We've had rain on and off here but mostly on for the better part of the last month. Harvest had pretty much come to a standstill until today. Thought I'd venture out and see where things were going as far as locations that have been harvested. Took a corner around a bend and dropped my truck up to the running boards. We're looking at 2-3 days a week of rain over the next 1.5 months with mild temperatures. Recipe for disaster as far as getting around. Was hoping to hit some coyotes while still working/going to school but man with 12 hour days if I've got to walk in to locations it's not looking promising. If it doesn't freeze up soon or quit raining I think my season is going to be pretty minimal this year.

yes way to wet here also to much clay wish I had all sand to trap in

It is pretty nice.

Rain, Rain, go away!

Wade I always walk most of our line, always have.
Last winter it was so dry and we had fifty degree temps for a lot of December unusually warm and dry December. Some farms I can drive into the fields when it is like that but others the landowners have asked us not to drive just walk in.
Out of respect for all of their properties, and to get our sets and catches well off the roads from prying eyes, we walk in on all of them, twelve farms last year, and will be fifteen this year.
I run 2 to 3 marathons a year, but trapping season carrying equipment and catches always keeps me in shape throughout the winter when I don't run to rest up for next running season. I start training for the next marathon in mid January when we pull up our coyote and coon line generally due to rubbed fur around then anyway.
I hustle in hustle out. We run them a lot at night after school, work, indoor baseball practice, etc....or we run them in wee hours of morning before school and work, weekends are a treat to run them during sunup. If the boys cant go it's just me running them. I lose sleep, but it's my favorite time of year and push through.
In wet years, we walk all of it regardless. In dry years we do drive some of it.
Go stash a lot of waxed dirt at your set locations. Carry in traps and all the other stuff first couple days until your line is all set. Then you are down to a flashlight or headlight, gun, a trowel, and a pocket full of bait and lure for remakes. The waxed dirt we put up in clean one gallon milk jugs and stash two at every set location ahead of time. It's already there for remakes. Saves carrying it every day.
Checking is actually pretty fast...park the truck, bail out and walk fast to check. If no catches you just hustle on to the next set and book it back to the truck. We can run our whole line in couple hours and yes it's work but guess what walking it is very cool. You will walk right up to deer sometimes and all kinds of other encounters. I know it's not as efficient as driving right up to every set but it works. Had to make ourselves some coyote and beaver carryers to make it a little easier.
Later in winter like January when ground is frozen Rock solid...you can drive anywhere you want to. Keep that in mind, it will freeze up eventually. You got this! Just plan ahead and strategy in mind for checking every day.
Have fun and keep us posted, bud!
Jim

Long time to go before you have to worry Wade. I have seen people freaking out over the wet weather. If I were you I would plan on trapping as usual. Two week forecast is dry and decent. You have plenty to worry about that you can do something about. Weather is never one of those items for me. Lots of years I do not leave the row until it firms up or freezes. There will be plenty of season to go off road. Just be ready to chop frozen ground. LLL

65, sunny and windy here should dry up nicely but everything soaked in that we got this summer no runoff, I was getting dirt to wax yesterday and the ground was solid in the fields. When it does rain the roads go bad quickly but the forecast here is dry the next 10 days.