Scattered from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean are thousands of trappers who use deadfalls, snares, and other homemade traps, but within this huge area, there are many thousands who know little or nothing about them.

The best and most successful trappers are the ones with a lot of experience. Setting up deadfalls and making snares, as explained in the following pages, will be helpful for trappers who have access to materials — like saplings, poles, boards, rocks, etc. — for building. While not all the traps described can be effectively used in every area, some definitely can.

More than sixty illustrations are included to help beginners better understand how to build and operate homemade traps. Most of the illustrations are provided by experienced individuals.

Chapters on Skinning and Stretching, Handling and Grading are included because properly handling skins and furs significantly increases their commercial value.

A. R. Harding.

During the centuries that trapping has occurred, not just in America but throughout the world, various types of traps and snares have been used by all kinds of trappers, and in every region, home-made traps are very common. The number of furs caught each year is significant.

The above was said by a trapper some years ago who has spent over forty years in the forests and knows a lot about traps, trappers, and fur-bearing animals. Whether the statement is true or not doesn’t matter much, although one thing is certain: many of the men who have spent years trapping and have found success use deadfalls and snares along with steel traps.

Another trapper says: In my view, trapping is an art, and any trapper who can’t make and set a deadfall when needed doesn't really belong in the profession. I’ll share a few of the many reasons why deadfalls are beneficial.

It’s a safe bet that not even half of today’s trappers can properly construct a deadfall or know how to make snares, and many of them haven't even seen one.

First, build a small pen about a foot square using stones, chunks of wood, or by driving stakes close together, leaving one side open. The stakes should be cut to about thirty inches long and driven into the ground about fourteen inches, leaving around sixteen inches above the ground. If the soil is very hard, the stakes don’t need to be as long, but they should be driven in so that only about sixteen inches remain above ground. A sapling around four inches in diameter and four feet long is placed across the open end. A sapling that is four, five, or six inches in diameter, depending on what you're trapping, and about twelve feet long is then cut for the "fall." Stakes are set so that this pole or fall will pivot over the shorter pole on the ground. These stakes should be driven in pairs: two about eighteen inches from the end, and two about fourteen inches farther back. (See illustration.)

The small end of the pole should be split, and a sturdy stake should be driven firmly through it so that the pole won't tip over or move on its own. To set the trap, place the prop (which is just seven inches long and half an inch thick) between the top log and the short log on the ground, to which the long trigger is attached. The long trigger is just a stick about the same size as the prop but twice as long, with the baited end extending back into the small pen.

The bait can be a piece of chicken, rabbit, or any tough cut of meat, as long as it's fresh and preferably a bit bloody. When an animal catches the scent of the bait, it will reach into the trap—after the top of the pen has been carefully covered—between the logs. Once the animal grabs the bait, the long trigger gets released from the upright prop, causing the heavy part to drop down and kill the animal with its weight. Skunks, raccoons, opossums, minks, and almost all types of animals can be easily trapped this way. The fox is the exception, as it's quite difficult to catch them in deadfalls.

The more effort you put into making the pen tight and strong, the less likely an animal is to tear it down and get the bait from the outside. Also, if you cover the pen with leaves, grass, sticks, etc., animals won’t be as cautious around the trap. The triggers are pretty simple, with the long one placed on top of the upright or short one. The long triggers should have a short prong left or a nail driven into it to keep the game from easily getting the bait. If you have trouble finding saplings that are the right size for a fall and they’re too light, you can weigh them down with a pole laid on the "fall."

I will try to provide directions and a drawing of deadfalls that I’ve used on and off for years, writes a Maine trapper, and I can say that almost all animals can be captured in them as shown in the illustration. You’ll see that the deadfall is made of stakes and rocks and is constructed as follows: Choose a spot where there is game; you’ll need an axe, some nails, strong string, and a pole that’s at least four inches in diameter. Notice the cut No. 1, which is the drop pole, and it should be about six to seven feet long. No. 2 is the trip stick, No. 3 is the string tied to the pole and the trip stick, No. 4 is the stakes that hold up the weight, No. 5 is the small stakes driven in a U shape, which should be one foot wide and two feet long. No. 6 is the rocks, and No. 7 is the bait.

Now this is a great trap for catching skunks and is quickly set up where there are small trees and rocks. This trap is also used for minks and raccoons.

The trapper's success relies entirely on his skill, and no one can expect great results unless his work is done skillfully. Don't try to set up that deadfall unless you're sure you can do it correctly, and don't leave it until you're confident it can't be made any better. I've seen deadfalls built so poorly and set up incorrectly that they would make anyone cry. Plus, they weren't placed where animals were likely to pass by. If the deadfall is made properly and located where game tends to frequent, it can be quite successful.

Another thing, guys, think through every little plan before you try it. If someone sets their traps one way, see if you can improve on their plan and enhance it a bit. Don’t rush blindly into any new scheme; instead, examine it from all angles and familiarize yourself with its pros and cons. Use your brains wisely, because animal instinct is your only protection, and it’s only by effectively using your reasoning skills that you can outsmart him. Experience might cost money and sometimes result in lost patience and temper, but in my opinion, it’s the trapper's best asset. An experienced trapper with just a couple of traps will catch more fur than a rookie with all the latest gear. Knowledge is power in trapping, just like in any other trade.

This is the classic "pinch-head" trap. The picture doesn't show the cover, so here's how to set it up. Take some short pieces of wood or poles and lay them over the stones at the back of the pen and on the raised stick at the front. Make sure they're close enough together so the animal can't squeeze in from the top. Then, place some heavy stones on the cover to weigh it down, and throw some dead weeds and grass over the pen and triggers. Once that's done, your trap is ready. When the animal tries to get inside and triggers the trap by pushing against the long stick in front, it brings the weighted pole down onto its back, which quickly ends its life.

This deadfall can also be set up on runways without bait. No pen or bait is needed. The game will be caught coming from either direction. The trap is "triggered" by the pressure on the trigger or by pushing against it while passing through. During snowstorms, the trap needs a lot of attention to stay in perfect working condition, but at other times, it’s always ready when placed on runways where it’s used without bait.

The trap can also be used at dens without bait effectively. If using bait, it should be placed a few feet away from the den or close to any area commonly visited by the animal or animals you want to catch.

"Of course, we all agree that the steel trap is more convenient and modern," says a New Hampshire trapper. "You can set them up faster and easily move the steel traps around; obviously, you can't do that with a deadfall. But that doesn’t mean the deadfall isn’t effective; they work well, especially for mink trapping. For a trapper who sets up in the same area year after year, once his deadfalls are built, it only takes a few minutes to get them ready, and then he has a reliable trap for the season."

I’m including a diagram of a deadfall (referred to here as a Log Trap) that, when made correctly and baited, is unmatched as a mink catcher on the trap line. This trap takes about an hour to build, and you’ll need a camp hatchet and a sturdy jackknife, plus a piece of strong string, which all trappers typically have.

This trap should be about fifteen inches wide, with a pen made from sticks or wooden boards pushed into the ground. (See diagram.) The trap's jaws are made up of two boards, each three inches wide and around three and a half feet long, resting edge to edge on top of each other, held securely by four posts anchored in the ground. The top board, or drop, should move up and down easily before adding weights. The treadle should be set three inches inside, level with the top of the bottom board. This is a round stick about three-fourths of an inch thick, resting against two pegs driven into the ground. (See diagram.) The lever should be the same size. Now, wrap a sturdy string around the top board. Then, set it up by passing the lever through the string over the cross piece and latch it in front of the treadle. Next, add weights and adjust them to spring, whether heavy or light, as you prefer. This trap should be set near old dams or log jams by the stream, baited with fish, muskrat, rabbit, or chicken.

I’m attaching a drawing of a deadfall that I use for everything up to bears, writes a Rocky Mountain trapper. I hate to admit that I’ve used it to get "lope" meat because I sometimes think it’s better to take as few shots as possible in certain areas of the Mountains.

Drawing No. 1 shows it being used for bait; a snare can be used at the same time by placing the drop or weight where it won't accidentally fall on the animal. Place the weight on the opposite side of the tree or make it fall with the animal to one side. In this case, a pole must be used strictly. A good-sized rock is fine for small animals. The closer spikes 1 and 2 are together and the longer the tugger end at the bottom, the easier it will pull off.

Fig. 1. — Spike driven into the tree half an inch deeper than spike No. 2 (Fig. No. 2) to make room for the notch.

3 — Bait on the end of the trigger.

4 — Heavy rock or log.

5 — Wire, fine soft steel.

6 — Trigger with a notch cut into it.

7 — Notch cut in trigger Fig G. Spike No. 2 must have the head cut off and pounded flat on the end.

To set it up along a trail, you need to drive a peg into the ground. The spikes are inserted into this peg instead of a tree as shown in drawing No. 1. Place the end of a brush stick between the peg and the trigger; when an animal comes from either direction, it will bump the brush and release the trigger. Use good, soft steel wire for this. When setting up this deadfall by the riverbank, a sturdy stick can be driven into the bank and extended out over the water. This stick will act like a limb from a tree. A pole slanted down, with one end weighted by a rock, can serve the same purpose as a tree limb. If there's a tree nearby without a limb, lean a solid pole against the tree and cut notches in it for the wire to work on.

Trail.

2 — Log in.

3 — Trigger the same as for bait on top of the deadfall drawing.

4 — Stake put into the ground with spikes driven into it just like the one in the tree.

5 — Spikes are the same as mentioned above.

6 — Wire.

7 — Tree.

8 — Place the brush in the trail with one end positioned between the trigger and the peg to knock off the trigger when it is touched.

This deadfall has always worked for me, and when trapping in areas where lynx, coyotes, or wolverines might get to the martens in traps, use a snare to keep them high and out of reach. The snare should be attached to the trigger.

Of course, a small pen needs to be built when setting this deadfall with bait. When set in a trail, it outperforms any deadfall I’ve ever used for animals that are inclined to follow trails. A thin wire can also be attached to the trigger and stretched across the trail instead of using a brush and tied on the opposite side of the trail. I prefer this method, as the weight can be hung high enough off the ground to take down an elk when it falls.

I’m going to show you how to make the best bear deadfall, and the best one for raccoons that’s ever been made, says an experienced deadfall trapper. First, grab a pole that’s six or eight feet long for the base piece, then take another pole that’s sixteen or eighteen feet long and lay it on top of the base piece. Next, drive in two stakes, one on each side of the base piece and pole, near one end of the base piece. About 18 or 20 inches from the first two stakes, drive two more stakes, one on each side of the base piece and fall pole. Finally, drive two more stakes directly in front of your two back stakes, about two inches in front.

Next, cut a stick long enough to reach just outside the last two stakes you've driven in. Then, shape the ends so they're square for smooth movement between the treadle stakes and the two inner stakes that your fall works with; next, raise your fall pole to about three feet high. Get a stick about an inch thick, cutting it to be long enough to rest against your treadle. That short stick will act as your treadle when it's raised a bit above the ground; cut the end at a slant so it fits nicely against the treadle.

Slant the other end so the fall pole fits well. Now, about five or six inches from the top of the slanted stick, cut a notch in it. Go to the backside, lift your pole, and place the post on the bed piece. Position the top of the slanted stick against the fall pole. Then set the pole off post in the notch of the slant stick. Push back on the bottom of the slanted stick and place your treadle against it. Your trap is set. Create a V shape inside the treadle by driving stakes into the ground, using cedar or pine, and tightly hedge it all around. If that's not possible, make it as tight as you can. Cover the top securely; the cubby should be 3 feet long, 3 feet high, and as wide as your treadle stakes.

Place the bait at the back of the trap. Make sure the treadle is just above the base piece. Remove the pole from the trap to set it up from this side. You can adjust the weight of the trap by changing the treadle pressure. Sometimes, I drive spikes into the base piece and sharpen them because it helps hold better. You can add as much weight as you want to the falling poles once it's set. Don’t you see, guys, when the old guy comes by, he’s bound to step on the treadle to get in. Boom, it drops, and you’ve caught him.

This is the best raccoon deadfall I've ever seen. The fall pole for raccoons should be about 14 inches high when set. Place it under trees or along streams where you can see signs of raccoons. Bait it with frogs, crabs, fish, or a piece of muskrat or duck for raccoons. Construct it the same way as a bear trap, just on a smaller scale. You'll find this to be a successful trap.

I’ll explain a deadfall trap for bears that I use, which works better than any others I’ve tried, says a Montana trapper. I have two small trees about 30 inches apart, and I cut a 10-foot-long pole for the bed piece and place it in front of the trees. Then, I make a notch in each tree about 27 inches above the bed piece and nail a strong piece of wood across from one tree to the other in the notches. I cut a long pole, five or six inches thick, for the deadfall and place the thicker end on top of the bed log, letting the end stick out by the tree far enough to put poles for weights on it.

Then cut two stakes and drive them outside both poles, and fasten the tops of the stakes to the trees one foot above the cross piece. Then on the inside, 30 inches from the trees, drive two more solid stakes about 2 feet apart and nail a piece across them 6 inches lower than the cross piece between the trees. Next, cut a lever about three feet long and flatten one end, along with a bait stick about two feet long. Cut two notches 6 inches apart, one square on the top and the other on the bottom, both close to the top end of the bait stick.

Attach the bait on the other end and then lift the deadfall. Position the lever stick across the stick nailed between the two trees, allowing the end to extend six inches under the deadfall. Take the bait stick and hook the lower notch on the piece nailed to the two stakes, then place the end of the lever in the top notch. Next, cut weights and place them on each side until you think you have enough to hold any bear. Then add a few more, and it should be about right. Arrange old chunks around the sides and back, and cover it with plenty of green brush on the outside. Make sure he can't see the bait.

It doesn't take a very sturdy pen. I hammer in about three short stakes in front and leave them one foot high, so when he pulls back, they'll push against him, and the setup is done. You can load it with a ton of poles, and it will still spring back easily. The closer the two notches are, the easier it will spring.

This trap can be built lighter and works well for raccoons. In fact, it will catch other fur bears too, but it's not really recommended for small animals like weasels and minks.

At a time when steel traps are so affordable and widely available, it might seem outdated and unreliable to suggest using a deadfall for trapping these animals, especially since every hunter knows that the animal is much more comfortable in water than on land. But they do venture onto land, and it was by using deadfalls that early Native Americans caught many animals to take back at the end of the hunting season.

Of course, these wooden traps weren’t randomly placed in the brush like marten traps; they were set up at otter slide spots and where otters crossed points in river bends, or at areas where a narrow strip of land connected two lakes. These locations were passed down from one generation to the next, and the traps were maintained every spring and fall by someone from the family familiar with those hunting grounds.

These special deadfalls were called otter traps, but once set, they could catch pretty much any medium-sized animal passing by. The writer has seen beavers, lynxes, foxes, and even a bear cub caught in one of these deadfalls. There’s a simplicity and practicality about these traps that appealed to trappers, and even now in this fast-paced era, some hunters might find them useful.

When set, they stay that way until an animal comes along and gets caught. I say "gets caught" because if set up right, they rarely fail. They don’t need bait, so they're never damaged by mice, squirrels, or jays. I knew a guy who caught two otters at once. This might sound strange, but once a modern trapper sees one of these traps set, they’ll easily believe that this seemingly impossible outcome is actually quite possible.

The trap is set up like this: Cut four young birch trees that are about five feet long, pointed at the lower ends with the forks on top. Firmly plant two of these on each side of the otter path, three inches apart from each other, and about twenty inches across the path. Make sure these are driven deep into the ground, and place a horizontal piece between the uprights across the path at the same level. For a choker and to support the weight of logs to catch the otter, cut a pole (tamarack is preferred) long enough to extend three feet on either side of your uprights, ensuring it falls easily and clearly.

Now cut two short poles for the forks to rest on across the path, aligning them with the direction of the choker. In the center of one of these short poles, tie a sturdy cord or rope (the Native Americans used split young roots), creating a loop long enough to go over the pole in front and down to the height where the choke pole will be set. Next, you'll need a trigger made of hard wood, about a foot long, with one end rounded and the other flat. A groove is carved all around the stick at the rounded end to tie the cord to.

The choke stick is now raised to about twenty inches off the ground and positioned on top of the trigger. A stick around an inch in diameter is placed outside the pickets, with the flat end of the trigger resting against it. The tied stick should be about eight inches above the ground. The tying at one end of the trigger will create enough leverage to press firmly against the tied stick. However, care must be taken to ensure this pressure is strong enough without being too strong for the animal to trigger it.

Now load each end of the choke stick with small pieces of wood to ensure it catches whatever goes by. Put some loose moss or grass beneath the tread stick when it's set to make sure the otter goes over it instead of under it. When the otter climbs over the tread stick, his weight presses it down, the trigger pops up, and the loaded bar falls on him, trapping him until he dies.

While my explanation of how to create a deadfall for otters makes sense to me, a beginner might struggle to build one correctly the first time. However, if he's a trapper, he will quickly understand any mistakes he made and fix them. I've used both steel traps and deadfalls, and while I don't want to spark a debate, I have to say that a properly set deadfall is an effective trap. When trapping marten on a stump, they are never covered unless it's snow, and the marten isn't ruined by mice when caught.

Of course, to set up a deadfall trap for otters, it needs to be done in the fall before the ground freezes. Once it's made, though, it can be used in either spring or fall and, with some minor repairs, can last for years. I know that today's trend is to move forward and avoid outdated methods, but even some old techniques have their benefits. Good options shouldn't be dismissed, and one that I advocate for spring and fall trapping in areas where otters travel between lakes or rivers is the traditional Indian deadfall.

Having seen a lot of descriptions of deadfalls in the H-T-T lately, writes a Colorado trapper, I thought I would share the kind that's used around here for marten. It's easy to make and can always be kept above the snow.

First, cut a pole (z) five or six inches thick and twelve feet long, and lay it in the fork of a tree five feet off the ground. Then cut two sticks two inches thick and fifteen inches long, making a notch in each three inches from the top—one notch should slant downwards (B) and the other upwards (A). The sticks need to be nailed on each side of the pole (z), with the top of the pole flattened slightly. Position the notches about six inches above the top of the pole.

Cut another stick that’s 10 inches long (F), make the top flat, and attach it six inches lower down the pole on the same side as (B), making sure the top is five inches above the top of the pole (Z). Now cut two more sticks, each two and a half feet long (C-D), notch each one two inches from the top, and nail a stick (E) across them in the notches so they’re about seven inches apart. Set them across the pole (Z); they should be two inches lower down the pole than (F). Then cut another pole (X) that’s ten feet long, place it under (Z), lift one end, and attach sticks C and D to each side of it. Ensure that when you lift sticks C, D, and E, they will fall clear and easily.

Now cut a bait stick (G) half an inch thick and seven inches long, sharpened at one end. Cut another stick (H) an inch thick and fifteen inches long, and flatten one side a bit. To set the trap, lift up C, D, E, and X, then put the end of H under E and rest it on top of F. Hold down the other end while you place the bait stick (G) in the notches A and B, then let the end of H come up on the outside of B against the end of G. Put the bait on the other end of G; when the end is pulled out of the notch, the trap will spring easily if made properly. Lay a block of wood at the back end and some small sticks on top, so the animal will have to crawl under E to get the bait. Muskrat is the best bait for marten.

When you find a tall, straight spruce or something that's pretty straight (not a balsam), cut it about a foot above your head, says a Northwestern trapper, or as high as you can. After you've cut it, split the stump down the center for two feet. Be careful doing this, because you're making a dangerous cut, as I have good reason to know and remember. Clean up the tree and taper the butt end to make it easier to split. Drive down into the split about fourteen inches. Make a crotch in the ground or solid snow.

Now cut the piece that's already in, split it, and then place it into the crotch on top of the other part. Make sure the piece is heavy enough to hold a wolverine. Check the cuts for more details. Cover the bait as shown in the cut. I don’t make my trip sticks the same way as others do, but I’m afraid I can’t explain it to you. Look at the cuts for that too. Use your own judgment. Of course, you'll sometimes find it's not necessary to go through all this trouble. For example, sometimes you'll come across a natural hanger for your trap. In that case, you won't need the long peg or pole to keep it stable.

This trap is used frequently by some long-line trappers for wolverine. They blacken the bait and cover it as shown in No. 4. The two small illustrations show the triggers in No. 1 separately and in No. 2 set. A is the bait and trip stick, B is the lever, and C is the upright. B in No. 1 is where the bait should be.

In No. 3, A is the bait, E is a pin that secures the deadfall to the under pole and stops it from tipping to one side. F is the post that keeps the under pole from bending.

In No. 4 HH, there are nails that secure a flexible piece of wood to keep it covering the bait. Use fir or spruce branches for the cover.

Another deadfall that marten trappers often use is made by cutting a notch in a tree about a foot in diameter, although the size of the tree doesn't matter much. The notch should be four inches deep and a foot long both up and down, and it should be as high as the trapper can reach—four or five feet.

Only one pole is needed for this trap, as the bottom of the notch cut serves as the bed or base piece. (See illustration.) The pole for the fall should be at least four inches in diameter and anywhere from six to ten feet long, depending on where you choose to set it.

The end farthest from the bait or notched tree must be as high as the notch. You can achieve this by driving a forked stake into the ground or by tying that end of the pole to a small tree if there’s one growing in the right spot.

If the pole for the fall is wider than the notch is deep, the end needs to be flattened so it fits easily in the notch, since a piece of wood has been nailed over the notch to keep the fall pole secure.

The triggers used are usually figure 4 and set with bait as shown. There’s no spot for the marten to stand while eating the bait, just on the shelf, and naturally, when the spindle is pulled, the pole drops down, killing the animal.

This shelf keeps the bait and bed piece safe, and the snow doesn't accumulate in between, requiring much less attention than the one that was described first.

This deadfall can also be set up on a stump with a small enclosure or pen, using a two-piece trigger. Most trappers put the bait or long trigger on the bottom pole when trapping for marten. It's clear that a marten, in order to reach the bait, will position itself between the "fall" and the bed or under the pole, and will naturally get caught while trying to grab the bait.

The height at which deadfalls for marten should be set depends on how deep the snow gets. In the fall and early winter, they can be built on the ground or on logs, and other fur-bearers can be caught too.

A few inches of snow won’t disrupt how deadfalls operate on the ground, but deep snow will. To make catches, the trapper has to clean out beneath the fall pole each time. This is no easy job. The trapper is always searching for good spots to set up Marten deadfalls.

When the snow piles up several feet deep and the trapper makes his rounds on snowshoes, the deadfalls built several feet off the ground are the ones that succeed in catching.

The stone deadfall described here is used by trappers wherever flat stones are available and is an effective trap for catching skunks, opossums, minks, and other small game. The trap is made as follows:

The figure 4 trigger works best for this trap and is made like this: (1) Start by cutting a stick that's five or six inches long from hardwood, then carve it to a flat point, leaving one end blunt; (2) Cut another piece about five inches long with a notch about one and a half inches from one end, and make the other end square so that it can fit into (3), which is the bait stick. This bait stick should be a straight piece that's sixteen or eighteen inches long, with the other end featuring a small prong, a tack driven in, or something similar to hold the bait in place. The best method is to tie the bait on as well.

After you've found a flat stone weighing between 50 to 100 pounds, depending on the game you want to trap, choose the spot for the trap. First, place a small flat stone underneath it so that your game will be killed more quickly and to prevent the upright trigger from sinking into the ground. Kneel in front of the large stone, resting the weight of the stone on one knee while keeping the other knee down. This frees up both hands to set the trap. You'll do this by positioning the triggers as shown in the illustration, then carefully lowering the stone onto the triggers. Keep your knee under the stone the entire time until you can see that it comes down smoothly and doesn’t “go off” just from its own weight. Always place the bait on before setting the trap. This trap will activate easily, so be cautious that the bait isn’t too heavy, or it could cause the trap to fall by itself.

This trap can be used to catch rabbits, which will be useful for baiting other traps for bigger game. When trapping for rabbits, use bait like apples, cabbage, etc.

This trap is quick to make since you don’t need to build a pen. The top stone is big enough to hit the animal, regardless of how it approaches the bait. A stone that’s two or three inches thick and about thirty inches wide and long, or a bit longer, is a good size for catching skunks, opossums, and so on. Of course, you can use larger or smaller stones—whatever works best for you.

This trap consists of a flat piece of stone supported by three wooden supports, and the main challenge is getting these three supports just right. You can achieve this by carefully comparing the description provided here with the illustrations whenever they’re mentioned. All the parts are made of wood that’s about three-eighths of an inch thick. Fig. 1 is thirteen inches long and has notches about one-sixteenth of an inch deep cut into its upper side; two of the notches are close together at one end, and another notch is four and a half inches from the first two. The last notch should be cut at a slight angle across the stick.

Figure 1 shows a top view, and the piece below it is a side view of the piece of wood as it should be shaped, with the end farthest from the notches trimmed to a point to hold the bait. This serves as the trigger.

The lever is shown in Fig. 2, with the cut above providing a side view and the one below offering a bottom view of this part of the trap. The piece of wood needed for it is six and a half inches long, one inch wide at one end, and narrowing down to three-sixteenths of an inch at the other; a notch is cut across the underside one and a half inches from the wide end. Smooth out the upper side of the narrow end to about half the original thickness. If the flat stone to be used is heavy, the notch should be no more than 1 inch from the end; otherwise, the leverage on the notches will be greater than desirable, making the parts hold together too rigidly.

The upright post, Fig. 3, is seven inches long, slightly forked at the bottom (to help it stay stable and avoid turning when in use), and the upper end is beveled from the front to the back at an angle of about 45 degrees. The front of the upright is the side that would face someone standing directly across from the trap when it's set.

On the right side, cut a long notch that's half the width of the wood in depth, starting the sloped part of the notch one inch from the bottom and making the square shoulder three inches from the bottom of the post; level the shoulder from the front so just a narrow edge remains. Stand the post upright, (see Fig. 4) with its forked end resting on a small piece of wood or flat stone to keep it from sinking into the ground; bait the pointed end of the trigger and hold it horizontally with its middle notch catching behind the shoulder of the notch in the upright post; then place the beveled end of the lever in the notch at the end of the trigger, with the notch in the lever resting on the edge of the top of the upright post.

Lastly, place the stone on top of the lever, positioning it so that the bait is close to the lower end of the stone.

It's a smart idea to dig out a bit of the ground beneath where the stone will drop, creating enough space for the pieces in Fig. 4 to rest without the risk of breaking. The bait should also be something that can flatten easily and isn't hard enough to lift the stone back up after it has fallen.

The problem with most deadfalls that are typically set is the weight of the stone. When the stone is heavy enough, it won't trip easily when an animal grabs onto it, and often it will break the headpiece where it's attached to the standard. The headpiece, from the stone down to where the standard fits into the notch, should be at least 2 1/4 inches, so when the stone starts to fall, it pushes the triggers out from underneath; otherwise, the stone will catch and break them.

Young trappers, when you're preparing triggers for your sets, tie each pair together separately as you finish them, so that when you're ready to set the traps, there are no mismatches. Now, let's talk about the bait stick. It should never be more than 9 inches long, and often a shorter length works better. A slotted notch on one end, wide enough for the triggers, and sharpened on the other end is all you need. The bait should rest on the trap's foundation within 5 or 6 inches from the front of the trap. Don't place the bait far back under a stone; you'll lose all the impact when it falls.

When setting up traps, it’s essential to be very careful to make sure the foundations are strong and stable. (Focus on how well you can do it rather than how fast.) Start in the fall before trap season begins, find a good spot for your trap, and ensure that the top stone is heavy enough. Lift it and drop it several times. If it shuts with the loud snap of a wolf trap and can pinch a hair, that’s even better.

To illustrate: One morning in the fall of 1905, while I was out shooting squirrels, I stood on a ledge where I used to trap raccoons, and I suddenly remembered a trap below me. I decided to check if it was still there. I climbed down, brushed away the leaves, and found it completely intact and ready to use. When I picked it up, the base was just as solid as it was the day I set it up, back in the fall of 1890, and I want to mention that it took all my strength to set it.

Trappers, if you try one or more of the deadfalls described above for catching skunks, I believe you can use their pelts around your neck to stay warm on cold mornings, and no one will notice any smell, as long as you place barriers to the right and left of the trap to force the skunk to enter straight ahead. Then, carefully adjust the length of the bait stick so the stone will crush it around the heart. I’ve caught a lot of skunks, and very few have ever been detected where the head and heart were under the stone, writes an Ohio trapper.

I always preferred the traps I mentioned earlier for many reasons, but if you live in an area without stone, you're out of luck.

Deadfalls can be really useful sometimes and don’t cost anything — unless you count the time it takes to build them. I’ll send two examples of stone deadfalls, writes a successful deadfall trapper. There is a right way and a wrong way to set up the deadfall. If you want to ensure you catch something, never set your deadfall flat with short triggers shaped like figure 4. Instead, use long triggers and position the weight or choker almost upright, bringing the top trigger close to the bottom one it rests on. This way, you’ll have a trap that’s easy to activate.

The way some people set their deadfalls allows animals to take the bait without getting caught, simply because they pull the bait out from under the trap and stand far enough away to avoid being trapped. I can use a two hundred-pound weight to set a deadfall that will catch a small field mouse, but it wouldn’t be good to make it too easy, or you’ll end up with game that’s too small to manage.

I will describe a bear pen, writes a Canadian trapper. The floor starts with two logs, each about nine feet long and nine or ten inches thick, placed side by side as shown in the illustration. Then, two other logs, also nine feet long but eighteen inches thick, are placed on each side of the bottom logs. Next, cut two shorter logs, about twelve or fourteen inches thick and long enough to span the pen while extending about six inches on either side. Notch these down, as shown in the illustration, so that the tops of the logs are about three or four inches higher than the sides.

Cut notches in the tops of these logs so that when logs 4-4 are placed on top of the other side logs, they lay flat. If they don't sit solidly enough, drill holes in the ends of the short logs and drive wooden pins into the holes. The tops of the short logs and the insides of the long logs should be flattened, and a short block (5) should be loosely fitted into one end, with the other end closed off by a block driven down into the notches cut in the sides of 4-4, as shown in the small cut. The top of the block (6) should be about five inches lower than the tops of the side logs. Next, cut notches in the side logs directly above this block so that when the roller (7) is in place, it fits snugly on this block. The roller is about five inches thick and should turn easily in the notches.

The next step is to make the lid. It should be made of two logs sized to completely cover the top of the trap. They are notched down and pinned onto the roller and block 5. These logs should extend over the back end of the pen by about four or five feet. Before pinning these logs in place, a hole should be made for the bait stick, with half of it cut out of each log. Pins should be driven into the side logs, over the roller, so that the bear can't lift the lid. Next, two crotches are cut and set up on the sides of the trap and secured firmly to the sides. A short pole is then placed in the crotches, and a long pole, running lengthwise of the trap, is attached to the lid at one end with wire, while the other end fits into a notch in the bait stick when the trap is set. The bait stick has a spike driven through it on the inside of the trap to prevent it from being pulled through.

To set the trap, stack stones on the end of the lid until it tips easily, then slide a pole under the lid and go inside to attach the bait to the bait stick. Next, pull the long pole down and hook it into the notch on the bait stick. Remove the stones from the lid and take the pole out from underneath it, and the trap is set and ready for the first bear that comes by. If the lid seems too light, add more stones on it. This type of trap can be built by two people in half a day and will last for several years.

The log trap is one of the best methods for catching bears; it outperforms the deadfall by a long shot, says an experienced bear trapper from Ohio. It's a guaranteed success every time; I’ve never known it to fail, except when the pen has been left standing for years and gotten rotten. In that case, the bear could easily chew its way out. This trap, or pen as I’ll call it, has stood the test of time and real bear experience. My dad used to make these traps, and I can’t count how many times I rode my horse down a narrow path made for them, and when I got close to the pen, I could hear the bear growling and thrashing around inside, making the hair on my head nearly push my hat off.

Build it this way: First, choose the spot where you think bears live; once you've picked a location, find a flat area and lay down a base of logs with the top smoothed out. This base should be about eight by three feet. After that, start stacking logs that are six to eight inches in diameter. Flatten three sides of each log: the top, bottom, and inside. This is important because they need to fit tightly together so the bear can’t find a place to start gnawing. That’s why I recommend flattening the inside of the log. It’s a known fact that if you put any gnawing animal in a square box, it can’t gnaw its way out because it can't find a starting point.

Lay a short log first, then a long one, notching each corner as you go so the logs will fit tightly together. Now for the front corners; drive a flat stake into the ground, letting the flat side press against the logs. As you continue to layer on a course of logs, pin through the stake into each log. Keep going until you reach a height of about four feet, then add a course of short logs starting from the back end for the top.

Between the second and third logs, carve out a small notch and flatten the underside of this log around the notch; this is to hold the trigger, which should be a small pole about three inches thick. Insert this into the hole and let it hang down within ten inches of the floor. Then cut a notch in the side facing the front of the pen so it will fit snugly against the underside of the leg with the notch. Next, make a notch in the trigger about six inches above the top of the pen, on the same side of the trigger where the first notch was made. Now the trigger is ready, except for adjusting the bait.

Next, place a binder on top of the pen and on either end of the short row of logs; secure the binders at both ends so the bear can't lift the top off the pen. You can also add three or four logs to weigh it down and make it extra secure. You can pin the first short top log in the front to the side logs to prevent the front of the pen from spreading. Now we have the main structure of the pen finished.

The door is next on the list. The first or bottom log should be twelve feet long, but the rest don’t have to be that long. Smooth out the top and bottom of each log so they fit tightly together, and also smooth the inside of the door so it opens and closes easily against the end of the pen. Place the logs for the door on top of the first long log, inserting a pin at each end of the logs as you add them. Continue doing this until you have enough to reach the height of the pen and completely cover the opening.

Another way to put the door together is to prepare the logs, lay them on the ground, and pin two pieces across the door. Either option works. Now that the door is ready, position it and drive two stakes into the ground to prevent an animal from pushing the door open. If these stakes don’t seem sturdy enough to hold the door during an attack, you can cut a notch near the top of the stake on the outside; take a pole that is eight feet long, sharpen both ends, place one end in the notch of the stake, and the other end into the ground; this will keep the door stable. Cut a slight notch in the top log of the door for the end of the spindle, and the next step is to raise the door to the right height. Place a support under the door to keep it from falling. Prepare your spindle, slightly flatten the tops of either end, then cut a stanchion to the correct length to set under the spindle on the first top log.

Tie your bait to the lower end of the trigger, while one person goes inside to position the trigger correctly. To help the trap spring, place a small round stick in the upper notch of the trigger, allowing the end of the spindle to come up under the stick. As the bear grabs the meat at the bottom of the trigger, even the slightest pull will cause the trigger to roll off the end of the spindle. However, it will trigger easily since the support under the end of the spindle is so close to the end.

This type of trap can be built by two people in a day or even less, and it's common for hunters and trappers to want to set traps for bears far away from any towns or roads. Carrying a fifty-pound bear trap for twenty or thirty miles is no easy feat. Plus, this trap costs nothing but a bit of time, and the trapper's whole life revolves around time. One person can create and set this trap alone, but it’s better for two to team up for this task because if the door were to close on someone while they were inside, they would be trapped forever. I’ve caught two wildcats at once in this enclosure, but don’t expect to catch more than one bear or other large animal at a time.

In describing a portable deadfall, an Indiana trapper writes as follows: We took a piece of 2 x 4 lumber, about 5 feet long, then another piece of the same size and length. For the upright pieces to hold the main pieces so one would fall directly on the other, we used 1 x 3 lumber, with two pieces set straight up and down at each end, spaced far enough apart to leave the back end sticking out three inches and the front end, where the triggers are set, sticking out 6 inches.

Nail these 1 x 3 boards to each end as instructed above, attach them only to the lower 2 x 4 piece, then at the back end drill a hole through the two vertical pieces and the top 2 x 4, or the piece that drops down. Insert a bolt through, or a wooden pin if the hole in the 2 x 4 is larger than the ones in the vertical pieces; then you’re ready to lift it up and let it "drop" to check if it works smoothly or not.

Better to nail a 2 x 4 block between the tops of the vertical posts to keep them from spreading apart. Then it’s ready, except for the triggers and the string for them to run against. It’s portable; you can pick it up and move it anywhere, just needing a stake or two driven down on each side. Where the string is shown tied to a little bush should actually be a small stake.

I’m sharing a drawing of a trap called the "Shear Trap," writes an Eastern trapper. This trap isn’t new, and it’s not my own invention. I’ve used this type and can recommend it as good, affordable, easy to make, lightweight, long-lasting, and effective for catching most small animals.

This trap is made like this: Take 4 strips of board that are 4 feet 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. Drill a one-inch hole two inches from the end of each strip. Next, create two rounds that are about 13 inches long and place two of the boards on each side of the round. At the other end, place the two middle boards on the other round (see illustration). Make one more round that is fifteen inches long, the same size as the others. Attach the two outside boards to it, creating two separate frames at the other end, so the two inside boards can rotate on the round they are attached to.

Take two strips each three inches wide and two feet six inches long. Drill a one-inch hole two inches from the top and insert a round broomstick that is seventeen inches long. Secure all the rounds using wedges or small wooden pins. Position the two strips mentioned earlier on the outside of the frame at the end where they are separated and secure them so that they stand vertically. For the bait stick, take a lathe or a half-inch board that is one inch wide. Drill a hole as shown in the illustration (figure 6) and cut a notch (figure 2). For the trigger, any stick that is 18 inches long and 5/8 inch thick will work: tie a string two inches from one end and tie the other end at figure 1. Pass the short end under the round from the outside (figure 3) and catch it in the notch of the bait lath (figure 2), while placing the other bait at figure 4. Add weight at figure 5. Cover the trap at figure 6 to prevent the animal from entering from the back up to figure 7. For bait, I use fresh fish, muskrat, birds, etc., and scent it with honey or blood.

I promised in my last letter to explain the barrel trap, says a Northwestern trapper, which I use to catch rats. Other trappers may have used this trap for years, but I'm only sharing this for the young trappers who don't know anything about it.

Take any old wooden barrel (a salt barrel works well), and attach a board to one side of the top with a hinge. Make sure one end of the barrel sticks out over the edge by about 5 or 6 inches from the other side. Position it so that the end of the board that’s not over the barrel is slightly heavier, so when the rat pushes down the end over the barrel, it will bounce back up to its original position.

Put a piece of parsnip, apple, or celery at the end of the board above the barrel. When the rat reaches its front feet over the board, it will tilt down, allowing the rat to fall into the barrel. Bury the barrel near a river or creek, leaving about 2 or 3 inches of the top exposed, so there will be 6 inches to 1 foot of water in the barrel. If there's too much water, most of the rats will be dead by the time you check your traps. You can catch several in one night using this type of trap.

Saw a small log measuring 4 to 6 inches long. Drill a one-inch hole through the center. Take nails and hammer them in so they form a "muzzle" at one end, making sure the nails are very sharp. Secure your blocks with a piece of wire and place it in a pathway or on a log or anywhere a raccoon will notice it, and nine out of ten will step into it. I use honey as bait. I caught 75 or 80 raccoons this season using "block" traps.

I put stoppers or false bottoms in one end of the block; a piece of corn cob or anything works. Cut the foot off to free the animal from this snare.

The illustration shows a square block with a hole drilled in the side. This is done to better demonstrate how it should be done, although when it's set up, the hole should be facing up. Bait it with a piece of fresh rabbit, frog, or anything that raccoons like.

Instead of using blocks, the auger hole can be drilled into a log or tree root if a suitable one can be found in areas where raccoons are common.

The best material is spruce, but if you can't find spruce, hardwood is better than softwood. Follow the instructions closely; never use old, warped wood; good, solid, straight-grained material is the most cost-effective. A good way to get your material is to go to the sawmill, choose good straight-grained 2 x 4 studding, have them cut lengthwise again to make four strips from the original 2 x 4, each strip being two inches wide and one inch thick; then have them cut to the following lengths — two standards (A), 14 inches long; (B) two side pieces, 2 1/2 feet long; (C) two drop bars, 2 1/2 feet long. Drill a hole in each piece with a one-inch bit, two inches from the end to the center of the hole. (D) A piece of lath about 8 inches long, with one end beveled to fit into the slot of E; tie a piece of small rope, about a foot long, two inches from the other end. (E) A piece of lath, 2 1/2 feet long, with a slot cut across two inches from one end and a piece of rope tied two inches from the other end, about a foot long.

If you pick up your material from the mill, get four rounds (F) made of oak or maple (it has to be hardwood), with three of them being 12 inches long and one being 8 inches long, all having a diameter of 7/8 inch. They should be slightly smaller than the hole since they expand when wet.

Your trap is now ready to assemble. Start by taking one 12-inch round piece and attaching the side pieces B first, then the two standards A. After that, insert a 12-inch round piece into the holes at the top of the standards. The front end of the trap is complete, except for securing the standards to the round piece and the setting mechanism to the top round of the standards. Next, take the remaining 12-inch round piece and attach the drop bars C first, then the side pieces B on the outside; finally, place the short round G at the front end of the drop bar C.

You can drive nails through the outer pieces and the round part. Where there are two pieces on one side of a round, fasten through the outer piece, always leaving the inner piece loose so it can turn on the round. A much better method, although it's more work, is to drill a hole through the side piece and the round, then insert a hardwood plug. This is the best method because if any part of the trap breaks, you can knock out the plug much easier than pulling out a nail. The holes should be drilled with a 1/4-inch bit.

Tie the rope connected to E to the back round, keeping two inches of slack between E and the round. Attach the rope connected to D to the top round of standards, leaving two inches of slack at the top and two inches between the lower end of D and the bottom round.

First, put a 20-pound stone on the drop bar. Then lift the drop bar high enough to slide the short lath underneath the round part of the drop so the weight rests on the rope. This is the key to setting it up. The pressure on top causes the lower end to shoot up. Now place the beveled end of the short lath into the slot of the long lath, and the trap is set.

Hang your bait from the drop bars, underneath the weight, about eight inches from the front. The animals will then approach the side of the trap. Don't tie the bait onto the lath.

Place the trap in front of the hole and block it by positioning two stones in a V shape at the top side of the hole, guiding the game through the trap to enter or exit.

During my trapping experiences, I remember visiting an old trapper's deadfalls. At that time, I had only ever seen or used the figure 4 trigger, but this trapper used the prop and spindle. I checked out several of his traps; in fact, I went out of my way to examine about eight or ten of them. Two of these traps had game—a skunk and an opossum. I had often heard about these triggers but was skeptical about how effective they were. Now, I could see that these triggers worked well, and after visiting my traps again, I set a few of them with these triggers. Since then, I haven’t used the figure 4 at all.

The prop and spindle might seem too difficult for some to trigger, but they can be adjusted to function easily. It's not essential for the trap to be so sensitive that even the slightest touch sets it off. It's better to set the trap in a way that mice nibbling on the bait won't accidentally activate it.

Trappers who have never used a deadfall will likely find that after using them for a while and getting more familiar with their design and how they work, they'll catch more game than they did at first. This is only natural, as everyone has to learn from experience, whether it's trapping or anything else.

The prop is a straight piece about seven inches long and about half an inch in diameter. The spindle, or long trigger, is about the same width as the prop but should be sixteen or eighteen inches long, with a prong cut off within two inches of the end to help hold the bait more securely. See the cut elsewhere showing these triggers and the figure as well. These illustrations will give a clearer idea of how the triggers are made for those who have never seen or used them.

I saw a while back that a guy wanted to learn how to make a deadfall, writes an Illinois trapper. I'm sending a picture of one that I think is way better than any I've seen in the H-T-T so far, especially the triggers. I've seen deadfall triggers that would latch and not fall when the bait was pulled, but these have no latch at all.

Trigger No. 1 is a stub stuck in the ground with a notch cut in the upper end for holding the bait. Stick No. 5, which fits in No. 3, is another stub driven into the ground for bait stick No. 5 to rest on top of it. No. 3 is a stick, with one end laid on top of the bait stick outside of stub No. 2, and the other end resting on the lower pole. No. 4 is the prop stick. One end is positioned on stick No. 3 about an inch inside the lower pole, while the other end is underneath the upper pole. The X indicates the bait. When the bait stick is pulled out of the notch in stub No. 1, the upper pole comes down and catches your animal.

If you notice your bait is stuck between the poles, it means the bait isn't back in the box far enough. If you see the trap is down and the bait and bait stick are missing, it indicates that the bait is too far back. The animal got its whole body in before it pulled the bait.

I’ve attempted to explain this trap for those who don’t know how to build a deadfall.

Somebody wants to know how to make a good deadfall. Well, the plans published in past issues of H-T-T are fine, except for the figure four sticks and bait. Make your sticks like this, and you’ll be happy with how they perform, says an experienced trapper.

No. 2 flat view. The trigger is positioned in the slanted cut on the side of No. 2. Don't put bait on the trigger. Place it at the back of the pen and secure it to the ground. Turn the trigger across the opening, angled slightly inward, so you catch them by the neck or shoulders. The longer the slot in the trigger, the harder it will be for them to trip it. Set it as straight up as possible.

Make 1 and 2 from hardwood. Cut a block 3 1/2 inches long and split it into 3/4 inch squares. Make straight cuts with a saw and remove the unwanted parts. Shape the ends with a hatchet. Create the trigger from a green hardwood stick with the bark still on.

I cut a tree with a diameter of 8 to 10 inches and made it 7 feet long. I split the piece open and buried one half flush with the ground — split side up — and placed the other half on top. I trimmed off any bumps to make a perfect fit. Then I cut bushes the size of my arm and drove them down on each side of my fallen log, leaving them an inch or two taller than I expect my top log to be when set. Make sure to start far enough back to drive the animals to enter from the front. I use figure four triggers and tie the bait to the long trigger.

Another trigger is made like this: Cut two forked branches and lay a pole across just in front of the log on top of the forks. Take another piece of wood about four feet long, tie a string to each end, and let one end have a trigger while the other is tied to your top log. I drive a nail into the top log and attach the string to it; I call this my Fly trigger. It works as a lever because when the fly comes up over the piece on the forks and the trigger moves halfway back beside the log, the trigger is about a foot long — straight and thin, and stuck under the log — have a short trigger tied to the fly pole and a forked sapling the size of your finger, long enough to stick into the ground to hold the trigger. Put the bait on the long trigger and catch the short trigger through the fork, allowing it to catch the long trigger. This trigger keeps the fall open in front, and it's the one I prefer.

Take two small logs about 10 to 12 feet long, large enough to break a raccoon's back, and build a pen about halfway, or one-third from the front end, to place the bait and the trigger. Two-foot boards or saplings will work, and make the pen so that the animal has to step over the bottom log to get to the bait. Make sure to set it up so that the top log will fall on the mink, raccoon, skunk, or opossum, as those are the animals I catch with this deadfall. Use fly pole triggers as mentioned above for this deadfall.

I set up these traps near the paths of the animals I want to catch. When I plan to stay in one spot for a while, I build my traps in the summer, so by the time trapping season arrives, they look worn and natural.

The deadfall shown here can be used at dens or in paths where animals frequently travel. When placed across the entrance of dens, it will catch an animal going in without bait. That is, it will catch an animal entering, as the triggers are designed to be pushed only toward the bait, as shown in the illustration. If the trap is to be used at dens without bait, the standard figure 4 triggers should be used, but positioned extending along the log instead of back into the pen. An animal entering will hit the trigger, and down comes the fall.

The trap shown here and the triggers are made like this: Cut two logs and lay one on the ground. This log should be at least four feet long. Place it securely on the ground with the flat side facing up. This log doesn’t need to be as flat as shown in the illustration, but it should be slightly flattened. Drive two stakes that are three feet long into the ground about a foot from one end (8) and (9).

Now, move to the other end and drive in two more stakes (10) and (11). Place a stake directly across from (11)—be careful not to split this one, as one of the triggers rests on it. The fall is now in position, which is the upper log. The end of this is split, and a stake is driven into the ground to keep the fall from turning between the stakes, ensuring it is held securely. Make sure the fall moves easily up and down; the stakes shouldn’t be too close together to cause it to jam, but they should fit snugly.

Cut the trip stick (4) and the trigger (3), lift the fall up with one knee, and place the end of (3) onto (4) slightly so that a little pressure on (4) will spring the trap. Once you have the trap set, spring it to make sure it works properly. If the trap works fine and you're setting it across the entrance of a den, the pen isn't needed. If you're setting it in paths or near dens, drive stakes in a semi-circle as shown in the illustration, but the stakes should stick up about eighteen inches from the ground, roughly as high as the "fall" pole when set. It's a good idea to cover the stakes with leaves or grass.

A small notch (5) should be cut into the upright post (8) for the trip stick to fit in and hold it up at that end. Be careful, though, not to cut this notch too deep. The bait (6) is placed back in the pen and secured with wire or a stake driven through it into the ground. The open space above the bait is now covered, and the entire trap can look less suspicious by cutting some brush and throwing it over the trap, except in front of the bait. When an animal goes for the bait, it steps on or pushes the long stick (marked 4 at one end and 5 at the other) off of (3) and usually gets caught.

This is another effective trip trigger deadfall. A short log should be placed on the ground, and two stakes should be driven into the ground opposite each other, similar to the trap previously described. These stakes aren’t shown here, as leaving them out provides a clearer view of the triggers and mechanics of the trap.

In the illustration, the "fall" pole is weighted, but it's better to have a heavy pole that isn't weighted. The stakes that the upper or cross piece is attached to should be twelve to eighteen inches apart. The cross piece doesn't need to be heavy, but it should be strong enough so that the weight of the fall won't bend it.

The pens or enclosures used can't be covered, as that would mess with how the triggers work. If the pen is sixteen inches or higher, very few animals will try to climb over to get the bait, but they'll go in where the trapper wants them. If made and set properly, they’re likely to catch the game.

In the late seventies or early eighties, when a decent-sized muskrat was worth about the same as a regular prime mink, and owning a steel trap was quite a big deal, I had maybe two dozen traps—some old-fashioned ones that would be really interesting today—along with a few Newhouse No. 0 and 1 traps.

That was in Ontario, Canada. Skunk, mink, raccoon, muskrat, and fox were the furs in that area, Waterloo, Brant, and Oxford Counties. Later, I successfully used this deadfall in Iowa and other regions, so there’s no doubt that it will be an effective fur catcher in most places.

I used to catch a lot with deadfalls, which I'm including a picture of here. I've seen almost all the different designs of deadfalls and tried some of them, but the one I’ve sent you a picture of, which is pretty straightforward, is the one I've had the most success with. I think they’re the best, and an animal can't reach the bait without knocking it off. Plus, some animals will check out the bait without actually touching it. With this deadfall, if they're curious enough to step inside and put their foot on the trigger stick, they're yours, as long as the trap is set right.

This type of deadfall trap can be effectively used over skunk holes and animal pathways, eliminating the need for bait. This trap design is much easier to create, requiring very little skill. You only need a few straight sticks about the thickness of a cane and some twine. You can catch a variety of animals, from weasels to raccoons. The illustration shows the "fall" or upper pole weighted. In our experience, it's been more effective to have the "fall" heavy enough to kill the animal without added weight. It's often challenging for the trapper to find a pole that's the right size and weight for the "fall," so the next best option is to add extra weight as shown.

First, create a pen shaped like a wigwam, driving stakes deep into the ground to keep the animal away from the back of the trap. It should be open on one side. Place a short log in front of the opening, and drive stakes at both ends to hold it in place and allow the long log to move up and down. The top log should be six to eight feet long, depending on the size of the animal you want to trap, and about the same size as the bottom log. Cut a forked stick about 12 inches long for the bait stick, notching one end and tapering the other as shown in Fig. No. 2. Next, cut a stick that is 24 inches long and flatten both ends.

To set the trap, lift one end of the top log and place one end of the flattened stick under it, resting it on the stake outside of the log. Position the bait stick, with the point facing down, inside the pen on a small piece of wood or rock to prevent it from sinking into the ground and place the flat stick in the notch. When the animal pulls on the bait, it will turn the bait stake, causing the cross piece to slide out of the notch of the bait stick and allowing the top log to drop.

In explaining the size of the pen, some people make them 2 feet long, writes a New York trapper, while one that is 12 inches long (like the one used on this trail) is enough; not only that, but it has advantages for the following reasons: A 2-foot pen would allow the animal to pass inside and beyond the drop when it’s triggered, unless the animal stepped on the treadle.

The Indians' trap is made by cutting a 3 or 4-inch diameter sapling. Cut a 2-foot piece from the end and lay it on the ground as a base. Drive four stakes into the ground, two on each side of the base, leaving a 12-inch space in between. Use the rest of the pole as the drop that will move between the stakes. For the sides of the trap, use a few stakes, bark, or slabs cut from a tree.

For a spindle, cut a piece about eight to ten inches long from a dry limb of hemlock, spruce, or another type of wood. Sharpen one end to a point and flatten the other end slightly on the underside for an inch or two, so that when it's placed on the bed piece, it will lie flat. Now, with a sharp knife, start half an inch back and round off the top side of the spindle where you'll attach a standard that’s four inches long, cut from the same material as the spindle.

In setting up, place the bait on the spindle so there’s only a six-inch gap between the bait and the standard. Now hold the spindle in your left hand and the standard in your right hand, kneel down, and lift the drop, placing one knee under it to keep it at the right height. Position the spindle in the center of the bed piece and place the standard on top of the spindle, letting the drop rest on the standard to keep everything in place. By adjusting the standard in or out on the spindle, you can set the trap’s spring so it remains safe for weeks or months, can be triggered easily, and is capable of catching anything from a weasel to a raccoon.

It definitely kills right away, giving them no chance to escape by twisting or chewing off their legs. It's not as quick to make and set up as a steel trap, and it never gives "Sneakums" a reason to come back and use it again. After you set the trap, put some bark or something similar between the stakes above the drop and cover the top of the pen to make the animal enter from the front while also protecting it from snow and sleet that could interfere with how it works. Weigh down the drop pole on both sides of the pen by placing chunks of wood or stone on it.

There are several ways to set deadfalls, as different triggers can be used. The way these traps are built varies somewhat in different regions. The illustration shown here is of a trap that is widely used across America. Trappers for marten in the far North, opossum trappers in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri, skunk trappers in the New England States, and mink trappers in the West have all successfully used this trap. It is intended for the hundreds of young and inexperienced trappers that the deadfall is shown here.

The trigger shown here, which extends back into the pen, is all one piece. This trigger is typically taken from a bush and often takes some time to find one that fits well. If you plan to build a few traps like this, it's a good idea to look for suitable triggers ahead of time. This trap has just two triggers: one with the straight part extending back into the pen and the prong where the "fall" rests, and the other trigger is driven into the ground so that it's just a little higher than the lower log of the trap.

This trap can be set using the triggers referred to as figure 4 if you prefer. Raccoons, minks, opossums, skunks, and martens are generally not difficult to catch in deadfalls, although occasionally an animal can be surprisingly hard to catch for some reason.

In setting up deadfalls, it's best to split the end of the pole that's furthest from the pen or bait and drive the stake in there. This will keep the upper or "fall" pole secure, so there's no risk of it tipping over from its own weight and collapsing.

I’m enclosing a plan and description of a deadfall trap I've successfully used for skunks and other fur-bearing animals, writes a trapper from New York State. Since I’ve never seen anything like this described before, I thought it could be helpful for those using these traps. During November and December 1897, I caught 11 skunks using a deadfall like this one.

Stakes are driven into the ground to create the pen, similar to figure 4 or other deadfall traps, but no brush or sticks should be placed on top of the pen, as this would block the vertical stick from lifting up. A small log or board with stones on it can be placed on the pole for extra weight. The pole can be between ten to fifteen feet long and about three inches in diameter. AA should be 18 inches or more above the ground and half an inch in diameter; B should be 20 inches and half an inch; C should be about 16 by 3/4 inches; D should be 20 by 3/4 inches; E should be the same as AA but without a fork; F should be 1/4 inch. A rope long enough to wrap around the pole and over B should be tied around C. D should be positioned 1 to 3 inches above the ground, depending on what you are trapping. The bait should be placed on the ground or attached to a stake near the middle of the pen.

If you’ve picked your trapping area, it’s a good idea to set up your traps before the trapping season starts, so they can get weathered and worn in. Of course, it’s not strictly necessary since traps can be made, baited, and by the next morning, a trapper can come back to find game caught securely. While that can be true, deadfalls should definitely be set up ahead of the season. There are at least two reasons for this: first, it helps the traps blend in as they get weathered, so the game isn’t as suspicious; second, when the trapping season starts, all the trapper needs to do is check and set his traps.

Some people argue against using deadfalls because they take a lot of time to build, and a trapper’s time is precious during this season. This may be true for amateurs, but professional trappers often have plenty of free time in August, September, and early October, when they’re looking for trapping grounds for the upcoming winter. It takes a day for one person to build eight to twelve deadfalls, depending on how easy it is to find the pole to make the fall. The other materials, like stakes, chunks, and rocks, are usually easy to find or create. If you build only six or eight traps but do it right, they’re worth twice as much as a larger number that are poorly built. When made properly, they can last for years with minimal repairs each fall when the trapping season starts. Overall, we believe that a certain number of deadfalls don’t take up any more time than an equal number of steel traps. In fact, you can set more deadfalls in a day, once they’re built, than steel traps.

When it’s said that you might do just as well at home as anywhere else, it really depends on your location, how many trappers are in your area, and so on. If there isn’t much to catch, then it’s better to go somewhere else. However, trappers in densely populated areas have been known to catch between $50 and $300 worth of fur in a season, which runs from November 1 to March 15. Of course, in the far north, where trapping can happen from October 15 to June 15—spanning eight months—the catch is much larger, and since the animals captured are more valuable, a single trapper’s haul can sometimes reach $600 to $1,000.

The trapper who stays close to home has the advantage of knowing the area well. If he visits an unfamiliar place, even if it's a great spot for trapping, he won't do as well as someone who knows the territory and where the best dens are located. Plus, his costs will be higher if he goes into an unfamiliar area. However, if there's not much game near your home and you're serious about trapping, it’s a good idea to find a decent trapping area. In that case, it's best for two or three people to go together. There’s no need to carry much gear besides your gun, because during the time of year that people go looking for game, it's usually not too hard to find enough to survive on.

Once you've found a good trapping area and set up your cabin, deadfalls, and snares, you can return there year after year with your steel traps, needing only minor repairs to your deadfalls. Each season, you'll get to know the area better and make bigger catches. Don't assume you've caught all the game during your first season; when you come back the following fall, you'll usually see plenty of signs that game is still around.

In finding new trapping areas, if two or three of you are together and it's a busy time in September, have one person go ahead to scout. This will save you a lot of valuable time when you set out for the fall and winter trapping season. It’s worth it to know your destination before you make the final move.

When deciding where to place deadfalls or set snares, remember the dens where you’ve consistently caught fur-bearing animals each winter, or where their tracks have frequently been spotted in the snow or mud. If you build your traps and set your snares at or near these locations, you’re likely to have success.

The location really depends on the type of game you're trying to catch. If you're after mink or raccoon, there’s no better spot than along streams where there are dens. If there's a small branch off the main stream, the mouth of that branch is often a great place to set a trap. Just make sure it’s not too close to the water, since a rise could damage or wash away part of your trap. Sometimes further up that small stream, you’ll find bluffs and rocks; those are ideal spots to set up deadfalls if there are dens. If there are multiple dens and the bluff stretches for several hundred feet, it might be worth it to set two or three traps in that area.

In open fields, forests, or brush, you can find skunks wherever there are dens where you can set a trap. Generally, less populated areas are the best for trapping, but skunks, muskrats, and red foxes are actually more abundant in populated areas, while opossums, raccoons, and minks tend to be found in areas that are somewhat developed. So, you don't need to head into the wilderness to have decent catches. Although a trapper in the wild benefits from not having anyone disturb his traps, he also faces challenges. A serious trapper doesn't have to travel hundreds of miles; if he sets a line of traps along a stream where minks are present, or in brush and along rocky areas for skunks, raccoons, opossums, etc., he will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

In some areas, landowners might not permit trapping, but usually they will, especially if you make an effort to ask before you start building or placing your traps.

The fact that you have your traps spread out over a large area gives you a better chance of making good catches, since most animals travel quite a distance from night to night. You might have traps at a stream that's eight or ten miles from home, and a mink might come along that usually searches for food miles farther up or down that stream, possibly closer to where it was raised, and you could catch it. So, by going just ten miles away, you can catch animals that actually live twenty miles away. I’m not sure exactly how far a mink may travel up or down a creek or river, but it’s clear they can cover a lot of ground, and traps can catch a mink that is many, many miles away. Of course, along smaller streams, they may not go as far. However, they often continue their travels from one stream to another.

If you're an experienced trapper, you can easily spot signs if you're in a good area, especially in the fall—September and October. These are the months when most of the prospecting happens. As you walk along streams during this time, you can clearly see tracks, and in the forests, you’ll find signs at dens, like hair, bones, and droppings. Often, you’ll come across evidence of a bird that’s been eaten, letting you know that an animal has been in the area. Veteran trappers easily recognize all these signs, and newbies can learn through experience.

It’s not strictly required to set traps right at or close to dens. A few years back, when I was trapping a lot in Southern Ohio, I found a deadfall next to a small stream that ran through some woods. I searched for dens but didn’t see any. I was puzzled about why that trap was placed there. One day, I ran into the trap’s owner and asked him what he hoped to catch with it.

In response, he pointed to a bush a few yards away where the bodies of two opossums and one raccoon hung—caught in the trap. Even though there were no dens nearby, it was a popular spot for animals to cross, or they came there for water. This same trap allowed this old trapper to catch two or three animals each winter, while other traps set near dens caught fewer. Knowing where to set traps is important, but if you keep an eye out for signs, you'll eventually learn where to build traps and set snares.

Yes, guys, a deadfall is a great trap if made correctly, says an Arkansas trapper. I’ll tell you how to make one that will catch every mink and raccoon that runs along the creek. Take a pole that’s four feet long and four inches thick, then get a log that’s six inches thick and eight feet long. Use eight stakes and two switches. Use the figure four trigger, but the notches are cut differently. Both notches are cut on the top side of the long trigger, and there’s a notch cut in the upright trigger and down the long trigger. The paddle part is sixteen inches long. When the trap is set, the paddle should be level and half an inch higher than small logs; that’s where your two switches come in to keep the paddle from hitting the bark on the side logs.

Next is where to set the trap. If you're along a creek, find a spot where the water is within three feet of the bank. Set your trap up and down the creek at the edge of the water. Block off the back end of the paddle with brush or briars to the bank, then stretch it out into the water three or four feet from the front end. You'll find that the upright trigger needs to be significantly longer than the notch trigger. If you prefer, you can use round triggers by nailing a five-inch-wide shingle onto the long trigger stick. Make sure to get your paddle muddy if you're setting it by the creeks. Place a small stone just behind the paddle so that when the trap falls, it won't break the paddle. Now you have a simple trap that's sure to catch any animal that steps on the paddle, which measures five inches wide and sixteen inches long. You don’t need any bait, but you can throw some under the paddle if you want. This trap is hard to beat for small game.

I make a deadfall trap that works without bait, says an Illinois trapper. It's built like any other trap but has different triggers. Place it across a path, in front of a den, or remove a fence rail and position it in the corner where animals pass through. Use thread in dry conditions, and fine wire in wet ones. Using two logs for the base is better than one; make the triggers high enough for the animal you want to catch; if it triggers the string or wire, it's yours.

Bait can be tough to find sometimes, but usually the trapper will manage to gather enough using his gun and steel traps to keep his series of deadfalls well stocked with bait, without much trouble. When trapping, all animals caught should be hung up after the pelt is removed, so that other animals can't get to them but will still visit your traps.

There are two reasons for hanging up bait: First, other animals that pass by are likely to eat the bait instead of visiting your trap; second, if you run out of bait, you can cut a piece from the hanging animal, use it to bait your trap, and move on to the next one. While this type of bait isn't ideal, sometimes it's either this or nothing. Fresh bait is always preferred, but the trapper can't always access what's best and often has to settle for the next best option. Maybe by his next visit, he'll have plenty of fresh bait.

The writer has seen trappers use a piece of skunk, opossum, muskrat, raccoon, etc., that had been caught a few weeks earlier and hung up in a tree where it froze. When they returned, the trap baited with skunk had a skunk in it. This shows that when an animal is really hungry, it doesn’t care much about what it eats.

In early fall, when food is plentiful, it can be trickier to lure animals to bait. During this season, the bait should be fresh if the trapper wants to catch anything worthwhile. The trapper should always have a gun, pistol, or good revolver handy to help kill game for bait. Steel traps set along the line can also maintain a steady supply of bait. If you manage to gather a lot of bait—more than you'll use in that round—it’s a smart idea to leave some in specific spots where you can pick it up later if needed.

Bait can be any tough piece of meat, but rabbit is a great choice. Quail or just about any bird works well too. Chicken is also effective as bait. Squirrel is acceptable. For mink, fish is a top option. Mice, frogs, and muskrats can all be used as bait. Keep in mind that the fresher and bloodier the bait, the better — animals will detect it much faster. They also prefer fresh bait over meat that has been dead for days or weeks.

In baiting, it's crucial to ensure the bait is secure. It's wise to tie it on with strong thread or thin cord. The amount of bait to use on a single trap isn't that critical. Most trappers use one rabbit to bait ten traps or fewer; the head serves as bait for one trap, each foreleg makes bait for another, the back provides enough for about three, and each hind leg can be used for one trap, although each hind leg can be cut to supply bait for two traps.

The spindle or trigger goes through the bait and should be attached to the trigger near the end, as shown in the illustration elsewhere. It's crucial to secure the bait on the trigger well. If it isn't fastened properly and the trap is difficult to release, the animal could eat the bait without the trap going off. If the trigger is just loosely sticking in the bait, it’s easy for an animal to steal it. Typically, experienced trappers are aware of these things and stay vigilant, but for those using deadfalls for the first time this season, a clearer explanation is needed.

The bait should reach about a foot into the pen, and the pen should be designed so that the bait touches only the trigger. When eating the bait, the animal usually stands on the lower pole or just above it. In this position, it’s clear that if its gnawing on the bait causes the trigger to break off the upright support, the result will be that the animal gets caught across the back. An animal standing like this will naturally pull down on the bait, and in its eagerness to get it, might pull and twist the spindle or trigger off the upright support.

It’s a good idea to test the triggers. Place the triggers under the fall just like you would if they were baited and you were about to set the trap. Doing this will help you understand how to position the triggers so that they work correctly. Knowing how traps function is essential. Study them closely, and you’ll quickly become a successful trapper.

If you notice that your traps are empty every time you check them, the pen might be too large, allowing a small animal like a mink to slip inside and eat the bait. Typically, animals stand on their front legs on a lower log to reach for the bait, but sometimes they do manage to go inside. In this scenario, the animal isn’t at risk since it will not be underneath the falling mechanism when it drops. If the animal is fully inside the pen, the trigger will get stuck under the falling part, letting the trapper know that whatever is messing with the trap is doing it from within. All the trapper needs to do is reduce the size of the pen. This can be accomplished by adding small stones or pieces of wood inside the pen or by driving stakes into the ground on the inside. This way, the outer look remains unchanged.

If, on the other hand, the trigger, which is the long piece or spindle and not the short support, is pulled out every time and often moved several feet, the trap is set too tightly to "fall" and should be adjusted to be easier. If the support, or vertical piece, has a flat top, take your knife and round off the edges so that the trigger slips off more easily. Again, the pen may be broken down and the animal takes bait from the back. This is where it's important to build traps robustly. In such cases, rebuild the pen to make it stronger. If it gets torn down on later visits, the culprit is likely a fox. Of course, if the pen has been damaged by another trapper or a passing hunter, you can easily tell by the way it was done. If the trapper believes it's an animal causing the problem, he needs to plan carefully, and if he's an expert, using a steel trap or two will be effective and the animal will be caught in the steel trap. The pen won't be damaged again.

When traps are down, take note of their condition; ensure that the "fall" fits tightly on the lower pole. Also, while constructing this, it's crucial to pay attention to how the fall fits snugly on the lower or under pole.

If a snare or spring pole is set but hasn’t caught anything, just reset it. If multiple snares are set but there are no catches, figure out what’s going wrong right away. The noose might be too big or too small, made of flexible or too rigid string or wire, or it could be fastened too tightly. When resetting, pay attention to these details, and with experience, you'll eventually learn to set it just right for a catch. If a particular snare is being disturbed repeatedly, it won’t hurt to set a steel trap where you think you have the best chance of catching the animal. It doesn’t really matter to the trapper how the animal is captured, since what he wants is the pelt.

In using the trip triggers with or without bait, the trapper should secure the bait by either pushing a peg through it and into the ground or tying it down.

In most cases, the animal will trigger the trap before reaching the bait, but it's a good idea to take this precaution just in case, for any reason, the animal doesn’t step on the trip trigger right away.

Sometimes a small animal might jump over the trip trigger to reach the bait, and in trying to get the bait, it accidentally activates the trigger. The animal doesn't realize the trigger is harmful, but occasionally it either steps or jumps over it. Usually, they end up stepping on the trigger, because if the trapper knows what he's doing, the bait and trigger are set up in a way that makes the animal think the trip trigger is where it should put its foot.

In using it without bait, the trigger is set up so that the animal rubs against or steps on it when entering or leaving the pen, or when passing by on a trail or runway.

While the deadfall works well for most animals, there isn't one trap that meets all needs in every location. Some animals might avoid deadfalls that can be caught in spring poles, snares, and steel traps. This trap is simple and inexpensive to make. It should be placed near dens or in areas where animals frequently travel.

If a small bush isn't growing well, cut one down. Drive a stake deep into the ground, pull it out, and stick the larger end of the cut bush into the hole. Here's how this trap works: 1. bait stick; 2. trigger; 3. noose made of wire or strong cord; 4. stay wire made of wire or cord; 5. bait; 6. spring pole.

By carefully looking at the illustration, this trap can be built easily. The size of the bush or spring pole, of course, depends on the size of the animals you're trapping. This trap can catch small game like mink, opossum, and skunk, or it can be made larger and stronger to catch mountain lions or black bears.

The snare is made by building a circular fence in an area with lots of small trees. Choose two trees about four inches apart for the noose and snare entrance, and another long, flexible tree for a spring pole that’s 6 or 7 feet long; bend this down and trim it. Use a noose made of flexible wire or strong string and a cross piece. Cut notches in the sides of the trees to fit it, ensuring it can spring easily. When snaring rabbits, keep the fence fairly high.

Observe the description above and you can easily create it. No. 1 is the noose, No. 2 is the spring pole, No. 3 is the fence, and No. 4 is the bait. This snare, as explained, can be made any time of the year, while the deadfall can only be set up when the ground isn't frozen.

The snares can be made of either twine or wire. Many trappers in the North use small brass wire for fox and lynx.

Snares are effective in cold weather, and if built correctly, they are reliable traps.

A — Spring pole.

B — Essential.

C — Two small nails driven into a tree. (Three-inch nail head, end down, with a snare looped at each end with a foot of slack between. As soon as the D — three-inch nail is pulled down, it will slip past the nail at the top end, and the spring pole will instantly take up the slack, along with the fox, to secure and do its work.)

E — Slack line or wire.

F — The loop should be 7 inches wide and the bottom of the loop should be 10 inches off the ground.

Remarks — The nails should be driven above the staple so they will pull straight down to release the snare fastening.

A lot of foxes have been caught in this country using the method described, writes J. C. Hunter from Canada. A — the snare should be made of rabbit wire, twisted together in four or five strands. It should be long enough to form a loop about seven inches in diameter when set. The bottom of the snare should be about six inches off the ground. E — is a small stick, sharp on one end and split at the other, which can be stuck in the ground to hold the bottom of the snare in the split end and keep it steady.

B — is used to hold down the spring pole. C — is the stake. D — is the spring pole. Some people bend down a sapling to create a spring pole, but we believe the best method is to cut and trim a small pole about ten feet long; secure the thicker end under a root and bend it down over a fork, stake, or small tree. The snare should be placed on a sheep path during the summer, where it passes through the bushes.

Stake could be placed a foot or more back from the path, where a branch of an evergreen bush would cover it to keep it hidden, and a string long enough from the stake or trigger to the snare would rest over the path.

Setting a snare is done like this: A sturdy tamarack or another pole around fifteen to twenty feet long is used for the throwing. The thicker end of this pole should be five or six inches in diameter, while the thinner end needs to be about three inches. Next, find a tree with a fork in it to balance the pole. If you can't find such a tree in the right spot, make an artificial fork by crossing two strong young birch or tamarack trees, firmly planted in the ground, and tying the two upper parts together six to ten inches from the top. The balancing or tossing pole is placed in this fork so that the heavier part towards the thick end can support a bear weighing two or three hundred pounds hanging from the thin end.

Next, a sturdy little birch or spruce is chosen, and a section of three or four feet is cut off. All the branches are removed except for one, the small end is pointed, and it's driven deep into the ground a few inches off to one side of the bear path. The snare is made of three twisted strands of eighteen-thread fishing line and is securely tied to the tossing pole. A few dried branches are stuck in the ground on each side of the path; the pole is bent so that the very end is caught under a twig placed in the ground for that purpose, and the noose is stiffened by rubbing balsam branches, which leave enough gum to keep its shape.

The noose is kept in the right position (the bottom is about sixteen inches above the ground and the diameter is about eleven inches) by dry grass blades looped through it, with the ends tucked into a slit on sticks on each side, meant for that purpose. No green branches are used in the hedge along the road because that would make the bear suspicious. The snare is now finished, and the hunter steps back to examine it closely. His final act is to rub some beaver castor on the trunk of a tree near the road, about ten or twelve feet from the snare. He does the same on another tree at the same distance on the opposite side of the snare.

Bears are drawn to the scent of castor and rub against the tree just like a dog rubs on a dead animal. After they’re done rubbing on one tree, they catch the scent of another and, when they go for the fresh one, they accidentally walk into the trap. They feel the noose tighten around their neck and struggle; this pulls the end of the swinging pole from under the branch trigger, lifting the pole and old Bruin along with it.

My method, as shared by a trapper from Massachusetts, for trapping skunks without leaving a scent, and it works, is by using a snare. Set up a spring pole, and if you don’t have one readily available, cut a pole and secure it as firmly as you can, about four or five feet from the burrow and off to one side. The ground might be frozen, so you may need to support it with logs or stones, or maybe tie it to a stump or root. When you bend the top of the pole down, it should be secured under one end of a log or rock on the opposite side of the hole, allowing it to be easily dislodged by an animal, whether it’s entering or exiting the burrow.

The snare or noose is connected to the spring pole directly above the center of the burrows, and the bottom of the noose should be about an inch and a half to two inches off the ground to let the animal's feet go underneath it and its small pointed nose to pass through the center. Position the noose as close to the entrance of the hole as you can, and one or two strategically placed twigs will hold it steady.

Strong twine is better than large cord for the noose because the skunk is less likely to notice it. When a skunk goes in or out of the hole, the noose tightens around its neck, and a slight pull releases the spring pole, quickly strangling it. While this may seem like an elaborate description of such a simple trap, just like any other trap, if it's set up carelessly or without commitment, it will be only somewhat effective. Although the snare is simple, with a bit of thought and creativity, it can be used in almost any situation to catch small game.

Many of the boys, as an Indiana trapper writes, have shared their specific snares and methods for making them, all of which I think are good, but most of them need to be baited, which is a disadvantage in certain areas. From my experience, in many places, it's completely impossible to get animals to take bait. This snare can be used as a blind or set with bait depending on your trapping grounds, or rather, what the animals may need.

It’s very cheap and so easy that any kid can make it. First, get a strip of iron that’s one-eighth inch thick and three-eighths or one-half inch wide. Cut it into nine-inch lengths and bend it into the shape shown in Fig. 2, making sure to drill a one-fourth inch hole in each end. Next, take some lightweight sheet iron or heavy tin, cut it into pieces that are 2 3/4 inches by 5 3/4 inches for the pan, and drill a one-fourth inch hole in the center, as shown in Fig. 3. Now, it’s very simple to rivet the pan from Fig. 3 to Fig. 2. Once that’s done, take some 20-penny spikes and cut off the heads as shown in Fig. 1.

Now you can find brass, or preferably copper wire, on spools at almost any hardware store. This wire is used for the loops because it's flexible yet strong enough to hold any small fur-bearing animals, and it comes in various sizes. Use the brass or copper wire only for the loops, as regular stove pipe wire is the perfect choice for finishing the snare.

For a blind to be set up in the animals' path, create a double loop—meaning two loops for each snare. Now, take a bunch of these with you and locate the runs or follow the ravines and creeks where they feed. If you can find a tree in a good spot along their runs, take one of your headless spikes and drive it a few inches into the base of the tree from the ground.

Now take No. 2 with the pan attached and the bent hook with an over spike, and drive the spike into the tree until the pan is level, leaving just enough space to hook the wire loop over the top of the spike. (See illustration.) Dig out underneath the pan so it can drop when stepped on. Then, secure a heavy rock or chunk and fasten it to the other end of the wire. Throw this over a tree limb and hook the loop over the top of a spike, after you’ve placed No. 2.

Place one loop on one side of the pan and the other loop on the opposite side, so that an animal approaching from either direction will step onto the pan, leading to its downfall. Once that's done, drive a staple into a tree above the wire running from the spike to the limb, which will stop the animal from being pulled over the limb and escaping.

Once you've concealed everything with the natural environment and left no traces, you can claim the first furrier that comes along, and they will be ready for you. This trap can also be used with a standard spring pole by driving a spike into a stake, then securing the stake into the ground. In this scenario, it's best to create the usual V-shaped pen using stakes or stones, covering it at the top and positioning it so the pan is right at the mouth of the pen, with the single loop placed just between the pan and the bait. This way, they step on the pan just as they reach the bait.

You can find this trap thrown out easily. They won't cost you more than three cents each, and anyone can easily carry a hundred of them without being weighed down.

In many ways, snares work really well for catching lynx. Here in Western Ontario, a well-known trapper says that since lynx rarely take bait, they can be caught quite easily in snares set on snowshoe trails. Fig. 1 shows a wire snare set up on such a trail. I do it like this: After finding a good spot along the edge of a swamp or alder thicket, I cut down a spruce or balsam tree that’s about ten or twelve feet long and lay it across the trail. I press the tree down until the trunk is about twenty inches above the trail, and I create an opening in the trail by trimming a few branches on the underside. Then I set a couple of dead stakes on each side to leave the opening about ten inches wide and hang my snare between these stakes directly under the trunk of the tree.

The snare should be around nine inches in diameter and securely attached to the tree. It should also be loosely fastened to the stakes on either side, so it won't lose its shape. The best method is to make a small split in the side of each stake and attach the snare with a tiny twig inserted into the split stake.

I make rabbit wire snares, using about four or five strands twisted together. Some trappers prefer to use a cord. The best option is dark-colored codfish line, and it's ideal to use a spring pole snare. Figure 3 shows how to tie and secure it to the stakes. You'll notice that when the lynx puts its head through the snare, it only takes a little pull to open the slip knot and release the spring pole.

To keep the rabbits from chewing on a cord snare, thoroughly rub it with lynx or fox droppings. Also, avoid using any green wood except for spruce or balsam, as fresh green wood is likely to attract the rabbits. You can also place a small piece of beaver castor on each side of the snare along the trail to increase your chances of catching a lynx, since beaver castor is very appealing to these big cats.

We will now move on to making another spring pole snare, even though the one described earlier is more practical, according to a Colorado trapper. It's constructed similarly to the previous one except for the trigger, etc. This version is meant to be used on a pathway without any bait at all. The illustration shows how the trigger looks in the pathway. No. 1 is the trip stick; No. 2 is the stay crotch; No. 3 is the trigger; No. 4 is the loop; No. 5 is the pathway; and No. 6 is the stay wire.

The animal coming down the path (5) puts its body or neck through the loop made of strong, soft insulated wire (4); as it does this, it steps on the trip stick (1), which bends under the animal's weight, releasing the trigger (3). This, in turn, releases the stay wire (6) and pulls the loop (4) tight around the animal. The spring pole that the stay wire is attached to lifts your catch into the air, choking it to death and keeping it out of reach of other animals that might ruin your fur. A small notch cut in the stay crotch where the end of the trip stick rests ensures that the trigger is released. This will keep the trip stick steady at the end, making it move only where the animal steps.

This trap works well for animals that will go for bait. (See page 141.)

No. 1 and 2, headless wire nails driven horizontally into the tree about ten inches from the ground.

No. 3, a No. 10 or 12 wire nail with a head used to catch under No. 1 and 2.

No. 4, bait stick or trigger. No. 3 goes through No. 4.

No. 5, bait, frog secured to the bottom of No. 4.

No. 6's snare, tied to No. 3 with two half hitches, then attached to No. 3 with two half hitches, and finally connected to a spring pole.

No. 7, spring pole.

Nos. 8, 8, small stakes pushed into the ground to create a pen.

Nos. 9, 9, two small twigs split at the top to hold the snare loop in place.

Nos. 1 and 2 should be about 4 inches apart.

No. 3 goes through a small hole in No. 4. About three inches from the top, use any small round stick that's between 1/2 and 1 inch thick; there's no need to flatten No. 4 as shown in the illustration. Keep the bark on it natural. The distance from the hole in No. 4 to the bottom end should be about 7 inches.

Snare loop about 6 inches in front of bait, held in place by 9, 9, slightly leaning against 8, 8.

It’s clear that if an animal grabs No. 5 with its mouth and tries to pull it out, it will push out the bottom of No. 4, which then nudges No. 3 forward until, flip! Up it goes. The top of No. 4 has to be pressed tight against the tree when it’s set.

No. 3 should barely fit under No. 1 and 2, then it only takes 1/2 inch to pull on the bait to trigger it. Use frogs, fish, spoiled meat for skunks, and bits of rabbit, muskrat, or bird for mink.

The lynx, similar to the wolverine, isn’t intimidated by a snowshoe trail and will pursue a rabbit snare for long distances. When it spots a bunny hanging up, it unapologetically claims it for itself, by the right of discovery.

When he does this once, he will come back again, and the Indian hunter, aware of this, quickly sets a trap for "Mister Cat." Sometimes, when the thief has left part of the rabbit, a small structure is built against the trunk of a tree, the leftover rabbit is placed at the back, and the trap is set at the entrance.

A sturdy birch stick is cut to about three or four feet long and propped on a forked stick on each side of the door, standing around two and a half feet high. The end of the twine is tied to the middle of this crossbar; typically, No. 9 Holland or No. 6 thread cod line is used. This is coated by rubbing balsam branches up and down the twine, similar to how the bear snare is prepared. The noose is held in shape in one or two spots on each side by a thin strand of wood or a blade of grass, and a couple of small dry sticks are placed upright under the snare to keep the cat from sneaking underneath.

The loop is nearly as big as a bear’s and as high off the ground, if not higher. The lynx has long legs and holds his head straight out in front of him, taking a snare by pushing through it or by rushing at it, never crouching and then jumping.

As the rabbit population thrives in this young area, there are also a lot of lynx around. Rabbits and partridges are their main food. When an Indigenous person ventures into a new area to set rabbit traps to feed his wife and family and notices signs of lynx, he combines both types of hunting. As he moves along, he occasionally places a lynx trap in his snowshoe track. Lynx are attracted to the smell of castoreum, like many animals, so the hunter rubs a bit on trees on either side of his trap for the lynx to rub against when it passes by.

The snare is never attached to anything fixed, since they're really strong and would snap the twine. As soon as the noose tightens, the crosspiece easily comes away from the supports and the cat jumps to one side. The stick, however, either hits him or gets tangled in his legs. He tries this several times, but the annoying stick is always hanging from his neck. One of his last attempts to free himself is to climb a tree. Unfortunately, this is almost always deadly, because after he climbs a certain height, that troublesome stick is sure to get stuck behind some branch. By this point, the lynx, becoming quite frustrated, makes things worse, and the hunter finds him hanging dead, sometimes twenty or thirty feet off the ground.

This trap has different uses. New trappers usually have one or two for catching rabbits. In fact, they work really well for that since the animal isn't harmed, which often happens when they are shot or caught by dogs. Rabbits caught in box traps are therefore the best for eating.

The trapper who wants to catch fur-bearing animals alive to sell to zoos, wildlife parks, or to start a "fur ranch" typically uses a box trap.

The dimensions for a rabbit trap are approximately 30 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 6 inches high. You can use any type of boards, but lighter materials like pine and poplar are commonly preferred. The boards should be half an inch thick. To build the trap, you’ll need four pieces that are 30 inches long; two of these will be for the sides and should be 6 inches wide, while the other two for the top and bottom should be 5 inches wide. Nail these pieces to the top and bottom of the sides. This will create an interior space of 6 inches high and 4 inches wide in the trap. It's better to keep the trap narrow so that the animal you're trying to catch can't turn around inside it.

At one end of the trap, place wires or small iron rods (see illustration). These should be about an inch apart. At the other end, construct the door. This can also be made of wire. The bottom of the door should rest about eight inches inside. You'll see that when an animal pushes against the door from the outside, it raises, but once inside, the more they push against it, the tighter it gets.

The trap can be set at openings where animals are known to be, or it can be placed in areas animals visit frequently and baited. If you use bait, prop the door up a bit and place the bait a foot or more inside the trap. The type of bait you use will depend on what you're trying to catch.

The trap mentioned is just the right size for a common rabbit and mink. However, for skunk and opossum, you’ll need a slightly larger trap.

For mink and other gnawing animals, traps should be checked every day because they might chew their way out and escape. If you can't check the traps daily, they should be lined with tin.

In many locations, these traps, which have a door on each end, are used to catch muskrats. They are placed in their dens underwater and are either tied or weighed down. The rats get caught either when they’re entering or exiting.

In creating these traps, beginners often make them too wide—allowing the animal to turn around inside. This is a mistake because it gives the game more freedom and space to escape.

The animal just goes in and stays there until the trapper arrives to take the catch. A skunk can be drowned when caught in this trap without releasing its scent, as long as the trapper knows what to do.

The trap should be handled with care. Take it to water deep enough to cover the trap, then slowly sink it and either weigh it down or hold it in place until the animal is drowned.

The box trap is a humane trap if checked every day. They can be a bit awkward to carry around, and not many trappers want to use several, but in some situations, they're really helpful. You can make them during downtime. For mink and other skittish animals, they should be handled as little as possible. They should be built from old wood or at least look worn to avoid any signs of being brand new.

Some sections of saplings to create deadfalls aren't available, so for those situations, a wooden trap that is three feet long and six inches wide and deep is a great way to catch muskrat, according to a Western trapper. The boards can be made from any old lumber. Each end has a wire door, which is attached with hinges at the top. These doors lift with the slightest push from the outside but won’t open from the inside. The trap is placed in the water at the entrance to the den and secured in place. A muskrat, when entering or leaving the den, is sure to go into the trap.

The animal can chew its way out, but it will drown before it gets the chance. In areas where they are common, several rats can be caught in a single night. These traps work best in lakes and ponds or where the water level in the stream doesn’t change much. If you set them along creeks and rivers, make sure to secure them tightly or take them up before heavy rain, as they are likely to get washed away.

I saw in a recent issue where George Walker wanted someone to explain through H-T-T how to make a box trap to catch muskrats. Here’s a good way:

First, take four boards that are each 36 inches long and nail them together, leaving both ends open. Next, create a small gate using a square piece of wood attached with a few stiff wires, which will pivot inside each opening so it can move freely and easily fall when raised. Secure bait in the center of the box. The animal looking for the bait can enter easily, as the wires lift with slight pressure, but escaping after the gate closes is so challenging that it's nearly impossible. For added strength, it's a good idea to connect the lower ends of the wires with a cross piece of fine wire twisted around each one. If you're lucky, you can catch two or three animals in this trap each night. Place it in two or three inches of water where muskrats tend to go, or set it up in skunk dens.

This trap is very effective for catching wild turkey, pheasants, quail, and other birds. In some states, the law prohibits the use of this and similar traps.

The trap is designed like a regular rail pen. In fact, some people use small rails to build this trap for wild turkey, while others use small straight poles. The pen is typically six feet or more on each side and about three feet high. The "coop" is sturdier if it's pulled in from the bottom to the top (see illustration). The top needs to be covered and weighed down.

A ditch is now dug about a foot wide. This ditch should start about three feet from the coop and lead inside. Corn or other grains are scattered outside and in the trench leading into the coop. Inside, quite a bit should be spread among the leaves and small, short twigs.

The turkeys that are now inside will eat the grain and scratch around in the leaves that usually partly fill the trench, and since the birds are typically looking up when they're not eating, they don't think about the trench they came through.

The same trap can catch quail, but it’s obviously made much smaller. About three feet square and a foot high is big enough. Some people have made quail coops out of cornstalks and have reported success.

The quail coop should have a ditch leading inside just like the one for the turkey coop. Of course, the ditch should be much smaller—only big enough for one bird to enter at a time. Inside the coop, it's a good idea to lay a board at least six inches wide over the ditch. The bait should be wheat or other small grains or seeds that the birds enjoy. Scatter it thinly on the outside and in the trench, but be more generous inside. You should also put chaff or leaves inside so that when the birds scratch for the grain, they will partially fill up the hole they came through.

Quail, turkey, and other game birds, once inside, will never think of going down into the ditch and out after they've eaten the bait. Instead, they walk around the coop, looking through the gaps and trying to find a way to escape.

The biggest catches happen when you bait the areas where the birds hang out for several days or even weeks before attempting to catch them. It's a good idea to set up the coops well in advance so that the birds, particularly wild turkeys, get used to them.

These traps are sometimes used with the figure 4 trigger, but when set up this way, they usually catch only one or two birds at a time.

This way of catching game and fur-bearing animals isn’t commonly used because making a pit trap requires a lot of work. However, it’s a great method for capturing larger animals, especially when they are needed for parks, zoos, and similar places, without harm.

The pit should be several feet deep, and bait should be placed as shown. Another approach is to cover the top with decaying branches, leaves, etc., and place the bait on this. The animal, in trying to grab the bait, breaks through.

The dirt from the pit should be taken out in baskets. Traps are set by digging a pit along animal pathways or trails. When the ground is not frozen or during rainy weather, it's a good idea to place a board a few inches wide on top. The animal, following its usual path, steps on the weak covering and falls through.

While the pit trap is mainly used for catching large game, it can also be effectively used to capture many of the smaller fur bearers.

Where muskrats are common, instead of digging a pit, use a box that's around three feet deep. The width and length don’t matter. Put a few flat rocks at the bottom and place it in the water where the rats usually go. Make sure the box is sturdy. It needs to be waterproof. The weight should keep the top of the box just a few inches below the water surface. Place a couple of boards or pieces so that the rats can climb up them and reach the box, where the bait is laid out along the edge.

The pit trap can be used in areas where skunks and other animals are common. Bait the spot for a few days before you dig the pit.

If you're going to use the pit without bait, first locate the animal's trails and dig the pit. Even though some animals might not be timid and might not mind a bit of fresh dirt nearby, it's still wise to be cautious and move all the dirt you remove from the pit at least a few yards away. Pits like this should be several feet deep.

The success a hunter or trapper has with this method will mainly depend on their understanding of the game they’re pursuing. Unless the animals are wanted alive, digging a pit is too labor-intensive and the chances of a catch are never guaranteed. This approach isn’t practical in normal situations, but it's worth trying if the goal is to capture the game alive and unharmed.

In some areas, there aren't many dens, so trappers use almost all of them when working in that region. However, in other parts of the country, dens are so plentiful that it's impossible to set a trap at each one. In states where groundhogs (woodchucks) are common, there can be a hundred or more dens along a single bluff or rocky bank. Few trappers have enough steel traps to place one at every den, but having two or three deadfalls alongside a line of steel traps is usually sufficient, allowing the trapper to move on to the next bluff with many dens and set another trap or two. Generally, where there are many dens close together, deadfalls tend to yield the best catches, but whenever you find a good den, it's worth setting or building a deadfall.

All trappers have noticed that when tracking animals in the snow, they often check out almost every den along their path, not always going inside but just poking their head in. While doing this, the animal picks up the scent of the bait and feels hungry (since nine times out of ten the animal is looking for something to eat), and if your trap is set up correctly, you can pretty much count on catching something.

In the North, Canada, Alaska, and some of the states along the Canadian border where trapping is a business, it’s not unusual for one person to have as many as one hundred and fifty traps, and some have even twice that amount or three hundred. Marten trappers in the vast forests often mark out a route that stretches fifty miles or more, building shelters along the way where they spend the nights.

The trapper who only spends a few hours each day trapping and lives in densely populated areas will find it difficult to find suitable spots for more than thirty to fifty traps. However, if these are properly checked during the season, the catch will make the time and effort spent on setting them worthwhile.

The number of deadfalls and snares each trapper should set up in their area depends mainly on themselves, based on the size of the territory they’re trapping without overlapping with other trappers’ grounds. It’s pointless to build traps where other trappers are working, as this will cause problems; traps might get destroyed, and so on. However, there are definitely plenty of good spots to set up traps nearby. If there are creeks and woods along the banks, you’ll find excellent places both by the creek and in the woods. In areas without forests, like some western states, deadfall trapping can be challenging because there may not be enough materials to build them.

In these situations, the portable traps (described elsewhere in this book) can likely be beneficial, but the best option in these areas is steel traps.

The number of deadfalls and snares that a trapper can manage is significant, because the game is killed, and since the weather is usually cold, the traps only need to be checked about twice a week.

In the North, many trappers have such long lines that they only check them once a week. The problem with only checking deadfalls once every seven days is that other animals might discover the game and could damage the fur or even ruin the pelt.

Where snares with spring pole attachments are used, and the weather is cold, the trapper doesn't have to check them more than once a week, since all animals will be hanging in the air and out of reach of predators.

South of 40 degrees, where the weather isn't harsh, it's standard practice to check traps at least twice a week, and in the far South, the trapper should go around every day.

It will therefore be clear that a trapper in the North can manage more deadfalls and snares than one in the South or even in the Central States. No trapper should possess more traps or longer lines than he can effectively manage. The fur-bearing animals are not overly abundant without having them caught and their pelts and fur ruined before the trapper arrives.

The best time to start trapping is when the cold weather arrives. The saying that fur is valuable in any month with an "r" in it only applies in the North. Even up there, September is too soon to start, although muskrats and skunks, along with some other furs, are still worth something. In the spring, April is the last month with an "r." In most areas, muskrats, bears, beavers, badgers, and otters are good throughout April, but other animals have started shedding weeks earlier.

The rule for trappers is to wait until fall nights are frosty and the ground is frozen before starting to trap.

Generally speaking, in Canada and the northern states, trappers can start around November 1 and should stop by March 1, except for water animals, bears, and badgers, which can be trapped until the end of March. In the central and southern states, trappers shouldn’t start as early and should finish in the spring one to four weeks earlier, depending on how far south they are located.

At the interior Hudson Bay posts, where their word is final, October 25 is set to start and May 25 to end hunting and trapping, except for bears, which are considered prime until June 10. Keep in mind that these dates apply to the interior or Northern H. B. Posts, which are located hundreds of miles north of the border between the United States and Canada.

The skunk is the first animal to become prime, followed by the raccoon, marten, fisher, mink, and fox. However, the fox doesn't become fully prime until a few days after it snows, according to an old trapper from Maine. Rats and beavers are slow to prime up, along with otters and mink, and although the mink isn't strictly a land animal, it becomes prime around the same time as the later land animals. The bear, which is definitely a land animal, doesn't have good fur until the snow arrives and isn’t truly prime until February or March.

With the first frosts and cooler days, many trappers start setting and baiting their traps. It's common knowledge among most trappers that it’s easier to catch certain types of fur-bearing animals early in the season, which is why trapping in many areas tends to begin too early.

Some years ago, when trapping started even earlier than it does now, we looked at mink skins that were labeled as No. 4 and worth 10 or 15 cents. If these animals had been given a few more weeks to live, their hides would have been No. 1 and could have been worth anywhere from $1.50 to $3.50 each, depending on the area. This early trapping is a loss for the trapper if they would just take a moment to think about it. There are only so many animals in a given area to be caught each winter, so why catch them before their fur is at its best?

In the southern regions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and similar places, skunks caught in October are classified into three grades (and sometimes even considered trash), but if they are caught after November 15th, they would be classified very differently. The same applies to opossums, mink, muskrats, raccoons, foxes, and so on.

Skunks are one of the animals that become prime first each fall. The date they reach prime condition depends a lot on the weather. Fifteen years ago, while trapping in Southern Ohio, I sold skunks at winter prices caught as early as October 16, while in other seasons, those caught on November 7, or three weeks later, were blue and downgraded. I'm glad to say that years ago I learned not to set out traps until November.

There's no doubt that the weather plays a big role in preparing furs and pelts. If the fall is colder than normal, the furs will become ready faster, while if the freezing temperatures arrive later, the pelts will take longer to be ready.

In the areas where weasels turn white (often referred to as ermine), trappers have a helpful indicator. When they turn white, they are at their best, and so are most other land animals. In fact, some of them are pretty good a week or two earlier.

When a fur is placed on the stretcher and turns blue after a few days, it’s far from prime and won’t grade any better than No. 2. If the fur turns black, it’s likely to grade No. 3 or 4. In the case of mink, if only dark spots appear on the fur, it’s not quite prime.

Trappers and hunters should keep in mind that no pelt is considered prime or No. 1 when it shows even a hint of blue. Opossum skins rarely turn blue, even if they are caught early — most other skins do.

The reason many trappers make small catches each season is that they only spend about an hour each day trapping, while in most other jobs, a person dedicates the whole day. The trapper who checks his grounds a few weeks before the trapping season isn’t wasting his time. He should also have a set of traps ready ahead of the trapping season.

There is something captivating about trapping that gives you a unique feeling when you're out there setting up deadfalls and snares or checking on your catch. I've often gone to the traps of seasoned trappers, where I've seen two to five carcasses hanging from a nearby sapling.

There are several documented cases where two animals have been caught in the same deadfall at the same time. A well-known trapper from Ohio claims to have caught three skunks in one deadfall simultaneously a few years ago. Whether this claim is true or not, we can't say for sure. However, the cases documented where two animals have been caught are so well-supported that there's little reason to doubt their accuracy.

Catching two animals at the same time isn’t as rare as many people might initially believe. If two animals happen to come by simultaneously and, attracted by the bait, start to eat, the outcome is quite obvious.

While trapping with deadfalls is a humane method for catching fur-bearing animals, another advantage is that skunks are typically killed without "perfuming" themselves, the trap, or the trapper. Additionally, once they are caught, there’s no escaping.

Trappers in the woods always have the right tools, like an axe or a heavy hatchet and a knife, to build a deadfall, even if their steel traps are all worn out and none are set for miles. A deadfall gets constructed, and maybe when the trapper comes back, they'll find an animal lying dead between the poles.

During extremely cold weather, there's hardly any point in checking traps set for skunks, raccoons, and so on, as they don't move around. Before a thaw or warm spell, you should go through the entire line and remove all old bait, replacing it with fresh bait.

Like many other trappers, you'll check your traps repeatedly without catching much, if any, fur. However, if your traps are well-made and spread out over a large area, you will catch a significant amount of fur during the season.

Deadfalls and snares can be set up for miles, and while you should check them every other day, if the weather is good for trapping, you can skip a visit if you can only get around twice a week without letting game escape. If you check your traps often, you won’t lose any fur to injury. It’s true that if a small animal gets caught in a trap made for much larger game, it will be quite flattened, but the skin or fur won't be damaged. In most areas, your catch won’t get hurt unless you don’t visit your traps often enough during warm weather, when they might start to smell bad. However, most trapping occurs in cooler weather, though there can be warm spells that cause skins to become tainted. If you find any in that condition, skin them as soon as possible and place them on boards or stretchers.

Another thing that really benefits the deadfall and snare trapper is that a trapper can never be sure when they’ll be able to check their traps again; unexpected events often occur, and even if it takes a day or so longer than anticipated, the deadfall or snare still effectively keeps the game secured.

As all experienced trappers know, the first night of a cold snap is a great time for animals to travel (they seem to sense the change in weather), and this typically leads to a good catch. If the trapper is a “weather expert,” all his traps are freshly baited and set up, because this is when game is moving — often searching for new warm dens and usually hungry. If the following days are cold and stormy, the trapper should check his lines as soon as possible. Once the trapper gets over the line after the “cold snap,” it’s not as crucial to check the traps for several days afterward.

The successful trapper is always watching the weather. Some animals do move around in the coldest weather, but many do not, so the trapper needs to make sure his traps are freshly baited when the signs indicate warmer weather. After days and nights of harsh weather, most animals are hungry, and when the weather improves, they start to move.

"I have over a hundred deadfalls and catch a lot of skunks," writes a trapper from Connecticut. "A few years ago, a trapper just two miles from here caught more than 60 raccoons in deadfalls. Since then, raccoons have been pretty rare, but I'm planning to go after them this fall. I like using red squirrel for skunk bait more than anything else, and valerian extract for scent. Give it a shot, trapper — it’s unbeatable. I've been using it for twenty years and can always catch my fair share."

The trapper who makes the biggest catches typically uses deadfalls and snares along with steel traps. Recently, two trappers shared their seasonal catches, noting that a significant portion was captured in deadfalls and snares. These trappers were based in Western Canada: marten 54, lynx 12, mink 19, ermine 71, wild cat 11, foxes 18.

While these trappers didn't mention it, it's assumed that the foxes were caught in snares or steel traps, since it's rare for one to get caught in a deadfall. In Canada and the New England States, where foxes are common, snares are used quite a bit.

Skunks, minks, ermines, weasels, and opossums are easily trapped in deadfalls. A trapper in a southern state reportedly caught 94 minks, along with 38 raccoons and 57 opossums, using 28 deadfalls from November 25th to February 25th, over a span of three months.

Early in September 1906, the editor spent a few days at his home in Southern Ohio, where in the 1880s, along and near a small stream called Kyger Creek, a lot of trapping took place.

If readers are interested and have a good, large map of Ohio, and check out the southern border, about fifty miles above where the Scioto River meets the Ohio River, either in a straight line or about double that if they follow the river's twists, they'll come across Kyger Creek. This stream is around ten miles long and flows into the Ohio River just below the village of Cheshire. The area is pretty rugged and rocky, but most of the trees are gone.

A quarter of a century ago, opossums, muskrats, skunks, and foxes were more abundant than they are today. Mink were scarce back then, but in the early '80s, they suddenly seemed to appear in larger numbers. The high price has led to a lot of trapping, and their population has dropped in recent years.

In trapping, we discovered deadfalls that were well-made, set, and baited, making them great traps for mink, skunks, and opossums. While there were not many raccoons in our trapping area, so we didn't catch many, an experienced trapper nearby managed to catch several each season using both deadfalls and steel traps.

There's no doubt that a trapper planning to stay in one spot for months should have a few deadfalls. These traps, like steel traps, rely more on accurate and careful construction and placement than on quantity. Having half a dozen deadfalls in the right locations, built and set properly, is likely as valuable as fifty that are haphazardly made and placed.

Some people oppose deadfalls because foxes are rarely caught in them. It's true that few foxes are captured in deadfalls, though in the far North, some are, especially Arctic and White foxes.

The deadfall trapper, however, who pays attention to their traps finds them effective for catching fur. They can be made small for weasels or a bit larger for minks, martens, and civet cats; larger for opossums and skunks; even bigger for raccoons and wildcats, and even to a size that can take down bears.

Some trappers find it tough to catch mink. At certain times of the year, they’re easy to catch in deadfalls. In the late '80s, over five winters, eight mink were caught in one deadfall. In the first winter, one was caught; in the second, two; in the third, three; and in the fourth and fifth, each one.

If we remember correctly, the trap was first set up in the fall of 1887, located about ten feet to the left of a sycamore tree that was still there at the time. There was a den under the tree that entered near the water, with an exit on the bank just a few feet from the trap, and close to where the pen and bait were positioned.

This deadfall was constructed similar to the illustration shown here. Although the fall was made of hickory, there was not a trace left when looking at the site in September 1906.

The pen should be built sturdy and secure so that the animal can't rip it apart and access the bait from the back. The "fall" or top pole can be made from any type of wood, but hickory, oak, beech, maple, and other dense woods work well. The pole should be heavy enough to kill the animal without needing to add weights to it. When constructing it, it's a good idea to let the top pole extend a couple of feet beyond the pen. This will provide more weight on the animal when the trap falls.

The two-piece triggers can be tough to use, especially if the log you’re using has rough bark. In that case, it might help to smooth it out with your axe or hatchet. When making the two-piece trigger, use the hardest wood you can find. The long piece can be slightly flattened on the underside, where the upper end of the upright or prop rests. The bottom end of the prop should be cut square, while the top end can be rounded a bit to help the top or bait trigger slide off more easily.

In setting up, lift the top pole and hold it in place with your knee. This frees both hands to adjust the triggers. When you think you have them right, slowly release the weight from your knee and then test the trigger. You'll quickly learn how they should be set.

The bait should be secured, or the bait trigger might have a prong to hold the bait in place. If you notice the bait is missing but the trap is still intact, it’s likely that it was set too tight, allowing the animal to take the bait without triggering the trap.

In recent years, in some areas, mice have been quite a nuisance, eating the bait. In other places, birds are the ones stealing the bait, so it's better to set traps that are difficult to trigger.

The location of a deadfall greatly influences the catch. Experienced trappers know that if they set a steel trap in an area not commonly visited by fur-bearing animals, their catch will be minimal. This applies to all types of sets, whether they're steel traps, snares, or deadfalls.

In the illustration, you’ll see that the side where the animal goes in for bait is facing the creek. When making these traps, it's best to leave the open side facing the water if you're trapping for mink or raccoons, since they usually move straight from the water to their dens along the bank.

The under log in the deadfall shown only sticks out a few inches past the two end stakes. It should stick out eight or ten inches. The four stakes at the pen need to be long enough so that when the trap is set, they reach above the top of the fall pole. If they don't, the trap might get caught on the end of one of the stakes and not fall properly.

Along streams, these traps don’t need to be close together. A couple per mile is sufficient. Of course, if there are areas where dens are common, more can be set up advantageously, while in other sections of water, it might be pointless to set them at all. It all depends on whether animals pass through those areas. You can’t catch them in any trap if they aren’t present.

For opossums, skunks, minks, civet cats, raccoons, ermines, etc., find out where these animals live or where they often go to search for food. If you’re setting up near dens, either position yourself within a few feet of the one that seems the best or just off the route the animal takes between them. Make sure the open area is next to the path and only about three feet away.

Marten trappers, when setting traps on elevated ground, don’t focus as much on dens and paths, since these animals often spend time in trees searching for squirrels, birds, and other prey. Instead, they navigate through the forest, “spotting a line,” and find a deadfall in promising areas roughly every 200 yards, or about 8 per mile.

Much importance should be placed on the skinning and stretching of all types of skins to achieve the highest commercial value. The fisher, otter, foxes, lynx, marten, mink, ermine, civet, cats, and skunk should be cased, meaning they should be removed whole.

Start with the knife in the center of one hind foot and cut up the inside of the leg, up to and around the vent, then down the other leg in the same way. Cut around the vent, being careful not to cut the lumps or glands that hold the musk of certain animals, then peel the skin from the bone of the tail using a split stick held firmly in one hand while the thumb of the other hand presses against the animal’s back just above. Do not make any other cuts in the skin except for skunks and otters, whose tails need to be split, spread, and tacked onto a board.

Turn the skin back over the body, with the pelt side facing out and the fur side facing in, and by cutting a few ligaments, it will come off easily. Be careful to cut closely around the nose, ears, and lips to avoid tearing the skin. Make a board about the size and shape of a three-board stretcher, but not split in half. This board is for placing the skin on to help hold it while removing bits of fat and flesh that stick to it during skinning, which can be done with a blunt knife by scraping the skin from the tail toward the nose—the direction that the hair roots grow. Never scrape the other way, or you’ll damage the skin fibers, and be careful not to scrape too hard, because if the skin fibers are harmed, their value decreases.

Now that the skin has been thoroughly prepared, it’s time to stretch it. This is done by inserting the two halves of the three-board stretcher and pulling the skin over the boards as much as possible, with the back on one side and the belly on the other. Secure it by driving a small nail about an inch from each side of the tail near the skin's edges; do the same on the other side. Next, insert the wedge and push it between the halves almost its entire length. Be careful not to stretch the skin too much, as this can make the fur look thin and decrease its value. Then, put a nail at the base of the tail to secure it to the wedge; also, tighten any loose areas and fasten them. It’s important to ensure both sides of the skin are of equal length, which can be achieved by overlapping the leg flippers. After that, pull up the under lip and secure it, and then pull the nose down to meet the lip and fasten it. Now the skin is ready to hang and cure.

Do not dry skins by a fire, in direct sunlight, or in smoke. This can often damage them, rendering them worthless. Instead, dry them in a well-ventilated shed or tent with good air circulation, and avoid using any treatments like alum or salt, as these will spoil them for sale. Don’t stretch the noses too long, which some trappers tend to do; follow the method described above, and you'll get better prices. Fur buyers usually categorize long-nosed skins as "southern" and pay less for them because southern skins tend to have much lighter fur compared to those from the North.

The badger, beaver, bear, raccoon, and wolf must always be skinned "open;" that is, cut down the belly from the back end to the chin like this: Cut across the hind legs as if they were going to be "cased" and then cut up the belly. The skin can then be removed by peeling it off like skinning a beef.

Another experienced trapper says: The animals you should skin are bear, beaver, raccoon, badger, timber wolf, and wolverines. To do this, make a cut from the point of the lower jaw in a straight line down to the vent. Then, cut open the skin along the back of the hind legs and the inside of the front legs, and carefully peel the skin off the body. However, with beavers, don’t split open the front legs, and since the tail has no fur, it should be cut off. If the skin is of high quality, especially for bears, don’t cut off the feet; instead, skin them while leaving the claws on. I’d also suggest saving the skull, and the best way to clean it is by scraping off the flesh with a knife. Once the animal is skinned, roll the skin up with the fur side out and pack it away.

Make sure there are no burrs or clumps of mud in the fur before you start fleshing. My method for fleshing furs—there may be better ones—is to stretch the skin over a smooth board specifically made for this and scrape or peel with a blunt-edged knife. Start at the tail and scrape toward the head; otherwise, you might damage the fibers of the hide. Most animals have a thin layer of flesh over their back and shoulders. This should be removed entirely, leaving just the skin and fur. Raccoon and muskrat are easy to flesh by pinching the flesh between the edge of the knife and your thumb.

For stretching boards, I prefer a three-board stretcher, but a plain board will work too. For muskrats, use a single board. Open skins are best stretched in frames or hoops, but you can also stretch them against a wall inside a building. The boards shown in the image are, in my opinion, the right shapes, and I recommend making a good supply of them before the season starts.

To use these three board stretchers, place the two halves of the board in the skin, pull the skin down, and secure the back legs with tacks to the edges of the boards. This stretches the hide lengthwise. Next, insert the wedge between the two boards, which will fully stretch the skin and give it the right shape. Finish by securing with tacks, pulling the nose over the tip of the board, and drawing the skin of the lower jaw up against the nose. Hang the furs in a cool, dry place, and as soon as they're dry, take them off the boards. Fox skins should be turned with the fur side out after removing from the board.

When using the hoop stretcher, lace the hide inside the hoop with twine, stretching the raccoon skin square and the beaver skin round. All other furs should be stretched to maintain their natural shape. If it's warm outside and the furs might spoil, be sure to salt them. A salted hide is preferable to a spoiled one. Add salt to the tail, and make a hole in the end of the tail with a pointed wire to help the water drain out, or split the tail about half an inch from the tip.

The bear's skin is probably more prone to spoilage than any other, and the ears, in particular, are likely to affect and damage the fur. To avoid this, make a slit on the inside of the ears, skin them back almost to the edge, and pack them with salt. Also, salt the base of the ears on the flesh side of the hide.

In stretching, a North Dakota trapper explains that we use a one-board stretcher like this: After you’ve removed the flesh from the fur, lay it out with the four feet on one side and the tail on the other. Secure the hind feet and the tail with tacks, then take a piece of board roughly 1 x 1/4 inches (about the right size for a mink) with one side rounded. Place it under the fur on the side with the feet, and tie down the front feet. When you're ready to remove the fur, pull out the small board, and the fur will come off easily.

A tool I’ve found really helpful for skinning is a piece of stiff wire that's 18 inches long. Bend it in the middle to form a V shape, with the ends about 8 inches apart. Bend each end up about an inch to create a hook. When you’re skinning, after you’ve cut around the hind feet, hook into the large tendons, hang it on a nail or a branch, and then use both hands to continue. The wire should be about the same thickness as a slate pencil, and it works well for anything from foxes to mink. Trappers will appreciate this tool, especially for skinning animals after they’ve gotten cold. Young trappers should start with this simple tool to avoid cutting holes in the skin. It’s worth being careful when skinning animals and stretching their skins properly, as both increase their market value.

How many trappers keep the skulls of their larger game? All the skulls of bears, pumas or mountain lions, wolves, foxes, and sometimes those of lynxes and wildcats are easy to sell if they have good sets of teeth. Several groups buy these skulls for cash.

To prepare them, most of the meat should be removed, along with the brain and eyes. The easiest way to do this is to boil the skull with the meat still on in an old pot until the flesh starts to get tender. Then, while it's still hot, you can easily cut it away, and by making the hole at the back of the skull bigger, the brain can be scooped out. You need to keep an eye on them because if boiled too long, the teeth will fall out, the bones will come apart, and the skull will be ruined. It's safer but more tedious to clean them with a sharp knife without boiling.

The dealers pay anywhere from 50 cents for a bear skull to 15 cents for a fox, though taxidermists and furriers often pay much more. The British Columbia Government offers bounties on the skulls, and I think this is a good idea because it prevents the skins from being damaged and losing value through scalping, punching, or cutting, like usual. Save a few good skulls and increase the value of your catch.

Take two pieces of No. 9 fence wire about 30 inches long, writes an Ohio raccoon hunter and trapper. Sharpen one end, then start at each back foot and push the wire through close to the edge like you’re sewing, taking stitches about an inch long until you reach the front foot. Then pull the hide along the wire just far enough so the top and bottom stretch out to make it square, or it's better if it's a few inches longer than the width.

Put 3 or 4 nails on each side, then start at the top and tack everything except the head. Next, pull the bottom down to align with the sides without tacking the head, which allows it to sink into the hide. Finally, tack the head. This is a simple and effective method for handling raccoon skins, making them nearly square when stretched.

Many inexperienced trappers stretch raccoon skins too far and distort the head and neck. This can be avoided by following the instructions provided here. Raccoons can be cased, but most dealers prefer them to be stretched open.

Get a lot of steel wire, says a Missouri trapper who uses old umbrella wires, the round solid ones. Sharpen one end, take your raccoon skin, and run one wire up each side and one across each end.

In putting these wires in, do it like the old woman knits: wrap the hide around the wire and push it through about every inch. Now cut six small twigs, make them the right length, and notch the ends, and you’ll soon have your hide stretched like an expert trapper.

The benefit of this is that you can carry stretchers for twenty-five skins in one hand and don’t have to search for a barn door, a box of tacks, and a hammer every time you want to stretch one. You can stretch in a quarter of the time it would take to tack it up on a board, and you'll have it looking great the first time without needing to pull out a tack here and stretch a bit more there.

I’ve always used the whole board (not split into two pieces and shaped like a wedge, as some do), writes a trapper from Massachusetts, and made it like this:

For mink, I use a 3/8-inch board that’s about 40 inches long, 4 inches wide at the larger end, and tapers down to about 2 1/2 inches at the smaller end. I plane the edges from near the middle of the board to the edge, leaving a thin edge, and I sand it down to make it smooth. I make the board this length because sometimes a mink might stay in a trap for several days before being removed. If it's underwater, it’s not always easy to tell how long it’s been trapped, and there’s a chance that if it’s put on the board to dry after sitting for so long, it could start to spoil before it completely dries. I’ve seen this happen where several, or even almost all, of the hairs at the end of the tail would shed or pull out, which can damage the skin to a greater or lesser extent.

Now, when I get a mink in this condition after pulling it on the board and tacking all around, I split the tail open and lay it flat, tacking all around just like you would with an otter pelt. By doing this, you can often prevent the loss of the tail, which would negatively affect the skin's value. The value of the mink pelt isn’t harmed by this process. Some dealers actually prefer to have all the pelts they buy cured this way.

For stretching muskrat skins, I also use a board with the same thickness as for mink, about 20 inches long, 6 ½ or 7 inches wide at the larger end, tapering slightly to about 3 inches at the smaller end. The sides are planed down to a thin edge, just like the mink boards. In fact, I prefer to stretch all cased skins this way, being careful not to make the boards too wide, as that could stretch the skins to a width much greater than their natural width before they were placed on the board. I aim to give them all the reasonable strain they can handle in length. If they are stretched too wide, it can make the fur thinner and decrease its value.

I usually stretch the pelts, especially muskrat ones, onto the boards enough so that the smaller end sticks out through the mouth of the skin by about half an inch. When the skins are dry enough to take off, all you need to do is grab the edges of the skin with one hand on each side and give the small end a quick tap, and the skin will pop off right away. By stretching the skins on the boards with the back on one side and the belly on the other, they come off looking smooth and uniform in width, and they sell for a much better price than if they're just tossed on a shingle or a poorly shaped board, which many beginners tend to do. I've seen some pretty terrible work done in this regard.

It's important to get rid of all excess grease and fat right after the skin is stretched. If you don’t, they can heat up, sweat, and mold to some degree after being taken off the boards, which can harm their appearance and marketability. Paying attention to these little details is essential. This information is shared to assist beginners. If they take care when stretching and take pride in their work, they’ll find the business more enjoyable and profitable.

If it's convenient when setting up camp, writes an experienced trapper who has hunted fur-bearing animals in many states, you should bring along several stretching boards for your different types of fur. If you can't, you can usually find a tree that splits well and you can cut some out. It's often tough to find pieces that are long and straight enough to bend into a properly shaped stretcher. You should always strive to stretch and preserve the furs you catch in the best way possible.

In skinning, you should cut the animal straight from one heel to the other, close to the base of the tail on the underside. Loosen the skin around the bone at the base until you can hold the bone of the tail with the first two fingers of your right hand while placing the bone between the first two fingers of your left hand. Then, by pulling, you will remove the entire bone from the tail, which you should always do.

Sometimes, when the animal has been dead for a while, the bone won't easily come out of the tail. In this case, cut a stick the size of your finger, about eight inches long. Whittle it down in the middle until it can easily bend, so the two ends can touch. Then, carve a notch in each part of the stick just big enough to fit the bone of the tail and squeeze it out. You need to whittle one side of the stick at the notch to create a square shoulder.

You should have about three sizes of stretching boards for mink and fox. For mink, they should range from 4 1/2 inches to 3 inches wide, and for fox, from 6 1/4 inches to 5 inches wide. The fox boards can be four feet long, while the mink boards should be three feet long.

The boards should slightly taper down to within 8 inches of the end for foxes and then be rounded to a point. The mink boards should be rounded at 4 or 5 inches from this point. You’ll adjust the shape of the board based on its width. Stretching boards should not be more than 3/8 inch thick. A belly strip should be the length or nearly the length of the boards, 1 1/4 inches at the wide end, tapering to a point at the other end and about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Make sure the edges of the boards are smooth and even. Other stretching boards should be made to match the size and shape of the animal whose skin is being stretched.

You should immediately remove all the fat and flesh from the skin as soon as it’s on the board. If the skin is wet when taken from the animal, you should lay it flat on a board until the fur is completely dry. Then, turn the skin so the flesh side is facing out and stretch it.

Beginning on the left, the dimensions and skins stretched on the different boards are provided:

No. 1. Mink board, 28 inches long and 4 inches wide.

No. 2. Mink board, 28 inches long and 3.5 inches wide.

No. 3. Weasel board length 20 inches and 2.5 inches wide.

No. 4. Muskrat board, 21 inches long and 6 inches wide.

No. 5. Opossum board, (small), length 20 inches and 6.5 inches wide.

No. 6. Skunk or opossum, (medium), length 28 inches and 7 inches wide.

No. 7. Skunk and opossum, (large), length 28 inches and 8 inches wide.

Old and experienced hunters and trappers know the right shape and size for making various stretching boards for fur-bearing animals, but the above description is specifically intended for beginners and those who are careless about stretching pelts.

Trappers in the southern regions will likely find the boards described here too big for most of their skunks. In the Northeast, the mink boards will also be too large, but for this area (Ohio), they are about the right size. The overall shape of the boards can be seen in the illustration.

One of the best ways, writes a Minnesota trapper, to remove the skin of an animal is by cutting around the hind legs or feet, then making a slit down the inside of the hind legs to the body, connecting the two slits between the hind legs. After that, you can take off the skin on the tail by pushing a thumbnail or a thin flat piece of wood against the tailbone and pulling the skin off.

Now start to pull the animal's body through the slit you already made without making it bigger, turning the skin inside out with the fur side in. When you get to the front legs, cut the skin away from them at the wrists, and then continue to skin over the head until you reach the mouth, where you should finally remove the skin at the lips.

One thing to remember when drying a skin is that it needs to be pulled tight; another is that it should be stretched in a spot where it won’t be hit too hard by heat from a fire or the sun, and it shouldn’t be washed. Large skins can be nailed to the wall of a shed or barn.

The board stretcher should be made from a thin material. Get a board made of basswood or another lightweight material, measuring two feet three inches long, three and a half inches wide at one end, and two and an eighth inches wide at the other, with a thickness of three-eighths of an inch. Chamfer it from the center to the edges almost to a point. Round and chamfer the small end about an inch on the sides. Split the board through the center with a knife or saw, then make a wedge of the same length and thickness, one inch wide at the large end, tapering to a blunt point. This is a stretcher suitable for a mink or a marten.

Two large sizes with similar proportions are needed for the big animals. The largest size, appropriate for fully grown otters and wolves, should be five and a half feet long, seven inches wide at the larger end when fully spread by the wedge, and six inches at the smaller end. An intermediate size is needed for fishers, raccoons, foxes, and some other animals, and the proportions for these can be easily figured out.

These stretchers require that the animal's skin should not be torn open at the belly but should be removed in one piece. Peel the skin off the body by pulling it over itself, with the fur facing inward. Once in this state, the skin should be placed on the split board (with the back on one side and the belly on the other), stretched to its maximum length, and secured with tacks. Then, a wedge should be inserted between the two halves. Finally, secure everything with a tack at the base of the tail and another on the opposite side. The skin is then stretched to its full capacity and can be hung up to dry.

Not just the skulls of larger animals, but also the skulls of any game, the skeletons of any birds, or fish have a ready market, as long as these specimens are properly cleaned and in perfect condition. However, the hunter or trapper must keep in mind that it is the perfect specimen that is in demand, and that a bruise on the bone literally ruins it for the curator.

If you look closely at any skull, you’ll see that some of the bones are very thin and delicate, almost like a spider web. These fragile bones need to be preserved if they're going to be valuable to the Comparative Anatomist, and boiling or scraping will ruin them. Now for the cleaning method: it involves "rotting" rather than scraping or boiling. Take the skull (or entire head) and secure it firmly in a can or jar, then fill it with water and set it aside for three or four weeks. After that time, pour off the water, and most of the flesh will come off too. Refill with clean water again and repeat as often as needed. I’ve found that doing this twice usually does the trick and leaves the bones in good condition.

There’s a market for most animal skulls as long as they’re not damaged, so it’s worth keeping them. In the Hunter-Trader-Trapper, published in Columbus, Ohio, you can usually find ads from people who buy them.

I’ve never had much luck with two-piece stretchers, but I use thin board stretchers in one piece with a "sword stick" on each side to fully stretch and allow air to reach both sides of the skin. This helps the skin cure faster and better than if only one side is exposed to the air, says a Maryland trapper.

When I'm away from home, I use stretchers made from young tree branches since suitable boards aren't available everywhere, and they're not practical when traveling light. To make these, cut straight and thick branches of osier, willow, or hickory, about four feet long; then cut two short pieces for the ends that are 4 and 6 inches long and carefully bend the long piece. Nail these in with a small wire nail at each end. A handful of shingle or lath nails and a bunch of osier sprouts will give you a complete set of stretchers for a temporary camp.

I know that preparing your furs for market is just as important as trapping them, writes a trapper. If you don't have any boards, head to your grocer or dry goods store, and you can get all the boxes you need for 5 or 10 cents each. They shouldn't be thicker than 3/8 of an inch; if they are, plane them down smooth on both sides.

I create what I call a two-piece stretcher with a wedge for muskrats. Take a board that is 20 inches long, 3/8 inch thick, and 6 inches wide at the large end, tapering to 2 1/2 inches at the small end. Taper it back 5 inches from the small end. Now use a block plane to shave off each side by an inch or more and round it off. Round and shave the small end the same way, almost to an edge. Now draw a line down the center of the board and saw it through.

Make a wedge that's the same length and thickness, 3/8 inch wide and tapering down to 1/10 inch. If you have a large hide, push it between the halves. Drill a hole in the large end and hang it up in a cool, ventilated place to dry. After three days, pull out the wedge, and your fur will come off easily without tearing. If the boards start to warp, tack a strip across the large end.

The mink stretchers are designed in the same way. A board that's the same thickness, 30 inches long, and 3 1/2 inches wide, tapers down to a small end that's 2 1/8 inches round. For larger minks, insert a wedge that's one inch wide, tapering down to 2/8 inches. They also work well for skunks and raccoons, but they're made on a larger scale.

Now, let's talk about casing. Put your hide on so that the back is on one side and the belly on the other. Fold the nose over the small end by ½ inch. Place two tacks on each side, then pull it down tight to the large end and add two more tacks on each side. Lay the board on the bench and use an old case knife to scrape off all the meat and fat, being careful not to scrape too thin so you don't damage the skin's fibers. Once you've removed the flesh, insert the wedge to tighten the skin. Make sure not to stretch your hide too much, or it will make your fur look thin.

This is how I stretch a raccoon hide: use four-penny nails and either the inside or outside of an old building, but inside is best. Drive the first nail through the nose. This secures the hide for the start. Pull each front leg straight up (not out) to be level with the nose and about seven or eight inches away from it, depending on the size of the raccoon. Drive the next nail at the base of the tail and pull it down, moderately tight.

Now pull each back leg out about an inch wider than the front legs and a little below the tail nail. Then use a nail every inch and pull the hide up between the front legs and nose until it’s straight across. Next, treat the bottom of the hide the same way as the top. Use plenty of nails. To finish down the sides, drive a nail first on one side and then on the other until you’re done. When you finish, you'll see that the hide is almost square with no legs sticking out the sides and no notches in the skin.

MINK should be cased fur side in and laid out on boards for several days or until it's dry.

SKUNK should be cased fur side in and stretched on boards for several days. Cutting out the white stripe and blackening it, etc., lowers the value.

RACCOON should be stretched open (cut open on the belly) and nailed to boards or the inside of a building. Some dealers pay the same for raccoons cased from any area, while others prefer that only Southern raccoons be cased.

FOXES of different types should be cased and laid out fur side in for a few days, or until dry. Since the pelt is thin, they dry quickly, and then they should be taken off and turned fur side out. When shipping, make sure they aren’t packed with the flesh side out.

LYNX should be cased, and after they are properly dried, they should be turned fur side out, just like foxes.

OTTER are cased and stretched fur side in. The pelt being thick and heavy takes several days to dry properly. They are shipped flesh side out. Sea otter are handled the same way as fox, lynx, and marten, which is fur side out.

BEAVERS are split but stretched around and should be left in the hoop or stretcher for several days.

BEAR should be handled openly and carefully stretched. When skinning, be careful to leave the nose, claws, and ears attached to the hide.

WOLVES can be handled just like bears, as well as wolverines.

FISHER should be cased and stretched with the flesh side facing out, but can also be sent to market just like foxes or fur side out.

MARTEN should be stretched and dried on boards with the fur side facing in, but turned as soon as it's dry.

OPOSSUM are laid out on boards with the fur side in and are left that way after taking off the boards. Cut off the tails while skinning — they aren't worth anything.

MUSKRAT should be laid out fur side in, and a few days on the boards is enough. They are left as they were taken off, meaning fur side in. Cut off the tails when skinning — they’re useless.

WEASEL should be cased, fur side in. The pelts are thin and dry quickly. Leave the fur side in after removing the boards.

BADGER should be split and nailed to the inside of a building to dry.

CIVET CAT should be cased and stretched on boards with the fur side in. Once dry, take off the boards and keep the fur side in.

RING TAIL CATS should be cased, and after removing the boards, they are usually left fur side in for the market.

WILD CAT are cased and stretched on boards. They can be turned fur out or left as taken from the stretchers, fur side in.

HOUSE CATS are placed and stretched on boards with their fur side facing inside. They are typically sent to market with the fur side still facing in.

RABBITS are covered in fur, and since the pelt is thin, they dry quickly. They are shipped with the fur side in.

PANTHER are handled much like bear. You should be careful when skinning to leave the claws, ears, nose, and so on, on the skin for mounting.

My experience is that the company that offers just four levels of top-quality products is the one you'll get the biggest payments from for your collections, writes a Michigan collector with 50 years of experience. When there are too many grades listed, it allows a company to shortchange you a little every time you send something, and you can’t really complain since you know that some companies have a grade for almost every item you send. So, I’d prefer to take the risk with fewer grades.

A trapper from Wisconsin says: For example, mink might be worth between 25 cents and $3.00. That means there are 275 different prices in that range. If he's a fur buyer, I really feel for the trappers who would have to accept those 275 different prices for their mink. A person should be able to differentiate between grades No. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and once he does, he can offer a fair and honest price for every pelt he buys. If he can't tell the difference, he might as well get a job working the front desk at a hotel or chopping wood.

Many people have asked for an explanation of the differences between the various grades of skins, and for their benefit, as well as for those with little experience, the following information may be helpful.

Raw furs are categorized into four grades: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4. Except for skunk and muskrat, most companies break down the No. 1 furs into large, medium, and small sizes. Additionally, many businesses provide a range of prices like this: Mink from Northern New York, large $6.00 to $8.00. Wouldn’t it be better to just list one price?

It’s well-known that Minnesota minks are big. A No. 1 medium mink from that state is the same size as a No. 1 large mink from Maine, where the minks tend to be smaller. But since dealers list prices by different states and regions, why not just provide one price like this:

MINK, NORTHERN NEW YORK, NO. 1.

Large, Medium, Small, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4,  
$7.00. $5.00. $3.00 $1.50. $0.75. $0.20

These figures are just for illustration purposes and aren't intended to represent value.

Furs from different regions of North America have their unique traits, and an experienced person can easily identify where a pelt was trapped. It might be sent by a collector hundreds of miles away from its origin, but if there are many furs in the collection, an expert will quickly recognize it. This understanding, however, comes only with years of experience.

Prime skins are those obtained in cold weather, and the pelt looks bright and healthy after drying for a few days.

Unprime skins are those that change to blue or black after being stretched for a while. Generally, the darker the fur, the lower the quality. If the skin is only slightly blue, it might drop just one grade, but if it turns black, it will likely be rated No. 3 or No. 4, potentially making it worthless.

Springy skins, as the name suggests, are those harvested late in the season or during spring. Even though they are often from prime animals, they have started to shed. Beginners can be misled, thinking that if the pelt is prime, the fur is too. Foxes and other animals often show signs of being "rubbed" in the spring, which obviously decreases their value.

A No. 1 skin should be average in size and free from cuts and other imperfections. No unprime skin will grade higher than No. 2.

Skunk, to be No. 1 or black, must have a prime pelt, be a fair size, and the stripe must not extend beyond the shoulders. The day when only "star black" skunks were considered No. 1 is gone, as most trappers and shippers understand better now.

A No. 2, or short striped skunk, is top quality and the stripes, if thin, can stretch almost to the tail. A small No. 1 or a blued No. 1 is rated as No. 2.

A No. 3 or long stripe has two stripes running the full length, but there should be as much black between the stripes as either of the white stripes.

In some states like Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas, skunks are large and mostly have the same long, narrow stripes. However, because of their size, they are valued similarly to the eastern short stripe or No. 2.

A No. 4, broad or white skunk, is top quality but has two wide stripes running down its back. Most dealers categorize skunk as No. 4 if either white stripe has more white than the black space between the two stripes.

All unprime skunks are rated down to No. 2, 3, and 4 based on the fur depth and stripe. A No. 1 skunk with a stripe but blue becomes a No. 2, or if it's badly blued, a No. 3 or 4; a No. 2 skunk with a stripe but blue becomes a No. 3; a No. 3 with a stripe but blue is a No. 4; and a No. 4 with a stripe but blue usually gets thrown in the trash. In fact, if any of the grades are badly blued, they can end up in the trash.

Muskrats are categorized into four grades — spring, winter, fall, and kits. Spring rats are labeled as No. 1; winter as No. 2; fall as No. 3; and kits as No. 4.

No. 1 or spring rats are those caught in March and April. The fur is a reddish color and completely free of dark spots. A few spring rats can be caught before March, but as long as they have dark spots, they don’t qualify as No. 1.

No. 2, or winter rats, are pretty well furred, but there are dark streaks and spots on their fur, usually on the back.

No. 3 or fall are not fully furred, and the pelt is far from being in prime condition. The dark streaks are much more noticeable than later in the season.

No. 4, or kitts, are only partially grown, or if they’re larger, they’re badly damaged.

Opossum is the only animal that can have a "prime" pelt but an "unprime" coat of fur. This makes opossum pretty difficult to sort unless it's turned fur side out.

If opossums have been properly skinned and stretched, they will, when unprimed, show a dark blue spot on the underside at the throat. The clearer this spot, the poorer the fur.

Good unprimed skins are No. 2; poor unprimed skins are No. 3; the really poor and fake ones, with no fur, are No. 4, usually referred to as trash and worthless.

The other fur-bearing animals, like mink, otter, beaver, fox, wolves, lynx, wild cat, fisher, raccoon, bear, badger, civet cat, weasel, and so on, are graded in a similar way. To qualify as No. 1, all skins must be caught during the season when the fur is at its best, meaning the "pelt" looks healthy—never blue or black—must be of average size, properly skinned, handled well, and free of cuts or bullet holes.

Skins can be considered unprime for various reasons, such as being caught too early, mishandled, or undersized. Unprime skins are classified as No. 2, 3, or 4 based on their level of quality. Decently furred unprime skins are rated No. 2; those with sparse fur are rated No. 3; the poorly furred are rated No. 4, while low-quality skins are discarded.

Some skins, although they are prime, are so small that they fall into grade No. 3. However, this is more of an exception than the norm. Typically, if they are prime, being undersized will only drop the skin down one grade.

I’ve been buying them for several years, writes a collector, and I know that some trappers are like some farmers—they want the same amount of money for a bushel of dirty wheat as their neighbors get for a bushel of clean wheat. I've been offered skunk and opossum hides that had a pound or two of spoiled fat on them, and skins that were taken out of season, yet they expect to get top prices for them.

Some people stretch their hides into the shape of an oblong triangle and leave enough flesh on to make a meal. Stretch your hides as close to the shape of the animal as you can; don’t try to make a muskrat hide as long as a mink, or a mink as wide as a muskrat. Catch in season, handle the flesh carefully, stretch into good shape, always remove the bones from the tails, keep them in a well-ventilated building until dry, and then you won’t have to complain so much to the buyer about the prices.

Under this title, says an experienced Western trapper, I will try to show my fellow trappers how to handle pelts:

As soon as I get back from setting my traps (I use a team and wagon), I feed the team, the dogs, and myself. Then, I start skinning the game the usual way. Once all the game is skinned, I put on my fleshing suit, which is made of the same rubber cloth as buggy curtains. I take out my fleshing boards, which I have in three sizes—large, medium, and small—for each type of cased skin except for rats, which I flesh using just my thumb and a knife. The fleshing boards are like Fig. 1 in the enclosed diagram; they’re made from 1-inch pine that’s free from knots and smooth on both sides, measuring 3 feet 6 inches long, and for skunks, they’re 3/4 inch thick and 10 inches wide, tapered to a blunt point with rounded edges that are sanded smooth. These boards can be made in different sizes to accommodate larger or smaller pelts of other types.

For fleshing, I’ve tried just about everything you can think of—dull knives, hardwood scrapers, and so on—but I’ve given them all up for the hatchet. I use an old lath hatchet head and keep it fairly sharp. Here’s what I do: I place the pelt on the board but don’t secure it, grip the lower edge with my left hand, pull down hard, position the edge of the board against my chest, and use the hatchet with my right hand, pushing down while keeping the hatchet nearly flat. It takes a lot of elbow grease. As soon as you clean off a strip, turn the hide a little, but don’t flesh near the edge of the board. It might not go well at first and you might end up cutting through one or two hides, but you’ll quickly learn the technique.

If you can, start with a female skunk since they're easier to flesh, and make sure there are no burrs or clumps of mud in the fur, or you'll end up cutting a hole the size of the burr. Now for the stretchers. In Fig. 2 is what I use; it’s somewhat of my own invention, and there’s no patent on it. It’s made of any wood that splits straight, and the dimensions are as follows: pieces are 4 ft. long by 1 3/8 in. dressed smooth; pieces are 1 1/2 X 3/8 in.; for large skunks, let’s say they would be 10 in. and 4 1/2 in. To frame, you need to soak or steam the long pieces; miter the ends and secure them with 3d finishing nails bent over. Then, place them 1 in. from the ends and fasten with two 6d finishing nails; position them and pull up to 8 in. from the nose and secure. Now chamfer off the edges and sandpaper smooth.

I like this stretcher because it allows air to circulate around both sides of the pelt and dries them in half the time. Fig 3 shows how to fasten the pelt; on the belly side, it can be pulled down and secured to the tail pieces using a sack needle and twine. It's made from two or more poles connected in a hoop shape.

When shipping furs, pack them tightly; don’t ship them loosely in a sack. Place mink and rat inside skunk and other furs, and always put the toughest pelts on the outside. By packing tightly, you’ll avoid wrinkling, and they won’t look messy, which can increase the price by 5 to 10 percent. Now, fellow trappers, fleshing pelts isn’t just about removing the fat; it involves going deeper to clean the flesh off the pelt so that with skunks, the stripe will show clearly the entire length and the weight will be cut in half. On February 2nd, I shipped 15 large skunks; the entire lot only weighed 9 pounds, including the sack.

When stretching skunk and otter skins, if the weather is warm, cut the tails, open them up, and secure them flat. Cut halfway open all other pelts that have fur tails. Open pelts can be stretched using hoops made from one or more poles about an inch in diameter, and sewn in with a sack needle and heavy twine.

In stretching, don’t pull the hide so wide that the fur looks thin, or so long and narrow that it appears like a horse is tied to each end. Try to maintain the animal's natural shape as much as possible, and dry it in a cool, ventilated area indoors, or on the north side of a building, away from any fire.

Baling — this is where the skilled trapper demonstrates his expertise. During baling, you'll see him clean off any excess fat and dirt, placing the heavy pelts on the outside of his pack. The lighter furs, like mink, marten, cat, etc., will go inside the heavier skins. For example, he might fit four to eight rats or mink inside a fox or skunk pelt, aligning one head with the tail of another, with the tails tucked in. He then tightly ties a cord around each end, lays them on a square of burlap, and uses a sack needle and twine to pull the sides as tight as possible; then he folds in the ends and sews them up securely. Furs packed this way arrive at the market in great condition, unlike those that would be stuffed haphazardly into a sack.

In conclusion, guys, let me share a couple of sayings for you to keep in mind: "High-quality furs that are well-caught and handled always fetch the best prices." "Value your catch, no matter how small."

While the heading of this chapter is "From Animal to Market," it’s important to ask the dealer to assess and send the value when shipping. If everything looks good, write to arrange for a check to be sent. If not, instruct the dealer to return the furs.

When shipping furs under these conditions, make sure that no green skins are sent—only properly cured ones.

While some dealers offer to cover shipping costs both ways, we really don't think that's fair. If no deal is reached, the dealer should pay for shipping one way and the shipper should cover the other.

The Hunter-Trader-Trapper, published in Columbus, Ohio, for the benefit of hunters, trappers, and raw fur dealers, offers a wealth of information that will be useful for shipping furs as well as trapping techniques, and more.

This book wouldn't be complete without at least a few pages dedicated to steel traps. Although a few steel traps were in use before 1850, it's only been since then that they have become widely used. In recent years, they've become cheaper, and trappers all over America are using them in greater numbers.

Professional trappers in the North, Northwest, and Southwest often have trap lines that extend for many miles and use between 200 to 350 steel traps of different sizes.

Each of the three main categories — land, water, and snow — is used in different ways, and explaining all of them would take a whole book.

Steel traps come in different sizes from No. 0 to No. 6, designed to meet the needs of trappers for various animals. The top-quality traps are the Newhouse models made by the famous trap manufacturers — Oneida Community, Ltd., Oneida, N. Y. Here’s a brief description of these:

Spread of Jaws, 3 1/2 inches. This, the smallest trap made, is mostly used for catching gophers, a small animal that causes a lot of problems for western farmers, as well as rats and other pests. It has a strong grip and can hold larger animals, but shouldn't be overused.

Spread of Jaws, 4 inches. This trap is designed to catch muskrats and other small animals, and it sells in higher quantities than any other size. Professional trappers know how to use it well, and it's the most practical size for catching skunks, weasels, rats, and other critters that frequent poultry houses and barns.

Spread of Jaws, 4 inches. Sometimes animals escape from traps by gnawing off their legs just below the trap jaws, where the flesh is numb from the pressure. Different types of traps have been tested to address this issue. The Webbed Jaws shown above have been very effective in this regard.

Noticing the cross-section of the jaws, as shown on the left, it's clear that the animal can only gnaw off its leg at a spot quite far below where the jaws meet. The flesh above the amputation point and below the jaws will swell, making it impossible to pull the leg stump out of the trap.

The No. 81 Trap is the same size as the standard No. 1 Newhouse.

Spread of Jaws — 91, 5 1/4 inches; 91 1/2, 6 1/4 inches. The double jaws grip tightly and securely up high on the muskrat, preventing it from twisting free. A skunk can't gnaw its way out either.

These traps are particularly effective for muskrats, minks, skunks, and raccoons.

All parts of the No. 91, except the jaws, are the same size as the standard No. 1 Newhouse, while the 91 1/2 matches the standard No. 1 1/2.

Spread of Jaws, 4 7/8 inches. This size is known as the Mink Trap. However, it's also suitable for catching woodchucks, skunks, and similar animals. Professional trappers often use it for catching foxes. Its design is very convenient and it's strong and dependable.

Spread of jaws, 4 7/8 inches. The No. 2 Trap is known as the Fox Trap. Its jaw spread is the same as the No. 1 1/2, but since it has two springs, it is much stronger.

Spread of Jaws, 5 1/2 inches. This, the Otter Trap, is extremely strong. It can catch nearly any game smaller than a bear.

Spread of Jaws, 6.5 inches. This is the standard Beaver Trap. It is longer than the No. 3 Trap and has a one-inch greater jaw spread. It's a popular choice among professional trappers and hunters in the Northwest and Canada. It's also widely used for trapping smaller wolves and coyotes in the western ranching areas.

Spread of jaws, 6 1/2 inches. In some areas, the otter can grow to an unusually large size, with significant strength, which has prompted manufacturers to create a particularly large and robust model. All the components are heavier than the No. 2 1/2, the jaw spread is larger, and the spring is sturdier.

Spread of Jaws, 5 inches. The image above shows a Single Spring Otter Trap. It is mainly used for catching otters on their "slides." For this purpose, a thin, raised steel plate is positioned on the pan so that when the trap is set, the plate is slightly higher than the teeth on the jaws. The spring is very strong, the same as the one used on the No. 4 Newhouse Trap. The raised plate can be easily removed if needed, making the trap versatile.

Single Spring. Same as No. 2 1/2 but without teeth or raised plate.

Single Spring. Same as No. 3 1/2 but without Teeth or Raised Plate.

Spread of Jaws — No. 21 1/2, 5 1/4 inches; No. 31 1/2, 6 1/2 inches. These traps are the largest smooth jaw, single spring sizes available. Professional trappers will find these especially useful on long trapping lines, as they are more compact and easier to hide than the large double spring traps. The springs are made extra heavy.

Note. — The 21 1/2 is basically a single spring No. 3, and the 31 1/2 is a single spring No. 4.

Spread of jaws, 6 1/2 inches. This trap is the same size as the No. 4 Beaver, but has stronger and stiffer springs and offset jaws, which let the springs lift higher when the animal's leg is in the trap, and is equipped with teeth that are close enough to stop the animal from pulling its foot out.

Clutch Detachable — You can use the trap with or without it.

Spread of Jaws, No. 23, 5 1/2 inches; No. 24, 6 1/4 inches. The inventor of this attachment claims to have had great success using it to catch beavers. The trap should be set with the clutch end farthest from the shore. The beaver swims with its front legs folded back against its body, and when it feels its chest touch the bank, it puts them down. The position of the trap can be arranged so that it will catch its front legs when it does this, allowing the clutch to grab it across the body and hold it securely.

In response to the demand for a new model of the Newhouse Trap specifically designed for catching wolves, the manufacturers have perfected a trap labeled as 4 1/2, known as the "Newhouse Wolf Trap."

This trap has an eight-inch jaw spread, with the rest of the parts sized accordingly. It comes with a pronged "drag," a heavy snap, and an extra heavy steel swivel and chain that's five feet long, guaranteed to hold 2,000 pounds. The entire trap, including the chain and "drag," weighs about nine pounds.

Spread of Jaws, 9 inches. This trap is meant for catching small bears. In design, it’s exactly like the standard No. 5 Bear Trap, except all the parts are a bit smaller. Weight, 11 1/4 pounds each.

Spread of Jaws, 9 inches. This trap is the same as No. 5 except that the jaws are offset, creating a space of five-eighths of an inch between them. This design allows the springs to rise higher when the bear's foot is in the trap, providing a better grip. Additionally, there’s a lower risk of breaking the bones in the foot. Weight, 11 1/4 pounds each.

Spread of Jaws, 11 3/4 inches. This trap weighs nineteen pounds. It is used for catching the common black bear and comes with a very sturdy chain.

Spread of jaws, 11 3/4 inches. To accommodate the opinions of certain hunters whose judgment is valued, the manufacturers created a design for the No. 5 trap with a 3/4 inch offset, which allows the springs to lift higher when a bear's leg is in the trap. This provides a better grip. Those interested in this design should specify "No. 15."

Spread of jaws, 16 inches. Weight, fully assembled, 42 pounds. This is the strongest trap available. We’ve never heard of anything escaping it once caught. It’s used to trap lions and tigers, as well as the large Grizzly Bears of the Rocky Mountains.

This image shows the Bear Chain Clevis and Bolt, meant to replace the ring at the end of the trap chain, if needed.

With this clevis, you can easily create a loop around any small log or tree without the hassle of cutting to fit the ring. The chain is five feet long, making it suitable for any clog, and the prices of bear traps equipped with it are the same as those with the standard short chain and ring.

Every trapper knows how tough it is to set a large trap by yourself in the woods, especially in cold weather when your fingers are numbed, and it gets even harder when you have to work in a boat. One of these clamps attached to each spring allows you to easily bend the springs into place with just a few turns of the thumb-screws, making it simple to adjust the pan. The No. 4 Clamp can be used on any trap smaller than No. 4 1/2. The No. 5 and No. 6 clamps are robust, well-made clamps designed specifically for setting larger traps Nos. 4 1/2 to 6. They eliminate the need for cumbersome and risky levers. With them, you can easily set these powerful traps. These clamps are also handy around camp for other tasks.