The Passing of the Fur bearer.
Well, boys, I suppose you are well pleased with the bounty law in
this state, (Pennsylvania) as it now is? While it is doubtful if I
shall ever again be able to follow the trap line, I am nevertheless
as much, and perhaps more, interested in the welfare of the trapper,
than when I was able to follow a line of traps.
I am inclined to think that the present bounty law (1907) will not
only be a damage to the trapper but also to the state. People who
never thought of trapping before are now preparing to trap, and some
are already at it, and their cry is, Bounty! Bounty! It reminds me of
John Chinaman when gold was discovered at Cripple Creek, Colorado.
All John could say in his rush for gold, was Cripple Creek, Cripple
Creek! Fortunately the greater part of this class of trappers will
catch but few of the shyer animals (and the best fur bearers).
It was the Game Clubs that asked for and received the Bounty Law. Now
if the bird hunter will leave his trained bird dog at home, and walk
up to the birds he shoots, he will get plenty of exercise, and the
game birds will soon be more plentiful--but I suppose this would not
be sportsmanlike.
I am well acquainted with a man who is a member of a Game Club; also
a game warden. A neighbor of mine who is a good trapper was visiting
me a few days ago and he told me of a little matter that took place
between the game warden and sportsman in question, and himself. My
neighbor said that he was at the place of business of the Game Warden
----, and he said to my neighbor, "There are three traps you can have
for I have no use for them. My dog got in one of them, and I brought
the things home with me. I should have thrown them in the river."
When my neighbor came to look at the traps he found his own private
mark on the traps, so he said to the warden that they were his traps,
for there was his own private mark. The warden replied that he
couldn't help that, and that there were three more over at the house
that he could get if he wanted to. When my neighbor went to get the
other traps he found that they were not his traps, but he knew by the
mark on them the traps belonged to his neighbor, so he told the
warden about it.
Now the intention of the true sportsman is to kill two birds with one
stone through the Bounty Law; destroy the fur bearer, and by so
doing, do away with what I have heard many a true sportsman call a
nuisance--the trapper and his traps. Apparently this state or its
lawmakers, look upon the game business and the fur industry in a very
different light from what many do.
Many states throughout the Union are enacting laws to protect the fur
bearing animals of their respective states, and are only placing
bounties on such animals as are of little use as fur bearers, and are
destructive to stock. No doubt but that these states look upon the
hundreds of thousands of dollars put into the pockets of their
citizens through the trapper and his products, the same as they would
upon equal amount of money brought into their respective
commonwealths through any other industry. I believe it would have
been well to have had a bounty of $2.00 on a wild cat, and 50 cents
or $1.00 on a weasel, and the same on hawks.
I would like to have a little private talk with the trappers of
Pennsylvania. I do not wish to go away from home to give advice, for
usually unsought-for advice will reach about the same distance that
the giver's hat rim does. Boys, remember that this is private--just
between you and I. When we get ready to set our traps about the first
of November, let's try to--Oh, well, you kick, do you? You say that
the bounty trapper will have everything caught before the first of
November. That is true to a certain extent, but we can't help that,
for you know we are not true sportsmen, so all we can do is to stick
to common sense.
What I was about to say, boys, when we set our traps about the first
of November, was, let's try to set our traps so as to avoid catching
our neighbor's cats and dogs. If by mistake we should catch a
neighbor's cat, in freezing weather, and the cat's foot is frozen,
kill the poor thing at once and don't let it out to remain a poor
cripple the remainder of its life. And say, boys, don't you think it
would be a good idea to get the consent of the farmers to allow you
to set traps on their premises, wherever you can do so? And don't you
think it would be best to be very careful to not break down the
farmer's fences and leave their bars and gates open when we pass
through them tending our traps? In fact, we should be very careful
and do as little damage as possible, for you know we trappers are not
true sportsmen. The true sportsman can buy or lease lands and have
their private game preserves, so let us try to keep on the right side
of the farmer or there will soon be a time when we will have no place
to set our traps.
* * *
Certain game club men who are headed by a certain M. D. are
circulating a petition to both branches of the Legislature and the
Governor, to have a law passed to abolish bear trapping in
Pennsylvania. This M. D.'s excuse is a plea of humanity, claiming
that many bear are caught and allowed to remain in the trap until the
bear gnaws or twists off his foot and often the bear is caught the
second time and another is taken off, when the bear is destined to go
through life on two feet. Now in all of my more than fifty years of
bear trapping, I have never known a bear to gnaw his foot in the
least degree. Neither have I had a bear twist off his foot when
caught in a trap that has a spread of jaws no larger than 12 inches,
which will catch a bear through the thick of a foot. The Newhouse No.
5 bear trap which is the most common trap used in bear trapping, has
a spread of jaws of 11 1/4 inches.
The law which is now (1910) in force in this state provided that a
bear trap must be looked to at least every forty-eight hours. Under
these conditions, there is no danger of a bear twisting off a foot.
It is true that if a trap is used with a grasp high enough to catch
above the foot and the bear is allowed to remain in the trap for a
long time, they will sometimes twist off a foot.
But this sympathetic M. D. makes no mention of the bear that is
wounded by a gunshot, escapes and lies for weeks, and then dies or
recovers as the case may be. The wounding of a bear from a gunshot is
far more liable to occur than it is to take a bear's foot by being
caught in a trap.
This sympathetic doctor makes no mention of the farmer who has a
number of sheep killed by bears, which is almost an every day
occurrence during the summer season in any section where bear
frequent.
Now, Brother Trappers, it is not the great sympathy that these
gentlemen club men have for the bear. No, not in the least. What
these gentlemen want is to drive the lowly bear trapper out of
business, so that those very sympathetic gentlemen may more easily
kill a bear without losing too much of their precious sweat, and not
be compelled to get too far from camp and the champagne bottle.
Now, Brother Bear Trappers, my object in writing these few lines is
to ask you and each of you to write your respective representative at
once, advising him that you are opposed to any law to abolish the
trapping of the bear.
I believe that I was the first to advocate some remedy against the
wasteful slaughter of the fur bearing animals through the medium of
our favorite magazine, the Hunter-Trader-Trapper. I urged that the
remedy was with the large raw fur dealers by refusing to accept skins
that were not in a reasonably prime condition. Since my writing,
other more capable writers have taken up the matter and have
advocated a remedy from the same standpoint.
Now by close observation I have become satisfied that there is no use
of looking further in that direction for a remedy of this wasteful
slaughter of the fur bearing animals. The city fur dealers receive
the goods which consist of all manner of skins and all grades from
good to poor and worthless. In most cases the dealer received the
goods from local dealers who have gathered the furs up from among the
trappers, paying such prices as he thought would leave a fair profit
on the whole bunch. In most cases paying more for the poorer grade
than it was really worth, while paying far less than the prime skins
were worth.
[Illustration: WOODCOCK ON THE TRAP LINE 1912.]
Now the dealer was hardly to be blamed for this sort of transaction,
for it was the only way that he could make a deal with the trapper.
The city dealer is in the same fix as the local dealer. He quotes
furs from number one down to number four and trash, making up on the
better grades what he may have lost on the poorer. Thus you see there
is no one out anything except the trapper, who will insist on
trapping too early in the season, as well as too late in the spring
of the year.
Now we will say to the brother trappers of Pennsylvania and other
states as well, that we are at the parting of the ways, allowing us
to use the term. We must do something desperate if we wish to save
the fur bearers from becoming extinct and save the trappers' pleasure
and what profit he may derive from the business.
Now the only remedy is a closed season on all fur bearing animals. If
we are to derive any special benefit from a closed season, the open
season must be made short, for every trapper of much experience knows
that the fur bearers of Pennsylvania have become extremely scarce in
the past few years. In fact in some parts there is but little stock
left to build on. I would say that not more than two months of open
season should be allowed, if we get real benefit from a closed
season, and taking the whole state into consideration, I believe that
November and December would give the best general satisfaction.
Now, brother trappers, do not be hard on me because I advocate a
shorter season to be open than some trappers seem to be in favor of.
Well, we had the bounty law and we all have seen the results. I would
like to say here that the bounty law is still doing its work of
annihilation. The law is still in force as it appears on the face of
it, but nevertheless there has been no appropriation made by the
legislature to pay the bounty. Some trappers do not know but what
they will get the bounty until they present these certificates for
payment, then to learn that there is no bounty for them. Other
persons and would-be trappers are getting the certificates and
holding them, thinking that there will be an appropriation made to
pay this bounty. In this they will also find their mistake.
Now, brother trappers, we all know that the Lord helps him, who helps
himself and if we would save the fur bearing animals from complete
annihilation we must each of us do our part and not depend on some
one else doing the work. Let us all who would have a closed season on
mink, fox, skunk and muskrat get a petition to that effect and
circulate it. Get your merchant, doctor, and every other business man
in your neighborhood to sign the petition and as many others as we
possibly can.
Now, my dear friends, let us remember that the gentleman sportsman
will not help us in this matter and if we would have a closed season
we must push this matter ourselves. In my upwards of fifty years on
the trap line and the trail, I have always done my part (as I saw it)
to stop wasteful slaughter of game and the fur bearers and I will do
the very best that I am able in this matter, although I realize that
my days on the trap line are few.
Now, comrades, on the fourth of July (1910), the primaries to
nominate candidates to represent the people of the commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, will be held. Let every trapper of the state, who is
interested in the matter of a closed season on our fur bearing
animals get out and talk with their candidates whom they wish to
represent them at the next assembly. Let him know that you wish a law
passed at the next legislature giving a closed season on fur bearing
animals. We should bear in mind, that writing and talking without
action will not do. We must get busy at once if we would accomplish
anything.