| |
OBSERVATION—ITS VALUE TO THE TRAPPER | |
|
OBSERVATION—ITS VALUE TO THE TRAPPER
By WALTER S. CHANSLER
LOOK up the word observation in your dictionary and you will find that it has at least five meanings; you will probably notice also that each meaning is a law unto itself— a distinct truth. But of the several meanings of this word one only will be considered in this article; namely, the act or power of observing or taking notice.
Of all the trapper's assets, none are of more intrinsic worth to him than this power of observing or taking notice. He may have acquired a thorough knowledge of the habits of wild animals through the diligent study of books; he may be well versed in the various methods employed by trappers to capture game: he may be bodily strong, with a constitution that laughs at the strenuousness of the trapper's life; he may possess all these qualities and yet fail—miserably—as a trapper. If he has not the power of observing, all these are as naught to him. If, on the other hand, he is a quick and close observer, he may be somewhat lacking in all these qualities and yet be a successful trapper. Therefore it is at once evident that the power of observation is a pre-eminent requisite of every successful trapper.
Happily, this power of observing can be cultivated; like character, it thrives under a systematic mental regimen. Being a mental activity it is largely subject to the will, and, for this reason, it is more readily acquired than are many of the trapper's assets. The poorest observer—if he so wills—can, by systematic practice, become a very keen observer. The secret of such a transformation is this: The observer must demand of his mind, attention— concentrated attention. This, and this alone, will develop one's faculty for observation.
As an aid to the trapper in acquiring a knowledge of the habits of wild animals, observation stands without a peer. Many of our well-known naturalists owe much of their knowledge to the fact that they are keen observers. Sharp is a keen observer; Thoreau was another, and John Burroughs is a third. While it is true that these men gained much of their knowledge, of the ways of nature from books, it is also true that this knowledge was "tested and proven" by their personal observations. Thoreau sat so still in the shadowy woods that the animals and birds came and opened up their secret lives to his view. Sharp is also a silent watcher in the woods. And while I am writing of naturalists who are keen observers I must not fail to mention Long. He has often sat so still in the deep woods that the wild creatures of nature regarded him as a part of the immobile background; and, for this reason, he has been able to read nature 'as few other naturalists have even hoped to do. So if one would learn how the creatures of the wild live, what they eat, where they are found, where they sleep, and the dozen and one things about their lives that is so necessary for the successful trapper to know, then he should go into the silent places of the deep woods and learn from nature herself. She's willing to teach one, if one will only observe her teachings.
Not only is observation an aid to the trapper in acquiring a knowledge of the ways of wild life, but it is also a potent factor in the attainment of other knowledge of vital importance to him; as, the best methods of trapping the various game and fur-bearing animals, the most satisfactory manner of preparing raw furs for market, when to begin trapping in the fall and when to cease operations in the spring, when to market raw furs, etc. Such knowledge as this can, of course, be learned from books and magazines pertaining to trapping and kindred sports, yet, if one is desirous of becoming a master of the art, one should supplement such study by personal observations. Oftentimes one's personal observations will prove the high value of the "book learnin';" at other times they will show it up as valueless, "chimney-corner" stuff —or worse. However, the nature-faker is finding it a more difficult task all the time to "put over" his "rubbish" on the editors of the outdoor magazines; he is being "shown up" by these same editors, who are fast learning to discriminate between the ring of true metal and the clatter of counterfeit stuff. May his shadow ever grow less! For, as it does so the outdoor magazines will grow correspondingly better.
| |
| |
