Pennsylvania Game News - April 2012 - 9

any of the chucks like I usually saw in a rabbit or bird carcass. Again, Dad grinned and then said, “I always wait for the woodchuck to sit up before I shoot, and then I always hold that little bead on top of its head so that I don’t load the carcass with shot. This old shotgun has a good choke in it.” That afternoon, Dad let me clean the Iver Johnson while he and Mom took all the meat they could get off the bones, and stuffed it into pint-size Mason jars with a spoonful of salt on top. The jars of meat were then put into Mom’s steam canner for four hours or more, and then on a shelf in the cellar. That’s how the old 12-gauge Iver Johnson helped get us through the Great

Depression. With rabbits, squirrels, grouse and ringnecks, and a deer when Dad got lucky, we always had some kind of meat with gravy to go along with boiled potatoes on the supper table. Dad left us years ago, and the old Iver Johnson came into possession of one of my younger brothers. Now he is gone and the gun passed into the hands of one of his sons, which is where it belongs. As for me at 85, I still have the memories of the many times I watched Dad put that old Iver Johnson to the test, and it never failed him. 

Trapper’s Tips…

By Dan Lynch

Choosing set locations to take good photos:
Taking a camera on the trapline has been discussed before and is always a good idea. Trappers that have confidence that they will catch animals, however, can go a step further by making sets at locations specifically because they provide good photo opportunities. If you have some good field locations that have trees in the background or are set at the top of hill with a picturesque scene close by, why not set one or two traps within 15 feet of one another and see if you can catch a double on foxes or coyotes that would make a great picture? Find lots of raccoon tracks along an open banked stream or pond and you could set one or two traps there to make a great water trapping picture should you be successful. When taking the pictures, try and wait until you have enough light and try to have the sun to the side or in front of the animal when taking the photo. You’ll also get better pictures if you take an inexpensive packable tripod along and set your camera up on it for stability. Another tip is to walk slowly and be calm around the animal in the trap before taking the picture. A nervous or cowering animal is not likely to make a good picture. If you are photographing an animal that has expired, clean dirt and other items off the face and body and position it in a normal looking pose, and with you behind it if you plan to be in the picture. Always take tasteful photos, to show respect for the animal. Finally, keep in mind that some friends may not feel the same way you do about trapping, so use your best judgment as to who you show your pictures to.

APRIL 2012

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/920435/trapper's_tips_pdf

Pennsylvania Game News - April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - April 2012