2016 line

[trappincoyotes39]

So what do you do the rest of the winter musher if no trapping?

[musher]

THis is an odd tear with the prices and conditions. IT feels weird to be picking up when I was just setting. THere are a few wolf sets that I did not want to pick up this morning. BUt the trail is closed. A wolf will not use it because it is blocked. I had to get under the brush to get my stuff.

I will do what I always do Once there is enough snow. I will dog sled and keep a small fun line open. It might be a challenge because logging has started where I usually do this. For sure my departure area will not be the same.

i will also cut wood. For sure I will cut trail! There is no getting around that. The wet snow messed everything up but right now there might only be 3 inches of the stuff. It is the bent over trees that are the problem. Very odd, indeed.

sorry for the typos. i hate ipads but the computer is acting up.

[musher]

Same old, same old on the line. Did have something happen that does not occur every year. I got a double in one trap.



Not the species I wanted, though!

Ever since I've started putting boxes with the opening downwards, incidental catches of squirrels and birds has dropped remarkably. They feed through the wire on the top. This saves a lot of time resetting traps with non-target catches. I only have one bird this year and it was caught by a wing. I believe that it landed on the trap spring and the trap fell thereby catching the bird. Even then it was unlucky because, often enough, a caught marten doesn't even make the trap fall.

Stuff happens.

The 41 box section of line is picked up. We were able to get through without the chainsaw ,for once, but it wasn't going to happen again. Many trees are bent over roof high and the snow/freezing rain/rain that they are announcing is going to seal things up. Not a place where someone who hates the sound of branches rubbing on their truck should go.

It was time to pick up as the last run was 3 marten. The cream is gone.

It did down me out because there was more fresh wolf sign. They did not return where my sets were but they did pop up in a different spot. One wolf made scent posts and scratched up on the road in front of a half dozen marten boxes. It did not go within 50 feet of them but it knew the boxes were there.

Thanks for looking.

[RdFx]

Thanks for posting. Interesting following your line.

[musher]

Lots of stuff is now picked up. The loggers are in full swing. At one box they flagged the tree and trap. That means they won't cut it down (nails in the tree) but it also means that the box will be all alone in a clear cut. That box has produced a marten or fisher or both every year for the past 25/27 years I have been setting it. Kind of peeves me off to see the location scrapped. It has also produced several bears.

Some cottagers are wigging out because they now have a road going through their bush. Those roads suit me as they will give access to new locations that were available only on foot. It remains to be seen if any suitable habitat will remain. It should be good for fox in a few years.

The furthest lines are under 12/15 inches of snow and the branches are bent over again. South of me there is about the same snow. However, at my home there is only a couple of inches of snow. Not enough to hook up the dogs. I could still canoe the river in front of my house.

My firewood cutting, however, is way ahead of schedule! Most of it consists of trees bent over from the earlier snowfalls. There won't be much splitting involved.

[cyaukey]

Musher, Are you near st zenon?

[musher]

Dec 10, 2016 19:14:15 GMT -6 cyaukey said:

Musher, Are you near st zenon?

No.

[redsnow]

Curious about the logging operation. After looking at your pictures, will most of the timber go for pulpwood? Or will part of it go for saw timber?

I guess it depends on what type of equipment they use. Some of these new machines, they'll take everything. Grind it or chip it on site.

There was a place local, owned by the timber company, mostly hardwoods, after the area was clear-cut, they pushed up all the brush into windrows. And then planted pines, guess the pines are 30-35 years old now. But those brush piles were like magnets for rabbits, and fox. After only a couple of years the pines were up over your head, that was some very thick cover for a while.

But I'd continue to set your marten box out in the wide open, you'll be able to check it from the truck!

[musher]

Maybe not! The box is just over a little rise.

Actually the box is now in the box pile. There was no point in leaving it there to get damaged or ripped off.

The loggers are taking white and yellow birch in one section. They will be taking the soft woods in other sections. They cut, pile and haul full length. The trucks are not much fun to meet on a narrow road and a non-logger isn't exactly wanted in the neighbourhood.

Rumour has it that they will be done by the end of January. Those machines can destroy a forest in a hurry.

[redsnow]

Hmmm, it'd be interesting watching their operation. I've seen video of some of these new machines, looks like one man can do the job of about 5 guys and never leave the drivers seat. Cut, trim, limb, saw to length and pile all in one move.

That one property that I was thinking about, they cut timber in there for probably 5 years, then folks cutting firewood for about that long again. That was behind locked gates, I had keys and trapped the area, the DNR patrolled the area fairly often too. I remember they had some equipment vandalized, I guess someone got locked inside one day? Someone fired up a log skidder and ripped that one pipe gate and posts out of the ground on both sides of the road. It was bent like a horse shoe!

I'd met those guys logging, talked to them, we got along good. But I had keys. That property has been sold off in little lots, 20 or 30 acres, cluttered with million dollar homes today. And a few regular $$$ homes, video cameras watching the electronic gates today! Big change from when I'd fumble around up inside trying to find the key hole, and shove those pipe gates around. But can't complain, friend of mine owns a lot, so I have the combination, here someplace.

[northof50]

Nice posting, thanks for sharing

[Woodswalker]

Very nice read and pictures. Thanks for posting.

Are you selling locally?