Catch a bunch and Rick don't forget stretched out cable too ha ha !
Allan

Thanks Rick,
I hope everyone has a great time, as I know we will!
Observations today where I was:
Marten are plentiful, maybe less than last year but last year was crazy with them.
Fisher sign was much more plentiful than last year.
Bobcat sign was less than a couple years ago, but about the same as last year.
We put out about half as many traps as last year, which was the goal.

I will be busy in the Am, so the guys will be checking without me.
I left camp today at 1 and they were going to do some setting on their own.
Hopefully we will have pictures tomorrow!
Jim

Good late afternoon,Tim and I got in 18 locations today 8 bobcat,8 marten/fisher and 2 new coyote locations set up today depending on the catch we might put in 4 more marten locations.Have a great night,need to figure out what we will have for dinner.Picked up another fox in a coyote snare from the mini line this morning,saw some nice cat tracks and fox,coyotes and wolf tracks were almost everywhere.

A few random pictures from today.

Me on a cat set.

Rick working on one of his cat sets.

Me on one of my cubbie sets.

Rick working on a dirthole.

Got a few more cat and martin sets out today. Rick decided he needed to make up a few more flags for his cat sets since he let me use the ones he already made up. Again I can't begine to thank him for this experience. Maybe one day soon I can pay it forward.

Totally awesome

Wake up everyone it’s almost time for breakfast and the first trap check for Mn bobcat/marten and fisher season,pictures to come in a few hours,good luck to everyone

Rick in the picture where your making a coyote set it looks like your setting on a sloped bank.I have made sets just like that and caught coyotes but I started turning the set around and put the trap above the hole when on a bank like that and started catching more coyotes.It disturbs a lot less ground and once you do it a couple times it`s a lot faster to make a set that way.Just something you might want to try.

They are off to a great start!
Only 3 more to go, so we will be pulling all marten sets tomorrow and focusing on cats.
Jim

Congrats, we didn’t check today, fingers crossed for tomorrow

Got my first one today!

Congrats, good looking marten

Not sure what it says about the population, but we ended up with 5 marten for the day, and they were all males.
Jim

Congratulations!
It is hard to beat the first one!

Looks like you guys had a good start. Keep at it and congrats!

21 above 2” fresh snow if the critters didn’t move last night they will tonight,we’ll brush off the fresh snow so the cats know where to step on the walk throughs.Looks like another bit of snow Tuesday night then a cool down -16 for Wednesday night,should catch a few critters this week and then I will pull the plug early next week,might keep one or two bobcat/coyote locations out weather depending.Have a great day and good trap check,I like seeing spots in December.

Beautiful marten guys, great job!

Well, one more marten, and 1/2 of a bobcat.
Found fresh tracks yesterday and set up a 220 Belise in a box.
First thing this morning we pulled up to a bloody matted down area with a mound of snow and leaves on the edge of it.
Just the springs sticking out. I pulled it out and had 1/2 of a small cat.
If the culprit returns, which I am sure he will, he will get a surprise.
Lots of fresh snow!
Jim

You'll get the culprit soon enough Jim. Make him pay!

3” fresh snow nothing moving up here last night 8 weasel tracks a few red squirrel which one found it’s way into a 155 and one fox track today along the line,tonight should be a great movement night.Jim I hope you have a couple footholds waiting for the bobcat,chat later .

All nice catches.Way to go.