It is not to be supposed that the fox, coyote, wolf, etc., can be
taken in the deadfall; neither is it supposed to be as convenient or
as successful a trap as the steel trap. Yet, under favorable
conditions I prefer it to the steel trap in trapping some animals,
and it is certainly a little more humane in its operation as it
usually kills its prey almost instantly, therefore it saves the
animal much suffering.

Now there are many kinds of deadfalls, the most of which have been
shown from time to time in Hunter-Trader-Trapper. Were I up on
drawing, I would illustrate some of the deadfalls which I consider
the most successful, but I am not, so enclose photo. I will mention
some of the deadfalls which I have seen in use in different parts of
the country, some of which were good, but the majority I have seen in
general use I did not like mostly on account of the length of time
that it took to construct them, and the manner in which it was
necessary to place the bait.

I prefer a deadfall so constructed that several different kinds of
bait can be used at the same time, therefore the trap is ready for
more than one kind of an animal and also a trap that is readily
constructed. In the South we see many deadfalls. The most common
deadfalls used are those made by placing a bottom log about six or
eight inches in diameter and five or six feet long. The drop was
about the same size as the bottom log, only much longer and stakes
were split from the pine logs and driven into the ground the entire
length of the bottom log on both sides of the log. These stakes or
boards were long enough to come above the drop log when the trap was
set. The drop log was placed between the two rows of stakes and above
the bottom log. The common figure 4 trigger was used and placed about
midway of the bottom log and raising the drop log six or eight inches
from the bottom log. This made a runway that enabled the animal to
enter from either end of the run and the animal necessarily was on
top of the bottom log and directly under the drop log. The bait was
fastened to the spindle. This deadfall may work well on mink, skunk
and opossum, but I hardly think it a good trap for other animals and
it requires too much time to construct it.

[Illustration: GOOD SMALL ANIMAL DEADFALL.]

Another deadfall that I saw in common use on the Pacific Coast as
well as in other sections of the country was the ordinary string
deadfall. It is hardly necessary to descr