Further checking the work was out of Lakehead University mostly in the Red Lake Region and Atikowan Ontario for those Manitoba marten caught in Bissett Manitoba some 50 miles straight line travel more than one was not turned in. Back in the day of collars and UVF transmitters not satellite.

I think that, like most creatures, there will always be the exception, which, while interesting, doesn't represent the whole. (I can give a wolverine example that boggles the mind, but that is another thread).
I see weird patterns on my small lines that I have to assume are both weather and food based. I have never experienced a "wave" of marten suddenly appearing, regardless of even a significant windfall of chow, but indeed see sudden appearances of a couple of individuals seemingly out of nowhere, after a month of no sign.
I have also seen the reverse: Locations that produce every year, then poof. Not a track, for 2-3 years.

waggler,

The marten on Prince of Wales were captured in Behm canal (10 marten), and released on POW in the Spring of 1934. The marten on Baranof were trapped near Thomas Bay and 7 were released on Baranof, in the Spring of 1934 also. These original 17 marten were the only known introduction, I believe, and the current populations all originate from these 17.

The Chichagof introduction was much later, and more scattered. The first ones were introduced in 1949, and marten were sourced from several locations, including Baranof Island (whose introduced marten population was well established by then), Ketchikan, Polly Creek (AK Peninsula, West of Anchorage), Wrangell, and Petersburg. These marten were released at multiple sites around the island, from 1949-1952, with an official total of 21 marten in that introduction. Also, the "official" introduction was supposedly boosted by at least one local trapper (Sitka) transporting female marten he found alive in his traps, across Peril Straight, and releasing them on Chichagof Island. The females that had already been impregnated, could eventually implant, and birth their litters at their new island home.

I have no info on Mitkof, or Kupreanof Islands, but I know the experimental fur farm based is Petersburg, was involved in releases of some animals around the state. Perhaps those islands populations could have originated from Earl Ohmer's (chairman of the Alaska Game Commission at the time) influence with the experimental fur farm, and his own involvement with the Yukon Fur Farm he had on Kupreanof, at the time? During the late 1930's and into the 1940's, I know they did have some marten in residence at that Alaska Experimental Fur Farm. Pure speculation on my part.... perhaps Mitkof and Kupreanof had marten all along, similar to Admiralty Island? Anybody else out there have any info regarding the Mitkof and Kupreanof Island populations? Perhaps marten were able to make it across Dry Straight, on the North end of Mitkof Island, crossing the mud flats, and/ or ice?? Or have been there since the last glaciation??

I think the Kuiu Island trapping season for marten has been closed for close to 10 years. After my limited involvement with studies around here, I would be somewhat skeptical of the "data" being put forth on that Island. I'm not saying it's wrong, since I haven't even looked at any of it, just that it may not be everything it appears, or in other words, take it with a grain of salt..... I know there were some vast discrepancies between reality, and the supposed "data", in the some of the studies near me.

^^^^^
I guess the report I mentioned about Kuiu wasn't all that "recent", ten years ago is probably about when I read the information I cited.
I do distinctly remember the writer saying though that they were a hybrid determined by DNA.

Regarding POW, I never knew those marten were introduced, interesting. I would bet that the marten on Kupreanof and Mitkof are naturally occurring though, the distance across the water between those islands and the mainland is pretty close. The "back channel" between Wrangell Island and the mainland is close also and does freeze over from time to time.

Boco, here is GOOD marten country here. The Spruce valley behind and below the sled is crawling with marten.....




What does the inside of that bush look like T4E ?


This is what the outside of our marten habitat looks like.

Boco, that's the only hill on your trapline lol.

Political agendas aside NA marten across their range vary quite a bit. If you don't want to hear subspecies it still doesn't matter.
I have always found it difficult to explain this to trappers,
Example western coyotes vs eastern coyotes, western beaver vs eastern beaver
Same animal different sections.
Here where I trap in Ontario I catch much smaller marten on my trapline around North Bay than I do on my trapline around Timmins which is further north. Not only are the sizes on average smaller but the colors run much paler.
One thing to take into consideration about todays grading of wild fur, due to the volume continuously dropping, you can not spilt the skins down as fine as you could 30 years ago when you had the numbers.
Todays fur market is all about big lots, the fur trade has changed from Ma and Pa shops to factory assembly lines.
In the 1980's you would grade down to coat lots today you want string lots via the hundreds so anything close goes together.
Best marten overall via average is from crosspatch area of North America, they have both size and color.

^^^^^
Are you saying that the "best marten overall average" are from Labrador? Is that size, color, and fur quality?
I suppose you are might be right if you are considering the whole of Labrador. But, I would suggest that maybe there are smaller regions that may on average (proportionally) produce more top lot marten on average than Labrador does on average??

I believe the northcentral coast of B.C. and then along the same range into the southeast Alaska mainland may produce a greater percentage (proportional to the entire marten harvest of the area) than anywhere else. I don't trap a lot of marten from the area, but I nearly always have some in the top lot. Year before last I had one in the NAFA true "top lot"; 20 skins out of 60,000.

I remember Bedo Hobbs (deceased) used to trap a lot of top lot marten down the coast near Kitimat B.C.

Does Labrador have a maritime climate? Perhaps there are similarities between the opposite sides of the continent.

One of the 60,000 skins is in this picture (I think the third skin from the right), the rest of the skins are typical of the area.

Simple answer "If I was a fur buyer I would buy from the Schefferville Quebec, Labrador City Labrador area of North America.
The best of the best.

^^^^
I would sure like to see some of those marten from the area you describe.
I have a hunch they are quite a bit silkier than the marten in my area; just guessing.

Waggler the gulf current that are on the west coast bring a totally different formations than the east coast and Labrador gets the artic cold masses blocking the warm tropical. Even the ocean fisheries is different especially the inter-tidal area. A good youtuber in " Lady trapper" shows some of the local conditions that the young lady shows there.

In the last years of NAFA it was all in marketing and shipping cost with compressed packaging of what 200 skins bundles to what 80 were before. Selections over 100,000 skins was easier, same apply with wild mink with their numbers drastically dropping.

I think in one of the grading magazine that NAFA put out the grader said every year was different in the quality of the fur that came in, and a new re programing re-set when grading the piles.
It is just in the way the pelage flows....the outstanding ones always get put into a separate pile, much like they do with the coyotes.
The one thing that does happen is they get much crinkled (afro hair type) when trapped later, remember that the artic foxes prime up later so effort is later as well

What is a big marten stretched? I think I have big marten with terrible colors. I loved it when NAFA created 3X. Buyers don't seem to care anymore already.

3XL Over 25 inches nose to base of tail and around 4 inches wide at the base.
The problem with that size was having enough to make grade able size lots.
It may make sense when you are dealing with a fur buyer but at the international level not enough skins to stand alone.

25" is a normal adult male here.

x2

23" is a nice big male down here, at least for what I have currently. Remember, however, some are calling these a different species than what you guys in Interior Alaska have (Martes caurina vs M. americana). I still don't buy it, but that's for another thread...

Jack

No argument from me, that very well may be the case just not enough of them to stand alone, it's been tried a few times.
Same deal with 3xl beaver they are lotted together with the 2xl.
You can look at the FHA August catalogue and they pulled out only the 3 xl hvy select dark's in that size all 76 of them with another 46 semi dark selects The rest are inter-sorted.

A lot of guys are mistaken that if they stretch a marten to the size line that the pelt will make that size grade.
You gotta board your marten(and other fur except beaver) between the lines since the sizes state like Jim said-OVER.And they must remain Over after shrinkage when removed from the board and drumming.-Boarding right between the lines is what guarantees you the size as long as width is correct.
A half or even 3/4 inch over wont always guarantee the pelt will be in the size grade after shrinkage and drumming.

Thanks Boco, maybe they were 26" plus since they graded 3X after all that shrinking and drumming.

Good thing I'm not "a lot of guys".

Got a nice black one today.Juvenile male.If i overstretch him he might stay over the 23" line.