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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Nov 29, 2014 11:16:12 GMT -6
3rd pic down: "least weasel", uncommon Not a least. Shorttail. Nothing uncommon about them.
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Post by musher on Nov 30, 2014 16:21:33 GMT -6
Things have slowed down quite a bit. As usual, the cream is caught and the catch has fallen dramatically. I did catch this coon. Like skunks, it doesn't happen every year. This male was a big one for around here. The 120 did a good job. Last week end didn't go as planned. The truck was packed for a bunch of resetting in new locations. We had about 6 inches of snow on the ground. More was announced. After a good drive the snow was approaching the 12 inch mark. A setting day became an "Oh crap! Gotta pick up NOW!" day. This line starts 17 km. off the highway and ends 35 km. in. Twelve inches is alright for my truck but any deeper the hills can be a problem. There are lots of hills. The catch was down, the snow was up and that was that. Then a major thaw occurred a few days ago. Do you reset? There comes a time when $ dictates the decision and I don't think the money is still there on that line. It's already in the fur shed. It is a drag, though. I expected to keep that line open for another couple of checks.
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Post by trappincoyotes39 on Nov 30, 2014 16:45:52 GMT -6
Cool photos ! A wolf is on my list of to do's before too many more years!
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Post by northof50 on Nov 30, 2014 20:15:41 GMT -6
Princess Auto had some of that 1 inch rad hose for a dollar 3 foot lengths. Someone made a mistake on the cutting floor. Thoae type of weasels are called 'Grey-backs" 5 days mean a lot in priming
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Post by trappnman on Dec 1, 2014 12:10:36 GMT -6
so what are you up to now on lines musher?
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Post by musher on Dec 1, 2014 15:46:41 GMT -6
I had 4 lines. Now I'm down to one full and a bit of another. The other is plowed year round but I only have access to about 12 km. of road. The forecast seems calm for the next few days so I might extend the "bit" one.If the ice can thicken up, beaver snaring might be an option. However, its still early as the feedpiles are not stale. Having gone through a couple of times, I am also not a fan of ice. The yo-yo temperatures make me more than a little leery. The "unsolds" don't crank me up either.
I was talking to the trapper that has a line that touches 2 of mine. He was doing the rounds of all the trappers in the area so see what was up and to ask them if they had found a bag full of snares he had lost. His catch had fallen dramatically as well. He was picking up as soon as snowmobiles were required. But the snow in that area has decreased ....
To do it over again, I would not have touched a trap. But .... getting caught in deep snow is a major headache. Even with waxed sand, most of the footholds were out of commission. A wolf CDR that doesn't fire is seriously frozen in.
On a side note, we seem to be having a flying squirrel infestation here. I have caught 4 doubles so far. Two flying squirrels in a 120 at the same time shows an abundance. Many caught are eaten and the consensus seems to be that they are eaten by other flying squirrels. Interestingly enough, one of the doubles has the other in its teeth.
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Post by musher on Dec 4, 2014 16:22:03 GMT -6
Descent run today on a short line. Given the snow, I was pleased to pick up the lynx. Their feet do fill up a trap.
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Post by musher on Dec 5, 2014 11:48:26 GMT -6
Another short line today and for the first time this year I am skunked. Zero fur worth talking about.
I did learn something, though. A lynx can go through a 280 without setting it off. I had a tunnel cubby and a 280 set at both ends. The trigger wires were to the side about 2/3 inches from the frame. The lynx went through BOTH 280's!
I'm rather shocked. The triggers are now in the middle of the trap. Let's hope that the cat returns before the season ends next week.
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Post by TrapperRon on Dec 15, 2014 11:48:51 GMT -6
Thank you for sharing your pictures musher. On your 280's if you set the trigger to the side just bend one out at the middle to about a 45 degree angle. Leaves a good opening but he will activate the trap with his shoulder when he brushes by that end sticking out.
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Post by trappincoyotes39 on Dec 15, 2014 19:57:16 GMT -6
Musher you mandated to the padded traps? looks like your running some stout springs on them?
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Post by musher on Dec 16, 2014 5:14:33 GMT -6
Thanks for the tip, Ron. The season closed yesterday and that lynx didn't return.
Yes, we have to use certain specific footholds when trapping lynx. The #3 soft catch, either 2 or 4 coiled, is one of them. I prefer the 4 coils for their strength. A lynx is easy to hold but a bonus wolf isn't! I also believe that the 4 coils bust out of frozen stuff better.
Some dogs had their first trapline run yesterday. I'll take a few others out today. The snowmobiles have tapped the main bush roads so the truck is out of the question. There is barely enough snow for anything. Since it was a wet snowfall, things are on the icy side.
I am 99% picked up except for some wolf stuff and traps really close to home. We haven't had any snow for a few days and there are few tracks of anything. I'm considering doing a little under ice beaver but the sale forecasts are not very motivating.
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Post by musher on Feb 8, 2015 9:17:03 GMT -6
I cut a few wolf hunting trails early in the new year. I set a few blind snares and patience paid off. I figured they were three when I set but I am not certain how many cut through when this one stayed behind. It could have been three again. One swerved before it hit another snare due to the snow changing things with leaning branches and such. This male had someone elses snare on it. It was a 3/32 1x7. The lock is bent out of shape. I think it is a slim lock. The snare was snapped just under the chin and wasn't exceptionally tight.I got it off with my hands. I don't think it was chewed. It seems broken. I got it with a 1/8 1x19 with a cam and a stinger. It wasn't going anywhere. There was several feet of cable and the catch circle was evident. It wasn't there on Monday but Wednesday it was. I picked up my other wolf stuff in that area. I saw 2 fresh trails yesterday. They are hassling a couple of moose. I don't think I'll set for them as breeding season is close and prices aren't overly impressive. It's in the basement bathtub as of this morning and I hope it will be thawed enough for skinning by Wednesday. Daughter and family are coming up next weekend and she gets a little excited seeing stuff in her bathtub! I still have stuff set around the house for any wolves that want to hunt deer.
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Post by trappincoyotes39 on Feb 8, 2015 21:05:47 GMT -6
Something on my bucket list is catching a wolf! nice pics.........
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Post by trappnman on Feb 9, 2015 9:03:19 GMT -6
would that be considered a flat fur?
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Post by RdFx on Feb 9, 2015 10:26:55 GMT -6
Looks flat to me like some of those big boar coon one catches that look like they are sheared but healthy and fat even in December !
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Post by musher on Feb 9, 2015 15:31:51 GMT -6
would that be considered a flat fur? Flatter than a steam rolled pancake that Mama Cass had hidden under her mattress. Wolves are never fat. They sometimes have a big belly full of food, but they never seem to have much fat on them. I find that this one is quite lean but I'll know more once the pelt comes off.
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Post by Maineman on Feb 15, 2015 15:34:32 GMT -6
Great Pictures Musher. Thanks for sharing
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Post by TrapperRon on Feb 17, 2015 12:02:19 GMT -6
Jim is that two different sizes of setters you have there? Best setters out there IMO.
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Post by Gibb on Feb 27, 2015 7:35:44 GMT -6
Yes, two different sizes, I like the smaller set for marten/fisher trapping carry with me all the time, keep the big set for 280/330 in the truck. Jim
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Post by trappnman on Feb 28, 2015 7:09:51 GMT -6
never used a conibear setter until 4-5 years ago- now I use it all the time- should have used it years earlier!
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