Here are the pics of how I cut round 5 gallon buckets to fit 330s. Piperniner, please add anything that you can think of.















What I do (for the first couple at least) is lay the 330 (set!) across the bucket and mark where the jaws cross the bucket. That is where you drill the holes about an inch back. Then cut the tabs out with a saber saw. You have to cut it for the 330. ie. Belisles won't fit in buckets cut for Bridgers. The trap is held in VERY solid. It isn't coming out without firing. No movement at all. Next time I go out, I am going to set a few of these vertically on trees like a giant plant pot and see how that works. Should be a lot more snow resistant. Otherwise, mine are getting drifted in too fast. Here is that wolverine from the bucket earlier this season. The bucket was set up under the stump at the very top of the picture.

Awesome
Thanks What a great tip. Will be setting a few as soon as the storm clears.
Vertical about two feet off the ground seems about right. A couple of wire holes in the back of the bucket to feed through a couple of ties of #14 would be good too I think.
Thanks Joe and Piper for the Great tip!!!

Thank you mucho!!

Yeah, I didn't mention that, but I have 4 holes drilled in the back to wire bait in. I think what happened with the bait there, is a combination of being wired in while frozen and thawing out in addition to be knocked around.

Trapperjoeak : Thanks for the effort. Your ears are alittle different than mine but look good . My sets are horizontal and a few feet off the ground to be weatherproof. Trying to come up with photos to post. Thanks.

What the heck good does that do me and Alaskan............we haven't got any trees to wire to!!!!!!!!!Hahaha.
Just kidding. Years ago when I was in the interior, I had wooden boxes for coni's that I used for wolverine. I set them as Joe descibied, vetical, a couple feet off the ground. Well, some I did, some I set jutting out from the tree. Vertical worked fairly well. I think NOT being able to see the bait, and NOT being able to see most of the coni, combine to make this an effective set.
Thanks, Joe

MT- I'll have you know I have a secret plan to grow some trees. Thats all I can tell you now though, because, as I said, its a secret plan.

I've read somewhere where a guy was using milk crates.Anyone ever try?

Alaskan is growing SOMETHING alright!

Steve I have seen the pictures of the 330s on a milk crate someplace but do not remember where. I do recall some of the discussion being they where abit shallow in depth and thoughts led to the wolverine possibly being able to rob the baits as a result but thats just my memory not known fact

Yeah, I have tried the milkcrates Steve. I did not like them because they are very shallow and the trap is not held in them well. BUT, I have a good friend who refuses to use anything else and catches 2 wolverine a year minimum in them. He wires the bottom of the crate to the tree so the trap is set horizontally. He also wires the trap to the crate pretty well. A few years back, he caught two lynx in them incidentally as well.

Steve,
I use milk crates both by themselves and also with the back cut out and then screwed to a wooden box I made (so I could get more bait on the set). I either drill a bunch of holes, or put heavy mesh on the back to help with air flow to get the scent out there. I just cut off the section used for handles and the 330 fit's perfect, works great. If you would like I'll take a pic of one this weekend when I go up.

Ted

I tried them a few years ago and found them to be pretty shallow also.Had no takers either,had lynx walking right by them.Good meeting you last night at the trappers meeting Joe!

Same here! I think that we had a record number of forum attendees last night.

Great meeting you to Ted,lol.I cut out the handles also and I think they hold a 330 nicely but thought they we're just to shallow.Thought about taking the back off of one to extend them but don't have any wolverines to get excited about up at the lake.

Steve,
It was great to meet you also, FINALLY! Good to see Loel agian too. You have a very well behaved little lady there.

I don't have a lot of wolverine traffic myself, but I set about four of five of them a season, just in case. I also have seen refusals by lynx, but I've also caught a few in them.

I used the milk crates for years in the Yukon and found they worked slick.



I would take a big hunk of moose hide and singe the hair in a fire, wire it to the back of the crate, and then wire the crate to a tree.

I don't remember having any particular problems with them, and I caught the odd lynx as bonus.

I'd recomend them to anyone for wolverine. Sure liked 330s better than foot trapping them.

So if one crate is to shallow, couldn't you cut out the bottom of one and wire 2 together?
mt

I prefer the buckets for depth ( bait ) and secure fit. But people have done ok wiring them to a steel fence post and planting them in the high country snow , where there are no trees to set to.

Wow, piper, what an idea. Buckets on fence posts. A guy could go hog wild around here with that. A 2x4 would work great. Carry a little water to freeze in and a guy could put those ANYWHERE!
mt

Here is Piperniners photos he sent me

Martentrapper : I was actually referring to crates in regards to the fence posts. The buckets forward cg is not so good on single posts. Could probably make it work though. With either container and just a foot of snow or so, you could freeze in a log like you do with log drags. Then use the log as a tee bottom for stability. If Tundra only, could freeze in some support with the water like you said. All sorts of possibilities. I'm glad I have had trees most of the time.

Well I see Fish came through - Thanks Fish. The photo's show how I set app. 30" off the ground. I usually tamp the snow down with my snowshoes, or can raise the set if you need to. Two of these photo's show the set lower because I was picking them up for the season. A cable goes from the spring to up around the tree or branch. Paper wired to tree is what bait was wrapped in and it would be the same place I would put lure. Cut out ears hold the trap completely inside bucket, secure and unobstructed. It works well for me.

Piper any chance of getting some close ups of your ears just to see the differences.
This is great stuff.
Piper have you had any problems with voles on the wolverine?
What about putting them 5 feet off the snow and hang them in the air after getting caught.
Dusty good info on the haiscreen marten proofer. Hail screen. Are you just talking hardware cloth. I think is what some call it. wire mess with 1/ 4 inch squares? or smaller?
Good thread folks.

FT : Nothing has ever touched my catch, even after frozen in for quite awhile when weather prohibited travel. Although most critters avoid these animals, something would go for it in time. In my opinion, if you set to high, you may cut down your odds. At app. 3 or 4 feet, you are accomplishing your goal of a weatherproof set . When checking, you can stomp down big snows or raise if need be. Putting cable higher up tree assures the animal is pretty much off the ground. Not so much for voles and such, but so he does not freeze in and damage guard hair when you pick him up.
Construction : Place bucket on bench open end up. Go to where bucket handle enters bucket. Directly above that point on outside lip - make a mark 3" left and 3" right of that point. Repeat procedure on other side. Now take a saber saw and cut in at the two marks at a 45 degree angle. Cut in 2" which is the first lip on most buckets. Cut other side the same way. Now cut out the 2" strips all the way around so you are left with two 6" ears. If you cut the ears 8" the trap will be tighter but to long and it's too tight. You can cut the ears whatever length you like for your preference for tightness/looseness. #14 wire is your friend for this set. You can wire a keeper to keep trap from falling forward and you will need to re-tighten everything with expansion/contraction due temp. fluctuations. Some fine tuning but this is pretty much it.

Piper: How weather proof is your way of setting buckets? Do you set the bucket a particular way in accordance with prevailing wind?
We get alot of sideways snow out here, I'm sure a horizontal bucket will fill with snow somehow.
mt

Hey, I am a defector from the "other" forum. I am the trapper formely known as coreys. I thing I only posted 10 times or so there, mostly just watched and read. I have been reading this forum for about a month now and really like the people on it.

I have had multiple exclusive wolverine lines in the past and look forward to sharing some things I have learned. This post is to just to say hello and see if I can figure out posting pictures. Here is one of my favorite pictures and actually has a little to do with the last post. I trap up in mountainous county and it is near impossible to keep sets from blowing in where I am at, and I just accept the fact that some sets will blow in. No matter how poor the odds are a potential set will blow in, if it is on hot tracks, I typically make it.

It looks like this is previewing all right so I am going to submit it and look for some other pictures to post.

I rounded up some recent photos, I hope people enjoy them.

I have caught wolverine in modified round buckets similar to the ones in the pictures that started the post. However, I saw these square buckets a few years ago when I was working in SW AK and got some for trapping. The are the perfect shape for a 330 and I think they look better as a "set" than the round buckets. Here are some pics.

BEFORE

AFTER

and
BEFORE

AFTER


Here is a pic from last years final check.


Just so you know, I prefer a more natural looking set, and only use buckets when a more natural looking set is not available or would be difficult to construct, or if I am short on time. I'll post some pics of non bucket sets right after this one.

So like I said, I prefer a more natural looking set. Here is a pic of a successful natural cubby set. The trap was to the right underneath the leaning tree.



Here are is another natural looking set:

BEFORE

AFTER (It got warm and the snow melted a little)


and

BEFORE

AFTER (Again,it got warm and some snow melted)


Here is a pic of another one of my favorite photos:

Very nice Guloboy. Glad to have you on here. Great photos!! Are you finding you get some refusals on the buckets is that why you go the natural set. Or just like it that way? Do you just set on tracks as a rule?
Do you market to taxidermist? Or the fur market?


I like your buckets. I have seen only one like yours and have no idea where it came from. Any idea where a guy could get some square buckets like yours.

Here is a bucket set I made last week on fresh tracks.


Man the wolverine came back the night before I went through in the same exact location. A great bluff that pushes him out and around. Nice to see he or she is an habitual traveler. Looks like a two week turnaround on him unless his old track was covered. Should be an easy one to pick up I hope. Good sized wolverine.
The bucket set up is quick and easy alright.

I made two other leaning pole sets for other wolverine as well. Combo set 330 and 110.

Family Trapper:

I got the buckets from a fish processing place in Bristol Bay. I think it was Peter Pan Inc. I saw them in a catalog since then, but I cannot remember which one. If I find out, I will post the information.

I get refusals in buckets and natural cubbies, I just like the look of the natural cubby and can only assume it would work better, but I have no way of knowing that. I have just accepted the fact that not all wolverine want to stick there heads in 330's, no matter what you do to entice them.

I do have a suggestion for you though, I would not use the chain on those 330s. A 330 does not always immediately dispatch a wolverine, and the chains on those 330s are not real good. Look at it this way, a wolverine is as strong as a wolf, would you want to use that chain to hold a wolf? Also, my pictures are poor examples, but I would not suggest using 9 gauge wire either. Last year I had a 330 caught wolverine break the 9 gauge wire I had securing it to a log. It twisted and twisted and the wire broke. Amazingly, I found the wolverine close by dead. My brother had one break his 9 gauge wire also (a 330 catch), and he tracked it for miles to no avail. I am not trapping wolverine this year, but before I do next year, I am going to use 1/8 or 3/16 7x7 cable as my linkage from the trap to the tree/drag. I am also going to use some type of swivel in the linkage.

95% of the time this will be overkill, but I think it is worth doing.

Thats a good call. I have the 1/8 cable. I do like to get my 330 where they will suspend the wolverine if possible.

Thanks for the pictures and welcome Gulo. I very seldom have any wolverine on my line, I saw 1 track this year.

FT:

What do you think drew in the wolverine: the moose leg, the pike, or the pepsi?

That question reminds me of Audrey's little experiment to see "what scent" was most attractive to the young wolverines that she was raising and studying.

We all turn ourselves inside out trying to avoid getting oil or gas on our trapping gear. So naturally, in her experiment, it turned out that AvGas was the #1 attractant.....!

Who would have thunk it?

Pete

Looks like this one hit a 160 set for a martin and broke the anchor wire and you tracked her down.

Is that the case or am I way off on this one?

No, it was a quick kill with a 330. It is the same wolverine that I posted earlier (the bank set underneath the tree picture with the wolverine on top of the overflow). His tracks were perfect on top of the fresh skiff.

WOW, you gotta admit that picture is deceptive, thanks for the pics globoy!

Hey guloboy, Nice pictures and examples of sets.Do you have a preferred bait for wolverines?

AkCajun-

I take it the package hasn't arrived to your location yet? Your gonna get a good laugh!

Jeff

Cajun, Gulo Gulo is the genus and species for the wolverine. Which might shed some enlightenment on your dilemna.

I have caught wolverine with rotten beaver, fresh beaver, sheep scraps, caribou scraps, moose scraps, caribou heads, caribou backbone and herring. You know what I found works best: whatever caught the wolverine that day.

Last year I caught 8 wolverine. I had beaver in about half the sets (10 total), caribou scraps in about 5 sets and caribou backbone segments in about 5 sets. Four of the wolverine were caught in traps baited with backbone.

Funny thing is, this goes against the concept that big stinky baits works best with wolverine. I tried to rationalize that caribou backbone was a good bait because where I trap, that is probably what wolverine frequently scavenge. Who knows though? I will tell you I am going to use caribou backbone again next year, but I am also going to use beaver and whatever else I can get my hands on.

More important than bait is location.

Here is a pic of a wolverine that fell for caribou backbone. Another good thing about backbone is ermine, mink, marten, shrews, etc. can never steal the bait.

Martentrapper : The set is as weatherproof as one is going to get. The downward incline also helps to keep snow out , but as you know, weather is weather. Yes, I consider prevailing wind for scent and southern exposure for softening bait resulting in a bit more scent. But it doesn't seem to matter that much . I experimented one year with no lure and did just as well. In essence, if you set on the tracks, your will most likely get the animal. I prefer the round buckets because the ears hold it very tight and additional wire secures it even more. I agree with gulo , big piece of beaver or whatever they are used too. I do well on moose also ( permit - which reminds me - be careful about saying scraps. It's hide , viscera or bone unless you have a permit . I mentioned scraps once with F@G and was quickly corrected ) . Anyway, Don't have to worry about human scent ( IMO ) trapping wolverine. Just give them a big piece of meat. Also agree with Gulo regarding getting rid of the chain on the 330's. I makeup 3/32 ( no swivels ) cable with swaged loops on both ends. Cable to tree and your set. My trapping is also mostly wolverine, as my mode of travel does not allow much time for anything else. As I have said before, they are a unique animal and a genuine prize. Great thread.

Nice pictues Corey. I like using wood boxes myself even though I can only haul a handful of them at a time. They seem to protect the trap better and stay working longer in deep snow and
chinook conditions.

That second to last picture of yours, with the nice colored wolverine in the stick cubby. Is the trap already taken off him? If not, he must have really tucked his head when the trap snapped for the front trap jaws to miss and the rears catch him at mid body? You'd think caught like that though, he'd destroy that whole area, unless it broke his neck.

Good pictures


Pete B, I hope life's treating you well this winter. Aren't you out of the fire business yet?? I miss those days only slightly.

nice
just wondring how many wolverins do u guy chaght a year

I'll second that sentiment on the chains. I had a gulo pull out of a 330 this year and the chain ring was pulled oval. Other than that, I managed to keep a 34 year record going this season of NEVER having caught a wolverine in a bucket. I had 5 refusals and the one pull out. I'll sick with footholds as I can make them work.

Nice pix. good info.

hey 9'er; We expected to see you stop by for a vist this year.

Was in the plans until the pneumonia hit. Would have loved to do it though. Hopefully next year.

Posted by Martnetrapper
Len, one of the more successful wolverine trappers in Unk. told me he often just uses lure. A strong smell without the sight of the source gets wolverine moving around an area. He tramps a trail around his lure spot, then sets snares in his trail. Tramp the trail purposely by some stout trees/willows to use as an anchor for the snare. Put the lure 4 or more feet off the ground.
You might try using the topo maps to help pinpoint possible spots wolverine might cross your line. Or look for spots close to your line that might be likely wolverine travel spots.
Around here I regularly set the mouths of small creeks where they come into a larger drainage.
Good luck on the wolverine.

Posted by Takotna
ftrapper, simialr to what mt said, I'd just drag my feet through a tight spot here and there off your trail a little and in sight of some of your marten sets, when they first hit my trail they follow quite aways investigating everything, it's quick and no bait to pack along, at least till you know the area where they come to or exit your trail and you can make a baited set where it will do the most good.

F.T.: Like M.T. said, small creeks where they enter larger valleys or flats, Willow/alder choked drainages and steep ravines where they intersect larger open areas, sloughs and rivers that they are following looking for kills, the usual beaver houses , etc. I'm a believer in a big hunk of bait to temp them in. If you cut a track, set a bucket and you will get him, if it's constructed right. If you like snares or footholds - that's fine to. White's foot holds in front of tree set seems to work well and Tokotna sure does well with snares. I just prefer finding them suspended and frozen, since I sometimes can't check as often as those on a machine due to weather. Plus , other than to rebait, I dont have to stop if nothing seen as as I go by. A good stinky castor/skunk tinxure lure has always worked real good for me also. Give us one more cold weather critique ( no heat ) on the wiggys bag. I never have believed his claims as you know. Good luck.

Posted by martentrapper
A 3 in. spruce should handle a wolverine. They will chew, but mostly around the anchor. They pull away from the anchor. Tie the snare up high as best you can. As the animal spins and the cable kinks, he will lift himself off the ground. I had one once, a female, that hardly fought at all. She was on a real long snare and hardly kinked it. It was anchored high.
I was suggesting placing the lure 4 ft. or more off the ground.
I think Kens set with elevated bait with traps would be a good one. Also his wolverine pole with a snare.

question asked by Kusko
Question for all of you Lynx and Wolverine guys. Would it pay for me to make a few sets even if we haven't cut any tracks yet. We know there are some in the area, but with the blowing snow conditions, finding tracks has been hard

Reply from Piperniner
Kusko : It pays to set even without tracks, especially the pinch points and areas mentioned in recent posts to F.T. on the subject ( wolverine ). The odds are alot less than setting on tracks is all. Also, even though you are open until March, I found they often have busted guard hairs ( rubbed ) by end of Feb.. My preference was to cut off by then and save them for following year. They are traveling alot more by then though. Dont have much lynx experience, but would think same applies as to setting.

Posted by Martentrapper
After 3 months of trapping season, I finally have something to brag about, or at least show off. Caught our first (notice I said "first", meaning more to come) wolverine today. Got it in the official western Alaska version of the white 17 wolverine pole set:


Seems to be an older male. Good sized, but not real long fur. Good enough for now tho. Lots of tracks now. Got out more sets and feeling pretty confident we'll catch more

There are 2 poles on that pole set. Hard to find a 6 in. pole around here, so usually use 2.
The wolverine was hung and dead. Twisted the snare up good tho. A before pic would be almost identical, Takotna, just without the wolverine and the snare hanging about 2 ft. from the bait. The snare was a snare shop wolf snare like you use.
mt

Posted by Family trapper
A side note
Here are the fallopian tubes from the female wolverine I got last time. If you didn't know they have a delayed implantation. They were bred last summer and the egg implants now. Or something like that. I was curious to see if anything was going on and had a look. You can see three bulges in the tubes. I am presuming that it is three young beginning to form. There was nothing visible in them when I cut them open. Just fluid. I guess the area is getting ready for growth however. Dusty!!! Need some input here. Caught around first week in Feb.

[/quote]

response by guloboy
Those balls are the early stages of the development of three fetuses. Wolverine breed anytime during summer (primarily May, June and July). They do have delayed implantation, which typically occurs in Jan or February. The gestation period is about 6 weeks. That means the female wolverine you caught was going to give birth to 3 wolverine in about 5 weeks from the date you caught her, based on my guess that implantation occured about a week before you caught her.

Well, I least that is what I think.

Posted by Dusty

In my ever-so-limited experience, there are two types of wolverines to trap. About 99 out of every hundred get hung up in the first thing they come to. Sounds like you have the other kind. A clean trap (CDR, #9, MB750, etc.) bedded at the edge of your snogo trail with a LITTLE lure or a couple drops of fox pee behind it should pick him up. If you can tell you set a trap there when you're done it's too obvious.

#4LS are a great wolverine trap. You'll probably even get to keep your pan. I've caught a few in #3 Bridger (coil) and really like them. The disadvantages are jawspread - get a few inches of snow on top and you're probably not catching anything - and coming through crust (they won't).

Posted by Martentrapper

I know wolverine have this big rep for being tough, but I've caught them in plenty of traps like 4s and 3s.
The other official white 17 set is the 3 ft high bait with 2 exposed traps bout 8 in. back ( I think) from the tree. Hang the bait with an old snare. When the wolverine starts working the bait, standing on his hind legs, he forgets the traps and ends up in one.
Never been big on fish for wolverine. Never know. Might work. Bite the bullet, Len, take a beav carcass out there and use it. If the marten aren't cooperating, might as well spend some extra time on the wolverine. At current marten prices, takes 4 or so marten to equal a decent wolverine.
mt

Posted by martentrapper

What is the point of swivelling a wolverine snare? By the time he pulls it tight, he'll have 30 in. of cable between him and the swivel, and will wrap around a tree and kink it anyway. If it's an elevated snare, even more reason you don't need a swivel. He'll expire from hanging before he breaks the snare.
Yes, Len, mine are loaded. The key I think is having the snare 18 or more inches from the bait so by the time his nose touches the bait, the snare is too tight to back out of. Loading obviously helps. I do find it harder to get a good load on the 1/8th, 7x7.
I prefer the snare to be 90 degrees to the pole. You can't do that with a swivelled snare, unless you use wammies. Crimping the snare directly to #9 wire allows you to hang the snare at an angle, to some degree.
Make sure your leaning pole isn't too steep, but have the bait high enough, the snare too, that he is left hanging once he jumps off.
mt

Posted by Takotna

Ftrapper, try dragging your foot off the trail a little ways and set a trap on the way back to the main trail, no bait, scent or anything and it's real easy to hide, I've caught more then a few smart ones that way, they like to follow foot dragged trails and nothing to alert them with (bait, lure smells)

Posted by Bushman

Len we used to suspend a large bait from a wire about 4 and 1/2 feet high. Wire the bait down real good so that a wolverine can't just tug it down. Bed several footholds beneath the bait. A wolverine will come along and tug and work the bait and get caught by his hind foot. Usually you'll snag him with with more then one trap as he moves about which increases your chances of holding him. Scent free traps are a must. Good luck

Posted by Family Trapper

Dusty, Takotna Bushman mt, Rick, White (when you come home) and any other with experience with the big traps.
For the money what is going to be my best trap wolverine. Want to purchase at least a half doz for next year. Probably want quality and a coil spring.
mb 650
cdr 7.5
mj 600
Bridger #5

Answer by martentrapper
If I was outfitting from scratch, I'd go with the mb-650. Plenty of jaw spread and a strong trap.
I have bridger 5s, coil springs. I think they're OK. But again, lots of room to chew on feet under the jaws.

Answer by otterman
FT good question I love the CDR for wolves . However the things need to be welded first. I know white 17 does not like them for wolverines as there is more room under the jaws for them to get at there feet and chew this is what he has adimatley said in the past. He loves the MB750 and has the ones I use to own as I dont like the trigger system and have so few wolverines on my line that I will take one maybe once every 5 yrs

Answer by takotna
mb 750's

Answer by Hupurest
all i know is that I love my mb 750's and that the bridger #5's I have seen and worked with are junk. It took 20 minutes farting w/each trap to get it so the dog and pan would even touch.
the 750, I set it and forget it. ronco style

Answer by Dusty
Len: if you can keep them working, #3 Bridger coils are perfect wolverine traps. The CDRs are wonderful traps, but wolverines will eat the dog and pan off them. Legends aside, they are just (tenacious) 35 pound animals. The big traps come through crust and deal with snowfall better. Their foot fills up #3s and you won't get much chewing to the trap or the toes.

I run 10 feet or more chain and a smallish drag on my wolverine traps, and set in heavy willows when I can. They generally get tangled up in the thick stuff. I've never had a wolverine chew on itself in that situation, and they're generally dead when I get there. Give them something to do and they'll do it (after they eat the pan off your CDR...). Leave them stranded out on the open and they'll chew on themselves.

Posted by White17




Len. I usually set my wolverine snares 8 inches off the ground. Did you use a chin stick to make him lift his head??

Posted by White17

FT: I have finally caught up on the reading and it sounds like you have a challenge on your hands. I think I would have used my hanging bait set early in the saga. MT suggested it but I wanted to point out that I do cover those traps. Not leave them exposed. As far as a good chunk of beaver being too heavy to haul I am forced to inquire: How then do you plan to haul wolverines on the return trip. They weigh a bit more than a chunk of beaver. :-))

There are two types of wolverine. Bold-wary, and wary-wary. I suspect you have the latter. The bold-wary wil circle once and go for it. The others require more thought and guile. Before you catch this guy you need to spend several more sleepless nights trying to figure a foolproof set. I call this process "gulo-interuptus" as it keeps waking a guy up at night.

Start off next year with both the snare on a pole set as well as the hanging bait set. Get rid of him early ! I have modified my snare on a pole set just a little so a guy doesn't have to hang'em so high to prevent twisting the snare off. I'll try to get some pix up to illustrate.

Posted by White17

I have not used scent posts but have often looked at the numerous places a wolverine will go to the edge of a trail and musk all over a short bush or shub. Probably should set every one you see like that. They seem to refresh that bush every time around.

Forget the porkies! Wolverines certainly know where every porky den in the country is located and they check them out. They definitely kill and eat them. They don't seem interested in ones that are already dead.

The icy/crystalline snow seems to be ok for me. If you can't scoop it gently off the surface, then dig down to where the snow is more granular and use that. Don't touch it. I place it with a waxed shovel( so it doesn't stick) and enough to make the trap invisible. be sure to remove branches from the entire trunk up 4-6 feet. If you leave branches on the back side to fence him out he will circle and go away. Make him comfortable and present an open, welcoming atmosphere so he drops his guard. Be sure the bait is high enough so he has to stand up to grab it, but not high enough to make him climb.

Posted by White17

In the past I have talked about the snare/pole set I use for wolverine. One important thing I have found is to keep it high enough so their back feet don't reach the ground.

Late this season the light dawned on me and I made a couple of modified sets. The advantage, I believe, is that the set can be made on a much lower pole or tree and thus the critter will be less likely to refuse to climb. I took some power RAMS and attached to the tree. The snare is 1/16th 1x19 cable. All else is identical to the regular set. Here's a few pix.

This is the Ram spring. I used cable ties to hold one arm to the tree. You could use wire.


Here is a better view. As you see I use fine willow to support the snare and romex staples to hold the willow. The bait is just out of sight to the right.


Different set but here you can see the staples and the safety device. These babies will take your teeth out so use the safety.


Here's the whole thing from a distance.



You can add a marten set beyond the snare but I suggest a bucket if you do so. You don't want the marten fouling the snare. Actually, I think it's best to omit the marten set as I think it gives the gulo second thoughts sometimes. Be sure to cable the RAM to something solid nearby.

I didn't actually catch in these sets this year but I'm certain they will work. I don't think that a neck caught wolverine would even quiver after firing the spring. The real nice thing is they are so resistant to weather.

Question by fishermann222
I have never seen a RAM used before. I may be the only one, but could you explain how the spring trips, and how it is staying compressed once you remove the safety device?

Answer by White17

The snare cable has a small nut compressed onto the cable about 2.75 inches from the back end. It fits in a slot in the eye of the spring that is uppermost in the pix. This keeps it compressed until business time. The critter gets in, gives a tug and the nut comes easily out of the slot, and the spring opens instantly. The critter is pulled against one spring eye while the other arm ( the bottom arm) of the spring applies constant high pressure. Hope thats clear. Wish I had one here to photograph.

QUestion by Family Trapper
Ken do you weave the snare and the willow?? How do you use the willow for support without it affecting the falling of the snare? I was using #11 wire attached to the tree and crimping on the snare cable behind the lock to suport it. Yours looks good. Just curious just how much you can hang on the willow.

Answer by White17
Ken do you weave the snare and the willow?? How do you use the willow for support without it affecting the falling of the snare? I was using #11 wire attached to the tree and crimping on the snare cable behind the lock to suport it. Yours looks good. Just curious just how much you can hang on the willow.

Correct. one staple on each side of the tree. Put it either higher or lower depending on the diameter of the tree, and the diameter of the loop you want. On a narrow pole you'll want the staples toward the bottom so the willow will be spaced right to fit the loop. A big tree and you want the staples mid-way on the trunk. Don''t go towards the top as the willow will lean in and narrow the loop. better to find a smaller tree. I may have a picture, I'll look.

MAybe you can see the willow/cable relationship better here. Maybe not too. This set doesn't have a RAM but you can see the willows better.

Posted by Family Trapper

Ken what size cable are you using on the wolverine snares that are not rammed.
Your polls are not very high. You must have no extra cable on the snare. I would have thought it would be better to have a little extra so they could not claw there way up on the pole again. But maybe it is not an issue.
What percentage do you get by the neck.

ANswer from White17

I use 3/32 1x19 cable. I have only caught one wolverine that was NOT a neck catch. I Use just ebough cable to make a loop and the rest is #9 to secure it to the tree. Most of my poles are as high as I can reach to set the snare. I would prefer that they get back on the pole rather than onto the ground but it seems as though once they bail off the pole they stay down. When they hit the end of the cable it has to be a heck of a jerk. Look at the picture of the wolverine and notice that there is very little debris on the ground below him. I don't think he lasted very long at all. Just a couple small pieces of bark on the snow.

More from White17

The wolverine liked the Backbreaker too. I saw a set of tracks in a slough make a 90 degree turn and go straight to my set that was at least 100 yards away at 10 below. I have no doubt it was the smell of the BB. I may be Dobbin some behind my ears to try to perk up a bit of attention from Barb.

AKtrpr asks:

never made any strechers outta pine, afraid of sap. anyone know wear to get some wolverine stretchers?

white17 answers;

I make my own wolverine boards out of spruce.

Here's the wolverine board dimensions.

The nose is 2"

2 inches down equals 3" across
9.5" down = 7.25" across
36" down = 7.5" across

length over all is 53"

At 2 inches down I drilled a hole through and through on the edge. Inserted a 16d galvanized nail with the head cut off. this allows you to spread the nose to what ever dimension you need and also keeps the two halves aligned.

Make the board in one piece and the split it on the table saw.

The bottom pieces have holes drilled evey inch so you can insert a nail to hold whatever width you need.

Joe; when attaching the trap to this cut bucket it appears to me that you must insert diagonally opposite cornes at the same time and then rotate the trap into position.

Is that close or am I making it too difficult ?

Hows this for a blast in the past. White breathed new life into it. But lost it. I had saved it as a pdf prior and had the date of its last post and was able to find it. Game on Wolverine people. ;0)

White is there a way to give us back edit mode so we can update lost photos?

Geez! After what has already happened I don't know how much more we can risk. I can see the EDIT function but I guess you guys can't. I'll poke around a bit and see if I can find a way.

Good thing Len had the PDF copy or we'd still be looking for this thing. I did look for it at the very end of these 101 pages. It looks like all the posts are here, clear back to Paul's first post about creating the forum for us.

Try it now

Wow, this is cool! Hope I can add to it this season.

Who doesn't like talking gulo's? I've been doing some heavy research on them, reviewing every research paper I can find on them. My motivation is a research project we're kicking off this year in a partnership between Alberta Trappers Assoc. and the Alberta Conservation Association. A select group of trappers are working with the ACA to monitor wolverines within their registered fur management areas which typically average 200 to 350 square miles. The traplines were selected based on known wolverine populations and active trappers working the lines, including two of my own traplines. After developing the protocol this winter we will expand the program across Alberta in upcoming years.

We are still harvesting wolverines during the study, but as we are on a quota of one wolverine per registered line the harvest is limited. We as trappers seem to be seeing an increase in wolverines in Alberta which is contrary to the feelings of some of the researchers. As trappers we grabbed the bull by the horn and approached the ACA to work with us in the field. Luckily this org ( ACA ) is funded by hunter & angler dollars and very pro hunting angling trapping. Some of the techniques we'll be using: camera traps - DNA hair snags - track surveys - telemetry collars - scat analysis - and carcass examinations.

I'm already developing some interesting thoughts based on some of the research I've read. I believe that trappers have contributed to wolverine health through trapping. Beyond the obvious of removing competing predators like wolves I think the bait robbing habit of the gulo has produced many extra cubs. It seems if a female can't establish food caches within a 500 meter radius of her natal den she will not give birth. These caches are started in early winter and the size and number of them decides that years production. How many of us in wolverine country haven't been robbed over and over. And mature females are more wary than others, one study of a large harvest period showed over 70% of the capture was sub-adults. Add in mature males and the mature female harvest is low.

One of my lines has lots of wolverine on the top end but no wolves in deep winter. Snow levels too deep. I'm thinking I need to be dropping carcasses up there early season to help those old girls out. I also think by using trail cams I can target my one allowable wolverine per year. I'd go for a mature male or sub adult. A researcher developed a setup that allows you to sex and age wolverines using a trail cam picture. That research took place in Alaska.

I have almost 200 pages or research papers where I've gone through and highlighted in red things I found interesting. I will post it here for those who have any interest. As well I respect the opinions on here as much as all those research papers. I plan on sharing our findings with you guys as we move forward this winter and would love your feedback and opinions. I might even post a few pictures. My business partner and I ( www.compassmedia.ca ) fine tuned our techniques last year and got some awesome footage both video and stills.

Storming and -30 this morning. the weather I've been waiting for as the ground was dry. Next week I'm off to wolverine country and the fun begins.

That sounds great Brian. Looking forward to any and all info.

Awesome!

Has anyone tried to edit their post? Try it please

Worked great. But I there is some of mine that otterman reposted that I can't. I could send a new tag to otterman if he would be willing to put it in.

give it a try Len. I will try and do it but am headed to town so it will be later today or tonight before I can get to it

Thanks Len !

Thanks Brian. Will be really interesting to follow your work.

We will need to pin this or put it back in the archives.

how do you guys stake you trap in the bucket set

I use an old snare cable through the spring eye and tied off to a nearby tree

ok thank you wh17