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...
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