According to the verdict of the old fur-traders, the best trapper is
the uncivilized Indian. Though, apparently, he does not derive the
same amount of sport from his work as the white man does, he never
shirks his work and always takes great pains to prepare for and perfect
the setting of his traps. Though he is slow, he is, nevertheless, sure
and deadly in his work. Oo-koo-hoo assured me that the secret of
successful hunting was intelligence, caution, and patience.

During December and January, or according to the Indians, Yeyekoopewe
Pesim--"The Rime Moon," and Kakisapowatukinum--"The Moon When
Everything Is Brittle," there is always a lull in the trapping, for the
reason that then the days are shorter and the weather colder, and on
that account and also on account of the fact that the sun and winds of
March have not arrived to harden the deep soft snow, the forest
creatures prefer to remain more at home.


APPROACHING MOOSE

In approaching the Moose Hills we saw many moose tracks, but they were
old, the freshest having been made two days before. The age of these
the hunter was able to determine from the amount of newly fallen snow
in the track, as well as from other conditions; for he well remembered
how much snow had fallen each day for the last week or two, when and
which way the wind had blown, and when the sun was strong and the cold
severe. Now selecting a two-day-old trail as the best for us to
follow, he decided to camp for the night, and we spent the interval
between supper and bedtime discussing not only the hunting of moose,
but also their range and habits.