Thanks for sharing JR!
You know what you are doing, good work
Interesting how the location can change from year to year.
I am trying the yellow pee idea...found a bottle of yellow liquid lure and put up some cameras. May have to bag up dog yard pee.
Would you set 3 traps around that pee post that caught?
With all that canine smell, especially female urine, Lucky's days of luck may be running short!
Also do you make blind sets in your trail?

More great shots, JR .

What a big wuff she is ! You sure have nice ones in that area.

Don't blame you for being careful in running the rivers in bad weather...even in familiar areas, the conditions can still change with surprises if one cannot see ahead very well. That is wisdom.

Sure like the shot of your snow machine on that rise with the sun peeking from behind the mountain ...looks inviting to explore that drop ahead , down into the valley. Really like dimensional lay of the land shots like that.

Thank you for sharing.

Thanks everyone. Got to work on some sled and machines today. Better put that female on the board this morn too.

smalltimetrapper.... I usually brush out my tracks pretty well and drive my sled over close to the set wiping out my sign. I've been getting snow and wind and that does a really good job too

rosscoak.... Very seldom will I place more than one trap at any one location. Not sure why, but always thought it would catch more fur with traps spread out at different locations than 2 or more traps at one location for one wolf. I know lots of trappers that do double up on their traps to increase their chances

Thanks for sharing! Congrats on the wolf! Good to hear the activity is picking up and I hope you get gear out in your other area. Hopefully the weather will settle down

Jr do you have and experience with the expedition super wide track 900 ace if so how do you like it

I have experience with the Skandic super wide track, both 900 ACE and 600 ETEC. Awesome machine but like the wide track not a sidehill sled. My choice is the 900 ACE, both motors get great fuel mileage and have a lot of power (and low range is great for not burning belts in slow going) but the ACE is quieter and I've seen the ETEC have a tendency to overheat in warm weather, especially and slow going and on bare ground or ice.

AK TRAPER.... I have zero experience with the SWT Expedition but I imagine it would be awesome. Heavy but great flotation and a beast with the 900 ACE.

I did a power trip out to the line last week to pick up a wolf on the Wood river. A friend sent me a email and said he dispatched a wolf in one of my traps. My friend from Minnesota was coming up to come on a trapline expedition with me on Saturday. I didn't want the wolf to lay on the ice dead and have the ravens or other wolves get into him so I ran up Friday morning to get him. Left the truck at 8 am, dropped 60 gallons of gas at my cabin and headed for the Wood river line. Picked up this beautiful 106 pound gray male in a AK #9 pee post. Probably one of the best furred wolves I've ever caught.
Ran down stream checking and putting out more gear. Riding the Expedition 900 and loving it. Missed on a couple sets but not as much activity as expected. Headed for the truck and arrived at 5:30 pm and home by 6:45. 108 miles on the truck and 122 miles on the sled round trip all in the daylight. I love the spring. My buddy came in at 2:30 the next morning. Got the wolf peeled the next day and took it with us out to the cabin to put it up.
We pulled both groomers 60 miles the first day and hauled 1600# of plywood out the next day. Jason did very well until the trip back to the cabin when he got introduced to overflow and the notorious DS2 Pilot skis on the WT.
Got her out of that mess with a wet belt and frozen start button. Put her in the shop to thaw out and put a new belt on. My second belt in 10,000 miles. They just don't make them belts like the used too. Low range is the key to long belt life. The switch gave us problems for the rest of the trip.
We covered some country exploring, ptarmigan hunting and just loving life. Jason really appreciated the vast beauty of the country I shared with his dad for 20 years. He said the pictures just don't do it justice.





Had some cool weather but warmed up in the days. Put Jason to work cutting some firewood, this isn't the normal vacation. Jason is my ol best friend and hunting partner Jake's oldest son and a friend of mine so this trip was long overdue. He hasn't been up here since 1994 when I met him and his dad woking iron on Fort Knox gold mine. This week blew by but was so fun covering country, working and mostly reminiscing about his pa.

My trapping cabin is full of Jake memories and memorabilia.


Shared many a fire with his dad and Jake always said " fire is what separates us from the animals". Think of him every time I start a fire.



Sent Jason back to Minn last night. Dropped the Expedition off today for a new fuel pump and front shocks, all under warranty. 2500 miles on it now and had a few issues this trip. Working on the WT tomorrow and hopefully get the start switch figured out. Next week I need to haul some more freight for some friends. The great thing is, my 9 year old godson Tristan said he wanted to go with so this will be an adventure of epic proportions in this young mans life and Tristan's too.

Once again JR great pictures and stories and to be able to share them with Jason makes it even better !

I was wondering do you ever set a trap around where you built a fire after cutting a load of firewood especially if you cooked up a bite to eat while there ?

I'm sure that both you and Tristan will have a great time making some special memories !
Allan

Looks like a good time and some healthy work! Ptarmigan have been pretty scarce here this year. I have only seen two and that two months ago.

Thanks for the ride-along. Always good stuff.
What a nice wolf!

Gorgeous wuff....huge. Looks like you could wrap up in that one just like a blanket, it is so large.

I know Jason loved the trip too. Anyone who studies the land and it's dimensions to say, that even the most beautiful of photos cant do it justice , but needing to see in person, has that appreciation.

The stunning beauty of mountains . That admiration , to me , is what separates us from the animals , too

Thank you for the share.

Wow what a great wolf ! Thanks for sharing your adventures. I really look forward to your posts and wonderful pictures .

Thanks for sharing! Some awesome looking country!

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad your buddy got out of the overflow. That looked really nasty.

Right on JR, thanks for sharing all the pics and memories. Hope you get the switch figured out too!

Greeting Trappers from warm and wet Fairbanks. Spent 3 days out on the line with my 9 year old godson Tristan. Got some freight hauled for the neighbors and have a few loads left to haul out this week. Tristan did well but still isn't into the outdoors like I'd like him to be. Cannot force him to enjoy the outdoors or it will push him away further. Kinda amazes me that he does't find the mountains so beautiful and he'd rather go back and watch a movie at the cabin. Oh well.



Missed on a couple sets but didn't see much sign over all. Guess I'l pull my gear this week. Getting kind of hard to keep gear working with the temps and snow.


Put the little man to work





Not sure if I'd posted anything on the Spring cabin and Hugo Stromberger's cabin. This is the properties that I bought into a few years ago. Hugo settled in this area in the 20's and after he got busted in 1939 by Sam O White for poaching, he signed the properties over to Bob Buzby while he was in jail. Hugo died in jail. Bob then in 1971 sold the properties to a group of 6 people. I bought one of the individuals out a few years ago. It is believed that Hugo shot over 2000Dall Sheep from the mineral lick above the cabin as market hunter and poacher. And now you know the rest of the story.


Feeling blessed for sure.

Oh ya I forgot to mention. I put a new Start switch in the Skandic WT and fixed the problem. Expensive but worth it ..

What a great time with Tristan. He is smiling and learning.....let each adventure work in his mind...and the fun he has with you. Stop at times and make a deal in excited appreciation over a view of the ranges that you like, the way the light accents a ridge at a certain time, etc.

The country is beautiful , even with temps rising. The sixth one down from the top, those mountains I am beginning to recognize . Sure do like seeing the videos in driving, I get to see the land and how it looks , seems like it is on a high level, that drops a bit just before the Range begins it's ascent . And the third one up from the bottom....just glorious.

An interesting history, Hugo's cabin is. And you have a part in the land . So good that you are documenting these things in video and photos.

So many will appreciate viewing them for generations to come, Tristan included.

Thank you for sharing with us all, JR.

Did buying into the Hugo property increase your trapping area? Appears trails are still in place. Could you go into more detail about the property? How did Hugo acquire "title" to the property? Is it deeded land? What type of deed did you get, if you got one? How large a property is it?
Not trying to be nosey. I suspect many others could use some learning on property in remote areas.
mt

Good evening trappers. Back in out of the mountains to pick up more freight and get another ride. The WT was a little hitch in her giddy up. Not sure what it is. The Expedition is done with a new fuel pump and 2 new front shocks. I did some modifications to her today and she's ready to work.

We have more snow than I've ever seen out there. I made my first trip out there and started trapping that country in 1997 and we used to get good snow back then but usually it blew away. Had some good wind out there this past weeks and starting to thin it down now. The sheep were needing that. Have about 3 more loads to haul out for the neighbors to finish out their cabin cut list.




Starting to see lots of caribou and moose around. The wolves are nonexistent so either doing my job or they are on to me. Still have a bunch of gear to dig out.