Heres a little project I'm working on for marten this year. Last year they would circle the tree but not climb so this is going to be my "remedy". I'm moving my boxes down about two feet off the ground on a down tree, just above what our normal snow accumulation is approx. I usually use footholds but since they can't hang I'm going to use connibears. I wanted to make my presentation as unrestricted and visually appealing as possible so I'm going to a pan instead of wires for triggers. I didn't like the heigth of the pan by just bending the wires and attaching to it so I did it this way. I lowered my pan by 3/8 to 1/2 inch over that method and its also permanent. heres a few pics.

That looks dang good!

man that does look good pretty open

Good luck with your pans; you did a great job with them. I went to using Berkshire coni-pans on my 120's a few years ago, but very quickly decided I didn't like them. The marten seemed to step over them rather than on them and I had lots of misses. I countered that by bending the pan up at nearly a 45-degree angle so they would fire the trap with their chest, but then I was getting lots of hip catches. After giving them one season I yanked them off and went back to the trigger wires bent out in a "horshoe" shape with a light wire between them.

I, too, tried the Berkshire's. Not impressed. However, I am going to try ONE 120 hardwood pan, and ONE 160 hardwood pan this year. They are much wider than the Berk's, if that matters at all.
Jury is out 'till Dec.

Thanks for the comments. I'm curious if bait placement will help with the stepping over. I shortened my boxes hoping that by putting the bait closer they might not step over but on it. I have always used #1 coils before this and never had a problem with them stepping over those pans. We'll see!

I use a relatively long box and set the trap about 4' in front of the bait and get a humane catch 99.9% of the time. You will find details in this thread http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthrea...tml#Post2593936

Good luck. I have fought with this delima for longer than I want to think about. As most of you know. I would venture to say that I have had in the neighbor hood of 60-80 marten give me the cold shoulder on one check of my line at times checking 150-200 sets. It sucks. I quickly realized that my non climbers needed a lower venue but it doesn't work nearly like you would think in my area. I thought I had it a few years ago when I hit the 50 in one check on a new bait. But it hasn't panned out since. Not uncommon for them to walk under the set and pee. Inches away from entering the set.
I have almost thrown in the towel on them. Almost. And I have given it a pretty good shot. I have some ideas this year as a new approach.
I don't think it has anything to do with less restriction, more open looking etc that keeps them from committing. I think it is very much tied to how they are keying in on the food source. They seem to get a one track mind. Warm dinner vs cold.
Personally I think if a person was to play with trigger scents it would have a lot more to do with changing your success than with the looks of the trap. But man if you figure it out let me in on it.

If you're using short boxes I'd suggest you wire down your bait. I went to shorter and shorter boxes and found my mis-fires and nose catches steadily increased the shorter the cubby box. I just toss bait in the back of my cubbies though in the pursuit of speed. 16" deep seems optimal to ensure a good catch. I used to think a catch right behind the head was pefect but actually a suit-cased marten is probably what we should be aiming for.

Len-I think there is more to it than that. I think visual is key to the overall formula. You put your bait in a bucket facing down so I feel (just my opinion) that you have no visual appeal at all unless they are already under your bucket Curiosity, odor, and hunger are all factors as well I don't think they all trigger by the same thing. I wouldn't use the same bait or lure on every set I always alternate it you miss it in one maybe the next one will appeal to them. Beaver is good bait but not one of their main diets so IMO grouse or vole is more atractive to them but alternateing bait is always best. First and foremost is lure to get them there otherwise they have to "stumble" upon it. You obviously have quite a few where you are so I'm sure it happens where you are

Bushman-do you use pans or wires? I fasten my bait to the back so they have to work at it, I think it raises the chance if they are pulling on the bait rather than picking it up and running out plus if you miss that one you're still baited up for the next one.

Thanks for the input everyone.

To consistently doble strike marten,place box on tree with opening down screen to top.Set 120 mag with trigger in an L shape with one side of L by the tree side.In this area it will catch every weasel that goes into box as they sit on trigger(as seen on trap test video) Jay catches are almost nil(about 1 in 50). Also very easy to change bait,just cut wire holding bait and put in fresh.I prefer beaver meat for bait after real cold sets in,grouse is OK early in season.Abit of silver ribbon at set provides a visual as marten have very good eyesight.Pans are also good for humane double strike if set so as marten steps on pan when nose is at bait.

I pursued the visual and some new smells last year to no avail. I spray glued in feathers on my pots. Even spayed what was supposed to be grouse pee. From a dog training company on the feathers to add to the system. Looked very cool inviting. I set a lot of them on the ground horizontally. Risky with a snow fall but I took the chances as I was only going to check once or twice. I saw no difference in their opinion. Some drainages produced better. I don't have any trouble getting marten to the set. Just interested in wanting what is in the pot bad enough to go in. Or climb. Beaver, tainted grouse.



I pulled the bait out here to show what was in it.



I set them up on tipups. Pretty easy setup I cam up with for the attachement.





Oh wait there is a warm vole over their. Pizz on you.




The fact that I get many marten to my sets with no interest leads me to think that a trail set set up with a gland lure of some kind might be a possibility. So much fun has gone out of pursuing them after the last few years I really think that I will start pursuing something else. I am not going to pursue in March any more as the refusals seem to be at their worst. It is just the best access time for me. Will see what the year brings this year. I have a couple ideas to float around this year.

Len I wonder if the time of year has anything to do with it. Since you only target them for a couple weeks in the spring. When do they start to mate? Could they be in a mode where nothing else matters but finding a mate that time of year? It certainly works that way for Lynx!

Len,

Are you going to start farming voles and putting them in cages in the back of your pots this year?

I have a small section of line where they do the same thing. Come running in on the bait or lure smell and then just look at it. Some even climb the pole and just look at it. I'm switching up the bait this year.

Every one has a different idea which is nice to read as we can take, leave or try different ideas from others and form our own procedures. Heres my take
The marten in this area will climb I get refusals everyonce in a while from a few that do not.
When I 1st recieved a trail camera it put it to use right away taking pictures of how the marten worked a set- vertical vs horizontal.Since then its not very often I set vertical.
I make all my horizontal sets very easy for them to access,leaning poles.horizontal stick past the face of the boz etc.The other thing I do is large boxes to hold large amounts of bait,10 lbs or more is the norm.To a marten this represents a huge windfall. The walkers will climb then!Keeps them around and working that set.Sooner or later they get caught.Lots of times I do not use any other scent.
Larger baits also will have a marten working the bait while another is hanging in that 120.
If a storm blows in with a big dump of snow and you cant run the traps that hanging marten is good for a long time before anything gets around to eating it.
Only draw back is you have to haul large amounts until your boxes are full.The wolverine also like that bait too and can and will make a mess.These pictures have been posted before. Some anyway


Trail camera at work

Wolverine working the large bait.Notice the bush repair jub to that marten box as he had visited before

Some of the things that work for me.Feel free to take or leave
tHANKS
dAN'L

I find this thread very interesting as I have never experience marten or fisher refusing to commit to a set except very rarely. I have heard this from others in the lower 48 also, thus causing my curiousity to the conditions causing the refusals. I have never used the plastic flower pots or newspaper tubes, just wooden boxes. My bait is basically beaver and occassionally deer or moose scraps with a sweet anise/raspberry jam or beaver castor/anise lure. Cold metal and plastic has a less desirable feel than cold wood and the marten cannot grip plastic with there claws like with wood. Thus I wonder if it could have something to do with the plastic along with some other factors?

Nothing new here, but figuring out that using leg holds on the ground will up your catch % greatly. I have almost NEVER had a refusal on the ground, but also realize that there could be damage to the marten from voles. I think that using conibears are the problem in my opinion. I've never been sold on 100% conibears and not even 50%. I like the vertical can sets as nothing stops them from working, but there are a lot of refusals with conibears. I bet I run 90% leg holds on poles versus boxes or cans with coni's. JMO though.

do you shoot them birds

Len,

You need to try out some footholds on those tip ups if they are at least coming and looking under the bucket to see what is in there.

-TJ

You definantly have to keep them off the ground with the fox population we have around here..or they will ALL go to very expensive fox feed.