Anybody try bridger 1.65 for the marten?

sounds awfully big for a marten.

WB- Some nice marten/boxes!

Very cool pictures! Thanks all. This was real helpful and I got some good sets out. More tomorrow, I hope. I learned that finding/setting cubbies was much more fun than hanging flower pots and it was nice to play with the little footholds vs the 120's. I am using Duke 1.5cs though, and they feel like they might be a bit much. I guess I'll get online tonight and order up some #1 something-or-others...

Cheers and thanks again.

BD,
Here's how I do my pole sets, when I use them, (mainly in DEEP snow sections of my line.) EVERYBODY does it different, so I'm just saying this is the method I use. I cut my pole to a wedge shape by chopping it on opposite sides. A longspring slips right over the wedge, leaving the trap jaws and pan hanging over space. This is the LAST thing for the marten to step on, when reaching out for the bait. You'll catch most of them by the left front foot, when set this way. Having the trap hanging out in space, allows snow to fall through the jaws, and not build up as badly on the trap, vs. having the trap sitting on the pole. Also, wind, or a chinook will clear traps pretty rapidly, and get them back working again, at times.

Notice my bait is hidden, this pic, it's in one of those disposable paper funnels, but usually I have it inside an old soup can. This keeps many non targets like birds or pine squirrels from working the set as much. I loop the chain back through the ring, slip that over the pole, then wire the trap chain to the pole as short as possible, usually 3 or 4 links. Longer poles keep marten out away from the tree, so as not to get pitch on the fur. Also, use dead dry poles, or non spruce, to avoid pitch seeping on the poles, and getting onto fur. I like nice sheltered, mid- sized to smallish trees, with good overhead cover to keep the snow off, and hide caught marten from the ravens and such. I can take some better pics of some of my pole sets, later in the week, if you want, but you probably get what I'm saying?? Also, I wouldn't use bigger than a #1, and good strong #0's are ideal, but don't handle my deep snow so well, so I use mostly #1's. Maybe try hiking inland a bit, up a river, or small valley, if still no marten show in your sets. In this warm, and later in the season like this, they'll move inland, uphill, and up the valleys more. Good luck, and PM me if you have any ?'s I may be of help with.

#1 are the best? Is 1.65 really overkill?

T4E,the bait looks on the small side, do you use a call lure at the set?

Brother Dave, i have a bunch of number one dbl coils. To make them work i put them into a vise and cut one spring off. Made it have much less damage on the marten. Make sure you grind them off so you can remove the whole spring. Saves money from buying more traps.

thanks T4E and yukontrapper. i'm all set and have high hopes for this week...

Can't u drop a spring in those coils? I thought I heard of someone doing this awhile back. Made do with what he had and it worked minus the loose ear.

I use all #zeroes for the same set as T4E shows above. 1.65 would be way too much IMO.

Thanks I'm makin sets n have number 1 I wanted a bigger trap but ill stay with 1. Looks like it does the trick nice pics!

I hate the loose ear, only thing it gives ya leverage when resetting it.

I tried 1 1/2 coils years ago, for one season, and I also think even those were way to much trap. I like the #1 in either longs or jumps.
Here is a picture of marten tracks and poop....

Viking that is helpful! Does anyone have more track photos?

You will know them when you see them. It's the bigger critters that may throw you. When you see tracks that even might be marten, make sets.

I believe these are marten tracks?! See em around but 20 miles up the Yukon from me. Hope it's worth it. Snowed the night before little covered.

Marten tracks,....

Thanks alot that helps a bunch. Like a squirrel jump with bobcat sized tracks kinda(smaller cat) I will pass this along its been very helpful. Any tips of locating a population other than tracks?

In your area, look to the Cascades.