STONE DEADFALLS.
The stone deadfall here described is used by trappers wherever flat
stones can be found and is a good trap to catch skunk, opossum, mink
and other small game in. The trap is made as follows:
The figure 4 trigger is best for this trap and is made after this
manner: standard (1) is made by cutting a stick five or six inches
long out of hard wood and whittling it to a flat point, but blunt at
one end; (2) is about five inches long with a notch cut within about
one and one-half inches of the end with the other end made square so
that it will fit in (3) which is the bait stick. This is only a
straight stick sixteen or eighteen inches long, while the other end
of the stick should have a small prong on it, a tack driven in, or
something to hold the bait in position. The best way will be to tie
the bait on also.
[Illustration: FLAT STONE TRAP.]
After you have found a flat stone weighing from 50 to 100 pounds,
depending upon what game you expect to trap, select the place for the
trap, first place a small flat stone underneath so that your game
will be killed quicker and also so that the upright trigger will not
sink into the ground. Lift up the large, or upper stone, kneeling on
one knee before the stone resting the weight of the stone on the
other. This leaves both hands free to set the trap. This is done by
placing the triggers in the position shown in illustration and then
letting the stone down very easily on the triggers. You should keep
your knee under the stone all the time until you see that it comes
down easily and does not "go off" of its own weight. The bait should
always be put on before the trap is set. This trap will go off easy
and you must be careful that the bait you put on is not too heavy and
will cause the trap to fall of its own accord.
This trap can be made to catch rabbits which will come in handy to
bait other traps for larger game. In trapping for rabbits bait with
apples, cabbage, etc.
This trap does not take long to make, as no pen need be built, the
top stone is large enough to strike the animal, making no difference
in what position it gets when after the bait. A stone two or three
inches thick and say thirty inches across and the same length or a
little longer is about the proper size for skunk, opossum, etc., but
of course larger or smaller stones can be used--whatever you find
convenient.
* * *
This trap consists of a flat piece of stone supported by three fits
of wood, the whole trouble being in making these three fits right,
and this can be done by carefully comparing the description here
given with illustrations, whenever they are referred to. The parts
are all made of wood about three-eighths of an inch thick. Fig. 1 is
thirteen inches long, with notches about one-sixteenth of an inch
deep cut in its upper side, two of the notches near together and at
one end, and another four and a half inches from the first two. The
latter notch should be cut a little sloping across the stick.
[Illustration: STONE DEADFALL TRIGGERS.]
Figure 1 represents a top view and the piece next below it is a side
view of the piece of wood as it should be made, and end fartherest
from the notches being trimmed to a point to hold the bait. This
constitutes the trigger.
The lever is shown in Fig. 2, the cut above giving a side view and
that below it a bottom view of this part of the trap. The piece of
wood needed for it is six and one-half inches long, one inch wide at
one end, and tapering down to three-sixteenths of an inch at the
other; a notch is cut across the under side one and a half inches
from the wide end. Level off the upper side of the narrow end to
about one-half the original thickness. If the flat stone to be used
is a heavy one, the notch must not be more than 1 inch from the end;
otherwise the leverage on the notches would be greater than is
desirable, tending to hold the parts together too rigidly.
The upright post, Fig. 3, is seven inches long, slightly forked at
the bottom (to make it stand firm and prevent twisting round when in
use), the upper end beveled from the front backwards at an angle of
about 45 degrees. The front of the upright is the side that would
face a person standing exactly opposite the trap when set.
On the right side cut a long notch, half the width of the wood in
depth, commencing the hollow slope of the notch one inch from the
lower end and making the square shoulder just three inches from the
bottom of the post; level the shoulder off from the front so as to
leave only a narrow edge. Place the post upright, (see Fig. 4) it's
forked end standing on a small piece of wood or flat stone, to
prevent it from sinking into the ground; bait the pointed end of the
trigger and hold it up horizontally with its middle notch, catching
behind the shoulder of the notch in the upright post; then place the
beveled end of the lever in the notch at the end of trigger, the
notch in the lever laying on the edge of the top of the upright post.
Lastly, make the stone rest on the top of the lever, arranging the
stone so that the bait will be near the lower end of the stone.
It is a good plan to hollow out the ground somewhat under where the
stone falls, to allow a space for the pieces of the Fig. 4 to lay
without danger of being broken. The bait, also, should be something
that will flatten easily and not hard enough to tilt the stone up
after it has fallen.
The trouble with most deadfalls usually set, is in the weight of
stone. When you get one heavy enough it will not trip easy when game
takes hold, and oftentimes break head piece where the head takes hold
of standard. The head piece from stone down to where standard sets in
notch should be fully 2 1/4 inches, so when stone starts to fall it
throws triggers out from under; otherwise, stone will catch and break
them.
[Illustration: THE INVITATION--SKUNK.]
Young trappers when you are making triggers preparatory for your
sets, tie each pair together separately as they are finished, then
when you are ready to set there are no misfits. Now we are up to the
bait stick. It should under no condition, be more than 9 inches long,
and oftentimes shorter will answer better. A slotted notch on one end
the width of triggers, and sharpened at the other, is all that is
necessary. Then the bait will lay on the foundation of trap within 5
or 6 inches of front of the trap. Don't put bait away back under
stone. You loose all the force when it falls.
In building foundations for traps the utmost caution should be
exercised in getting them good and solid. (See how well you can do it
instead of how quick.) Begin in the fall before the trapping season
is on, locate and build your trap, and be sure the top stone is
plenty heavy, raise it up and let it fall several times. If it comes
together with the bang of a wolf trap and will pinch a hair, so much
the better.
To illustrate: While squirrel shooting one morning in the fall of
1905, I was standing on a ledge where I used to trap for coons, and I
happened to remember of a trap underneath me. I just thought I would
see if it was there. I went down and kicked away the drifted leaves
and found it intact and ready for business. When I lifted it up the
foundation was as solid as the day I put it there, and that was in
the fall of 1890, and I want to say right here that it took all the
strength I had to set it.
[Illustration: KILLED WITHOUT SCENTING ]
Trappers, if you will try one or more of the above described
deadfalls for those skunk, I think you can tie their pelts about your
neck for protection cold mornings, and none will be the wiser as far
as smell goes, provided, however, you put some obstruction to the
right and left of the trap so it will compel his skunkship to enter
direct in front, and then carefully adjust the length of bait stick
so stone will crush him about the heart. I have taken quite a lot of
skunk and very few ever scented where the head and heart were under
stone, writes an Ohio trapper.
I always had a preference for above described traps for many reasons,
yet if you live where there is no stone, you are not in it.
* * *
Deadfalls come in handy sometimes and with no cost whatever--unless
the cost is building them. Will send two illustrations of the stone
deadfalls writes a successful deadfall trapper. Will say that there
is a right and a wrong way to set the deadfall. If you want to make
sure of your catch never set your deadfall flat with short triggers
shaped like figure 4, but make long triggers instead and have the
weight or choker sit almost upright and draw the top trigger close to
the one that it rests on at the bottom. In this way you have a trap
that will be very easy to touch off.
[Illustration: RIGHT AND WRONG WAY.]
The way that some set their deadfalls the animal can remove bait
without being caught, simply because they draw the bait out from
under the trap and stand far enough away to be out of danger of being
caught. I can take a two hundred pound weight and set a deadfall that
will catch a small field mouse but it would not do to have them knock
that easy for you will get game that is too small to handle.