TR:
By the time you are trapping are not the bears plugging themself up for a winter nap ?

Bob:
I wondered what you did with your trash. Glad you found some more berrr patches...how many time have you bumped into a bear while picking ? BTW..how do you heat all winter ?

OC:
Never had an encounter while picking berries. We heat with #1 Diesel. If we had an alternative to that I wouldn have to deal with it. There is one thing I like about handling diesel-nothing.

WE do a quite a bit of work on our trapping area during October. The black bears are usually gone to bed by first week in November but the Griz seem to stay awake even into December.

Ah ok, I thought they would be quiet by that time of year and not so bothersome. Have you ever had any encounters with in your traps ?

Ahhhh ok, here I thought a full freezer ran more effeciently. What do the bear do pick up dead fish and chow on them ?

OC:
Typically the bears pick up all the old salmon along the shore or in shallow water but this year they are out in the middle snorkleing for them.

So far down here on our trapping area there have been no encounters. Having said that, one day I expect to see some smashed up marten boxes.

When I trapped SW of Prince George I had several trap sets that were destroyed by Mr Griz.

Although I leave my boxes out I always make sure the bait is removed end of season. Also I never scent in the boxes, only use a dry stick close to the set.

Sound like you use good trapping measures. I for one would love to be able to trap in an area like you have. Beaver, rats, fox, and coyotee are about the limits for what I target. We are only allowd one cat in the area I trap.

Well I am glad your wife does not have to worry too much about ol Mr. Griz. Mine I think would have other ideas and stay home. That or insist on a bear proof tent.

Bob

Where there fewer fish in the river this year ?

I've seen grizzlies still out at 30 below. Caught a few in wolf snares. They don't stick around long depending on how the snare is tied off.

That amazes me -30 and still out trying to forage ?? I would think your wolf snares are tied off fairly well or on a good drag. What happens ? Ooops I would guess your snare is not on a drag.

So White how many times have you come up on a set with a griz smiling at ya.

On A Call I loose at leasty one beaver a year in the fall to Brown Bears kinda errie walking up to a set and realizing you are walking at a bears dinner table and the gun is in the skiff. Gets me back after it pretty quick thats for sure. One of these days I am going to catch one in the act and the tag in my pocket will be filled and beaver trapping will end for the day.

I, too, have had bears of both variaties decide to follow my line. Not a comforting thing, actually. The most memorable was a brownie that had a nasty habit of waiting for me, in mid-December, in a rasberry thicket that was about 100X200 yards across, next to a small stream full of riffles. Couldn't hear much that winter, as it was a freeze-thaw kind of winter, so water always moving either above the ice, or no ice. Real nerve-wracking. After a couple weeks of this, it finally took a marten from a pot set, trap and all. Left me with a glob of red snow and tracks. That was enough for me. Let it have that small part of the woods.

Wow...what a story. I will never have to worry about that one...well maybe a black bear. I have never lost a beaver to anything yet...but there may be a first time.

To be in your shoes I would be carrying my rifle with me not leaving it in the skiff ha ha...well not ha ha.

I know I would feel like...where is he/she.

You guys are well...for a lack of better words, true trappers.

Aww come on Viking...go confort him and kick him off his turf.

At least that red snow was not from YOU !

Exciting huh.

trapping of the road once in the dark I walked in on a fox set about 400 yrds had fresh brownie tracks all around. Had a fox in it when I went to dispatch it it started barking now that time I was a tad nervous as I had no gun at all.

This pic was taken Jan 1st '09. Had a good late run of salmon and the bears worked them on through Dec. I followed this track and he headed up on the mountain to den up. Didn't see him but pretty sure he was iced up bad, you can see in the pic he was swinging that left rear leg out to the side like he was having trouble bending the joints. Could have been from an old wound but most likely ice build-up from working the creeks at 20 below.

OC:
The salmon runs were OK this year.

OM:
Our early beaver season makes me nervous also. I never make anything but underwater entrance sets unless its way back in the swamp. Usually have at least one wolverine barrel set get him even in November. Tie them down good and they stillt get drug off. Wish I could power out of a 330 as easy as they do.

Took a tour of the watershed yesterday doing water samples:

That is how I make my beaver sets..easy and not exposed.

Bob; how do you make your wolverine sets and when do you start targeting them ?

OC: I have had one still waiting for me. It was one that had been following me for three days. I was trapping on foot in early November and each day his tracks were in my trail following me. So on the third day I circled around and sat on a side hill watching my back trail. He never showed. I started back to the cabin and came to a small crick. There he was in a snare on the other side. He looked at me and lunged towards me. ( I could hear Alaskan scream like a girl). He up rooted the tree the snare was tied to and hit the middle of the crick on the run. Happened so fast I never had a chance to shoot.