The mighty Ermine at last!....

Well, I don't know what sort of voodoo there is about them, but the Ermine has given me some of the biggest challenges of any species I've trapped.  I have been trying for four years and could never get that first one in.  Whether it be set refusals, set-off traps that I had to wonder about, or even this year's stolen victory - it has been a long road.  But finally, we made it: (a blurry pic, I know, but this is the original - and there's more)  THAT is a happy boy - and his dad's pretty stoked too!!!

A couple weeks ago over the Christmas break, Warren and I took two of the weasel boxes we had out and relocated them to where I had been fox trapping - and seeing a TON of weasel sign.  I only left one weasel box in place, in fact - down by the river at one of the village fish camps.  I never added more bait as it was not gettting robbed by voles, but I did change up the lure - went with some Dobbin's Klondike Call instead of the weasel lure I had been using.  After that, for about two weeks, me and Warren only checked the sets in the new locations and never got back to the fish camp box.  Last night the whole family was taking a walk down to the river and I thought it would be fun to check the "forgotten" weasel box.  Even though I pulled him most of the way, Warren had to walk with Mommy and Abram, who was safely tucked in to mom's hugely oversized parka, riding in the baby bjorn :D  Here's a glance back the snowmachine trail:

When we approached the set I had to walk over with Warren because the drifts were too deep for reasonably easy walking with Abram.  But when I got there I noticed right away that there were weasel tracks going in AND out of a hole under the fish camp cabin.  And we're talking a hole that is like 6-8 feet from our weasel box...  Yep, ...there go the tracks in the right direction...Hmm, this is good....and then I stuck my head behind the plywood and BINGO!  There's Mr. Weas.  Woohoo!  Here's another pic from when we got back home: 

..and a skinning shot.  He insisted on gloves even though he drowned in them :) And we could tell he's used to seeing us butcher on the kitchen table - as we skinned the weasel together (oh yes - he did his part to pull on the hide several times) he kept saying "cut it up" and "eat it"... ha ha!  Don't think we'll be trying that, but he sure is funny...
(pic coming soon - ...work filter nonsense again :D)

and a short video of the 'reveal' :)