are only placing
bounties on such animals as are of little use as fur bearers, and are
destructive to stock. No doubt but that these states look upon the
hundreds of thousands of dollars put into the pockets of their
citizens through the trapper and his products, the same as they would
upon equal amount of money brought into their respective
commonwealths through any other industry. I believe it would have
been well to have had a bounty of $2.00 on a wild cat, and 50 cents
or $1.00 on a weasel, and the same on hawks.

I would like to have a little private talk with the trappers of
Pennsylvania. I do not wish to go away from home to give advice, for
usually unsought-for advice will reach about the same distance that
the giver's hat rim does. Boys, remember that this is private--just
between you and I. When we get ready to set our traps about the first
of November, let's try to--Oh, well, you kick, do you? You say that
the bounty trapper will have everything caught before the first of
November. That is true to a certain extent, but we can't help that,
for you know we are not true sportsmen, so all we can do is to stick
to common sense.

What I was about to say, boys, when we set our traps about the first
of November, was, let's try to set our traps so as to avoid catching
our neighbor's cats and dogs. If by mistake we should catch a
neighbor's cat, in freezing weather, and the cat's foot is frozen,
kill the poor thing at once and don't let it out to remain a poor
cripple the remainder of its life. And say, boys, don't you think it
would be a good idea to get the consent of the farmers to allow you
to set traps on their premises, wherever you can do so? And don't you
think it would be best to be very careful to not break down the
farmer's fences and leave their bars and gates open when we pass
through them tending our traps? In fact, we should be very careful
and do as little damage as possible, for you know we trappers are not
true sportsmen. The true sportsman can buy or lease lands and have
their private game preserves, so let us try to keep on the right side
of the farmer or there will soon be a time when we will have no place
to set our traps.

* * *

Certain game club men who are headed by a certain M. D. are
circulating a petition to both branches of the Legislature and the
Governor, to have a law passed to abolish bear trapping in
Pennsylvania. This M. D.'s excuse is a plea of humanity, claiming
that many be