Wolf and Coyote Trapping Part 11

Such a set will remain in working order as long as the weather stays cold. A fresh fall of snow will bury the set for a short time but the wind storm that always follows a snowfall will blow all loose snow off the mound, leaving just a sufficient amount over the trap, as that will be sunken somewhat below the level. The human scent will also pa.s.s away in a short time.

This set is practically the same as setting a trap on the level and scattering the bait about, the only reason for setting it on a mound being that it will not be buried by the falling snow.

While the set described does well where wolves are making an occasional trip across the country, for places where the animals are plentiful, some other methods must also be employed.

If one can find where the wolves have killed some animals and are feeding on the carca.s.s, he will note that they have trails where they approach. One may put out a large bait and they will beat a trail about it at times. These trails make excellent places for snow sets.

The best way to make the set is to fasten the chain of the trap to the end of a long pole clog, and having set the trap, split the end of the pole and pinch one of the springs in the split. Now slip a clean paper bag over the trap and stand the pole and trap against a tree somewhere in the neighborhood of the bait, for a day or more, to allow the foreign odors to pa.s.s away. This is not always necessary, but it is best. Then go and make the set by pus.h.i.+ng the trap under the snow in the wolf's trail, standing as far away as possible and without touching the trap, or the end of the pole that it is fastened to. If the set can be made while it is snowing, or just before a light fall of snow, so much the better. After the trap is set walk back stepping in the same tracks and brus.h.i.+ng the footprints away with a bunch of evergreen boughs tied to a stick.

This set is good if the wolves are visiting the carca.s.s regularly but will not remain in good condition very long, as a heavy snowfall will put the trap out of commission.

One of the professional wolf catchers of the western mountain regions, gives the following set: "When there is snow, I cut a piece of soft cloth, white preferred, the size of the jaws, when open, and lay it over the trap, being careful not to let it get into the corners, next to the springs; then cover lightly with snow. The cloth will prevent the snow from getting under the pan of the trap and thus prevent it from springing. It is also a good plan to put a brace under the pan, so that the birds cannot spring the trap. A small forked willow will do, but a better plan is to drill a hole through the pan, near the edge, and place a match, or a tooth pick slanting through the hole to the bed of the trap."

"I use the No. 4 Newhouse trap with long chain, for coyotes and wolves. The bait, I cut in small pieces and scatter all around the trap."

One of the coyote trappers from Saskatchewan, Canada, says: "I will give a snow set for coyotes that an Indian showed us and we proved its merit. Select a good hard snow drift, set your trap and lay it on top of the drift, then with a knife, mark the snow around the trap, remove trap and dig out the snow to a depth of three or four inches, replace trap in hole so that the pan will be about two inches below the surface. Now go a little distance off and cut a cake of snow large enough to cover hole, in which lies the trap and sc.r.a.pe it as thin as possible without breaking. This requires care. Now place the cake over the trap and sprinkle some snow around the edges so as to leave all smooth. The chain and clog of course, should be well buried in the snow."

"I have caught a coyote in a set like this after a big storm, the snow having blown clear over the drift and not injuring the set in any way; all I did for bait was to set my trap by a little bunch of gra.s.s. Of course, it is evident a set like the above will only apply when it is cold and there is no chance of a thaw. Another important point to be remembered in setting traps is to give them a firm bed.

When a trap is sprung it kicks back the same as a gun but when on a firm bed it has the greatest chance of a high grip."

In portions of the North, snow sets are used considerably. The sets given here were sent by a Minnesota trapper who claims to have used them successfully.

"I have trapped wolves a good many winters in this part of the country, but they are very scarce here now. As to my way: I use a No.

4 trap and set under the snow. If I can find a place where their paths come together or cross, I select it as a favorable place for catching them. If there are a couple of bushes near together with the paths between, I set my trap there, pus.h.i.+ng it under the snow from a couple of feet back of the path, taking care to make as few tracks myself as possible and to fill those up and brush with a bunch of twigs or weeds for a distance of twenty feet or more. I sift snow over the trap also and leave everything as natural as possible. This method I have found very successful in capturing these shadowy pests of the prairie."

"When ponds, lakes and rivers are frozen over and the snow is deep, wolves are apt to travel on the ice; any dark object out on the smooth expanse of snow on lake or river will at once attract their attention and they are apt to go and examine. A crow, rabbit or bait of any sort; let it be up where it can be seen at a distance. Place two or three traps around the bait at a distance of three feet, put pieces of white paper, one under and one over the trap, then cover carefully with dry snow by sifting it with a piece of wire screen."

"When traveling an old trail or timber road thru the woods, reach out to one side as far as possible and place a piece of bait with some of the scent on it or near it, and place two traps half way between bait and trail, also one directly in the trail. Set and cover it as on the ice. It is a good plan to scatter a few beef or lard 'cracklings'

along your trail. No. 3 traps are about right for wolves, and the No.

2 1/2 Newhouse otter trap makes a good wolf trap if the attachment is taken from the pan."

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Large Wisconsin Wolf.]

"To sum up, the trapper who makes a success of trapping wolves must make a study of it and must often contrive methods suitable to his particular trapping grounds."

The following extract from a letter received from a Canadian trapper, tells of a very successful coyote set.

"One day I found a dead sheep in the pasture, and dragging it down to the edge of the lake, I set my traps around it, covering them nicely with wool from the sheep. I told the boys I would have a coyote in the morning, and so I did. On the second morning I had a red fox, on the third morning a coyote, on the fourth a fox and on the sixth morning another coyote. Then I did not get any more for a week from which time, I caught one now and then until spring. I think I caught 23 coyotes and 2 foxes at that one bait. When the snow got deep, I set the trap on top of the bait. When a coyote came along he would smell the bait and would dig down through the snow, into the trap. I wore skis when looking at the traps and never turned around near a setting."

"My last winter's catch was as follows: 69 coyotes, 5 lynx, 2 red foxes, 5 badgers, 12 weasels, 12 muskrats and 2 mink."

"I want to tell you how I catch coyotes," writes a North Dakota trapper. "I set two or three No. 3 Victor traps around some dead horse or cow, cover the trap with a piece of paper or cheese cloth, then throw snow over that, having it look as near like the surroundings as possible. Sometimes I use a fresh beef head, but the coyotes are so shy they will not go close enough to get in your trap for sometimes a week, unless they are starved to it."

"I think the coyote is as shy as most any other animal. I do not think they can smell the steel traps for the strong smell of the fresh meat or carrion but they are afraid of your tracks, and naturally suspicious of everything. When I first tried to trap coyotes, I drove up within a few rods of where I wanted to set my traps, went and set them, and did not pay any attention to destroying my tracks. I would never catch any until snow filled up my tracks."

"Now I set my traps off of skis or snow shoes or drive up close to where I want to set my trap, and drag some fresh meat over my tracks; they are not afraid of a sled track for they will travel for miles in sled tracks when the snow is deep."

We will conclude this chapter with an article written by a Canadian trapper, telling how he caught his first coyote:

"This is my second winter in Alberta and I must say that we are having one of the good old fas.h.i.+oned kind. The snow is over two feet deep on the level, and the thermometer on one occasion, went on a strike. It was only 36 degrees below zero this morning.

"Last winter, which was very mild, was a poor year for catching the sly old coyote. He was too well fed and could get around so easily that he never suffered the pangs of hunger, so was constantly on the watch for danger. We had a cow that committed suicide by falling into the manger, and I thought she would make good bait. So she did until I set some traps around her and from that time the coyotes would come and look at her, but would not venture near. However, I succeeded in catching three large dogs.

"On January 5th, I changed my boarding place, moved to within a half mile of Battle River and Lake. The coyotes were quite numerous around the lake and river, and made nightly excursions up around the buildings, feeding on a dead horse, cow or calf. The boys had a couple of traps set beside a cow, but the cattle would spring the trap while feeding at the straw stack where the dead animal was. Then I took a hand and set the traps on runways used by coyotes. I set them with great care, but all I found was a footprint about two inches from the pan of a trap. Sometimes they would go as far as the trap and would turn around and retrace their steps. One night they actually scratched the snow off of the trap, as if to show me that I needn't try to fool them because they were on to my game.

"However, my turn came. There was a little old straw pile that they seemed to like to run onto, to see if the coast was clear. There I set a trap, covered it and the drag nicely with snow, brushed out the tracks with a twig and made some nice tracks right over the trap with an old coyote's foot. I also threw a little piece of meat up on the stack.

"Friday morning I ran down to my trap and was surprised to see it gone. I saw some blood on the snow but could not realize--no doubt on account of so many disappointments--that there was anything in the trap. However, I followed up the trail and you can imagine my delight in finding a big, fine, dog coyote in the brush. The next thing was to kill him, and I a.s.sure you that they are the hardest animal to kill with a stick an inch in diameter that I ever tackled. I pounded him on the head until his skull was crushed and still he breathed.

"On Sunday morning I took a walk down to a trap I had on another straw pile and when within a hundred yards of the stack I saw a coyote rise up, take a look at me and then start to run. I ran, too, and when I arrived at the other end of the stack there he was fast in my trap. I thought that was pretty good for I had actually chased him into my trap. Two coyotes in three nights was pretty good, with only three traps, and I was quite proud of myself, but that was a week ago and number three only came last night. I am in hopes of more before spring, but never will I have the thrills of pleasure like those I had when I found my 'first' coyote."

CHAPTER XVII.

SOME RULES AND THINGS TO REMEMBER.

If you are using small animals for bait, use the whole animal, if your method will allow of it, and do not skin the bait, as that will make the coyote or wolf suspicious. Leave the bait, if possible, looking as though it had died a natural death and you will be more successful in your trapping.

Do not, if timber wolves are expected, stake a single trap on smooth ground, for the captured animal will be almost certain to escape if you can not visit the trap soon after the animal is caught. This is especially true when using the smaller sizes of traps. When using the regular wolf trap, it may sometimes be fixed solidly if desired but it is better to use a drag of some kind.

If you find some animal that the wolves have killed, do not fail to set traps there at once. While it is possible that the wolves will not return, there is a chance, and then one is almost certain to catch coyotes if there are any about.

Wolves are sometimes suspicious of a large bait and will not venture near to it. In such cases one may sometimes make a catch by setting a trap somewhere near by, using a small sc.r.a.p of bait only. The trap may be placed in the open side of a natural half circle of brush, and the bait placed behind it. The tail of a skunk is said to be an unfailing lure in such sets.

Sometimes a badger will be caught in a wolf or coyote trap. If so, do not skin it, as they are worth but little; kill it and let it lay on the spot, setting the trap by the side of it. The trap may be set in the loose dirt that the captured badger has dug up and there will be no signs of human interference. It is almost certain that a wolf or coyote will be caught there, within a few nights.

When you find where the animals are traveling on trails, if there is not much stock about, to interfere with the traps, make a set on the trail, without bait. Such a set is very good for the old, wary animals.

As a general rule, it is best to use blind and scent sets in summer, when the weather is warm and bait soon becomes tainted. The wolves are likely to pa.s.s tainted bait by with a sniff, although the coyote is not so particular, and at times prefers carrion. In summer, too, food is more plentiful and the animals are not likely to be hungry.

In winter it is best to use bait, as then it will remain fresh for a considerable length of time and the wolves are hungrier at that time.

Of meat baits, horse flesh is perhaps the best, and next in order comes antelope. Beef, pork, mutton, and the flesh of all game animals is also good for bait and the young animals are always preferred and selected, if the wolves do the killing. They do not like the flesh of old or diseased animals. Jack rabbits, cotton-tails, prairie dogs, badgers and sage hens make good bait for wolves and of these the jack rabbit is preferred, perhaps because it contains so much blood.