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Pit for hunting wolves, near Hohenwart, Bavaria, Germany

Trapping pits are deep pits dug into the ground, or built from stone, in order to trap animals. European rock drawings and cave paintings reveal that the elk and moose have been hunted since the stone age using trapping pits. In Northern Scandinavia one can still find remains of trapping pits used for hunting elk, reindeer, wolves and bears. These pits, which can measure up to 4 x 7 m in plan and be up to several meters deep, were camouflaged with branches and leaves. They had steep sides lined with planks, making it impossible for the animal to escape once it had fallen in. Certain traps had a small rope for rodents and amphibians to escape with. When the animal had fallen into the pit, it would be killed, either bled to death by sharpened sticks pointed upwards from the bottom of the pit, or in the case of pits without these sticks, dispatched by hunters waiting nearby.

Pits for hunting eurasian elk

Remains of an elk pit at Storøya.

Pits for hunting Eurasian elk (moose) are found in large groups, crossing the elk's regular paths and stretching over a large landmass. Remains of wooden fences designed to guide the animals toward the pits have been found in bogs and peats. They live in the mountains where it is rocky and also on foothills. Because they need to live in areas where it is grassy and shrubby. Because that is part of their diet to eat grass and eat vegetational plants at the edges of the woodland, where they usually browse. They also live in different farms and in farms named ranches that raise elks. Some are named the national park, elk Island, and Yellowstone national park. Elks can be found all around in the world in many places where in big woods. They are pretty much found in North America where they are discovered as 'bulls' (males) and 'cows' (females). They are found in the whole Scandinavia such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Also in the East of Asia for ex. in Mongolia and Manchuria where it lays in the outer corner of the continent. In Asia they have found some good body parts like the antlers and velvets for medicines.

In Norway two forms are found; one is typically a tapered construction with a timbered box at the bottom where the legs of the animal was locked, or a bigger one where the animal fell through a covered lid. The later one will typically have a bowl form today, while the former most often lacks the timbered box. The tapered construction seems to be the most common one, especially in the mountains.

Early examples of these trapping devices have been excavated by archaeologists and older sites are questionably dated to around 3700 BC while one of the later one in Lesja municipality in Gudbrandsdalen is dated to 1690. An other location Rødsmoen at Gråfjell has been in use over a period of 2000 years, from older Bronze Age around 1800 BC to older Iron Age around 500-550 AD. From the excavations at Dokkfløy it seems like the hunting pits has been in use in two periods, one older period from around 500-300 BC, perhaps still in use around 1000 AD, and one later period up to about 1700 AD..

These pits are famous instinctively in Sweden are found around the whole Northscandinavian country. They are usually found around many grounds where the elk eats. Usually they covered the top of the holes with fences so that the elk will walk over it and fall into the hole. The holes are camouflaged (perhaps with leaves or with soil) so that the elk wont be able to see that it is a pit. They are built in a way so that will be kept inside it and wont get out. Trapping elk in pits is an extremely effective hunting method, and as early as the 16th century the Norwegian government tried to restrict their use and in 1860 the hunting method was banned by law. But some elk pits are quite harmful on the animals. Nevertheless, the method was in use until the 20th century.

Pits for hunting reindeer

Reindeers exist in eastern Europe, Greenland, Russia, and in are found in big amounts in Scandinavia. And they also are found in Asia. They have to live in regions where there is lots of moss and forests. Because they adapt to different seasons so that they can live in them. These regions contain the type of food that they have to eat. Such as grass (where there is tons of amounts of), and also the forest is good for them to live in since there exists lots of herbs and berries as well.. Their furs consists of two layers and changes to the undercoat during the summer.

The pits are almost exclusively found in the mountainous areas of Norway. They are also located in other countries such as in Sweden and in the US. Reindeers are overall hard to catch in it is a challenge. They are stone built and are normally accompanied by leading fences, also made from stone, which would have guided the animals towards the pits. In some areas one can also find bow rests, stone built hiding places for hunters equipped with bow and arrow. The trapping pits are normally rectangular in shape and quite narrow, making it impossible for the animal to move once it had fallen in. The hunting pits were dug in sandy soil and was usually supported by wooden walls. When the reindeer firstly would walk in the woods it would begin by it seeing a wooden fence. At the bottom of the pit it would consist of branches and bark and could sometimes disguise it meaning to hide it by moss. Sometimes they could add lichen and a sharp stone or stake placed at the bottom. In order to lead the reindeers to the pits the hunters put peat or ragged clothes on top of the stakes. That would put anxiousness on the reindeer so that it would go into the pit. The guiding fences would go closer to each other the further you would go then the fence's structure would continue as a track and then further at the end it was a few steep steps. Then it comes to a deep dig pit. There have also been hunting pits found in Jyppyrä where there have been hunting during autumn and winter.

Pits for hunting wolves

The wolves have existed since 300,000 years ago it was the ancestor of the domestic dog. Their habitats consists of forest, deserts, tundras, and etc. They live in such habitats because there is grass plains and woodland. They also need to hunt and get plenty of food and there, there are many animals to hunt. The habits that the wolf likes to park its sleeping area and go hunting is in urban areas. Meaning a special dense environment such as forests, mountains, deserts, and grasslands where it goes hunting large animals such as moose or deer. Without having any compassion to the other animals in the woods makes the wolf into a ruthless predator.

These are deep pits, dug into soft soils, normally near farmland. They would have had a wooden stake in the middle, with a platform on top, onto which offal would have been placed. In certain cases a living animal, such as a lamb, would have been tethered to the stake, the idea being that the wolf would hear the cries of the animal and be lured towards the pit. The pit itself would have been covered by branches and foliage. Another technique in order to get the wolf into the pit that other hunters have done is too put a trap outside in the woods where they have found a bit of pee. Where the wolf has marked that this is his habitat and it wouldn't like that anyone comes and disturbs it. Then when it sees the trap it will come to investigate it and get trapped inside it. The pit is designed in a way that it is instead called a trap it is a squared shaped object. Which has a pedal attached to it that is supposed to catch the poor wolf's knee due to the hunters thoughts.

See also

• Animal trapping
• Punji sticks
• Trou de loup

References

Category:Trapping [[sv:Fångstgrop]