The Improved Springle
Categories: SNARES OR MOOSE TRAPS.The accompanying cut illustrates an improvement on the last mentioned
trap, whereby it can be used for the capture of larger game, and
with most excellent success. In place of the spreader a crotched
stick is used, the crotch of which catches around the peg, the other
end being supplied with a notch as in the case of the spreader.
On the upper side of this stick a small pasteboard platform is
tacked, over which and ben
of the arc, a stout crotch stick is substituted. The noose should
be at least ten inches in diameter and constructed of sucker wire.
It should be arranged on the ground around the bait and inside
of the peg. When the snare is set, the crotched end of the bait
stick will thus rest near the earth, the notched end only being
lifted in order to reach the catch piece. It is well to insert
a few small sticks inside the edge of the noose in order to keep
it in correct position. If properly set, the quail or partridge
in approaching the trap will have to step inside the noose in order
to reach the bait, and while thus regaling itself with a choice meal
of oats, berries, or other delicacies, will be sure to press upon the
bait stick either by pecking, or treading upon it, and will thus set
the catch piece free, only to find itself secured by a grasp from
which he will never escape alive. This is a very effectual snare;
but on account of its securing its victim by the legs and thus
torturing them to death, it is to be deprecated. We would recommend
in preference, those varieties already described as being fully as
successful, and far less cruel. They effect almost instant death,
either by broken necks or strangulation, and are in this regard
among the most humane traps on record.
More
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The Box Pit-fall
We now come to a variety of trap which differs in its construction from any previously described. It secures its victims alive, and without harm, and, when well made, is very successful. It may be set for squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, and the l... The Box Snare
This is a most unique device, and will well repay anyone who may desire to test its merits. It may be set for rabbits, coon, or feathered game, of course varying the size of the box accordingly. For ordinary purposes, it should be seven or eight inc... The Brick Trap
This is a very old invention, and has always been one of the three or four stereotyped specimens of traps selected for publication in all Boys' Books. It is probably well known to most of our readers. Take four bricks, and arrange them on the grou... The Buffalo
The Buffaloes or Bison of the Western plains is too well known to need description. They travel in migrating herds of thousands, and are found from Texas to British America. Their food consists chiefly of grass, of which the Buffalo grass is their ... The Canadian Lynx
The lynx represents another of the Cat tribe, and as its name implies is a native of the regions north of the United States, although sometimes found in upper Maine and on the lower borders of the great lakes. It is commonly known throughout Canada ... The Clap Net
In Asia, Africa, South America and Europe, this trap is a common resource for the capture of wild birds of various kinds. It may be called a decoy trap, from the fact that call birds are generally used in connection with it. They are placed at dista... The Clog
A trap which is set for heavy game should never be secured to a stake. Many of the larger and more powerful animals when caught in a trap thus secured, are apt either to pull or twist their legs off, or break both trap and chain to pieces. To guard ... The Common Box Trap
which have not been covered by any of the previous titles. Several novelties are contained in the list, and also a number of well known inventions. There is probably no more familiar example of the trap kind than that of the common wooden box-tr... The Coop Trap
This is another excellent device for the capture of birds and large feathered game, and is used to a considerable extent by trappers throughout the country. Like the brick trap, it secures its victims without harm and furnishes the additional advant... The Dead-fall
There are several varieties of this trap, some of which are described in other parts of this volume. In general construction they all bear a similarity, the methods of setting being slightly changed to suit the various game desired for capture. For ... The Dead-fall
In strolling through the woods and on the banks of streams in the country, it is not an uncommon thing to stumble against a contrivance resembling in general appearance our next illustration. Throughout New England, the dead-fall, as this is called,... The Deer
There are upwards of eight varieties of this animal which inhabit North America. The common red or Virginian deer is found throughout the United States. The stag or Wapiti deer is now chiefly confined to the country west of the Mississippi and north... The Double Box Snare
This is another embodiment of the same principle which has already been described, viz.--the knotted string. By many it is considered an improvement on the box snare just mentioned, owing to the possibility of its taking two victims at the same tim... The Double Ender
This is what we used to call it in New England and it was a great favorite among the boys who were fond of rabbit catching. It was constructed of four boards two feet in length by nine inches in breath secured with nails at their edges, so as to ... The Down-fall
This is the famous harpoon trap, so commonly used in Africa for the capture of the hippopotamus. There is no reason why it may not be successfully employed in our own country for taking large game, or modified on a reduced scale for smaller animals... The Figure Four Ground Snare
For simplicity in construction there are few snare traps which can compare with this variety, although it is somewhat similar to those last mentioned, and like them, catches by the feet. The trap consists of three pieces. A catch piece about thre... The Figure Four Trap
One of the most useful as well as the most ancient inventions in the way of traps is the common Figure Four Trap, which forms the subject of our next illustration. It is a very ingenious contrivance, and the mechanism, consists merely of three st... The Fisher
This animal is classed among the martens, and is principally to be found in Canada and the Northern United States, where it is known as the black cat, or woodshock. In our natural histories it is described under the name of the pekan. In general ... The Fool's Cap Trap
Of all oddities of the trap kind, there is, perhaps, no one more novel and comical than the Fool's Cap crow-trap, which forms the subject of our present illustration. Crows are by no means easy of capture in any form of trap, and they are generally ... The Fox
Foremost in the list of animals noted for their sly craft, and the hero of a host of fables and well-authenticated stories, in which artful cunning gains the advantage over human intelligence, Reynard, the fox, reigns supreme. There is scarcely a pr... The Garrote
There is another variety of trap, somewhat resembling the dead-fall, but which seizes its prey in a little different manner. This trap, which we will call the Garrote, is truly represented by our illustration. A pen is first constructed, similar to... The Gopher
This remarkable little animal somewhat resembles the Mole in its general appearance and habits. It is also commonly known as the Canada Pouched Rat, and is principally found west of the Mississippi and northward. It is a burrowing animal, and like t... The Grappling Iron
This answers the same purpose as the above, and is often used instead. It is manufactured in connection with the larger steel traps, and is attached to the chain by a swivel joint. Its general shape is shown in an engraving, and it offers a serio... The Gun Trap
After a Puma has succeeded in capturing his prey, and has satisfied his appetite by devouring a portion of its carcass, he leaves the remainder for a second meal, and his early return to a second banquet is almost a matter of certainty. Where such a... The Hawk Trap
Our illustration represents a hawk in a sad plight. The memory of a recent feast has attracted it to the scene of many of its depredations: but the ingenious farmer has at last outwitted his feathered foe and brought its sanguinary exploits to a... The Hook Trap
Our second example is one which we are almost tempted to exclude on account of its cruelty, but as our volume is especially devoted to traps of all kinds and as this is a variety in very common use, we feel bound to give it a passing notice. Our ... The Hoop Stretcher
This consists of a hoop made from one or more flexible switches tied together so as to form a circle. In order to be adapted to this mode of stretching, the skin should be flat, i. e. taken off as described on page 172, the initial cut extending fro... The Humming Bird Trap
One of the most ingenious uses to which bird lime is said to have been applied with success, is in the capture of humming-birds. The lime in this instance is made simply by chewing a few grains of wheat in the mouth until a gum is formed. It is said... The Improved Springle
The accompanying cut illustrates an improvement on the last mentioned trap, whereby it can be used for the capture of larger game, and with most excellent success. In place of the spreader a crotched stick is used, the crotch of which catches aro... The Indian Or Birch-bark Canoe
Where the white birch grows in perfection, and the trees attain a large size, the chief material of the birch bark canoe is at hand; and although we ordinary mortals could not be expected to attain to that perfection of skill which the Indians exhib... The Jar Trap
In place of the wire cage, a glass preserve-jar was substituted. A few bits of cheese were then dropped inside, and the top of a funnel inserted into the opening above. This completed the trap, and it was set on the floor near the flour barrel. On t... The Log Coop Trap
This is commonly set for bears, although a deer or a puma becomes its frequent tenant. As its name implies it consists of a coop of logs, arranged after the principle of the Coop Trap described on page 67. The logs should be about eight feet in leng... The Mink
This animal, as will be seen by our illustration, has a long, slender body, something like the weasel, to which scientific family it belongs. It inhabits the greater part of North America, and is also found abundantly in Northern Europe. The color o... The Mole
Of all the mammalia the Mole is entitled to take the first place in the list of burrowers. This extraordinary creature does not merely dig tunnels in the ground and sit at the end of them, as is the case with many animals, but it forms a complicated... The Mole Trap
If there is anyone subject upon which the ingenuity of the farmers has been taxed, it is on the invention of a mole trap which would effectually clear their premises of these blind burrowing vermin. Many patented devices of this character are on the... The Moose
We have already given so much space to the hunting of the deer that we shall be obliged to cut short our remarks on the Moose, particularly as it is a representative of the same family. This animal is the largest of the Deer tribe, being seven or ei... The Muskrat
The muskrat, or musquash, is very much like a beaver on a small scale, and is so well-known throughout the United States that a detailed description or illustration will hardly be necessary. Reduce the size of the beaver to one foot in length, and a... The Net Trap
The lion and tiger are often taken in a net, which is secured to a frame work and suspended over a tempting bait. When the latter is touched the net falls, and the victim becomes entangled in the meshes and is securely caught. So far as we know, thi... The Old-fashioned Springle
This is the variety of snare which has been in very common use for ages, and has always been the one solitary example of a noose trap which our boys' books have invariably pounced upon for illustration. For the capture of small birds it works ver... The Opossum
The opossum is found more or less throughout nearly all the United States. In size it equals a large cat, the tail being about fifteen inches long, very flexible and covered with scales. The general color of the fur is grayish-white, slightly tin... The Otter
The fur of this animal is of such exquisite softness and beauty as to be in great demand for commercial purposes, bringing a very high price in the fur market. The otter cannot be said to be a common animal, although it is found throughout the... The Pendent Box Trap
This invention is original with the author of this work, and when properly made and set will prove an excellent device for the capture of small birds. The general appearance of the trap, as set, is clearly shown in our illustration. A thin wooden... The Pine Marten
This animal belongs to the tribe of weasels, and is closely allied to the celebrated sable, which it greatly resembles. The pine marten is so called because it inhabits the northern climates where pine forests abound, and spends much of its life in ... The Pit-fall
The tiger is the scourge of India and Southern Asia and some sections of these countries are so terribly infested with the brutes that the inhabitants are kept in a continual state of terror by their depredations. Many methods are adopted by the na... The Platform Snare
This odd invention will be found to work capitally as a game trap, and the only extra requisite necessary consists of a slab or light board about seven inches wide, and a foot in length. Having selected the spot for the trap, proceed to cut a sti... The Poacher's' Snare
Our next example represents one of the oldest and best snares in existence,--simple in construction, and almost infallible in its operations. It is the one in most common use among the poachers of England, hence its name. The pieces are three in num... The Portable Snare
This is simply a modification of the snare just described, but possesses decided advantages over it in many respects. In the first place, it requires little or no protection in the shape of an enclosure. It can be set in trees or in swamps, or in sh... The Prong Horn Antelope
This sole American representative of the Antelope tribe we believe is seldom trapped; but as it is a well-known animal on the Western plains, a short mention of it is required here. In general shape this creature bears considerable resemblance to th... The Puma
The puma, commonly known also as the panther or cougar, is the largest American representative of the Cat tribe, and for this reason is often dignified by the name of the American Lion. It is found more or less abundantly throughout the United State... The Quail Snare
That quails are sociable in their habits, and that they run together in broods in search of their food, is a fact well known to all sportsmen. A most excellent opportunity is thus afforded the hunter to secure several at one shot, and the same adva... The Rabbit
The rabbit or cotton tail, as he is familiarly termed, is too well-known to need any description here. From Maine to Texas our woods abound with these fleet-footed little creatures, of which there are several American species. They are the swiftest ... The Raccoon
Although allied to the Bear family, this animal possesses much in common with the fox, as regards its general disposition and character. It has the same slyness and cunning, the same stealthy tread, besides an additional mischievousness and greed. I... The Scow
The bateau we have above described is built so as to allow for considerable speed in the water, either in rowing or sculling; but where this speed is not especially desired the pointed bows may be dispensed with, and the sides of the boat made perfe... The Season For Trapping
The business of trapping for profit must be confined to the season between the first of October and the beginning of May, as furs of all kinds are worthless when taken during the other months of the year. The reason for this is obvious. A prime fur ... The Self Setting Trap
One of the oldest known principles ever embodied in the form of a trap is that which forms the subject of the accompanying illustration. It is very simple in construction, sure in its action; and as its name implies, resets itself after each intrude... The Sieve Trap
This device certainly possesses one great advantage:--it is not complicated. Any one possessed of a sieve and a piece of string can get up the trap at two minutes' notice, and provided he has patience, and can wait for his little bird, he is almost ...