cat
haunts the shores of lakes and rivers, and it is here that the
traps may be set for them. Having caught and killed one of the
colony, the rest of them can be easily taken if the body of the
dead victim be left near their hunting ground and surrounded with
the traps carefully set and concealed beneath leaves moss or the like.
[Page 168]
Every wild cat that is in the neighborhood will be certain to visit
the body, and if the traps are rightly arranged many will be caught.
The trap No. 3, page 141 is generally used. We would caution the young
trapper in his approach to an entrapped wild cat, as the strength and
ferocity of this animal under such circumstances, or when otherwise
"hard pressed," is perfectly amazing. When caught in a trap they
spring with terrible fury at any one who approaches them, not waiting
to be assailed, and when cornered or hemmed in by a hunter they
will often turn upon their pursuer, and springing at his face will
attack him with most consummate fury, often inflicting serious
and sometimes fatal wounds. When hunted and attacked by dogs, the
wild cat is a most desperate and untiring fighter, and extremely
difficult to kill, for which reason it has been truthfully said
that "if a tame cat has nine lives, a _wild cat_ must have a dozen."

The twitch-up, erected on a large scale, is utilized to a considerable
extent in England in the capture of these animals; and these, together
with steel traps and dead-falls, are about the only machines used
for their capture. We would suggest the garrote, bow and gun trap
also as being very effective. The bait may consist of the head
of a fowl or a piece of rabbit or fowl flesh: or, indeed, flesh
of almost any kind will answer, particularly of the bird kind.

In skinning the wild cat the same directions given under the head
of the Fox may be followed, or the pelt may be ripped up the belly
and spread on a hoop stretcher, page 275.

THE BEAR.

There are several species of the Bear tribe which inhabit our continent,
the most prominent of which are the Grizzly, and the Musquaw or
common Black Bear. There is no other animal of this country which
is more widely and deservedly dreaded than the grizzly bear. There
are other creatures, the puma and wild cat, for instance, which
are dangerous when cornered or wounded, but they are not given to
open and deliberate attack upon human beings. The grizzly, however,
or "Ephraim," as he is commonly termed by trappers,