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FOREST AND STREAM 
December, 1919 
latter as they follow them down from 
their dens in the rocks in search of food. 
Muskrat is not found in Allens Valley 
proper. However, to the west o& the valley, 
where the stream runs through cultivated 
sections and in the mill pond they are 
quite plentiful but remarkably trap-shy. 
Of course mink signs are likely to be seen 
anywhere along the stream, as these little 
travellers cover such great distances. 
Skunk are found throughout the val- 
ley and are well distributed over the 
district generally. They have been 
trapped hard for years and their dens 
destroyed in reckless fashion but they 
still seem to hold their own. 
With the exception of the skunk all 
the common fur-bearers in this district 
seem to be well “educated." It takes skill 
and patience to get satisfactory results. 
I decided on Allens Valley because it 
had not been trapped for years, was too 
far away for boys to bother with and 
the preserve afforded protection for the 
wild creatures. 
As there were more runs from the 
mountain on the south side of the valley 
than the north and as the forest pre- 
serve lay mostly in that direction, I de- 
cided to lay my line so as to trap these 
runs going out and return along the 
stream. The circuit covered about ten 
miles. 
The muskrat district lay so close to 
habitation or the “boy zone" as I call it, 
that some sort of a deal was necessary in- 
order to protect myself against the trap 
thief. This was found by forming a sort 
of partnership with the miller. This 
worked out well. He was very popular 
and influential in the district generally. 
Although both catches and traps could 
have been stolen the worst boys feared to 
try it 
We only lost one trap during the entire 
season and seemed to “clean up” the rats 
completely in that section of the stream 
where we worked. 
U NTIL snow fell I depended mostly 
on bait sets for skunk. The first 
tracking snow, however, disclosed 
the location of several good dens. Hole 
sets and plug hole sets were made and 
added to (he line. 
While prospecting I would prepare 
places for various sets particularly for 
mink and fox so as to let them become ac- 
customed to them before setting the traps. 
There is no close season for mink, 
muskrat, or skunk, at the present time, 
in Pennsylvania. (There are rumors, 
however, that changes in the laws are 
shortly to be made.) 
Coon is protected from January 1st to 
September 1st. 
Therefore, after the first of the year 
the trapper must alter his campaign to a 
considerable extent. 
Sets made exclusively for coon would 
have to be lifted and in their place more 
mink, fox and skunk sets made. 
In this district it paj'S to pay particular 
attention to skunk. The better grade.s 
seem to be greatly in the majority and 
bring more than foxes, unless one gets a 
red, which is rare as grays predominate. 
A well used muskrat slide, taken from the stream. 
The entrance to a splendid muskrat burrow was found under the bank about a foot 
beneath the surface of the water. 
mation you must get. You should know 
where most of the trapping is done and 
by w'hom; where the professionals, if 
there are any, are working; what luck 
they are having; what sort of men they 
are; who in the community, if anj”, you 
might expect to find hostile, etc., etc. 
If a trapper attends to his own busi- 
ness, however, and is courteous and civil, 
he will soon make friends and will usu- 
ally have little trouble anywhere. 
I X almost every section one will find 
dstricts w'hich are wild and unfre- 
quented, parts too far from the settle- 
ments and farms to be trapped much by 
the amateurs. Such a district is Allens 
Valley between Sydney’s Knob and Tusca- 
rora mountain in Southern Pennsylvania. 
It was here I located my trap line. The 
valley, which is eight miles long by one 
to two wide, lies within a state forest re- 
serve of thousands of acres. There are 
no restrictions against trapping on this 
preserve, but no timber of any kind can 
be cut nor can one remain on same after 
sundown without special permit. 
The valley is mostly densely timbered 
and a trout stream runs throughout its 
length. Numerous runs from the moun- 
tains on either side feed the stream. 
Signs of animal life are plentiful and 
probably the amateur would overestimate 
the amount of game. 
Deer, fox and turkey signs are encount- 
ered frequently and along the stream one 
will see signs of mink and coon. Also, 
along the runs will be seen tracks of the 
