What a great day out on the line. Loving the new Cadillac!.

My buddy in Ontario had two Panthers for years and years. They were real good sleds for him.

I hope everyone had a good holiday and got full bellies

Only ran part of the line today to dig it out and re lure. Tomorrow I am pushing out and will catch the rest of the line.
This freaking weather is killing me! Mid 30's today and the snow conditions aren't to hot. Had a pretty decent run though, caught a few critters and cut some fresh track.

First bait station held this little dink of a red. More focused on yotes right now as the fox ain't in their prime yet.



Really digging Teds cat lures this year, got this one on Catnap and a chunk of beaver



He was exactly like this when I rolled up.



I run a lot of 220's bucket sets along the creeks for mink and otter, I rolled up on this set and saw the trap fired with a salmon head laying by the jaws, I was cussing the little joker out when I saw a little dark spot out in front of the set, sure enough it was a mink. That 220 knocked him stone dead.



I have been running this line for a few years now, Every once in a while I will find a old wolf or yote snare, kinda makes me wonder what it was like back in the day. Today while walking in to check a set, same trail I have always walked over the years, something caught my eye, Sure enough there were about 10 snares that were hanging in a tree, they were attached to the top of it and as the tree grew they got lifted up. I had to go back to the sled and get the cable cutters to get them down. Pretty cool find



Be safe out there!

Well I ran the rest of the line and pushed further out today.

The day started off with checking a mink set along a creek, saw the moose track walking down the middle of the creek so knew it was froze, got to the edge and ended up in over my knees Good deal it was in the 30's and those mickey mouse boots keep your feet warm even when wet.

Ran the first lake that I have gear on and sure enough a kitty had walked right down my snogo trail. I followed along and sure enough he cut in right were I had a marten set. The 120 was fired and the bait out of the flower pot that was wired to the tree, gone. Looking at the track it didnt look like the cat had fired it, it milled around a little and went right back onto my trail, I had a cat set and a marten set about 400 yds down the trail, I was hoping he would hit the cat set.....nope walked right by it and on to the marten set.......

I was talking to a buddy last night and he said he had a few 330's out for the kitties, I told him I had never caught one in a coni.........



Sure enough there was a cat What I cant figure out is how he fired that trap, that trap has a pan on it and it was a perfect head catch. But I will take it

Broke a few miles of trail and got a bunch more gear put in to test the waters,

Until next check, be safe out there!

Way to go on the critters! I enjoy your posts!

You are having a great start! I went through the ice as well Sunday but thankfully had my bunny boots on as well, still spent all day with a wet foot but it was warm.

Yep it was a great start This weather though dude, 41 today.................the only thing moving out there was a few kitties.

Well the weather changed fast and hard. Went from a foot and a half of snow to little less then 6inches then we picked up about 2 inches, Some of my yote snares were a foot high! But with the changing weather and fresh snow I figured I better get out there and clean gear off and re lure before the cold sat in.

Pretty day out there, was glad in dropped back into the teens.



Walking up to a marten set I saw red/orange, thought I had a fox at first glace. Turned out to be a dandy! Funny the joker was still warm



Never got one this orange before.



Picked up another one at a flower pot set, my little run up the lakes is paying off



Picked up a nice mink, same set I caught the kitty in.



When I ran on Tuesday I had a kitty fire a trap, duck a snare, and push the side of the pen in to get to the bait. So I knew he was in the AO. Today walking back there sure enough there was fresh track right on top of my track, it came to y in the trail left went to a snare and a marten set, the right went to a snare under a fallen spruce that the bunnies love to run. Well he went right



Pretty good day for me out there, looking forward to the cold returning and the critters really moving!



Be safe out there!

Good day! Keep after it John.

Nice variety HFT,that lynx looks to be a nice clear one.

The marten tail reminds me of neapolitan ice cream. Nice catches!

Nice catches! That is one lightly colored marten, never caught one that orange either.

This has been a blast to read through, thanks for taking the time to post all the quick stories and awesome pictures. Looks like a nice season for you so far.

Well a bitter sweet day, cut plenty of fresh track. Had a kitty come up to the cubby, mill around about a foot away from it and went on his way. With all the bunnies around I really cant blame him for passing up a big hunk of frozen beaver. Then had another one enter the cubby, kinda weird spot he has to go up to get to the bait, well I misjudged and he stepped over the trap.

On the positive side I got some more gear out, managed to pick this little guy up...



Just the other day I was telling a friend that I have yet to get a dang otter in a bucket set, well today that happened



Be safe out there!

Nice otter Hft.
One thing about the cats,they likely wont go too far if the rabbits are around and you'll get another crack at them.
I find the cats show more interest in a frozen beaver when its cold if you feather it with an axe.

Thanks Boco, the kitties are thick this year and so are the bunnies Not every cubbie has the same bait, I have presented them with a mixed menu, beaver, duck, and lynx alternated between cubbies for this very reason I remembered that from last year when you mentioned it about cutting it up

How do you make your otter bucket sets?

I like using the square buckets, cut slots on the side just like a marten box and your in business With the otters I think fresh bait is the key. I have had plenty swing by to look in it and see a salmon head and roll on, but with sardines (the kind from Sportsmans for fishing, or Hooligan they have alot more interest. Some of my 220's have pans on them and it creates a nice big opening for them, a mink will never pass this set up

This set always produces with the mink, it is sitting on a narrow creek.



This is the remake of the one were I caught that otter.

Man that otter looks like a toad !!

Thanks for the info. The fresh fish for bait is great insight.