Chapter XVI: Home-Made Traps

Trapping and trap-making is, and probably always will be, a pastime which every boy enjoys. If he lives in the country or near the woods he is sure to grow fond of the wild creatures around him, and spend some time in following their tracks and watching their ways and habits. If he is a city boy he may not have these advantages, but is probably just as much interested in the study of birds and animals as his country cousin is, and when the opportunity presents itself will slip off to the nearest woods to spend the day with his little friends, and perhaps carry one or two back home to share city life with him.

When boys wish to trap animals for pets, or for eating while camping, or when they have become so numerous in a locality as to be a nuisance, it can be considered clean sport; but as soon as they begin to trap and kill them just for the fun of it, without deriving any good whatever from the act, they are guilty of a great cruelty.

The various forms and schemes for home-made traps that have been devised, and which are to be found in use by boys all over the country, are countless, but there are of course a number of these which are more effective than others, and some which have gained more favor among boys. Several years ago the author wrote an article upon traps, and has since been more than pleased to note the success boys have had in making and using them. With a few additions, the same schemes have been embodied in this chapter, and it is hoped that the several kinds of snares and traps will prove as satisfying to the majority of boy trappers. They are all simple to make, require but the material ordinarily at hand, and are effective for most of the smaller species of animals, and many varieties of birds.

One of the oldest forms of traps, and one of which every boy should understand the construction, is

=The Figure-four Trap=.--It is about the simplest example, and its principle will be found in the schemes of a great many of the more complicated traps. For this the preparation of three sticks, such as are shown in Fig. 214, will be necessary. These sticks may be made of any length you wish, but their proportion should be about as shown in the drawings. The illustrations show clearly how the sticks should be notched, and how one end of the trigger should be tapered for the bait. Fig. 215 will explain the manner in which these sticks are placed together in the form of a figure-four. The rest of the trap consists of a soap-or cracker-box with the cover hinged to it.

To set the trap, place the box upon the ground, cover down, and rest its upper edge upon the top of the figure-four, as shown in Fig. 216. When putting the figure-four together, it is necessary to hold the sticks until the box is set upon them, as the weight is required to hold them in position. For squirrels and rabbits, for which this trap is very good, bait the trigger with a carrot, piece of apple, or cabbage leaf. It is easy to see that the slightest nibble at the bait will disarrange the sticks, and cause the box to drop over the game.

In Fig. 217 is shown an invention of the writer's, a simplified form of the much-used

=Box Trap=, having the principle of the figure-four involved in its trigger. This trap has proven exceptionally good for rabbits and squirrels.

A small box about the size of a cracker-or soap-box should be procured for the making of this trap. Remove one end, and, after nailing it to the cover boards, hinge the latter to the end of the box, as shown in the illustrations (Figs. 217 and 218). With no hinges at hand, the writer has found several nails driven through the ends of the cover boards sufficient to hold the cover while opening and closing it. Bore two holes, one over the other, in the back of the box, and cut out the space between. This makes a rectangular slot (see _D_ in Fig. 218). When this has been done, take a stick about eighteen inches long, and, after tapering one end, nail it to the box cover, allowing the tapered end to project about nine inches. Then prepare a trigger twelve inches long, similar to Fig. 219.

The trap is now ready to set, which is done by slipping the trigger into the slot at _D_ and, after baiting it at _C_, catching the notch _B_ on to the box at the top of the slot, at the same time fitting stick _E_ into the notch at _A_ (see cross section, Fig. 218). The weight of the cover will now hold the trigger in place until "bunny," or some one of his neighbors, attacks the inviting bait. Then the trigger will loosen its hold at _B_, and cause the cover to fall over the intruder. A few holes may be bored in the side of the box for ventilation, but these, as well as the slot in the back, should be protected with tin, to prevent your captive from gnawing the openings large enough to escape.

=The Dead Fall= is a trap commonly used for skunks, minks, muskrats, and coons, and probably cannot be excelled as a means of killing off destructive and annoying animals. Figure 220 shows a form of this trap which has been successfully employed.

First make a pen out of stakes driven well into the ground in the form of a wigwam. This is a guard for the bait, and should be open on one side only, as shown in the illustration.

Place a short log in front of the opening, and at both ends of this drive a stake against the outer face of the log, as shown in the drawing. Then procure a log of the same diameter, and about six feet long, and slip it between these stakes and the wigwam, so it falls upon the first log. Cut a forked stick about twelve inches long for the bait-stick, notching one end and tapering the other, as shown in Fig. 221, and cut another stick twenty-four inches long and flatten it at both ends.

FIG. 220.--The Dead Fall.]

To set the dead fall, raise an end of the upper log and slip one end of the flattened stick under it, resting it upon the top of the stake outside of the log. Place the bait-stick, point downward, inside of the pen upon a chip of wood, and set the other end of the flattened stick in the notch (see illustration). The bait-stick should now be in such a position that the log above it will fall when the bait is tackled, and strike its victim on the head or neck with sufficient force to kill it. For baiting this trap, use some food of which the animal is particularly fond.

=The Sieve Trap.=--This is a most simple form of trap, consisting of a sieve and a short stick with which to prop up one side of it. Fasten a long cord to the stick, and, after scattering grain beneath the sieve, carry the end of the cord to a place of concealment to await the appearance of some birds. As soon as these are attracted by the grain, and begin feeding under the sieve, pull the cord and they will be your prisoners.

=The Coop Trap=, shown in Fig. 222, can be used for trapping the larger variety of birds. This is well known as an effective trap for wild turkeys. It consists of a number of sticks piled up in the form of a pyramid and tied together as shown in Fig. 222. Dig away enough of the ground under one side of the coop to allow a bird to enter, and then scatter some grain inside and a little in the entrance to attract the birds.

FIG. 226.

FIG. 224.

FIG. 223.

A Rabbit Snare and Twitch-up.]

It may seem strange to the reader, but it is nevertheless a fact, that, after entering the coop, a bird will try to fly out of the top, and will remain there until starved to death, if not released, without attempting to escape by the way it entered.

=A Rabbit Snare.=--This can be used to the best advantage after the first snowfall, for the footprints of a rabbit are then easy to follow. Bunny can be counted upon keeping in the same path to and from his burrow, and a snare set in the centre of his path is pretty certain to catch him before very long. The snare should be made of a piece of soft wire about two feet long. Make a noose in one end about four inches in diameter, and fasten the other end to a branch projecting over the path (see Fig. 223).

This noose is commonly attached to what is known as

=A Twitch-up=, or a sapling bent down and held as shown in Fig. 224. One of a number of schemes employed for holding the sapling in position is here shown. Select a spot a few feet from a sapling, and there make an enclosure about twelve inches in diameter. This should be made of twelve-inch sticks driven into the ground in a circle, leaving an opening of about six inches on one side. Drive a stake into the ground on both sides of the entrance, and cut a notch in the outer face of each about six inches above the ground (see Fig. 225). Find a twig somewhat similar to the one in Fig. 226, and, after slipping it into the notches and baiting the prong, fasten the noose and sapling to it. With the trap thus set, a slight pull on the bait dislodges the crosspiece, and the sapling springs up, jerking the animal into the air, and causing its death almost instantly.

Ranchers of the Western plains and mountains are continually experiencing severe losses from the attacks of wolves and coyotes upon their live-stock, and to rid themselves from the nightly raids of these animals requires unceasing warfare against them with traps. But the wolf and coyote are very crafty fellows, and extremely keen-scented, so that even professional trappers have trouble in capturing them, often resorting to every scheme they can devise without success. Steel traps are generally employed by the professional, as they are less cumbersome and quicker to set than the home-made affairs. The traps are handled with gloves, as the touch of the bare hands would be instantly detected by the wary animals, and, after being placed in a circle around the bait, are covered over with leaves and brush. In order not to leave human footprints behind him, the trapper often sets them while mounted upon horseback.

Not long ago, a trapper was hired by a rancher in New Mexico to capture some Loboe wolves which had been making serious raids upon the cattle, and one of his experiences while working there was somewhat laughable, though probably not seen in that way by all the parties concerned. Using a dead calf for bait, the trapper dragged it to a selected spot, and there surrounded it by eight or ten traps, which he chained fast to stakes, and carefully hid from view. Setting out to visit the traps as usual, on the following morning, he mounted a knoll from which he could see the location of the bait, and there plainly made out that a number of his traps had been sprung and were occupied. But upon reaching the spot, his surprise and disgust can be imagined when he found a dog in one trap and a bad-tempered Indian held fast by the clutches of three others. After releasing the captives, the trapper gathered from the Indian's half-broken English that he had been riding by on the previous night, and his dog had wandered from the trail and sprung a trap. He had then dismounted to release the animal, but had not taken more than half a dozen steps before his foot became clutched in a trap, the force of which threw him forward, and, in trying to break his fall with his outstretched hands, each became securely clutched in traps. Fortunately no wolves made their appearance, and the couple were unharmed; but the Indian no doubt spent a sleepless and uncomfortable night in the position he was forced to occupy.