I'd sure be interested in hearing of any other mountain west weasel lines. We've got both the short-tails (ermine) and long-tails, sometimes in pretty good numbers, but I sure can't catch them, when I target them.

Jack

#0 long springs gulo. Don't force them to go through a small hole to get to it.
Perhaps you're not "managing" your ermine line properly?

Also put a good coil spring in front of the box, a lot of other critters come for a sniff too. Oh use drags here or your boxes will be destroyed. we have a lot of weasels here in Pa and from what guys tell me the ones south of I-80 do not turn white, I do not know that for a fact but have been told that. Hay the half white ones look neat too.....jk

I've had the same luck as Gulo, except I've caught one less than he has.

Thanks martentrapper. I tried taking the front off the boxes, so it was more like a marten cubby. Seemed to make no difference.

jk - Generally, the weasels (long-tails) I catch in November have not changed completely over to white pelage. Ten years ago, I never caught any with even a hint of brown or gray, but most now have at least some hair of the head and down the center of the back that hasn't completely changed. Interesting. What's with that?

You are referring to the short tail as ermine and not the long tail. I always thought any weasel that turns white is referred to as an ermine? Correct me if I am wrong

I believe the Short-tail is the only one to be correctly called an Ermine.

I found boxes just as frustrating as Gulo did. I ended up using 110's with a bit of meat on the trigger....set on "fire if breathed on" mode. I would cover them up with either a white paper plate, or set them up inside a cut-out milk jug. Not only will it keep the snow off, but also keep the tweety birds from messing with them like they did when they were in plain sight

P.S. congratulations on the catch!

To clarify the set.....I sat the 110 upright on the ground, resting on a couple twigs to prevent freeze-down. The paper plate was sat on top of the jaws and a leaning twig held it in place. The milk jug deal was usually fastened to the trunk of a tree, just low enough to have the 110 sit under it out of sight of the little birds.

Congrats on the weasel catch,GT.

Catch them by the dozens in boxes every year.
Got one today.

Gulo
I ran my line in northern Idaho in the Priest Lake area. Your box missing the front looks good to me. I never caught any that weren't all white. Only time I had a box damaged was by a two legged varmit. I caught a few in 110s usually in a vertical set with the bait above, I think they stood on the trigger.

Have tried All kinds of sets here in Wy in lots of locations very few ermine. I have caught a few in marten boxes but still few. Tried even setting out boxes 24 one year in a lot of different locations and in 2 months about 3. Tried a lot of different bait liver, beaver chicken scrapes and ground mice no luck. Same with mink catch one on occasion but not much, tried beaver flows streams but very few and not much sign of either critter. When I lived in Montana lots of mink at least where I trapped and fair amount of ermine. Im guessing just not the right habitat in Wy at least where I trap. But when you roll 100 miles and hit the culverts marshes slash piles and dont catch much got to figure they are not numerous here.