PROPER SIZES.
Trappers have done much, by pushing into the wilderness after
fur-bearing animals and game, to advance civilization. Had the
slower pursuits of logging, farming, etc., been depended upon the
United States and Canada today would not be nearly so far advanced as
they are. While in sections, the larger game is gone yet there is in
parts of the North, West and South, much good trapping territory that
will pay the hardy trapper for years to come. Even in the more
thickly settled districts, trapping can be made a good paying
business if the correct sizes are used and trappers pay attention to
the proper season to trap.
It seems that red fox, skunk and muskrat remain about as numerous in
most sections as ever. In fact, the red fox in certain sections has
only made its appearance of late years--since the country has become
more thickly settled. Trappers in most sections can rest assured that
they will have game to trap for years to come.
In the rapid development of the country steel traps have played a
wonderful part. They have subdued the monster bear and have caught
millions of the small fur-bearing animals, adding largely to the
annual income of the trapper. Steel traps have been in use for more
than one hundred years but for many years after invented they were so
expensive that they were not generally used.
[Illustration: AWAITING THE TRAPPER.]
Of late years they have become cheaper, owing to the increased
facilities of those great trap manufacturers, the Oneida Community,
who are always looking to trappers' interest by adding new and
improved methods of manufacture as well as new traps to the extensive
line already manufactured so that now their use has become general;
in fact, the price is now so reasonable that the trapper, on his
first expedition, can have a full supply. The professional trapper,
who in the North, spends from seven to nine months in the woods has a
supply of these traps, ranging from the smallest to the largest. His
needs are such too that all of them are in use during the trapping
season. A trapper can use from 50 to 250 traps.
Trappers, as a rule, know what game they are going to trap and
consequently the number of each kind or size required. If he is after
bear, otter or beaver, etc., he can not use and tend as many as if he
were trapping smaller game, such as skunk, mink, opossum, raccoon and
muskrat.
Traps are made in various sizes. The smallest, No. 0, is used for
catching rats principally, while the largest, No. 6, is for the
grizzly bear. Other sizes and the game to which they are adapted are:
No. 1, known as the muskrat trap, but will hold mink, skunk, marten,
etc. The jaws spread 4 inches. No. 81, size of No. 1 with web jaws
for muskrat, mink and skunk. No. 91, size No. 1 with double jaws for
muskrat and skunk. No. 1 1/2 mink rat, but will hold stronger game.
The jaws spread 4 7/8 inches. No. 91 1/2, size of No. 1 1/2 with
double jaws for mink and skunk. No. 2 fox trap, also used for coon.
No. 2 1/2 otter with teeth; No. 24 1/2 same as No. 2 1/2 without
teeth; No. 3 for otter and coyote; No. 3 1/2 extra large single
spring otter with teeth; No. 31 1/2 same as No. 3 1/2 without teeth;
No. 23 otter with clutch; No. 4 wolf and beaver; No. 14 beaver with
offset jaw and teeth; No. 24 beaver with clutch; No. 4 1/2 timber
wolves and mountain lion; No. 50 small bear; No. 150 small bear with
offset jaw; No. 5 black bear; No. 6 grizzly bear. These are the well
known Newhouse brand being by far the best trap made. This brand is
put out in twenty-five different sizes.
The weight per dozen of Newhouse traps given below will give a better
idea of the relative sizes of these traps: No. 0 weighs 6 1/2 pounds;
No. 1, 9 1/4 pounds; No. 1 1/2, 13 pounds; No. 2, 17 pounds; No. 3,
23 pounds; No. 4, 33 pounds; No. 2 1/2, 23 3/4 pounds; No. 4 1/2, 98
pounds; No. 50, 132 pounds; No. 5, 135 pounds; No. 6, 504 pounds. A
single trap of the No. 6 weighs 42 pounds and it can be readily seen
that they are very strong.
The Newhouse is the strongest trap made and in fact the best for all
fur-bearing animals. A No. 1 Newhouse is equal in holding power to a
No. 1 1/2 of other brands.
[Illustration: WISCONSIN TRAPPER, FURS AND TRAPS.]
The following letters, from trappers of experience will be found of
interest as bearing on the subject of proper sizes:
"In buying your traps, do not get too large a trap for the animal you
wish to catch. I know an old trapper that has trapped for forty years
and all he uses for muskrat is a No. 0 Newhouse trap."
"A rat does not gnaw the foot off as many trappers will tell you, but
the forefoot is very tender and as a rat always struggles very hard
when caught, it does not take very long to twist the foot off if the
trap is not set so the rat will drown. Different trappers have
different ways of fastening the traps when trapping for rats."
"I use a No. 1 Newhouse trap for mink and a No. 1 1/2 for skunk. I
notice that the Newhouse people have a new trap called the "Webbed
Jaw Trap". I think this an excellent trap to use in very cold
weather."
"Yes, these otter traps are quite heavy, No. 3 1/2 Newhouse, but are
sure to hold," writes a New England trapper who is being accompanied
by a young trapper. "You asked me what the raise plate was for; it is
for the otter to hit as he passes over, as you see he is very short
legged, and the plate sets higher than the teeth on jaws of trap, and
it will answer other purposes, as you will see when you set them.
These otter and bear traps are alright and the animal that steps on
the pan will stay or leave a foot. We have 9 otter and 4 bear traps.
Let us look at fox traps. We have 25 "jumpers", No. 2 1/2; these are
right for dry sets. Here are 25 No. 3 Newhouse for water sets. No. 2
Newhouse is just right for coon and fisher."
Trappers in stating the size traps that they use for a certain animal
show quite a difference. Some use a No. 1 Newhouse for coon while
others use the No. 2 and as this is a double spring, the holding
power is fully three times as much as the No. 1.
In the Northern states where the coon grows much larger than in the
South and Southwest, the No. 2 Newhouse is the trap. In the South the
No. 1 1/2 Newhouse is a good mink trap as is also the No. 1 1/2
Victor and No. 2 Oneida Jump.
The proper size trap to use for a certain animal, varies under
different conditions. If the trapper is reasonably certain that no
other species of animal than the one trapped for frequents the place
then the best size for the animal being set for is the trap to use.
On the other hand, should the trapper have out some traps for skunk,
which need not be larger than No. 1 of the best or Newhouse variety,
and any of the dens are visited by fox a larger trap should be used.
If trapping for rats and you come to "rat signs" and also where there
are coon and mink signs, a trap large enough to hold either should be
set.
[Illustration: MINK, TRAPPED UNDER AN OLD ROOT.]
If blind or trail sets are made, it is well to have the trap
sufficiently strong for the largest animal using it. Often different
animals use the same trail or path leading from one den to another or
to a log across a stream, etc.
Elsewhere a complete description of the various makes and sizes of
traps to use is given and also full instructions about setting,
fastening, etc. This embraces the view of the manufacture, the
trapper and of the author who has had years of experience and should
be of great value to inexperienced users of Steel Traps.