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By Clayton G. Gates
When ten-cent muskrats soared to one dollar, and took a persistent scoop toward the sky, going to four and even five dollars upon some muskrats, is there any wonder trapping became something more than a winter pastime for the country boy.
In fact there are the professional trappers, who spend the greater part of their time in the deep woods or exploring the streams and other watercourses.
But let me emphasize "right off the reel" that there is something more than financial returns to be derived from legitimate trapping. There is indeed an unlimited field for physical as well as mental development of the younger pursuers and subsequently trapping should be encouraged by the "been there fellows" who have passed along that fascinating highway.
Any country boy who has spent, not necessarily more than a short period in the wild, will express his utmost fondness for the sport.
We all had the impression once, that the trap line was but a moderate paying pastime, but now we know better, since there is a financial advancement, there is an increase in mental likeness "soon it goes."
Boys, trapping is a most fascinating art, which should be faithfully pursued, in the proper season. But trappers should exercise the greatest precaution known to them in order to preserve future pelt supply through careful tending of your trap line and not trap out of season. The farmer is the one that keeps to the ethics of the game and can be partially accomplished by close observation of your business at hand by making only sets that will hold the prize once he has been lured to step upon the pan. Don't use incompetent traps. They neither accomplish your calculated purpose of putting an extra "pelt in your bag" or do the various species any good for future captivity, but rather serve as a means to lead to the little fellow's downfall at the hands of more fierce and larger game. Either they will pull out of an inferior trap or twist off a foot and escape the opportunity to decorate some coat or other garment, and in such a case they grow much more wary subsequently making their captivity a more uncertain puzzle as the three-legged animal will in all probability fall prey to some animal who devours practically anything in the line of flesh.
Of course at the present time, it is rather early to set out your traps, but there never was a time better than October to take your rifle and stroll off through the territory in which you hope to work, observing their jaunts of travel and habits of feeding which should in proper time offer a clue that would lead to their downfall. But even this faithful beforehand preparation will not add to your pelt collection materially if you fail to work with competent traps.
So get the impression right at the start that it is but a waste of valuable time and energy to start trapping without traps able to perform your calculated purpose, which should be to make every snap mean just one more pelt and at the prices that will prevail this season, each pelt will mean a recompense to your fur collection.
This is also the proper time to store away if your present store does not consist of an abundance of No. 1 ˝ and No. 2 for the general animals and save No. 3 for fox — the No. 1 l/2 will hold any ordinary animal such as muskrat, opossum, skunk and mink. While the No. 2 is an ideal size for coon, No. 3 will hold the fox and otter if they are to be found. But in obtaining the greatest amount of holding power from a trap you should keep the victims in deep water so he can't come to a dead pull and thus stand a good chance of escape. Always fasten trap set for muskrat or mink so that the animal will be drowned.
In the case of land animals — the spring pole is of great value to protect the fur from other varmints and guarantee their safeguard until you arrive.
Now speaking of those various makes, I have recommended as being the fit instruments to compose the greater part of your trapline, I wanted to digress that if your present stock consists of an abundance of these sizes, that you beware of rust-clogged traps.
In so speaking, I mean to emphasize that you should divert considerable time tinkering with your traps, springing them to make sure of perfect working order, before you put them up to a critical test of undergoing a large grind in the varmints' pathway. Always keep your traps perfectly clean of all particle of rust, remembering that a clean trap maintains very little odor whereas a rusty trap is a warning of danger to the keen witted and smell of the mink and fox.
So now when you have made sure of perfect working traps — traps competent to perform what you set aside in your mind for them, you can then devote your time to no better advantage than looking over your territory. If you find a trail, follow it. It leads to a prize, and surely with an eye on the trail you will find it quite a simple matter to locate several places where a trap might be hidden, with a reasonable chance for success.
Mink prefer winding creeks to more open water. They not only afford plenty of hiding places, from which they pry upon their prey with surprising swiftness. But there are also numerous places for dens, which should be located with a little study of their favorite conditions.
Always look close around fallen trees along the streams for artificial or natural dens formed by the turning up of large trees or the washing of deep hollows between the roots, running parallel with stream arid note whether there are any signs of frequenting about, if so, make a mental note of such places and hold for future reference when trapping season opens.
Mink also have a fondness of traveling up one side of the stream in preference of the other. Hence you might find it of value to study and try to familiarize yourself wit') the exact places they go in and out of the water, for mink like muskrat often have well worn slides up the bank, which-are more frequently found where mink range in vast numbers. But nevertheless even where they are becoming very scarce, such places can sometimes be located. And again, don't pass up any point along the water's edge where mink are forced into the water by a cliff like bank or through the projecting of a sugar stump into the water — such places are worth consideration.
Now do you get the proper impression that beforehand preparation is of much value to you in due time? This is not only so in mink trapping, but in trapping any other animal you might mention.
Take the muskrat for instance — the most numerous of all the furbearers. This little creature as a rule is easily caught when large swamps, marshes, ponds or lakes are to be found. Here you set your traps in their runways or on their mounds. In such a case a handsome catch is assured. But when you have to depend on the stream rats where habits are far more nomadic, these little fellows roam up and down streams, creeks and rivers, feeding where feeding is best, living on roots and grass when available. But not necessarily is their diet confined to this for when you locate a cornfield bordering on the creek, here is a No. 1 place to locate them. Here you will note that well-worn slick slides are frequent. Under such conditions you should for a few days at least proceed to slay the "Musquash" as is often referred to by the Indians when speaking of the muskrat.
The skunk and fox are best located in backwoods far from public highways and hillside* preferably under rock bluffs or some times under turned up trees. The skunk is a little different in his choice of a home. He will often come right to the farmers’ back yards to den. They are frequently located under old barns or haystacks. In such cases catching them should be practically easy.
The fox as I have described, prefer backfields or deep woods for their homes and become wary at the first sniff of human odors.
The coon or opossum prefer hollow trees or under old stumps for their dens. But sometimes they have been known to inhabit rock bluffs or other remote places. The coon will also travel great distances to visit cornfields and here they form well-beaten paths where they go in and out to feed. Opossum too, devour corn and often play havoc among the poultry yard. But the most desirable jaunt for Mr. Opossum is up in a persimmon tree partaking of his favorite fruit.
Now supposing you have worked up a good line you take your traps from the shelf and start off to put them in working order with eager expectations. You go from place to place, and make sets with little trouble and fully knowing how you want this special trap set, you make the least disturbance in the surroundings which is the keynote to successful mink and fox trapping all of which adds to your success in the long run and offers you an opportunity that otherwise would be denied you.
Hunter-Trader-Trapper. October: 1921,
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