This is a very interesting thread.
Though I have never trapped a wolverine, and may well never have the opportunity to, this conversation and the snare sets with the caught wolverine suspended made me think of a set I used to use when I was a kid and couldn't afford conibears.
The set is a swing pole powered snare, triggered by pulling a bait. A set which I used to catch a lot of fisher and a few marten. Others may have used something similar, I haven't invented many things, but I came up with this when I was 14 or15.
My trigger consisted of one 20 penny nail with the head cut off, a bait holder made of an 8 inch piece of heavy wire, I would wrap the middle of it around a rod bigger than the 20 penny nail so it would have equal legs on each side of a double wrapped loop. I sharpened the ends or cut them on an angle so they were sharp. I would put the loop on the rod, bend both legs to form a "V" parallel with the rod then bend the sharp ends inward at a 90 degree angle or more. This was the bait holder, I would spread the sharp ends apart and impale my bait chunks on them, I carried a bunch of these in a bag in my pack or sled.
The site was chosen, of course, very near fisher travel ways I knew of. Usually a large white spruce tree with another 4-6 inch thick tree within a few feet for the swing pole fulcrum. I would drive the headless nail into the base of the tree about 6 inches from the ground and leave an inch and a half or so sticking out, make sure the end wasn't peened or burred ( had a chainsaw raker file with), I would usually cut the swing pole and tie it with wire or twine to the nearby small tree, so the end of the swing pole would rotate down and end up directly above the headless nail. The baited wire device can sip on to the headless nail now. Tie a piece of heavy wire to the end of the swing pole and make a nice round half inch loop in the end. the wire loop should be no more than a foot from the swing pole end. Slide the swing pole wire loop onto the baited nail. The bait gets pulled, the swing pole comes free and swings high.
I would build the sides of the cubby, lower the swing pole and catch the loop on the baited nail. Then I would attach my snare to the swing pole and support my loop about 9 inches out from the bait, with very little or no slack between the positioned snare loop and the swing pole. I would fence the loop with twigs, and roof the cubby with balsam or spruce boughs.
The fisher would enter the cubby, pull the bait, releasing the swing pole, the fisher would be pulled right through the bough roof and would not be chewed on by shrews and stuff.
I caught a greedy marten that was carrying a meal already, he left 2 voles outside the cubby, and grabbed the bait and went for his ride through the cubby roof.
This set may work, with some adjustments in size and swing pole weight for wolverine or lynx.
It took longer to write this than to make a set, I hope it makes sense. I used to pre make these so I had a bunch ready for season. I should have set snares for the foxes that sometimes circled.
I used 1/16 1X19 cable with a 5-6 inch loop about 4 inches off the ground or packed snow. I had sets that snowed over and fisher still dove in and got caught a few times.
You can imagine the thrill of a kid snowshoeing down the line seeing a nice dark fisher suspended above the snow... better than today's video games!
