THE COOP TRAP.
This trap is used with great success for catching wild turkey,
pheasants, quail and other feathered game. In some states the law
forbids the use of this and similar traps.
The trap is built like an ordinary rail pen. In fact, some use small
rails when constructing this trap for wild turkey, while others build
of small straight poles. The pen is usually six feet or more square
and about three high. The "coop" is stronger if drawn in from bottom
to top (see illustration). The top must be covered and weighted.
A ditch is now dug about a foot wide. This ditch should begin about
three feet from coop and lead within. Corn or other grain is
scattered on the outside and in the trench leading into the coop. On
the inside considerable should be scattered in the leaves and small
but short twigs.
The turkeys once on the inside will eat the grain and scratch among
the leaves which generally partly fill the trench and as the birds
are usually looking up, when not eating, they do not think of the
trench thru which they entered.
The same trap will catch quail, but of course is built much smaller.
About three feet square being large enough and a foot high is
sufficient. Some have built quail coops out of cornstalks and report
catches.
[Illustration: THE COOP TRAP.]
The quail coop should have the ditch leading to the inside the same
as described for turkey. Of course the ditch should be much
smaller--only large enough for one bird to enter at a time. On the
inside of coop it is a good idea to lay a board six inches or wider
over the ditch. The bait should be wheat or other small grain or
seeds that the birds like. Scatter thinly on the outside and in the
trench, but on the inside place more liberally. Chaff or leaves
should be placed on the inside so that the birds in scratching for
the grain will partly fill up the hole thru which they came.
Quail, turkey and other feathered game once on the inside and after
eating the bait never think of going down into the ditch and out, but
walk round and round the coop looking thru the chinks and trying to
escape.
The largest catches are made by baiting where the birds frequent for
some days or even weeks before trying to make a catch. It is well to
make the coops long in advance so that the birds will be accustomed
to them, especially wild turkey.
These traps are some times used with the figure 4 trigger, but when
thus set seldom more than one or two birds are caught at a time.