 
his bunk for a short rest until day 
breaks. 
I think one will have greater success 
trapping in the fall than in the spring. 
During the fall, beaver are busy animals. 
They are at work laying up their win- 
ter’s cache of food. They come to the 
bank of the pond or the stream, climb 
up the trails, cut willow or cottonwood 
sticks, carry them to the water, and then 
swim with them to the cache near the 
lodge. The cache is in the water. To 
make it, the beaver first plant a few 
sticks in the mud for the purpose of 
forming an obstruction. This done, they 
bring hundreds of branches and twigs 
and so release them that they will catch 
against those in the mud and become in- 
terwoven. The ice finally covers the 
water, but the beaver’s food is beneath 
the ice. 
During the winter, a beaver goes from 
the lodge to the storehouse, cuts a branch 
from the cache, returns to the lodge, eats 
the bark, and then puts the peeled stick 
into the current which carries it away. 
While laying up their winter’s food 
beaver work earlier in the evening and 
later in the morning than they do in the 
spring. They are then very active and 
frequent well defined places and the 
chances for their capture are better. 
All beaver trapping should cease by 
May first. April fifteenth would be bet- 
ter, as the young are born the latter part 
of May or early in June. This is im- 
practicable, however, for trappers on 
navigable streams will trap until the ar- 
rival of the first boat upon which they 
can be taken out. This is usually about 
May fifteenth ; consequently that date 
closes the season. In May the catch is 
sold, usually to Hudson’s Bay Company, 
or to some well-established trader. If 
the tourist from the city wishes to buy 
he must pay double the price paid by the 
trader or not buy at all. There is good 
reason for this, for it is to the resident 
trader that the trapper looks for credit 
again and again. A reasonably diligent 
trapper will make more money than will 
a farmer owning a quarter section of 
good land. His catch will average about 
fifteen hundred dollars a year, and five 
hundred will keep him. But, like all the 
rest of mankind, practically every trap- 
per is extravagant and all too soon is 
his money spent. Occasionally one will 
practice Thorelian economy and accumu- 
late a competence sufficient to maintain 
him through middle life and old age. 
Many incidents connected with beaver 
came under my observation. I noticed 
that the teeth of trapped beaver were 
invariably broken. This they do in gnaw- 
ing the trap or chain. A strange noise, 
such as is made by striking the canoe 
with the paddle, or by casting a stone 
F or built-in deadly accuracy you 
can depend upon a Savage — every 
time. Lever-action or bolt-action, a 
Savage shoots true,. 
But for big game hunting, accuracy 
must be backed up by strong action, 
swift and sure action. 
Well — take the Savage lever-action 
— the famous ’99 model. Note the 
hammerless, solid breech — the tremen- 
dous margin of safety there. Now open 
and close the action: see how quickly 
and smoothly it works. The short, easy 
throw of the lever gives lightning speed; 
and that powerful action always 
functions. And there’s the bolt-action, 
the Savage model ’20 — strong and dur- 
able yet light and lively. You love it 
for its beautiful lines and balance; you 
respect it for its rugged strength and 
simplicity. 
Many big game hunters, trappers, 
and woodsmen carry the Savage. 22 rim- 
fire repeater along with their Savage hi- 
power rifles. They know it’s a glutton 
for work and always shoots straight 
and works surely. 
Ask at your dealer’s, or write for the in- 
teresting catalog describing the Savage hi- 
power rifles, .22 rifles, Savage repeating 
shotguns, and automatic pistols. 
SAVAGE ARMS CORPORATION 
Dept. A-49, Utica, N. Y. 
Owners and operators of the J. Stevens 
Arms Company. Executive and Export 
Offices: 50 Church Street, New York 
Savage Model '99 lever-action. Note the 
hammerless, solid breech. Nothing can get 
in to jam that powerful action. Built for 
.22 hi-power; .250-3000; .30-30; .300; .303. 
Savage Model 1920 bolt-action. Note 
the solid locking lugs, short throw oi bolt- 
handle. There’s strength and speed there. 
It won’t jam. Built for .250-3000 and .300. 
Duck 
Hunters 
Bales Model’9 
know that the “shine” or “glitter” of a decoy is deadly for wildfowl shoot- 
ing. “Sperry’s Balsa Model” is solid wood, yet lighter than cork. Both 
“Cedar” and “Balsa Models” are painted with our famous non-glint paint, 
are flat-hottomed, and are perfect reproductions of the specie. 
Circular on request — Sold by all Leading Dealers — Recommended and sold by Abercrombie & Filch Co., New York City 
PAUL A. SPERRY Manufacturer New Haven, Conn. 
In writing to Advertisers mention Forest and Stream. It xoill identify you. 
