Fox Trapping Part 5

"Maybe not for a week, and maybe not at all, but I tell you boy, if you want to catch a fox you have got to stick to it." You can imagine my delight the next morning on finding a fine red fox tangled up among some huckleberry bushes near by, and you may be sure I thought Granddad the greatest trapper in the world, and myself the next.

I caught two more foxes at the same set before snow came, and will say that I have always found this method one of the surest, but of course very few boys are situated so as to have pastures that foxes cross, and which they can plow furrows in.

Foxes are generally suspicious of a dead bait; however, at a bait which they have been in the habit of visiting, generally some carca.s.s, they are more easily caught than at a freshly placed bait or carca.s.s, and it is a good plan, if you try taking a fox in this way, to put out the carca.s.s or large baits long enough in advance for them to get into the practice of coming to them; then place your traps, if possible, just before a fall of snow, and you are almost certain of catching one. The traps should always be set with care and treated as already described, to cover the scent of iron, as a fox considers the scent of man and iron a dangerous combination, and they undoubtedly know about traps and fear them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CAUGHT ON HIS OWN FARM.]

I like to use a live bait for fox and bobcats, and a rabbit is about the best for this purpose, because they are easily secured. They form the princ.i.p.al game of these animals and they are nearly always looking for them. It is, I think, safe to say, that each grown fox or bobcat kill two hundred each on an average every year. The sight or hot scent of any game these animals are accustomed to hunt excites them, and their faculties are at once concentrated on how to capture and get on the outside of said game as soon as possible. Under such conditions, they fall more easy prey to trappers' wiles. Select a point where you know foxes hunt, or not far from some den or ledge which they use. Find a hollow log or some tree that has a hollow b.u.t.t with an opening; in either case, plug the hollow securely so the rabbit will have to stay up near the opening, put in some carrots, or ears of corn, and cover the hole with woven wire, having about an inch mesh, or some barb wire stapled across will sometimes answer; they may in some cases be afraid of the wire, but I have had excellent success with this method, and my opinion is that the sight of live game makes them reckless (on one occasion I caught a fox in a wooden box about eight inches square and three or four feet long, having a wire door, hinged at the top and slanting in,--a self-setter--the trap had a live rabbit inside and was set along a creek, for the purpose of taking a mink alive and uninjured).

If this method is used as a snow set, brush out all tracks, and whether on snow or bare ground, always make as few tracks and leave as little sign as possible around your traps. When setting for any shy animal, don't cover or handle trap or clog with bare hands. Use gloves and a small wooden spade.

CHAPTER XIII.

TENNESSEE TRAPPER'S METHODS.

Do you trap foxes? If you do I bet you have some favorite way, and too, doubtless in most respects it's different from my way of trapping them, as there seems to be almost as many methods as there are successful trappers; nor either is the same confined to the methods used, but to the kind of traps employed, baits, scents, etc., says B. P. Pickens.

The Water Set, the Sheep Path Methods, are national, and known to be O. K., though the former requires bait attractions, and lots of other preparations, while the latter with me has never necessarily required baits or scents to make it a good success.

I do not confine my fox trapping to any one method long, for I am always governed by the surroundings, and conditions, yet my traps are set and concealed the same way, no matter for what animals I intend to trap.

My traps set for skunk and rats are just as carefully set and concealed as though they were set for fox and c.o.o.n.

My favorite is a Newhouse Fox Trap for every purpose, as it will hold.

My reasons for using nothing smaller than a No. 2 Fox Trap is that a fellow does not always know if a fox will happen about his skunk traps or a big c.o.o.n about his rat traps, and since I have found Mr.

Fox and Mr. c.o.o.n a few times in the toils I make every preparation for his reception.

I will endeavor to tell some of the things I do, which is a good way to take a fox. I commence early in the spring, if the ground is not ready to arrange for my fall and winter trapping, looking out for their signs, and continue to keep my eyes open all summer and around the pastures, in the fields, old roads, and in the woods, gullies and washouts. I arrange to trap them in stock paths by laying a limb or fence rail across these paths, while the use of stock all summer renders it old, and on either side of this path obstruction is just the place for a fox trap. I cut and wire my trap chain to the middle of a brush, one that a fox can drag some distance away, which leaves this same place a good risk for another catch, where if stapled to something he could not move he would render the place unfit for the rest of the season.

Conceal your trap by digging a hole on either side of the path obstruction the size of the trap to be used, setting trap always springs with path, have the hole deep enough so when the trap is well covered with leaves, then on the leaves a layer of dirt, it will just be level with the earth and look natural.

To use this same underground method in cold freezing weather, first bed the trap hole good with dry leaves, or gra.s.s, over springs and all, being sure to use dry flat leaves to lay over the pan and jaws, then cover over all with some of the remaining dirt before mentioned.

Be sure to hide chain and handle everything with gloves.

Now brush out your tracks, step over your trap and go on.

One way of trapping foxes may be done like this. Around the pastures and in the woods where stock make paths lay a fence rail, or its equivalent across these paths, and the use of stock during the summer months will render these prearranged obstructions worn and natural by November trapping, and on either side of such an obstruction is a splendid place to set your trap for the fox to step in, writes L. M.

Pickens.

Paths, places under fences, little washouts, and old roads not much used are generally his favorite travels. See after his tracks in the dust, mud, or snow; notice how he steps over one of these obstructions that you arranged early in the summer, and other places, studying him, then set your trap this way, using every precaution to not change any of the surroundings.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TENNESSEE TRAPPERS AND TRAPS.]

Carry with you a little hard wood stick, ready sharpened, with which to dig a hole on either side of this obstruction that has been lying over the stock path just the size of your trap, and deep enough so your trap pan and jaws will be a little below the level of the surface. Now cover over springs good and all around the outside of jaws with some of this dirt you dug up; now you have the trap concealed all but its pan and inside of jaws; finish the set by laying some small flat leaves from jaws to pan, commencing and going all the way around jaws; after this is done pulverize some of the remaining dirt, and sprinkle it over these leaves, entirely covering them. Take a small twig and level over trap, finishing the job. It might help some to cut a part of a bird into fine pieces, dropping it and loose feathers over this kind of a set.

To fasten the trap is some of the job. Cut a bush with a lot of limbs to it, and wire your trap to the middle of same securely, but do not have the brush drag so heavily that he cannot run off with it; it is intended for him to go immediately after he is caught, for these reasons, he will soon hang up some distance away, and thus fastened, he is not stationed at this good place where another may be caught, besides his chances of pulling out of the trap is less than it is if he was stapled to something he could not move. The brush is a give and take game, see?

Be sure to cover chain of trap good, and have everything look as natural when you leave us when you came to set trap. Use No. 2 Newhouse, handling it and everything with gloves; always stand In one place; leave no paper or whittlings on the premises. I use this method just outlined. Try it boys.

CHAPTER XIV.

MANY GOOD METHODS.

There is no animal roaming the woods so hard to catch in a steel trap as the fox, says a writer in the _Orange Judd Farmer_. Yet when one understands his nature he is easily taken despite his cunning. The following method I have employed successfully: First take four good steel traps and cover them with fresh blood at a slaughter house.

Take a dead hen (one that has died a natural death will do if there is no odor), and run a wire up in her head and down in her body; also wires through her feet and legs. Select a place where foxes run near a low bush or small tree. On a branch of this, about three feet from the ground, fasten your hen solidly with the wires in her feet. By means of wire in her neck, bend it so she will look as if she were on a roost. Be very particular on this point. Set your trap a little below the surface of the soil, so that the tops are level. Now cover up with leaves and gra.s.s so that there is no difference in appearance from the surrounding ground. Be sure the chains are well staked. Mr.

Fox comes up and sees the hen. He squats down on his stomach. He will lie there for five minutes watching the hen. Then he makes a spring for her neck, and gets it, but the traps get him and the boy gets the fox if he is cute enough.

Well here is how I caught my first fox, says C. F. Hotchkiss, of Wisconsin. It was in the winter of 1887 and 1888. I was working for a farmer here in Shawano Co., had to drive the stock to the river to water all winter. I noticed fox tracks on the ice so I bought a double spring Newhouse. Gave 60 cents for it, took some chaff from the hay in the cow stable for a bed and set the trap on the river bank under a large hemlock to protect it from storms, covered trap with chaff and strewed pieces of chicken and feathers on the bed. In four days I had two foxes, then some one stole my trap and I did not try any more then. Last winter I was working for the same farmer again.

He lost two sheep. We drew the carca.s.ses out in the woods, set four traps at one sheep and six at the other. In seven weeks we had 14 foxes and we lost no time from other work. We pulled wool from the sheep to cover the traps with. I do not think it best to spit near a fox trap, especially tobacco spit. There may be some foxes that do not care for it, but I know they are not all built that way.

One of my methods of trapping Reynard was as follows: First, thoroughly besmear the trap with droppings from cattle, using no other preparation, neither boiling or smoking, as some recommend to prevent their fear of human scent, then my favorite sets being in the path of some old timber or wood road or cattle path in some unusual pasture. After selecting the place best suited, according to my best judgment, take a knife to cut out a hole corresponding to size of trap, remove carefully all loose earth. I usually carried a small basket for the reception of everything taken up this way. Set the trap carefully, covering loosely with some coa.r.s.e material and topping the whole with material to correspond with the surrounding surface of paths, and lastly laying a small twig across just at one side of where the trap is set, as a fox will always step over any small obstruction, and by placing the twig in this manner he would step over into the trap.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THIRTY SILVER FOX SKINS WORTH $5000.]

In the section of country which I am now writing, that just east of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, there were innumerable such roads and paths, so that I had all the territory I desired for the purpose. Have caught many a sly chap in this manner. Had a good grapple at end of chain and never fastened a trap but let them make a few jumps when they would nearly always get caught up, yet on a few occasions have had to put up a pretty stiff hunt before locating them. For instance, there might be a snow storm, if late in the season, or a heavy rain. In this case there might not be any signs to go by, and I would have to go on a blind hunt and cover considerable ground before I could skin my fox.

I had my traps all set one fall and everything was coming my way, until one morning I found that I was dealing with a fox that knew as much about trapping as I did. I had my trap set in a spring and every time he wanted to steal bait he could manage it without getting into the trap. I let the trap set the same way and kept it baited but meanwhile I was thinking of a plan to capture him. In fixing the spring I made a dam out of dirt, placing a few small flat stones on top of it. Now I made up my mind that as the dam was the nearest point to the bait that he must be stealing it from that place. Now I took the trap out of the spring and put in a stone covered with a tuft of gra.s.s to resemble the trap and setting the trap itself in the dam, covering with dirt and laying a little flat stone on the pan. I had made up my mind that when he stepped on the dam he would step on the small stones that I had laid on top to keep the dirt from washing away. While stepping on the dam to reach for the bait he stepped on the small stone on the pan and was held fast by a No. 2 1/2 Blake & Lamb trap, just as I had calculated on.

One way of trapping fox is setting under water, especially in slow moving water, is most effectual in killing the trap odor, says a Michigan trapper. The metallic smell will not rise through water, but will be absorbed and carried away by it. As much as a fortnight before setting take a hoe and dig a shallow pool in a swamp where foxes are known to cross. Dig it six or seven feet across in a mucky ooze and leave a drain way or outlet open so that in event of rain storms, water will not rise and stand too deep in the pool. The pool should bear as few evidences as possible of having been made by man.

In the course of a fortnight after the scent of the trapper has faded away and leaves have fallen, the trap is smeared with tallow and the chain is fastened to long narrow stone, approaching so as to make and leave as few tracks as possible. The trap along with the stone and chain is set in the bottom of the pool, not in the center, but so near one side that the trap will be from 12 to 14 inches from the low bank. A little tuft of gra.s.s as large as a soda biscuit is placed directly over the trap resting on it, so the top of the tuft will show a little above the water, looking as though it grew there. About a foot beyond it further out in the water another tuft a little larger and thicker, is placed so it will show distinctly above the water, and on it place the bait. A fox crossing the swamp on a chilly day scenting the bait will approach the pool. To avoid wading in the cold muddy water he will probably step on the nearest tuft. That is the one on the trap in which he will be caught by the foreleg.

I will tell you what I know about the fox, says a Canadian trapper.

He is the slyest animal we have to deal with here. I think the best way is to use several different ways to trap foxes, and your chances will be doubled in taking them.

Take a horse or beef head and put it out in the woods and leave it there for about a week. Then if the foxes have been at it, set your traps and cover with leaves or dead pine needles. When you are leaving take a brush and brush some snow over your traps to about half cover the leaves. Leave no foot marks around and you will be pretty sure to get your fox.

Another good way is to take tainted beef or pig kidneys and put them at the back of a V, made by two logs falling across each other. I took one this way before the snow came, but he got away with my trap.

I have read and heard a lot about human scent and animals being afraid of it. I have seen enough to be sure that fox are not afraid of either human scent or steel traps, if the dirt is not disturbed around the trap.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CALIFORNIA TRAPPER VISITING TRAPS.]

When snow is plentiful so that sly Reynard may be tracked, then search out his haunts and find where he sleeps in the day time, says a Canadian hunter. They seldom go in holes in the winter, and in the bright sunny days are very sleepy. In tracking you will see marks where they have been lying, generally in some elevated position close to their haunts, where they may be caught napping as they often are caught. The snow should be soft so as to make the least noise possible, but it is astonishing the amount of noise you can make and still not disturb them, providing you have been thoughtful enough to keep the wind in your favor, as they are very quick to smell a person, so in consequence you should always face the wind and go easy in your search. The snow shoes are a great help when the snow is deep, as it is then that the fox is easiest gotten as they will not go far in the deep snow. Try it boys and be surprised at your success.