Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

4o8CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTsinlmals eaten, and so on. You must find whereyour quarry lives, or where it often goes in searchoffood.If there is likelihood of a finely-set snare beingsprung by birds or mice, make the ends of thetrigger-sticks flat, with good bearing, and tie thebait on so firmly that it w^ll take a smart tug torelease the trigger.A very simple and effective snare for birds, aswell as for small mammals, is rigged by droppingacross a traila small evergreen or other bushy treeor runway, so that its stem is a foot or so above theground (depending upon size of animal) ; thentrim off enough under branches to leave an openingin the middle of the trail, and set a noose in it,attached to the tree. Two or three such openingsmay be made, with a noose in each. Scatter baitalong the path on both sides of the tree. An animalfinding a noose drawing about its neck willpush onward, mstead of backing out, and so chokeitself to death.If 5^ou have neither wire nor cord to make nooseswith, use any of the strong, pliable rootlets, orbark cords, mentioned in Chapter XV. After oneanimal is captured, its skin and intestines can bemade into strings or thongs for such purposes.Fishing for the Pot.—Trout, perch, pickerel,and various other fishes, may be taken with hookand line any month in the year—when they are inthe humor. In cold weather, fish the deep stillwater, through holes in the ice, if there are any.Where suckers lie motionless, in plain view, theycan be snared with a wire noose by dropping itgently in front and under one of them, and givinga jerk. Other fish sometimes may be taken in thesame way. In hot weather, if 5^ou have no tackleat all, seek a small spring-hole, close its outlet withsticks and brush, build an artificial outlet, withrocks, etc., leading to a flat; then get into thespring-hole, thrash around with a stick, poke under