The humble beginnings of the 2012-13 season...

Well, I have decided that I should just put all my journal posts in here during the trapping season and 'tag' them with a "2012-2013 Trapping Season" tag, (as well as my usual content tags) then all the posts for just that season can be brought up at once, using that tag in the list...without interruption by others...

Anyways...this season is still kind of up in the air, due to my duo of herniated discs and the resulting sciatica to be dealt with...and of course the 14-month-old roaming around the house disrupting any consistent, planned activity - but I refuse to let it go by me any longer...

On Sunday, I noticed some weasel tracks while on the family walk.  Luckily, I happened to have a weasel box along :)  and it was promptly pulled out of the pack and set.  The coming and going of the weasels was evidently due to the brush pile they were there to hunt for mice/voles/shrews.  It seemed a very likely spot but we'll see...I have been after them (not really as a priority but rather a grudge) for going on four years now, and though I have always set on sign, have yet to catch a weasel.

Here are two pics taken of the box in place, just off the brush pile:





After setting it the thought occurred to me, "You better set a foothold in front of the box as a blind set... because you know you're going to catch a mouse (AGAIN!) and then the weasel will come by and get your bait AND the mouse (AGAIN!) for free...  and of course there is always the possibility of nabbing a marten or fox that comes through, just checking out the scent and box"...  -yes, all that really did go through my head.  :)  -But I ignored it.  :(

And here is why I shouldn't have ignored it.  When I arrived today to check it, I found this:


Those two tracks say I should have had a bouncing red ball to greet me, if only I had listened to the little voice of reason...

So now I just HAD to make a fox set nearby, as I'll bet that he'll be back to check out that fine-smelling rotten moose meat inside the box.  It was decided.  Checking the weasel box gave me further incentive in the form of a bonus... I had caught a mouse.  So, said I, it will be a snowhole set with bait, then.....

I checked the path the box-checker came in on, and found a nice spot only about 5-6 yards from the weasel box.  In this pic, you can just see the weasel box at left.  The black arrows show the tracks on the fox's path to the set (he has shown me his preferred route - less thinking for me) and the red arrow shows where I decided to put the set.  A nice flat spot with a clean approach, just like they like 'em.  The blue arrow shows the clump of brush and tree that would serve as the backing for the set:



This situation called for making the set while leaning over it from the backing side...not how I would normally choose to do it, but makes for some different perspective on the pics.
Here is the first shot of the set before it began (actually, the wire has already been attached to the tree):
 

Here are a couple of shots of the trap placement - it is already sitting on the crunched up wax paper here...




And here it is partially covered in snow...


So, once it was completely covered, it was time to make the hole.  Five inches from the center of the trap pan, and off center enough to make the trap offset, this time I offset to the right, based on the angle of approach the fox showed me.  In dirt trapping, usually you dig the hole first, and place the trap second.  In snow I often do the reverse, as 'cleaning up the set' after you make the hole is easier in snow.

Anyway, here is the hole with rotten moose meat AND a mouse for good measure.  Again, these pics taken from above, as I was leaning over the back of the set.  But the hole goes way back, and bait is placed with the digger trowel so as to be far enough back to make them work for it - and step in your trap in the process.


Now a pic of the covered set, with fencing added to 'steer' the fox and distract from the lumpy shelf made in the snow by digging out the set.


Now some backing to help block the side and rear, some of Dan Kroll's LDC lure on a tree above the set, and done:


As an afterword, I would say that I have some reservations about blocking the approach.  Too much fencing can turn the fox off altogether, and not enough will have them digging your bait out from the wrong side/angle.  We'll see, after the 1-day scent burn-off waiting period, what happens.

On the way out, I came across a sort of 'trail' that off shoots the actual trail I was walking on.  Here's a shot of it.  Note the highway-density traffic showing itself...




I chose the thick brush on the left as my approach, to minimize my sign/disturbance of the set area.  DO NOT EVER try to walk right down the trail you see here in this situation and try to catch a fox....

Choosing the spot for the set was tricky, as a good anchor close enough to the 'freeway' was hard to find.  In this case, I used a tree that was next to the dead stump the arrow is pointing to.  Solid enough anchor, and there was a good clump of leaves/ferns and snow at the base which creates a nice addition to your backing and a good spot for a baithole.


Here again is the sequence of the set-making, and again the set had to be made from the rear, leaning over the backing.

Cleared a spot:


Placed the wax paper and bedded the trap SOLIDLY in the crust beneath:




Laid waxpaper over top (after crinkling it of course) and started covering with snow:




Here is the set with trap covered (though the whole set is NOT covered and smoothed yet, as you can see) and some fencing placed:




Bait goes in hole:
 

Grass and ferns stuffed in front of the bait (Make 'em WORK for it!!), lure 6 feet above the set on a tree, and finishing touches getting wrapped up on "The freeway set":



Again, we will probably see a one or two day waiting period for the strength of the lure and my own disturbances to wear off, and then hopefully the fun will begin.  Like all my fox sets, I will be checking them daily... 

 

 

The eggs are here!.....

*There will be more explanation and more updates on this post at the following blogpage, though it is still in progress:

http://ksmrsm.blogspot.com/?zx=3f40fba6993e0ff3


Teaching out here in the bush has created countless experiences that I could not have had anywhere else.  That, of course, is part of what has kept us out here this long.  The experiences.  And this is another one that is going to be pretty cool... This year, the opportunity came up to acquire the equipment to rear salmon eggs in the classroom...and - of course - I jumped at it.  Those of you who have known me any significant amount of time knew how that was going to turn out without me telling you...  At any rate, I attended an inservice in Fairbanks in October, and returned with a bunch of equipment, the rest of which would follow later in November before we were supposed to get the eggs.  The funny thing is, I thought about how this WOULD HAVE BEEN the first year in a long.......long time that I haven't done any work with salmon, seeing as we didn't go to Orzinski last summer - worked with trout and catfish and sturgeon instead :).  But that has now changed, and 2012 is no longer aquaculture free. :)

The project was very highly anticipated by the students.  A week or so prior, I began working with the students on learning about rearing salmon in both Math AND Science class, and the enthusiasm that was met with was quite encouraging.

So, well ahead of time, Sarah and I got the tank and all the necessary equipment set up and running to let it operate a bit in advance.  A pretty simple recirc system, the setup would be fairy easy and operation/maintenance would also be relatively light in intensity, thanks to such perks as a UV light, and brand-new cooling system with digital temp control, etc.  Here are some pics of the riggin'......

The tank is covered in insulation foam to help keep in the cold temps required, as well as keeping out excessive light during the eggs and alevins' sensitive periods:


The system requires a chiller....(notice temp shown in this pic is Fahrenheit and is before operation)


as well as a canister, three-tiered filter system.......


Here is a shot of the two together:


The mess of hoses you see are transporting water from the tank into the filter, and then into the chiller unit, and then back up and into the tank, now at a balmy 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit).  The vertical intake nozzle that removes water is in the back corner of the tank, and the outflow from the chiller leads to the spreader bar all across the front of the tank, where the treated, chilled water dumps in.  This creates a kind of reverse-upwelling water flow over the eggs.


The intake nozzle is covered with a sponge, so as to keep adventurous alevins and fry from getting sucked up into the filter...


Add some appropriately-sized gravel, and some water that's not loaded with fish killing agents or minerals, and away you go.  :)

The eggs were scheduled to arrive last week (week of Thanksgiving) from the Ft. Richardson hatchery, and their arrival was so highly anticipated that there were about 20 students there on Tuesday to watch the action, even though it was after school hours.

The eggs came wrapped in a muslin (no, not 'muslim') cloth that was soaked in water, and that was wrapped in wet newspaper and surrounded by bags of ice.






After the ooohs and aaaahs, we placed the eggs in a mesh basket, and set them in place. A square was cut in the foam on the front of the tank in the appropriate spot so we have a removable viewing window right in front of the mesh basket, but do not have to expose the eggs to any extra light.






Though we'll have to try again this holiday weekend, Sarah took some pics of the eyed eggs so we could get a better look at the embryos inside:










There are pics still to add on this post***as of 11/23

Again, there will be many more posts, background info,  and updates on the salmon project at the following website - another blog where my classes are working along with those at another school, St Mary's, from further downriver.  Check it out!

http://ksmrsm.blogspot.com/?zx=3f40fba6993e0ff3



 

Another Fall come and gone.....

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year...and that will likely never change.  Fall in Alaska takes on a sense of business and urgency - but even when the pressure is on to stock up the freezers for the winter, every day carries a level of excitement to it that makes it a joy to be outside.  Taking in all the colors and smells this time of year brings, frosty mornings in quiet meadows, slipping through the spruce and the willows in that dead, still silence that only comes when snow is falling in the woods, cruising down the river with honking geese in the air above you, and cool, fresh air that lets you know that winter is just around the corner...  "Great to be alive" just doesn't cover it.  :)

This fall, of course, was another great one.  Though I vowed to get a bull with the bow or not at all this year, with the goal of getting Sarah her first bull being our plan, it was not to be.  It quickly became evident that she was not going to get out much, if at all...and it wasn't long after that when I heard "What are you doing, you need to quit messing around with the bow and get some meat in the freezer?!"  And so, after only getting out a few times with the bow, I once again began toting the rifle with me.  In terms of calling bulls in, this year was a slow one.  Nothing like last year, when it seemed bulls everywhere were going out of their way to introduce themselves.  But, as they say, "You can't make the kill if you're not on the hill..." and after putting some time in, one bull made the mistake of showing himself on the river bank for a second too long, and it went 'Bang.'  A fleeting window is all you need, if you stay ready.  I remember pappy telling me that a few thousand times or so. Among other things.... Thanks, dad.  This moose steak's for you.  :)

Though the situation did not allow for video. or even many photo opportunities, I managed to snap this one of the bull shortly after he hit the ground.  Funny, I think he kind of looks like a whitetail in the picture...those briars are taller than they appear. :)


The shortest pack I've had on a moose, excepting one.  Here he is in the boat, minus ribs, brisket, and pelvis.  Headed for home around 10pm, with a clear, starry sky overhead and the Yukon smooth as glass.


Got some pics of him back at home the next day.   A 51"-er this time. 
 



As always, after the fun of moose season, comes the WORK of moose season.  But now there are brats, sausage, burger, roasts, ribs, and jerky in the freezer.  Mmmmmmmmm
 



As I planned on saving the head for a possible beetle project at school, (still rotting away in the back yard as I write this, actually...)  There was a chance for a photo op with me, Warren, and Sarah's dad, Sam, who came to visit:




Also, while Sam was here, we just murdered the Spruce 'chickens'.  Even had the best one-afternoon total I've ever been part of, with 11 Spruce grouse and one Ruffed Grouse:




Another fall come and gone.  More great memories made.  Making those memories in the present always seems to take me back to others made in the past, and fuels the fire to make more when the next season comes around.  Speaking of which, I've got some traps to get ready...  :)

The Monarch of the..........Marsh?!.........

It was exactly one year ago, on this day, that three of the Russian Mission Horsemen converged in a meadow on the Yukon Delta, under a comedy of circumstance, and killed the "Monarch of the Meadow".  (See post of same name from last year)  This year, we reunited and made another try to send September 18th into infamy.  It would be the same crew of Forde, John, and myself, only this time Forde was to be a triggerman, and I would be carrying the bow and filming.

We did not attempt this in the same meadow, however.  It was nearby, but this location was a new one to me.  That said, when we beached the boat on the water's edge, there sure was an awful lot of moose sign around....We quickly got underway walking in on the trail, seeing more and more moose sign at every turn....We jumped a couple of spruce chickens that nearly gave me a heart attack, and made me regret not having  a judo tipped arrow in my quiver...and still, I had to wonder if the voodoo would carry itself...

As we got very near the meadow we were headed for, we discovered a few rubs that were extremely fresh.  After remarking about them (and thinking that maybe we WOULD see the voodoo re-enacted), I snapped this photo of John and Forde heading further up the trail, rubs and busted trees at right:


Onward we went, the excitement still rising...and then we got to the edge of the meadow and discovered....that the meadow - was currently, in fact, a marsh.  Normally mostly dry, it now appeared to be sporting enough water to warrant hip waders at the least...

Undeterred, we sent Forde in.  Armed with a stick meant to measure his boot height against the water he was wading into, John and I bravely offered our encouragement to go until...well, until he couldn't anymore...and then we heard it.  That first sound that fires some synapse somewhere in your brain that says..."THAT'S a sound you need to pay attention to"....   And we listened.  And heard nothing.  In the distance, an owl hooted.  Then nothing.  Then, as we whispered back and forth about our water problem, I heard it again.  And so did John. (Not sure about Forde, only because he looked to be concentrating heavily on keeping his socks dry at the time...)  I can't remember if John called or not at this point....but he might have...at any rate...I remember Forde saying "Should I go or not?..."  and then all I saw was a flurry of motion from John and heard the fateful whisper, "It's a Bull!", "There he is!"...and then all Hell broke loose.  John scrambled to get set up with his call and gun and shooting sticks, I set down the bow and pack and went for the video camera in a fumbling, uncoordinated mess....and Forde left the water like he had seen an alligator.  Only surprisingly quietly.  As I pulled out the camera and began rolling...John and Forde got set up and John began a set of calls.  The bull was in clear view...but at the start, so were we.  As my mind was saying "He's not too far off to shoot for these guys with guns"....The bull, who had almost instantly established himself as a shooter, began to change his direction, rake a few willows, and turn as if he were coming to introduce himself.  Oh, happy time.  Immediately I was thinking, "Here we go"...

The bull came toward us, and then after crossing the 'pond', grunting his disapproval at our presence, and getting out of our sight in the thick stuff way out in front, he seemingly disappeared.  For roughly 25 minutes, all we were left with was the hooting of the owl in the distance.  We crept closer to where we thought the bull went, inching our way along the meadow.  Setting up again, John continued calling.  As we were trying to figure out what we were going to do next, I heard a stick...no, rather, a TREE, like the thickness of my leg, break, just across the 'pond' out of sight.  Seconds later, a pair of cows busted from the brush and came right towards us as John continued calling.  My ears were in overdrive, straining.  More branches being raked in the distance.  That owl was STILL hooting.  And now, sloshing in the water of eight long, ungainly moose legs.  Coming right at us.  The cows closed to 80 yards.  Then 60.  Soon it was 35-40.  But still no bull.  Only the thrashing of the trees, just out of sight, every time John raked the call across the limbs.  And that owl.  For nearly half an hour, we waited, and called, and whispered, and laughed, as the cows tried to make us out, and we tried to make out the bull.  But it wasn't to be.

The bull on the far side of the meadow, whether it was the original one or not, never showed itself. The only thing we would shoot this night would be some video.  Here is a very much un-perfect video clip of what happened.  At times, there is a lot of moving around, and the auto focus really messes with all the brush in the way, but so it goes when you are on a hunt.



For those with slow internet connections (like us, out here), or without Flash player, etc., or otherwise don't want to take the time for a video to upload, here are some pics of the bull taken from the video:
 









Maybe next time....