Trapper Ron Stuff 2013 - 2014

[TrapperRon]

Brought another wolf home yesterday. Tracks are now getting a bit scarce. The CO's and ranchers are very happy that some of this pack is being successfully removed. The ungulate population in the area has significantly dropped and range cattle are being targeted by the wolves. This snare set was not far from the main trail and trail into the bait station. We left it there until we returned from the end of the run. My buddy has a new Skandic same as mine. He is much younger than me and gets stuck with the grunt work, like packing those wolves to the trail. He put the Scandic in reverse and backed in through two feet of snow right up to the wolf, loaded it on the back and forward to where I was with my Scandic pulling the sled. Loaded into the sled and away we went. Now just have to head over to my other buddies fur shop and pelt it out this afternoon.



My lynx are really slow this year. Some sets just scent, others with scent and bait. They even seem to avoid the perimeter snares. Snowshoe hare everywhere. Perhaps this month it will pick up. Had a cougar visit one set and thankfully avoided the set also.

I am having a problem with the "monster trucks". They are a Toyota cab raised about three feet off the ground with huge tires. They really wreck my trail. They are like a skidder and can go through 30 inches of snow.

[PamIsMe]

Sounds like you should have one lol

Cheers,
Pam

[northof50]

Up about the height of their Toy truck cabs place a little Gusto cream to" make their day" when they pull into the bar that night they will the talk of the town.

[TrapperRon]

Today was a terrible day on the line. Six of those monster trucks tore my trail ups so bad it took us a full day to do a 60 Km run. Pulled all my sets and will probably move to a different section of the line. Did pick up another lynx though. No sign of wolves since December 31st.

Here are some pictures of the new pelican. Really worked well today but not much of a load in it (except snow). Oh and the lynx. I will make the dividers for it this week. Has a nice nylon cover for it also with an elastic pull string around the outside edge.





Here are the pins from Princess Auto to quick remove the hitch:



The heavy hitch pin. Had to drill out the hitch on the sleigh as well as the on the sled. Just a size bigger to fit the pin.

[musher]

Those trucks seem to be a pain. Is there any talking or reasoning with them?

[TrapperRon]

I tried talking very nice to them telling them this where I make part of my living in the winter. They are a bunch of young guys with a beer in their hand all the time an just make derogatory remarks telling me it is a public forestry road and too bad about the trail.

[TrapperRon]

As many of you are aware the fur industry supported Megan in the 2010 Olympics. Many of you have sent in furs to the NAFA program to support her. She will now compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Once again supporting and support from the Canadian and International Fur Trade. Here is a press release:
_________________________________________________________________
The Fur Industry Lends a Hand to Help Canadian Biathlete
Strike Gold at Sochi Winter Olympics

Ottawa, Ontario, January 13, 2014 – The Canadian and International fur trade is honoured to announce a major sponsorship of Canadian Biathlete Megan Imrie who is competing on the World Cup tour and will be representing Canada at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Officially named to Canada’s Olympic team last week, the 27 year old Imrie will be competing in the Biathlon in Sochi next month, becoming a two time Olympian after competing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

The daughter of an avid trapper and hunter, Imrie grew up on a working ranch in Falcon Lake, Manitoba and is a vocal supporter of the fur trade in Canada. Often seen in a fur hat when not donning her official team uniform, Imrie has become an enthusiastic spokesperson for Canada’s fur trade. Speaking from Ruhpolding, Germany, Megan said that; “I’m completely proud of being able to support the trappers and wear fur.”

Megan has done an excellent job at explaining the fur trade in Canada as a well regulated, environmentally responsible industry. “The fur industry supports the livelihoods of tens of thousands of rural and aboriginal Canadians,” says Imrie, who takes pride in humane trapping standards and the professionalism of trappers across the country. Imrie, along with her brother Devin, Manager of Fisheries and Sealing with the Government of Nunavut, has experience on trap lines since early childhood.

“Wearing fur is one of the most Canadian things you could possibly do,” says Imrie, who believes the fur trade is an integral part of Canadian culture and heritage.

Imrie exemplifies what it means to be a true Canadian athlete through her commitment to her sport and by representing Canada with honor and grace. The fur community in Canada and around the world eagerly anticipates watching her compete in the Biathlon this February.

For more information on Megan Imrie, please visit: meganimrie.com/

For information on the Canadian and International fur trade, please visit:

Truth About Fur: www.truthaboutfur.com/

International Fur Federation: www.wearefur.com/

Fur Institute of Canada: www.fur.ca/
________________________________________________________________

We are very excited for Megan but Sheila and I now have an exciting very tiny part to play in this olympics. We have a very small retirement home embroidery business. We were chosen to make the Canadian Fur Badges for Megan and her family to wear at at the Olympics. It is a great time for me to be a proud Canadian trapper.

Here are some pictures:

Badges in three sizes.



Our newest machine (5 days old) making them.





Go Megan go, all the Canadian ( and I'm sure the American) trappers are routing for you to bring home the gold.

[musher]

Me wants one!!

[TrapperRon]

Musher we are working on making it available to trappers. Right now the FIC and IFF have all control of it. We are probably going to use it for sale as a fund raiser for Megan or the next trapper Olympian to help fund them. It is a great project to get our message out there. What we need is and International one, something not cluttered, and a simple message like this one. I will see that you get one.

[musher]

Thanks!

[thorsmightyhammer]

Ron, how has the new Skandic been for you?

Have you done any mileage checks?

[TrapperRon]

Jan 26, 2014 22:33:09 GMT -6 thorsmightyhammer said:

Ron, how has the new Skandic been for you?

Have you done any mileage checks?

I am checking the mileage every time I fuel up. It has a trip meter that I reset with each fuel up. It started out around 18 mpg and is now up to about 23. That last trip of 23 was also a very hard trip. If I can average that I will be happy. The trip I was making was 60 Km and I made three trips before refueling. The gauge still read over half full but I did not believe it. Turned out it was accurate. I will probably not use it again until March when I hope to find some beaver to show my trapping partner and one of my students how to snare beaver under ice. Well except we may make a trip into our cabin on the Nevertouch Lake line where there will be about 5 feet of snow. The main road will be well traveled by the snowmobile club so should be good going.

[TrapperRon]

Made a trip to the Cabin on the Nevertouch line. Lots of snow. Stayed overnight and then went up into the Graystokes Provincial Park. Part of my trapline is in this park.

The Cabin has about 5 feet of snow on top.







The woodshed:



The fur shed, it has a flat or curved roof:



The outhouse:



Had to do a bit of shoveling:





A few other shots. This must be an old sign on the trail in the park.





Some of my line shot from 6500 foot level:

[musher]

That's a fair dusting you have there. The snow doesn't seem to have layered up at all. It looks like snow that takes you right to the bottom. Does the snow mobile trail set up nicely or does it stay sugary?

[TrapperRon]

The trails set up good but constantly new snow. The snow is quite layered and settled. Perhaps this picture shows it better.

[makete]

This is the stuff I have missed by not showing up. Love it, thanks for posting. So you like that sled?

[TrapperRon]

I really like my Scandic WT ACE 600. This next season I will put ski skins on it.

While I am out fishing I will start a new "Trapper Ron Stuff" for the 2014 - 2015 season. Yup we rough it with internet and satellite TV out camping. That is if there is interest enough. Lots of pre season activity planned. Lynx pens, marten boxes, scout new country, build a woodshed at camp.

[northof50]

We had a send off for Megan Imrie in the community last weekend. The small community club was full. Dave Bewick read a couple of letters from the Fur institude and the world fur council on her promotion of fur on the Internation scale. the FHA gave her a nice retirement present finally for her efforts. She is plannig to do a pre-vet in BC next fall.