Hi fellow trappers! This will be my first post on here. I am sort of a "do-it-yourselfer". I learn well by trial and error - but I also learn a lot by reading forums, watching you tube videos, and I love having a mentor to teach me, and shorten the learning curve. I'm looking for advice based on all of your experience, because I am stepping into a whole new realm.

My trapping thus far has all been down in Minnesota - where I started out as a young kid trapping muskrats, mink and beaver. College and family life, and work responsibilities came along, and I sort of lost my way when it comes to trapping. But a few years ago, I arranged my life so that I could get back at it. Here in Minnesota, I have been trapping coyotes, red and grey fox, beaver, coon, and as of late, bobcat with a little effort at fisher and marten. Fisher and marten are more rare where I live, and we only get six days to have at it. Not much for opportunity.

Anyway, to get to the point. I married a lady from Alaska. I bounce back and forth between the two states. I am always up there for summer. This will be my first winter. I am in Minnesota currently, but arrive in AK, Homer area, on Jan 12. I am most excited to see my wife. After that, all I can think about is trapping. I have zero gear up there - so I will be throwing myself into getting gear, tools, a snowmobile (ok snow machine), a freight sled, and so on. That, and learning a territory. How to gain access to it. Finding critters and learning how they behave. Safety. Etc.

Seriously, I sit at night and read through these guys' journals that are 40 or 50 pages long. Beat the heck out of TV! For those of you who take the time to write these - I thank you. Sure do enjoy them...

I wish I could say that I have a trapline. That I have a territory. But I don't. I would really like to know how all of that works?

Here is what I do know. There is a very limited road system on the Kenai Peninsula. I assume, and the local wildlife guy has informed me, that there are already trappers out there working those areas. Is there a way of really knowing "who is operating where" - short of hopping in the truck, riding the snowmobile, and hiking in snowshoes? I don't want to crowd anyone, but I really don't want to just assume it is taken either. I don't have a ton of options.

I want to trap the stuff we can't get in MN. I want a wolf. And I want a wolverine. Hence the moniker "Wolverine Hunter." I will be looking for my first... so any advice I can get would be great.

I am told Lynx is not open for trapping in this area yet, but I can hunt them by calling them in and I can shoot two. Love any advice on this. I have a good fox pro with lots of rabbit sounds, and a good .17 WMR that should do the trick.

I'm not trapping for a fur check. I collect them. And I give them to friends who enjoy them. It's more about being outdoors, exercise, learning, and the challenge.

I will be looking for a snow machine pronto. I like what I have seen about Skidoo Tundra and Skandic. But I am open to advice. We don't have utility sleds down here in MN :-)

I need traps and tools! You think I can find a really good supplier online in AK? Nope! So what are you guys doing? I don't really want to bring all my MN stuff up there. Don't really want to ship as it's crazy expensive. Right now, I'm bringing some stuff on the plane with me - snares, footholds, and #330's. That stuff is more important than clothes haha.

Well - that's enough for now, I think. I'm sure conversation will spark more. And if I am beating a dead horse with conversation that you veterans have seen over and over, then by all means direct me to the right place.

Thanks in advance...

Join the Alaska trappers association and go to their meetings

There's a 2015 skidoo tundra with 259 miles on it for sale in Homer on Anchorage Craigslist. Heck of a deal. I have a Tundra and like it. You'll just have to get out and explore a little to figure out where you can trap.

You'll hear many times, wherever you go, that most of the good places are already trapped. I've always been able to find a place and have never stepped on anyone's toes or had them step on mine. So ignore the naysayers that say there is no room for newcomers.

Welcome! I am originally from Grand Rapids, MN. Not to discourage you it can definitely take time to find a line for yourself. If you find an unoccupied territory then you will need time to cut trail and figure out how you want to run it. During that time you hopefully can figure out what is in the are and maybe start figure out some of the critters habits. Their sign will tell you what to set and where which it sounds like you have plenty of experience in that area from trapping other furbearers.
I have a Skandic 600 Ace and it has been plenty for me although some prefer the 900. I use my for hauling wood, breaking trail, etc. I use my Polaris 550 LXT if the trail is good. It is a funner more comfortable ride.
I don't know much about the country down that way but as far as traps or supplies or a snow machine you may check the local craigslist if you have not already.

Thanks. Have been on their website. I'm a member in MN. And a national member. Probably will be an AK member too. Didn't see where they listed the local meetings - but I have asked about Homer, Soldotna/Kenai.

I saw that sled several times. It's tempting...

I was just up near Grand Rapids yesterday - looking for grouse. They are super scarce this year. I think turkeys are part of the problem. We say 28 turkeys and 1 grouse. Sound backwards?

And deep snow! 18 inches in the past 5 days or so...

See what you're missing???

First off, you must be really good at typing. Your intro was very long, and typing skills are un-neccessary here.
Second off, Minnesota blood complicates things. Other than myself, few succeed. There are no walleye, for starters. Perch, either. That said, there are a handful of fishing opportunities, if you know who to ask.
As far as trapping goes, Alaska is much smaller than it appears on a map, or even Google Earth, for that matter.
I say, either go all-in, buy the machine with the proceeds from your "down south" traps, join the ATA, get free, local knowledge from said group, and enjoy! Or, well, don't, and hate it for the rest of your life.
Whew!!! That took ME, a sourdough, nearly 45 minutes and 2 thumbs to type.
Good luck!

Alaska Viking - I'm a dang good typer. I better be - I do it for a living. That intro I typed took me four minutes! Don't need help fishing. Been slaying the fish in AK for 6 years now. Figured that out on my own. I'm a private tour guide in the summer up there. I'm a pretty tenacious Sum B. If you are the first Minnesotan to succeed in AK, I congratulate you! I'm gonna be the second! With or without help! That said, I agree. I been pouring over maps. Alaska's road system is SMALL. In Minnesota, I can get anywhere in my truck. I go on ATV, and on foot from there. Airplane and snow machine, I am working on for AK. Knowing what is out there, and trying to figure out how to get to it without spending my entire retirement - is a little crazy-making.

you saw turkeys in Grand Rapids ?

I like you already. Oof-Da!
Bring wild rice. I have to beg relatives for it. My blood comes fro s.e. Minn.

Yes the turkeys are expanding like crazy, and heading north and breeding in big numbers. I saw almost all of my turkeys between a line from Grand Rapids to Remer, and North.

My first degree was as a biologist, but I am first and foremost an outdoorsman. Something is wrong for the grouse up there. Drumming counts may be up in the spring, but there are no birds to show for it in the fall. Yes, we have predators - but we have a new kid in town. That's the good old wild turkey. All they do is walk, walk, walk. A scavenge the ground. When they come across a grouse nest - it is done for. That's my theory. Wildlife Biologists in Minnesota have to "think about it" for another decade or two.

Time to get rid of the permit system. Sell licenses over the counter to whomever wants them. And quit treating them like big game. There are more than enough turkeys - and the current harvest is not keeping up with their population explosion. That's my two cents...

I'm not blaming it entirely on turkeys, but they aren't helping. I like turkeys and turkey hunting, but I'd rather have grouse!

Used to hunt turkeys all around Rushford. My big sister lived in LaCrosse. I have a Wild Rice Processing Plant less than a half mile from my house!

Turkeys are not the problem in grouse numbers.



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Rufed Grouse Numbers

As you know grouse go through boom and bust cycles, but there are various species of song birds which are in hard decline, to pheasants. Our turkeys hatched well here this year, but our pheasants had dismal hatches. Wet weather hurts chicks as much as airborne predators kill myriads of game birds. A great horned owl will kill a bird every day as will a Cooper's Hawk On average that would be 500 birds in their territories. In west central Minnesota the DNR attempted to stock prairie grouse, and the refuge was lined with hawks, which promptly ate every grouse.
The old propaganda of the 60's was that crows were destroying duck nests which was causing their decline. It was farmers draining sloughs. Special interests come up with all kinds of bogus data, like lead in gasoline was killing bald eagles which was another lie just like DDT was making egg shells brittle.

The simple solution is what is eating a prey and not another animal that is not destroying nests all through the United States.

Wow! I don't think I have even seen a wild turkey within an hours drive of GR when I was down there. Last time I hunted grouse down there they were mighty skittish. They would take off 30 yards out or more in the brush. The numbers were there as I would hear 5-10 take off out of a group just not get a shot off. Here we call them willow grouse and we have had good numbers the last couple years. No flushing and shotgunning though. Just pick'em off with a 22.

Turkeys=rats with wings. Although the darlings of game departments, a decline in grouse numbers corresponds with an increase in turkey numbers anywhere were turkey have been reintroduced into grouse habitat.

But we digress - for this is not the original intent of my post :-)

I had my heart set on a wolverine but I left the state before I had a chance to make that happen. I'm wondering what kind of wolverine population the Kenai supports.

Posco - I've found a little research on the subject. Not really sure where it was and I'd have to go looking again for it, but I think it was tied to the Alaska DFG. I believe there is a trappable population on the peninsula, although there are much better areas to trap them, I am sure. I want to say that with overlapping territories, there might be something like 2-3 for 100,000 acres? And there is likely more than we think.

I do have someone I know who was able to trap a couple last winter on his first winter in the state. That kind of thing gives me hope! All I really want is just one for starters! I'm ill prepared though. I really really need some bait.