Year 30...Here we go...

Well, started out the day today a little under the weather.  ...but it wasn't enough to miss an opening day.  Thus far, only got out some fox sets and some weasel boxes, but enjoyed all of it.  There's lots of season to go, and it'd be nice to have some dang snow.  Setting for fox without snow brought me back to the days of burying traps in dirt.  I think this is the first time I have EVER carried my sifter and Trapper's Cap with me since coming to Alaska.  Many times I have wondered why I keep them around, as I have gotten used to trapping in snow exclusively.  Today I got to 'dust them off', and it was kind of fun.

Here's some shots I took of our Weasel crew:  Jason, Warren, and Cooper.  It was blowing and blowing COLD.

And here's one of a set location -  behind some sheet metal leaned up against the back wall of a fish camp shed:

And another of the boys...with the not-yet-frozen Yukon in back:

And here's one example of today's fox sets made in dirt/chaff.  We'll see how frozen these sets are in the morning, with all the rain/sleet we've been seeing.  heh heh....


The set location with the trap bed chipped out.

Another, closer.  I like to keep the bed as close to exactly the size of the trap as I can when doing the 'dirt' thing.  Using buckwheat hulls or dry dirt back in PA was the same way - as passed on to me by Pappy. :)

Trap in place.  Put the Trapper's Cap over the pan and sift away, careful not to get junk underneath it so it can travel freely.

And the covered set.  Call lure smeared on tree about six feet up.  Lure and stick in the hole.  Chain buried back underneath where the trees come together, wire goes from there up under the mossy clump in the V-notch and wraps up and around trunk on right.  These fox don't have nearly the phobia of wire that those PA or even WA fox did.  Less pressure does those sorts of favors for you.  Until I see a refusal I can pin on it, I'm not changing things up either.  That said, my wire has no scent on it, just in case. :)  Pan is offset to the right here based on approach, which is not readily discernible from these iphone pics - but, steps have been taken. :)  If they don't get caked with sleet or rain, they have a prayer, though of course the second-day-burn-off is likely in order, so we'll see how these first couple do.  Was a great day either way.  The first time Warren walks up to a bouncing red ball of fur with me is going to steal my show...