I just dug up the study that was done here in our area.
STUDY SUMMARY: A marten trap testing study was conducted in the boreal forest of northern Ontario in the Geraldton,Hearst and Kapuskasing Districts of the Ministry of Natural Resources.Trap testing Occurred from 25 Oct to 28 Feb in each of 2 years 1988 to 1990.by 23 registered trappers from the area. Director of the study was Milan Novak,MNR Ontario.

TRAPPERS OPINIONS OF MARTEN TRAPS AND SETS FIELD TESTED FROM 1988 TO 1990 IN NORTHERN ONTARIO

To summarize;"22 of the 23 trappers ranked the wooden box on tree trunk with the opening facing down as their preferred set out of the 5 tested. This was also the set that caught the most martens".


Mabey you guys could get a scientific study going to find out which set is most productive in your area?

bctomcat
My experience in the lower 48. western Montana was the same as yours. If I saw a marten track anywhere near a set I knew I would have him or a miss. They just didn't refuse.
Funny thing is that 20 years ago I trapped not too far from where I am now. Out of Kotlik. The marten were voracious then. I was using fish for bait. Which by the way is something I haven't tried in the last 5 years of long lining. I remember that they would dig down in the snow to get the crumbs from me sawing a piece of bait.
Boco you have hit on the one thing I have found that keeps them interested. Big baits. But I have resisted as it is just not conducive to what I was trying to achieve. Lots of sets put in efficiently. Putting out 200 sets with big bait is a whole different operation. Not one I have had time for. I will scale back and experiment more.
Thats where I am going this year. A lot few sets, multiple traps per set and large baits. If the beaver cooperate.
I am also going to give it a go earlier. At least in some areas I can get into early. And then again I might just try to concentrate on Homer where my kids are and be close to home.
TJ I have thought about the foot holds but also resisted the fact that one snow puts you out of commission. Not to mention that I just don't have any small foot traps anymore. I thought about building simple leantoos with plastic to keep them working.

After reading over all this I had an idea... FT I believe you like tip ups from what you've said in previous posts- has anyone ever tried one with a foothold? Something on the principal like the stoploss traps for muskrats maybe? Trap fires as usual and when the marten starts to struggle it pulls out a pin connected to the trap chain and voila marten in the air! Just an idea that popped into the head. Only have used footholds on pole and limb sets so far for them. Maybe use in conjunction with a cubby of some sorts?

Getting the tip up to work is not hard but getting one to work past the first 3 inches of snow is. Anything is doable on a small scale.
I was totally keyed in on large number of sets.
When they cooperate it is a good combination.



I gave a dozen leg holds a try a few years ago. It was still getting them inside that was the problem.

The ground cubbies worked better than pots. But time consuming.


Hopefully I can be there some year when they have a change in attitude.

Nice catch there in front of the tent. With that one on the pole how are you configuring the tip up? Cannot tell by the pic.

Any more pics of succesfull marten sets? Anything in archives maybe?

Hello Family trapper. I am new at writing here. But i been reading for a few years though. I like your marten tip-up set. Are the walk by's consistent in certain areas of your line or is there an area where it happens all the time. Possible idea, in an area where walk bys are consistent. Set your tip-up on a bigger tree (12"-18") using your coni-bucket. one pole on one side for the coni and on the other side have another tip-up using a #1 under your bucket. See if that helps on getting the picky marten. Thus keeping you your set still working. Seems a bit much but then a 70-80 dollar marten leaving is no fun either. Even if you add it every ten sets thats only 20 #1's for you 200 set longline. Idea on ground cubbies, add spruce bows to the sides of you low bucket set. Thanks for all the ideas you gave me over time. Good luck this year, we are still fall here, not frozen and no snow :-(

Travlinnorth this is the link to the marten archive.
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/32032/

Yukon
I don't think it is the way I set the trap that will make the difference.
I really think it is the trigger that I need to find that will get them to move in.
The right gland lure but most likely not in a tight space like a pot, or large bait. My wolverine are much the same way. They ignore anything that isn't substantial. They walk right by my marten sets. At least the last few years. But big baits like a beaver will hold the interest of both. When ever I put out a beaver for bait. The marten are on it. But they will walk right by a small piece time and time again. I can't figure. I have to transport my bait quite a ways. Along with camp etc. Time to change my stategies.

I have seen multiple marten hold up on a beaver. I am hoping that by working less sets with larger baits and more traps at a set will bring more marten home with me.

Castor I set so few with legholds I don't remember exactly. I think I took the tag end of the wire that was left on the trap chain and gave a hook through a fence staple. Something that with a struggle would give way.
I found a great way to make a ground cubby release for a conibear and tipup.
By cutting a tree that the conibear will just fit over when unset will hold very firmly when set. I just poke the tree into the snow and pack firmly. Attach conibear and then build my cubby. This made a difference but still was not as consistent as I would like.
I built the cubbies out of black spruce tree tips. One side shaved down. They worked quite well.


Something that I did last year. As mentioned above was to keep a can of spray adhesive in my coat. At a set I would spray the tree and apply feathers. Same inside the pot. How much eye appeal do you need? The method worked really well in theory. Marten were indifferent..

FT, i know what you mean about room and space while out on the line. I aswell run a bravo. I been pondering using 3in PVC one end heated up and closed then adding bait through the other side. Using the Closed end for hanging and attaching to tree. Jus trying to find how to set up with coni or trap. Use on leaning poles or on verticle trees. I mainly use fish for bait most the winter except when i come accross beavers. I liked how you had hanging beaver bait awhile back been wanting to try it this coming winter. On our lines we mainly use pole sets, more permanent sets are 12X12 boxes 5 feet high. I use alot of small wood boxes for the lower sets. i use either coni's or #1's depending on the kinda set i am looking to have. It is hard trying big baits in little pots. i think your ideal set can work as long as Gulo don't find it. Alright getting late, long day in the Trap Shack tomorrow.

If you need to haul more gear hook a couple of sleighs in tandem.

FT, I'd sure like to see how your marten react in Nov or Dec when there more aggressive, at least around here they are, marten committing to poles on my line in Feb slows way down if I trap to the end.

Hello Takotna, the line i use the we got 60 marten by christmas a few times in the past. We also slow down when trapping till the end. This crazy weather i am sure we won't be anywhere come november... Should put my boat back in :-)

Hello Boco, yea it is possible on the main trail to the cabins, but else where it will suck. My Bravo has a hard enough time jus pulling my main sled i use. Especially having to break trail pulling...On the main trail the bravo does good but if i began expecting to much the bravo knows it lol.

Hey Len what are you using for lure? Is there a possibility that the time of the season they might be wanting something out of the normal? All your sets I've seen on here look like they should make good catches. Darn finicky critters. Maybe over abundance of prey?

Mike

Yukon,You might consider a 600 wide track,alot of the big numbers beaver trappers use them around here and those guys look like their hauling their whole camp lol.I know if you have a lot of open country its tuff to keep a trail open.

I am considering a larger sled. One that I can haul my bravo with to camp. ;0) and maybe a sled of beavers too! Actually I was presently surprised at how easy it was to haul a few years ago when we broke down.
It is looking slim for a cold freeze up in Oct/Nov. If I do trap this year it will be much earlier in the season.

Castor I use a skunk base lure I put together. I have no problem getting marten to the sets. Just getting them to commit consistently. I am sure it is largely due to the abundance of voles. I know that 4-5 years ago when I first started my long lining for marten I went about it like I had on a much smaller scale for 30 years. It was during Dec. but I quickly found it was going to be a problem with refusals even then. In a matter of a month I had to learn a whole new system. I had used pole sets all my life. Was a lot of experimenting going on in a short period of time I had areas that produced well. But the larger part of my area was very problematic. I can't seem to break the 100 mark. 96 is my best. I have two goals in life for marten trapping, Beating the 50 in once check of all my sets and breaking the 100 mark for the season. ;0)
It is all complicated by the fact that I trap 500 miles from where I live.

Morning, i had a 500 wide track back in yr 2000. Put 15K miles on it and sold it. It blew the crank start of the 4th year. I had a 440 Skandic for a few years and that blew as well but it had 13k miles. So in a hurry i got the Bravo because cost to buy it, average distance i go trapping and the cost of fuel.

Well FT I like this saying for these situations: We as trappers are problem solvers. Keep pluggin away.

Dirt, how is the milk jug attached to the tree?