The Trapper's Bible by Eustace Hazard Livingston

Author:Eustace Hazard Livingston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-11-20T05:00:00+00:00

Skinning is the next operation. I always begin at the heels on the inside of hind legs and cut to the root of tail. It is best to use a very sharp knife for this. Loosen the skin around the hind legs and take tail-bone out. Sharpen a stick six or eight inches long at both ends and fit through the large cords just above the heels and hang over a limb of convenient height. Then use your hands and a somewhat duller knife to pull the pelt over his head. Be careful cutting around the eyes and not leave a big hole as it injures the pelt. Be careful around the ears also.

Stretching comes next in order. This is a very important part of handling too. I use the one piece stretcher most, although I sometimes use the three-piece, which I believe is a little better as you can stretch the skin a little more. It is hard to get the one-piece stretcher just the right size and the three-piece stretcher can be vaned a little to suit the size of the skin. There is danger of stretching the skin too hard with the three-piece stretcher, which makes the fur appear thin.

Selling our catch is important to the most of us too. Well handled skins always bring a good price and everybody likes to buy them. Poorly handled, the buyers try to buy them cheap. The trapper, as well as the buyer is displeased with his returns for poorly handled skins. Some travelling buyers pay good prices and some very poor prices, so taking everything into consideration, it is better for the trapper to ship his own catch to some reliable company.

ROY ABRAY, Highgate, Ont.,

TRAPPING THE SKUNK

Mr. A. A. Lamb, Buchanan, Mich., states that he has been very successful in capturing skunk. “I sometimes use two or three joints of ordinary stove pipe with a swing door on one end, which the skunk is able to push inward; the other end is closed. I also fasten the pipe so that the animal cannot roll it when inside. Have taken as many as six skunks is one night. For bait I use a piece of muskrat or part of some old stinking chicken. Either of these are good. A neighbor and myself dug a trench long enough for four joints of stove pipe and covered these joints up with earth and placed an old chicken for bait therein. One of the openings was closed, and in the other end a swinging door, opening inward, through which the skunk was supposed to pass, was arranged. A dead chicken was dragged in various directions leading to the opening. On one occasion we dragged this bait for such a distance that there was very little left of it. The next morning, however, we found thirteen skunks in the stove pipe.”

TRAPPING THE SKUNK

The skunk is not a very sly animal and with a little care can be easily caught. However, I always cover my trap well, first by spreading a paper over the jaws and then covering with loose dirt.

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