Here's the chest and chin pattern on mine. Seems awful skinny, but he was 31#. I dunno if that is typical? My guess is, pretty safe to say nothing in that gut for awhile.

31# is a good animal! Understand that a 35-40 pounder is very un-usual

And whatever you do don’t catch any really big ones. Nobody will believe you.

I think I get that. I just thought it was remarkable that he was so skinny. I expected a more rolly polly gut.

That is why I am going to have Family Trapper verify for me when I do haha.

Seems somebody got a 41# on here though, and is getting pretty positive comments. I got no reason to question anybody. I'm just learning!

Read the 41# thread, again. That will explain a lot.

Always do like those orange/ivory necklaces on wolverine . They especially ID the individual , and are quite attractive , besides.

Well here we go. I am off for a check. I have been "locked out" of my line in forever, it seems, because of wind mostly - but some ice too, and a part time job. Yesterday was fantastic weather, but I had to work part of the day. Family Trapper helped me make some snares yesterday pm - which is much appreciated. Fun to learn and have a like-minded pal here in Homer. Thanks Len!

One appointment this am, and then it is off to spend the day on the edge of the wilderness. And things look good with the weather. Whatever I don't get done today, I can do tomorrow.

Send some good thoughts and good karma my way. I'd love a second wolverine SOON as the season is almost over. But a wolf would be the coolest! It would be my first. They are due back through anytime now...

Good luck to the rest of you as well!

Well it was fun putting those skills back to use. Good luck out there.

I managed to get through my whole line yesterday. It had a couple of surprises. If coyotes were my primary quarry, I would be really excited - for their traps were everywhere. I had a couple of near misses - but I don't even have a dozen coyote snares out. The ones I do have, I pulled. In the next week I plan to simplify things down, so I just have one primary wolf area.

Most of my wolverine cubbies had been visited by coyotes. They haven't been doing this for the past month, but all of the sudden got really curious, or really hungry, or really careless. I imagine if I put in a pile of snares around my wolverine cubbies, I would score big time, but the wolverine cubbies are coming out by next week - so not much sense in doing it at this point. Next season.

This coyote got in a little to close. I have heard of other trappers catching a coyote in a 330, but this is my first. Yes, he was still alive. Laying there with his ears up. Mangy and extremely poor fur. The bait was inches from its nose and it couldn't reach it. Poor little bugger. Well I ended it for him and that's that. Too much coyote vermin with mange. This is the same set I caught the wolverine in a couple of weeks ago. This spot, I will keep.

Another non-target species in one of my wolverine cubbies. The river otter. Inside was moose hide, and a small piece of rotted moose meat (which I have a permit for) hanging by a wire in the back of the set. I know that otters like to check out holes and crevices and such. And I know they are not necessarily conibear shy. Well this guys curiosity got the best of him. Not sure how long he had been there. I think if anything hungry had come upon this, it would have been eaten - so probably not that long. Family Trappers son and his partner are in "full otter mode" so I am going to gift this one to them to add to their overall catch.

A lone wolf came into my area - where I have a bait, and a concentration of about 60 snares. He appeared to be very careful - the way he managed to avoid the snares I had up, and chose his way in through larger gaps in the timber. I had the bait wired to a tree, but he managed to get a piece of it loose, and drug it back into the brush - where he polished it off. Hunted that area a bit, and then left. I tracked him through the brush for a couple hundred yards. Hung a handful of snares along the way. Then came across this spot. Lots of tracks in one little area. Pretty fresh. But no sign of a pee post. And I have been here numerous times this winter and no wolf sign. He came out of the brush into this opening, made a pile of tracks, then went back in where he came from. It would be pretty random, but I wish I had a good foothold there.

Hey wolf trappers, is this worth setting now? Without any evidence of pee, I'm not sure if anything will return, but I don't know?

It was a long day, and I had time to refresh the bait and wire it down, and bulk up my snares a little more, and then had to get out of there before dark. Par for the course, the wind was howling out the Northeast, and I came home in 4-6 footers in the dark (two footers were forecast). My back is sick and tired of the spinal compressions. Riding up the crest of a wave, and then slamming down in the next trough. I will be in the market for a new seat and pedestal - and am open to suggestions on what you've got that you like.

Took a spill in the rocks yesterday and went down hard. My left wrist was broken coming into this, and is still healing ( I just got the cast off six weeks ago). The right wrist is now sprained and doesn't want to flex or extend. My left knee has a big old knob on it. This trapping is really hard work! And the ocean trapping is really complicating it, I'm finding. Looking back on how hard I have worked, and the price I have had to pay - in more ways than one, I'm not sure that I will trap this way next season. I'm currently researching a snow machine - but that is a subject for another day. Today is a down day to recuperate and get myself in shape for the next check and pull.

Trapping salt isn't for everyone, and obviously can be dangerous. That said, snow machine lines will certainly bring a whole new set of challenges!

Good to hear you made it back in safe and sound! Sorry to hear you got beat up though.
Try and remember where those yotes came in at to check your cubbies for next year and drop a few snares. I normally put up some blocking around all my marten sets and hang snares, picked up many yotes that away and with this market it is descent money. Just remember to anchor for the largest critter you could possibly catch. I once picked one up in a 220, go figure
Those otter are pretty curious critters, had one check out a kitty set week before last. I have never had anything touch an otter, even ones setting in the wide open, which is kinda surprising, any other critter the least the birds would have pecked it.
Always frustrating when a critter walks into the death zone of snares and misses them! But makes it sweet when you do connect with them Normally they will follow the same track in especially if it is a bait, hope you dropped a snare or two on that trail.
Your getting fur and having fun Look forward to reading about your next check!

Yep, curious otter. I have taken a few in wolverine sets, and even one in a mink set, with a 1-1/2 stop-loss.

I have also taken otter in wolverine cubbies. A few quite always from any open water. Also had coyote and lynx in them. Pretty versatile set, especially if open at both ends with two traps.

Thanks for the update. Those are some interesting catches.

AV I believe it! What with breakdowns and getting stuck. Apparently a couple of local guys woke up a brown bear around here recently, and got stalked. You just never know...

I assume the bears never sleep. I have video of me releasing a small black bear from a wolverine set. I caught it 3 times, in different sets, in one season. His third visit was his last.
I do NOT reccomend releasing bears out of traps. Trust me.

Bummer the coyote had such poor fur. Quite an adventure your having. On the bear. From what I heard. A guy was changing his snowmobile belt. Apparently it was close to a den. A bear come out and was headed towards the man. He didn't even realize it. His buddy drove up to him and said get on!!! Bear coming. The drove to town. Got a bear tag and returned to take it out of commission. 9.5 foot Brown bear. Crazy to think that guy would have likely been killed. Guess the bear was intent on coming at the guys.