SE AK marten health
#7156796
01/27/21 01:30 AM
01/27/21 01:30 AM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153 Alaska and Washington State
waggler
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153
Alaska and Washington State
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I just started trapping last week, much later than I usually start (December 1). I am wondering if other trappers in SE AK have noticed that their marten are unusually fat and healthy this winter? I am running into what seem like good numbers of marten, and marten that are particularly fat. I assume this might be because the winter has been so warm and snow-free?? Anyone else notice anything similar?
"My life is better than your vacation"
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7156808
01/27/21 01:40 AM
01/27/21 01:40 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188 Southeast, Alaska
SE.Current
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188
Southeast, Alaska
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Record rainfall for last summer but the marten didn’t care. Thick fat around the inner thighs on the males since December 12th, couldn’t get out earlier due to weather.
Last edited by SE.Current; 01/27/21 01:43 AM.
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7156818
01/27/21 02:02 AM
01/27/21 02:02 AM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,583 The Panhandle of Alaska
mad_mike
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,583
The Panhandle of Alaska
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The overall from my take are few Yoy’s. Mostly big males carrying a good bit of fat on them. I had attributed it to the early winter storms we had, but it has remained the trend for this season.
Advice? Wise men don't need it. Fools won't heed it.
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7156965
01/27/21 08:31 AM
01/27/21 08:31 AM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,583 The Panhandle of Alaska
mad_mike
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,583
The Panhandle of Alaska
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I should add that they are unusually dense this year. Better than half my marten typically grade into the Semi lots. This year has the majority being heavy.
Advice? Wise men don't need it. Fools won't heed it.
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7157232
01/27/21 12:16 PM
01/27/21 12:16 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,264 james bay frontierOnt.
Boco
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,264
james bay frontierOnt.
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You ever notice a difference on the guardhair finish on your marten in certain years? Some years here the marten will have a beautiful long dark shiny guard hair finish on the pelts. Other years the guard hairs are shorter and dont cover the under fur the same,making the pelts look slightly more wooly. Therese Demers confirmed this last time I spoke with her a few years ago,that the collection will change in fur character from year to year for some unknown reason.I believe it is probably feed related.
Last edited by Boco; 01/27/21 12:16 PM.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7157346
01/27/21 01:53 PM
01/27/21 01:53 PM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686 Alaska
drasselt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
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The big mature males seem to always grade hvy where the yoy typically grade semi. Also January marten are more consistently hvy than December though colors seem to fade.
you can vote your way into socialism, but you will have to shoot your way out.
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: Boco]
#7157360
01/27/21 02:03 PM
01/27/21 02:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,583 The Panhandle of Alaska
mad_mike
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,583
The Panhandle of Alaska
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You ever notice a difference on the guardhair finish on your marten in certain years? Some years here the marten will have a beautiful long dark shiny guard hair finish on the pelts. Other years the guard hairs are shorter and dont cover the under fur the same,making the pelts look slightly more wooly. Therese Demers confirmed this last time I spoke with her a few years ago,that the collection will change in fur character from year to year for some unknown reason.I believe it is probably feed related. Yes I have noticed that. This season the guard hair are amazingly long and dark as you describe.
Advice? Wise men don't need it. Fools won't heed it.
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7157409
01/27/21 02:40 PM
01/27/21 02:40 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135 Armpit, ak
Dirt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
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Last I looked marten prime in November.
Who is John Galt?
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7158282
01/28/21 02:53 AM
01/28/21 02:53 AM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 270 alaska
trapped4ever
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 270
alaska
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Waggler, There have been fat marten in every area I've trapped this year. Overall, vole numbers are below average, but Keen's Deer mice are at EXTREME abundance, and the marten seem to be capitalizing.......
As to marten priming, and HVY vs. SEMI, it all depends upon where you are trapping. In SE, marten definitely prime later than more interior regions, and have a higher percentage of SEMI in the mix. Up in the interior, and just North of the Arctic Circle, when I trapped up there, around 90% of the catch would grade HVY by November 1st, when the season opened. It was only an occasional YOY or female that would grade SEMI. Like drasselt mentioned, the YOY are commonly the bulk of the SEMI grades, in your harvest, with most of the adults, and almost all adult males being HVY. This is for interior regions. Down in the Toklat/ Teklanika area, it was around 80% HVY's, and in the SW/ Upper Kuskokwim area, I saw around 70-75% HVY's. Down in SE, there seems to be a lot more variation, with early Fall cold weather seeming to "promote" better fur growth, and diet certainly must play a part as well. I haven't been looking over the fur to close yet this season, since I've just been skinning them, and filling up the freezers, but I have finished 4 or 5 bundles. So far, my January marten are looking much nicer furred than my December marten did..... Some years here will see 50-60% HVY's, and others only 30-40%. Overall, SE marten are just generally a little more likely to fall down to the SEMI grade, with many of them right on the margin of being able to go either way. Much of the mainland in SE has better marten overall, than the islands, and areas like up Lynn Canal from Gustavus to Haines/ Skagway, and down the East side of Stephens Passage to Fredrick Sound, produces some really nice marten. Not always very easy to access them though..
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Re: SE AK marten health
[Re: waggler]
#7160428
01/29/21 12:47 PM
01/29/21 12:47 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,264 james bay frontierOnt.
Boco
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,264
james bay frontierOnt.
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Marten can put on a lot of fat very quickly. This is noticeable when you trap a marten that has been living in your jackpot sets for a couple days. On the other hand,I think they will use up a fat reserve quickly if no other food is available due to their high metabolic rate.
Last edited by Boco; 01/29/21 12:53 PM.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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