A lull.....

Well, the last two days have been slow, as I had to remove most of the traps that were out. The wind we've been having blew the covering/wax paper off them, which of course exposed the pan/dogs and jaws and caused them to freeze down. Worse yet, the tracks over several of the sets show me that had that not happened, I'd likely be skinning. I have pulled the traps and hung them to thaw, and will be back out with a vengeance, but not likely until Tuesday, due to our incoming weather. We are to get more snow and more 30 mph winds until then, so it's gonna be a little break for now.

In the meantime, I wanted to post a little something, even if I'm not catching. I got some pics, although not great ones, of the socks on that last fox - one from the double - and thought the markings were pretty cool - hadn't seen this before:


Also interesting was the fact that 'A', the hide was no longer blue once on the stretcher for a while:


and, 'B', I noticed how furry the little sucker's feet were. Must be how they deal with these wicked winters:


-30 below now for nearly a day. At any rate, hope to be back on Tuesday with set reports.

Got the Double!!!........But.........

Well, in case you don't remember the photo from the last post when I made the double set up by the rock wall, here it is:....


And here was a close up of the snow hole set - the one at right, in the above picture:


We got the new Ski-Doo Tundras (snowmobiles - but only call them snowmachines here in AK, or somebody will try and 'correct' you..)and brought them home on Tuesday night. This is what the scene of those sets looked like on Wednesday morning:

Notice how the fox is at the snowhole log up top there. And the post set to the left of that.....is GONE!
Mr. Fox was in the post also - I got my double - but he somehow snapped off the log under the snow and drug it away! Luckily I could follow the tracks in the snow, but definitely a surprise. All's well that ends well, but he robbed me of my picture of the double. I know how it worked out, and that's enough. :)

Here's a couple pics from one of the two fox, a nice cherry red:




Here is the last photo of the day:


Friday I am embarking on a journey and should get out more sets than I've messed with so far this season. Looking to make a few fox, a few marten, and a few lynx sets. Be back Friday night with a new post for "before" pics, and hopefully on Saturday with some "after" pics. :)

Bring on the canines!

Today was a huge goose egg on the existing two sets that were remade. This morning's check yielded an investigation of one set (the fox came to within 10 feet, but no closer), and the other had tracks of the two legged variety. Seems like catch circles attract humans around here as well.....

So, at any rate, I went upstream instead of the customary down. And, I found some great set locations. I ended up making four more sets. Two posts and two snow holes. One location has great potential for a double. It probably has a lot to do with the way I was taught, but I really kind of favor setting for doubles. This place just screamed double when I first laid eyes on it. We'll see. I also haven't ever really seen success on the first night of a new post set - but I have seen success on a post that was set double with a dirthole that connected. Nothing says "come on over here!" to a fox like another fox, if it's me you're asking, and I don't think I'm alone. :)

Anyway, here's a video of the action today - three of the sets are on this clip - and I tried to demonstrate what I've been doing with the "snow hole" sets. It may take a while to load because it is about 9 minutes long in total. Patience may be necessary once you click on it - sorry.... Above all else, watch for the killer location when I mention "not being able to pass this up" - it is maybe the craziest example of fox sign I've seen yet!



I simply will not get much sleep tonight, that is certain. Only minimal sets out, but there sure is cause for excitement! I am in Red Fox wonderland! In the morning I am off to St. Mary's to get one of the new snowmachines, and checking a few marten sets on the way home. But I am checking the fox sets before daylight (which is not until 9:30 or so) and then after I get back also, as I have seen activity right around sunrise many times. I am thinking my next post tomorrow will be full of pics and video! Can't freaking wait.....

Check #2.....

Well, yesterday Sarah and I went and pulled the trap at the bait station. Seemed like the general consensus was that it was a lower percentage set, and so we remade the set at the rock wall and went with that and the new post set just back from the bait pile. This morning there was a new face in the post-set steel.






The darkest red fur of the three so far, and seemed thicker too, but haven't skinned him yet and so not sure about primeness. I still haven't been able to rationalize any reason to wait until fur is prime - other than the fur check itself. If you trap an animal and harvest it (as opposed to a release) you are removing it from the resource. This resource removal is an indisputable fact, whether you trap it in October or in January. And so, my question is, if you are in it solely for the love of trapping or the enjoyment that being outdoors brings you, and could care less about the check at the end - what would one good reason be to wait? Though I can't say I know there isn't one, I personally haven't found one yet. Tight chains to all - the season's open boys!

A RED kind of morning.....

Holy Moly!

I'm a little stoked right now. I should begin with a little history. On opening day of trapping season, Tuesday Nov. 10th, we received a storm the likes of which we hadn't seen yet so far here in Pilot. Blowing winds with a mix of snow and rain, followed by blowing winds (30-40mph+) and freezing rain for two days. Aaaargh!!....not the best trapping weather. At least not when you are trying to learn the ropes trapping in snow. Undaunted due to my intense excitement, I made three sets anyway regardless of the forecast (that's three FOX sets - made other sets as well, but that's another story...) The three sets I made were a mixture of 1 post set, one bait station set, and one dirthole-type set. My reasoning was that I should learn a little something about trapping in snow before educating EVERY fox within a few miles - besides, it's still early. So, three sets it was. No more, I resigned myself, until I figured out a few things. Anyway, after making the three sets, I got the customary non-sleep in overnight, and checked the next day (Wednesday). What I found was disgraceful. Probably hundreds of fox tracks at all three sets, and three #2 Bridgers, seriously crusted over, frozen hopelessly into the mess. They literally stamp-trampled a hoedown over top of all three of the pans. The weather had created a nightmare for fox trapping. I covered the sets, checked some others, and then remade them on Thursday afternoon, with only nice, normal snow in the forecast....

Which brings me to this fine morning. :) I woke up today and set out at daybreak, not sure what to expect. 8 degrees and crisp outside. Immediately out the door, I stooped and checked the top layer of an area of undisturbed snow. Fine and powdery...Yessssss! Off I went. First thing on my way downriver, I noticed was that the sunrise was gonna be a nice one:


The first set I checked was the dirthole...uh, I mean ROCKhole set. Having grown up trapping fox in the fields of Pennsylvania, I thought this spot was particularly weird to put a fox set, really. The sign was there though, of some mice and possibly weasel using the immediate area, and the fox were definitely checking it out. The trouble was, it was a small ledge on a very steep bluff of rock. I figured, what the heck, setting on sign is setting on sign. I "flattened" the area and removed the snow from a hole within the rock. Within the hole went a gob of Asa's Nature's Call lure, appropriately covered with grass. When I walked up and saw the bouncing red ball, I had to do a double take. Here's a shot of the set from a distance, fox is laying under the ledge overhang, middle right:


A lil' closer:


And one last pic of my first Alaskan Red Fox:



Downstream were the other two sets, so after the dispatch and the finger warming, I rounded the rock wall to find...Another fox bouncing in the post set. Yessss!!!!!!!! A little smaller, but darker. Pics did not come out of him at the set, sorry, I tried. Following the dance with the attitude stick, I continued on, not really thinking as much about the last set as I was the first two. :) As I finally approached, I looked up.....and saw ANOTHER fox! Only, wait a minute, what the .... is he doing over there!? That's not right....hand begins to pull the .22 off the shoulder, and he is gone like yesterday's freezing rain. Dang! Looked to the set...nada. Hmmm... After walking over, I find this:


I couldn't believe it. Should have had three for three. Somehow the wax paper got flipped up or something on this third set and ended up between the jaws, allowing his foot to slip out. Hair on the paper and all told the story. If it was the fox I saw running through the brush, I don't know, but there is one that's a little smarter now. But it was not a day to be unhappy that's for sure. How could you be upset when you're taking pictures like these:



Best Friday the 13th I may have ever had!

Opening day.....

Well, been asking for snow now for weeks. And, we finally got it... right when it will be a setback.


Went out and got a few sets in, but decided against going all out because we are forecast to get 10-12 inches of snow in the next two days, as a HUGE low is settling in right now - 40mph wind and whiteout snow. And it gets worse. :) Freezing rain and then just plain rain to follow. The two fox sets I put in reluctantly will be one of two things...uncovered, or frozen in under a crusty mess. The marten are probably not moving - not sure much of anything would be out in this...didn't see any tracks this morning while out. Guess we'll just have to see how it goes, but likely not any new sets going in real soon........

When will Tuesday get here?!!?!........

Well, I can hardly stand this waiting, but at least I got out today to set up some marten pots. Of course, the season is not here, hence the title of this post, but I got a bunch of pots hung, along with some NOT SET traps and flagging, so that on the opener I can just power through them , slap in some bait, set the traps, and go...

This morning it was 19 degrees, dead calm, and a gorgeous day to be outside. Here is a pic of the now-frozen over Yukon (Though I wouldn't walk on it yet....), at around 10:00AM, not all that long after sunrise:


I began walking downriver (generally a Westerly direction) and headed for a nearby slough. Nearby is roughly 2.5 miles. My entire early season line will be on foot/snowshoe until the snowmachines arrive, and so not going too too far yet. At any rate, I went West, hoping to get some sets in at a location where Sarah and I had pre-scouted earlier last month, ending up at that slough. Scattered spruce, swampy areas, and ridge humps were my targets.

The first set was at the edge of a swampy, willow choked clearing right at the base of an uphill running ridge. Primo! (I thought) threw the pre-set in and was off. Uphill proved to be the wrong way, however, as I encountered brush too thick to utilize effectively. Back down to the river, not too much time wasted...as I was walking along the shrubs bordering the bluff of the river bank, I beheld a wonderful sight....Lynx tracks! Yesssss!!!! Note taken...

Those are fox tracks to the right, heading opposite direction...There were FAR more tracks here, but I was trying to move fast...can you say "travel corridor"?!

Another few hundred yards along, I sighted some more spruce mixed in with the birch, etc, on the hill above me, and I was going uphill again. This time it paid off, as travel was plenty good. I found a near-horizontal blowdown on the edge of a thick patch, bordered on two sides by open willow and birch. Decent sign here...Ended up throwing in this set:

So you can see, NO traps were set today...in fact, no wings hung or lure applied yet either, just wiring off and flagging:


On I went, making several sets while following the ridgeline overlooking the Yukon below in the distance. Did I mention it was a beautiful morning?

Another random set pic, this one near the edge of another swampy area with numerous spruce (distant background of photo is the swamp), and behind me as I took this, is more spruce: Not a real eye grabber of a spot, but the tracks were there...


After a few more similar sets, I made it to the mouth of the slough, where its outlet flows in (and out, depending) to the Yukon. Shortly after rounding the corner, I saw this on the ice and had to take a pic:

Lynx, Fox, and mink tracks all nearly on top of each other!!!! I am in a place like no other. It may not be the best area to trap, but it is the best area I have ever trapped. The sign that I would see along this creek/slough was enough to fire me up, even more, and that's saying something.

A little further along:

Again, multi species present, and a mink checked out a hole I did not put there, but will be setting on come Tuesday.
Here's a pic of the whole general area, at a bend in the creek near a beaver dam:


Notice how the mink highway goes under that snow cornice - and it does come out the other side. A little fencing, and a nice home for a conibear will be found. Also in this immediate area was this crossing log - do you think a guy could catch a mink here? :) Some of the tracks are also ermine, but not all:


Finished up with a few more sets, this one being the last:

Beyond, over that crest, is a good sized swamp, or at least it normally is - right now it is iced over, only the feeder creeks are flowing openly. The forecast for tonight is blowing and snow, with more tomorrow (40mph wind) and so hope to get more presets out and have more to tell, but we'll see...

The "Eels" are running!!!!

Well, have to keep busy a few more days until the opener on the 10th, so tonight we went downriver from the village to check out the "eel" fishing scene. Folks have been catching these things by the burlap sack full, but apparently the run only lasts a couple days max.

I, along with a lot of other folks, happen to call the critters Lampreys, but if you do that around here, you will get 'corrected'. Quick. At any rate, I thought I would share some pics....

An elder on the way to his fishing hole...


The scene...


Everyone in the village (except me and Sarah) has an 'eel stick', which is basically a long (8 feet-ish) pole with nails protruding from all sides that has been whittled to a narrow width to ease its path through the water. You swing the pole out and up, and then back down to a hanging position. As soon as you feel a bump (or several), you raise the stick and flip the little suckers up onto the ice. The activity is great - keeps you warm on those looo0000ong periods between passing schools of, uh,.....eels. :)

Here I am with a pilfered eel stick:


Success!


Tell me this little beauty doesn't look appetizing?!


For those who haven't ever seen the inside of a lamprey's mouth...


All in all, it sure beat sitting around the house waiting for Tuesday to get here, but I'm not convinced I want them for dinner when there's still sheefish and pike in the freezer...