Trapper Ron Stuff 2013 - 2014

[TrapperRon]

More on Wood Cutting.

A week ago we were at camp and I tackled that log pile. Back early summer we found a Husqvarna 288 chainsaw at a garage sale. Well it was not with the for sale stuff but the fellow said he was selling everything. I spotted it in his open garage and asked if he would sell it. He said sure but it had not been started for a few years. He brought it out, put gas in it, and a few pulls it went. Lots of compression, about tears your arm off when you pull the cord. he wanted $200 so offered $180 and he sold it to me. So there it sat in my shop until last weekend. Took it out and it started third pull.

I cut up the biggest log and the two next logs and it started speed up, slow down, and stall. Cleaned the air filter which was filthy dirty. Cut a couple more blocks and it quit, no way I could start it. Next morning it started right off and I cut the other logs with no problem. The one long pine log we brought in with it left to cut and again it acted up. The whole saw is filthy dirty but generally in good shape. Looks like not a lot of use. Our son was home this weekend and took it back home with him. It will be spotless and running like a dream when he is done with it.



So now to start splitting these big blocks. :shock: Out came the maul and I started to bust wood. Quite a few swings to split them in half. Then they split real well. Worked the rest of the day and man was I tired. Just split them into eight and will split smaller at a later date. Next morning back at the pile of blocks after cutting the other three logs into blocks. Picked up that maul and struck a block. Wow it was like electricity going through my left arthritic shoulder :evil: Not to mention I could hardly swing it. After a few swings it loosened up a bit. Now there must be an easier way. Got out my small maul, three hits with the big one, put the small maul in one of the cuts and pounded it a couple times with the big maul. Split right in half with little effort. Still about 14 blocks left to bust for another day. A good work out for an old guy for sure.

A few pictures of the wood splitting. Probably about a cord once split smaller and piled, so far.

[bobbrennan]

are the drags a new design or have you used them for a while?

[musher]

If you want to simplify the wood splitting, use the maul and a sledge hammer. Once the maul is stuck in the wood you use the sledge.

[TrapperRon]

Nov 4, 2013 17:20:22 GMT -6 bobbrennan said:

are the drags a new design or have you used them for a while?

It is a design used by other wolf and coyote trappers here. Except there's are mostly made from rebar.

[TrapperRon]

Nov 4, 2013 17:23:57 GMT -6 musher said:

If you want to simplify the wood splitting, use the maul and a sledge hammer. Once the maul is stuck in the wood you use the sledge.

That is what I would have done had I had my sledge hammer there at camp. Using the small maul and hitting it with the larger one did work out though. There is a special steel wedge made specifically for that purpose also.

There are two more big fir blown over in the cut block. These are dominant trees that were required to be left for seed tree and wildlife purposes, except quite a few blow down. They are nice and dry but quite a bit smaller, be easier splitting. Will work on those next summer. I also noticed a big standing dry tamarack which will be great wood if split and dried for two years.

[TrapperRon]

Went to camp yesterday morning and back home in the afternoon.

Not what I wanted to see for this early in the season. There was 11 inches of new wet snow at camp and it just got deeper on the side roads to higher elevations. No way we could set up with the truck. I have never seen this much snow this early. So now it will be time to go pick up the new sled.





The main road may not even get plowed this year unless some logging takes place.

[RdFx]

aha , i see snowshoe rabbit tracks going toward your cabin....does he live underneath...lol....

[TrapperRon]

Good eye there RdFx.  They do go under both the cabin and the fur shed.  Not sure they live under there but do frequently go under.  Many times we will be sitting at the outside campfire and the snowshoe hare will come to withing a few feet of us.  We have seen as many as four at one time. 

[TrapperRon]

Finally it is here. Just picked up my new Scanic WT 600 Ace. I suspect thee is near two feet of snow up on my marten line now.

[TrapperRon]

Well the season is sure not as planned. Right after my last posting we went back out to camp. The main road is not plowed and probably will not be. We pushed snow all the way with the bumper of the truck. So took all the perishables home and closed the camp up for now. Just too far to go by sled and then out onto the line by myself with my bionic knees. Could get into more trouble than it it's worth. Never have I seen this much snow this early.

So with 6 boxes of game scraps now almost two weeks old in the back of my truck and up to plus 8 in town it was time for a quick trip to our low elevation line to dump at my three bait stations. Snow and more snow but travelable still by my truck. This is where my bait station is:



Dumped my boxes and went to check one of my spots for otter. Snowing rabbit skins. Here is what it looked like:



And where the set goes in the culvert:



So a couple of days later and after the snow was gone from the trees and willows we go back out. Time to get trapping. First to the otter spot. Otter slides everywhere in the creek, missed them by not setting in that miserable snow and snowstorm. Got two otter sets, a mink box, and a marten set in. Headed for the main bait pile to set wolf snares. What do i see but a huge Grizz track there and a spot where he sat and munched bones. So pass on that till he goes to bed.

Yesterday back out to the line. The grizz visited my sets, smashed my boxes and had a bait snack. No otter.
Over to the bait station, now I'm not a happy trapper. Gonna set snares grizz or no grizz, if he gets in a wolf snare he be dead and reported as an incidental catch. Hope he does not return though. So now at the bait station and darn there were wolf tracks everywhere, looks like 6 or 8 wolves. Day late and a dollar short again. Dumped some more bait and got a few snares out. Two of my lynx cubbies were visited by lynx also but do not like to start on them till December 1st. Well I did set one lynx snare. To top it off there is a second grizz down lower on the line. Grizzly in this area is very rare. I reported my findings to the CO's.

Grizz tracks, they are as long as my boot print(size10) and about 2" wider:





So tomorrow it is out for the day to set more snares for wolves, maybe a couple of lynx cubbies. We will move back to the snow country marten line in December when my buddy gets back from his Northern line.

[TrapperRon]

Been a while since an update. My marten trapping was a wash out due to snow conditions and access. Finally for some snares out and wolves coming to my sets. The next check after the Griz visited I found my only mink box and the marten box visited and smashed. Had an otter in my pink 280.



A poor catch on the otter, he must have been in a hurry going through that culvert. Also a long story associated with this and how I did not attach the trap.



got quite a few of my lynx cubies set up but so far no lynx. Yesterday however was a good day. Finally connected on the wolves. Caught two and had one chew out. Hate it when that happens. He just backed up and chewed out. My snares also were only about 6 " above the new snow fall. Snow is well over my knees.







Another otter in my pink 280. Much better catch this time.



Made a birch fleshing beam for a friend and one of our newest BCTA certified instructors. This is made from a clear birch board which we cut with the Alaska chainsaw mill.

[TrapperRon]

Last try at using the truck yesterday, had to turn around, too much snow even chained up. Off the packed road it is well over my knees. Our upper line has reportedly over 3 feet of snow now.

So today was the maiden voyage for the new Scandic 47 Km. Taking it easy varying speed to break it in properly. Wow what an awesome sled to ride. Will find out how it breaks trail in the deep snow next week.



Picked up another wolf, black one this time. Not real big but will save a bit more moose, deer and elk.

[northof50]

Now that is a clear belly smile if I ever saw one! Good to see that you can get about

[TrapperRon]

Tutorial: Turning Pelts to Fur Out

This is something I learned many many years ago taught to me by my good friend Bike Benz. It is a great help in turning pelts.

You need 5 or 6 feet of small power saw starter rope and a hook. I made the hook from a small nail. Tie the hook on one end of the cord and make a loop in the other end.



Turn the nose of whatever you are turning. Thread the cord up through the pelt or down from the mouth. Attach the hook to the nose. Attach the loop end to a hook on the wall, to your bench vice, or anything else solid that will not move.



Now step back until the cord is tight, keep tension on the cord as you use you hands to turn/tuck the pelt inward. Once past the shoulders it will turn very quickly.

[jim]

Put a small weight on the loop end and just drop it through the pelt no threading needed.
Jim

[TrapperRon]

Jim I usually just push it through with the belly wedge, but what a great idea. Note to self: add large fishing weight to fur shed.

[TrapperRon]

As many of you know and see by my avatar that I have bionic knees. So usually someone goes with me. My good buddy Ryan traps with me after he gets home from his line in the North Thompson. Lots of work once he gets home so we start that after New Years. Another friend has been going out with me, one of my trapping students. Today he was ill so away I went first trip by myself with the new sled. Wouldn't you know it the those daamn monster trucks were running the trail. What a mess it was for me to ride, feeling the pain tonight, used muscles I forgot I had. Did pick up another lynx.

So here is the highlight of the day. Only have a couple of squirrel poles up and pick up the odd one. Lots of squirrels but just not the middens like I am used to finding farther North. My first pole WOW 6 squirrels hanging there and my other site had two but one had his head eaten by an ermine.





I pull the snares off of the pole and just twist them all together making an eye to hang them up to thaw out when I get home.



Just something about the western red squirrel and snaring them. It's what love to do. Not much money in it just some satisfaction and peace of mind. I need to be out there this next summer on a squirrel midden hunt. Oh and make more lynx snare spots also.

[northof50]

What is the tree species that most of the middens are around?
In Manitoba the middens are only around red pine plantations.

[TrapperRon]

At his spot and most of the better spots there is a mixture of species, spruce, balsam, lodgepole pine, and Douglas Fir. This gives them cone crops more often. Most species of evergreens only have bumper cone crops every 5 to 7 years.

[blackhammer]

Thanks for all the great pics on this thread Ron. A good read.