becomes a necessity. Now in regard to traps. If the section
where you intend to trap has the larger animals like bear, otter,
beaver, etc., then the trapper should provide himself with a
sufficient number of traps of different sizes as he may be able to
tend and do it well.

I would advise to start with, that the trapper has about one-half
dozen No. 5 bear traps, one dozen No. 4 wolf and about the same of
No. 3. But the greater number of traps will be Numbers 1 1/2 and 2,
if of the Jump or Blake & Lamb pattern. If of other patterns would
say use the Hawley & Norton Nos. 1 1/2 and 2, say 75 No. 1 1/2 and 25
No. 2. The genuine Newhouse is of course the best long spring trap
made, but a little more expensive, and we find that the H. & N. fills
the bill. We prefer the B. & L. on account of its lightness and
convenience in setting.

Now, if the trapper is trapping where the animals are no larger than
fox, raccoon, wildcat, etc., then I want no traps larger than the No.
2 1/2, nor smaller than the No. 1 1/2 Blake & Lamb.

Now about the gun. If you are in a large game country it is quite
necessary that you carry a good rifle. I like the Winchester and not
of too large a caliber, but if there is no large game in the locality
then I think one should have a Stevens pistol, ten-inch barrel, or a
Stevens Pocket Shotgun, 15-inch barrel, and in either case have a
good holster to carry it in. As for myself I prefer a Pocket Shotgun.
It might be well to have a large shotgun in camp. You will also want
your belt axe or hatchet and a good heavy sharp axe at the camp.

As for bedding, this will largely depend on what kind of a cabin or
camp you have. If you are in a tent, two persons should have not less
than six good blankets. If your camp is so situated that you can
drive to it with a team or pack horses, then you should have a straw
mattress. But if you are in a locality where you can get cedar or
hemlock boughs, you should use only the finer boughs. Begin at the
foot of the berth and push the larger or butt end of the bough into
the ground and then begin the next row so as to lap or shingle onto
the first row, and so on until the head of the berth is reached.

If you use a tent, I find that it is a good idea to make a skeleton
frame of good heavy poles over the tent and about twelve inches above
and around the tent and shingle it well with boughs, so that the snow
will not fall directly on the tent. It will be a great help in
k