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