Another thing I will add is that I used to use way too much lure, especially Gusto, at each site. Where I trapped, we had a lot of changing temps. Sometimes it would be 40 degrees and raining on December 1st, then 2 weeks later it could be zero. It would warm back up, cool back down. I always re-lured, and there were times that big winter storms would blow in, preventing me from getting to my line, sometimes for 10-12 days. Even after that, I could smell the Gusto well before the skiff touched shore. And some of those sets might be 200 yards into the woods. I probably didn't need fresh lure. And come spring, around April, months after the season closed and weeks of rain, I would stop at each set location and take inventory of bear destruction, both gulo cubbies and marten boxes, so I knew what work lie ahead, and could sometimes still catch a whiff of Gusto. The cubbie destruction from bears was reduced after taking a cue from mad_mike and raking out the bait and surface dirt as soon as possible after the season, though might not be able to when pulling the final traps if it's still freezing.
I want to especially laud our Furbearer Coordinator Samantha Fino, and ODFW Deputy Administrator Brian Wolfer. Those guys stepped up to the plate today and knocked it out of the park with their testimony defending us trappers. They capably answered commissioners questions and concerns resulting in a unanimous vote to adopt ODFW staff's recommendation of open season statewide for otter.
There is nothing more important than the urgency and proper carcass preparation. I state this from many years of them being harvested animal in my youth yrs. I have done many.
Treatment of meniscus injuries today is way different than it was when I tore my medial meniscus back in the 70s in my mid 30s. Spent my first 3 nights in a hospital when they removed about 80% of mine. What was left has worn out. I have been bone on bone for several years but the pain has been manageable so I have not gone the knee replacement route yet.
I also believe I had at least a partial tear of my ACL when I tore the meniscus but the x-rays did not show that. I had stability issues for many years and was eventually diagnosed with a torn ACL and had surgery to repair that. The surgeon could not even tell that I ever had an ACL when he went in to fix it. That surgery fixed the stability problem.
To the OP, get checked out. The imagining techniques (MRI) are much better now and the arthroscopic surgery can fix a lot of issues. I have only my experience and no medical training but it sounds like you probably have loose chunks floating around in your joint keeping it inflamed and painful. You could also have ligament damage causing stability issues as well. .
Im very interested in trying them as they seem like they could be the answer to having poor conditions to dig pockets. Can I run them with drowners or is it better not to?
No, I have seen and read the magazine just haven't had the collector itch....yet. I enjoy your knowledge of the Newhouse traps and the coyote/wolf information.
