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Daily life and challenges for the various groups involved in the fur trade.
Spring-powered steel trap designed to immobilize and capture animals by forcefully gripping their bodies, heads, legs or feet when they stepped on to it.
The trap is factory-made as indicated by the markings on the pan, “Oneida Jump Animal Trap Co. Lititz, PA/Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Made in U.S.A./14.” The number “14” refers to the size of the trap.
This trap was used to capture beaver, wolves, coyotes, mountain lions and other larger fur-bearing animals.
Other
Related Material
Read more about trapping - enter 'trapping' in the search box to your left.
Read what James Isham and Thomas McCliesh had to say about martens.
Check the Beaver Index - e.g., Satisfied Trappers [British Columbia District], by Neil M. Lindsey, June 1926, p.120.
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Did
You Know?
Indigenous hunters had their own traditional methods of capturing animals in various types of traps including the use of snares and deadfalls. The commercial trade in animal pelts was responsible for the introduction of metal traps to North America.
By the late 17th century, the Hudson’s Bay Company was encouraging its employees at the various posts to trap foxes, martens and other small furbearers. Also by this time, Aboriginal traders were being introduced to the use of steel traps.
In 1851, a revolution in steel trap production occurred. Hand-forged devices made by local blacksmiths at the posts were being replaced by mass-produced varieties manufactured with the use of machines.
This change increased the numbers of available steel traps. The majority of those traded to Aboriginal hunters were used for catching fur-bearing animals. |
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