t a
railroad in that section, nor scarcely a tree cut in the northern
part of the Upper Peninsula, with the exception of up about the Iron
Works where they were cutting timber and burning coke and charcoal.
In fact, I found bear more plentiful in Lower Michigan.

About the fifteenth of October we had the camp in shape and a big
pile of wood cut and piled close to the door. We now began to explore
the country for the best sites to set our traps, mostly Nos. 2, 3 and
4, besides seven bear traps, all Newhouse. We would build deadfalls
along the line, for we would not set a steel trap only where we were
quite sure that we would make a catch. We used the water set mostly
for wolves and fox, and of course, for mink and coon.

Good springs were not so common where water sets could be made as in
Pennsylvania. We could find occasionally a good log crossing where we
could get in a set for wolf, but suitable places of this kind were
not plentiful. We worked for beaver all we could. We would break a
notch in their dams and then set a trap just on the edge of break in
water just deep enough so the beaver would spring the trap. It was
while trapping here that I learned to make the bait set for beaver.
This is to use the kind of wood beaver were feeding on for bait.

We caught three or four wolves on the ice close to the bank.
Sometimes the ice would settle along the banks and the water would
run over the ice too close to the shore and then freeze. This made a
good path, or rather place for the wolf to travel. Now, where a
spruce or cedar tree would fall into the lake so as to leave a narrow
space between the boughs on the tree and the bank, was a good place
to set. We would watch the weather and when it began snowing we would
go to one of these trees from the ice or water side, cut a notch in
the ice, put in some ashes or dry pulverized rotten wood. The notch
cut in the ice must be just deep enough to let the trap down level
with the surface. The clog was concealed under a bough of the tree.

Now, I wish to say that I was never able to catch a timber wolf
unless I was able to outwit him, and in order to do this the
conditions and surroundings must be perfect for making the set. Where
we found good places to make a set of this kind we would place the
carcass of a deer several yards from shore out on the ice. This would
entice the wolves to come around, and of course increase our chances
of making a catch.

We were bothered some