I still have wolf sets out but there has been no action on that front. I have missed a couple because the snow covers or drift over the traps. Another turned just a few feet before a snare. However, I put out two beaver sets.
Last year I did all snare poles and wanted to try some new things this year. I put in a swinging susie and a trap on a platform off of a baited pole. The first house is good sized and has the pole in about 7 feet of water if you count the 2 1/2 feet of ice. I wired the bait parallel with the pole with the trap about 20 inches below. The first two checks the bait was all gone. I then placed the bait perpendicular to the pole and the ends of the bait was chewed off. Next I lowered the bait to about 8 inches above the trap and it hasn't been touched. All that to say, I haven't caught anything at that house even with all the action. Any recommendations?
The second house I set up a few days after the first. It is a much smaller house on a really small pond. My guess was that a bachelor lived there. After going through 3 feet of ice there was only 6 inches of water. I moved two feet closer to the feed pile and found 3 feet of water under the 3 feet of ice. Here is where I put the swinging susie. The first two checks there was no sign of beaver activity and I was wondering if I had a bad location or the house was actually dead. Checked it again today and caught this medium small beaver. First beaver of the year!



I am wondering if there may be one or two more crammed into the small house.

Here is what the reset looks like.

Congrats on the fur! I tried that under ice trapping once....... I had no luck what so ever and determined that those beaver could wait till ice out Hope the weather holds for you and the wolves come through and connect with your gear!

Nice! I use 6" zip ties to secure my bait. Faster and secures tighter. I also learned from someone on TMan to bend my triggers into a coat hangar shape. That way they get way on before they trip the trigger. Also, I have one end of a long snare attached to one side spring, and the other end to the other spring circle. I then take both cables that come up from the spring circles and make a half hitch just above the trap a little ways so I only have the one snare pair coming up out of the ice in the center of the hole. I also put a small wire in those circle loops to secure the safety hooks so they won't slide down. Last, I set on the dam side of the feed pile. Seems to be the most active side. Hides should be really good this time of year. Nice green bait you got there!

Well the weather has not been cooperating. A week ago I went out to check my adjust my wolf snares and pull my wolverine sets after getting dumped on. The forecast said it was supposed to clear up so I went out not wanting to procrastinate. Well I should have waited a day. It was still snowing I was quite blind in the whiteout. Had a hard time staying on the trail when I could see it. Got the wolverine geared pulled which was the goal, but wanted to dig out my wolf snares as well. I headed down a drainage where some of them are that is known for overflow. I was able to see my trail with was wide and well packed. Key word here being "was." I soon realized the overflow had taken over my trail so I booked it for the bank. The banks of the drainage are kind of steep but not too bad. Well I made it out of the over flow and into 5-6 feet of powder amongst small willows. Instantly, I was stuck. I grabbed my shovel and stepped off. Instantly, I was up to my chest. I dug out just to get stuck repeated for the next 300 feet as I slowly turned around and made it back to solid trail.

The beaver have been evading me. The one house with the trap that was constantly having the bait taken has gone inactive even though they never even set off the trap. The house with the conibear where I caught the one was set off without a catch and has been avoided since then. So I decided to put in another house. This one in not in the flats and I found a place where the ice was open under the snow. The hardest part was shoveling off the 5 ft of snow to get down to the ice. Here I put in another conibear with a piece of birch. I liked Inupiaq's suggestions and used zip ties for the bait and bent the trigger differently. I also pulled most all my wolf stuff.

Today I went out again even though we got yet another snowstorm the past two days. At least today was sunny and I could see the trail. . . well. . . most of it. In the flats the snow and wind has covered about a 1/4 mile section of my trail including my trail markers. I didn't plan on that but we have a lot of snow! Still no action at the first two houses, but connected at the most recent set up with a nice 51lber!



Boiled up some of the last beaver and added a curry sauce and ate it with curry rice. The whole family enjoyed it! Also asked my wife to substitute rendered bear fat for the crisco last time she made bread (both in the recipe as well as greasing the pan). It turned out normally but with a slightly different flavor. I might say it actually had less flavor than a normal bread loaf. My daughters noticed the difference as well, but no one was opposed to it. I bet most people wouldn't know the difference if they didn't know it was substituted.

I don't envy those conditions for travel or chasing beaver! Glad you connected with one! Be safe out there!

Still plugging away at the beaver. It is kinda nice only catching one each check. Then I only have to skin one.
Same house as last one. 53 lb female.



We have had some windy snowstorms in the past week and a half. It has been making for tough travel. The last two days have really felt more like spring than the -20 to -40 lows we were getting the beginning of the month. Taking off early I am able to take advantage of the crust before the sun starts beating down again. 100% difference than getting stuck over and over. Was able to pick up my buried wolf snares down the overflow drainage I couldn't make it down before. Only got stuck once. I wonder how long before the geese arrive. . . until then I will continue going after beaver.

Did you enjoy spring carnival? Got your bird blind picked out? Geese are in FAI!

Good to hear travel is good for you right now! Weird spring down here, hit all at once. Still no open water but hopefully by the end of next week there will be, Good deal on the beaver!

Spring Carnival was fun! Saw a lot of people who I haven't seen for awhile since some Covid restrictions have bee lifted. There are a few spots I always have in mind when it comes to geese hunting. My two favorite spots were inaccessible last year. We will see what it looks like in a week or two.



It is sure nice when you can ride on top and go anywhere. Not quite enough crust for a person, but the machine does well. Only open water around here is on the river where it never did freeze up. You gonna set for beaver when the water opens?

That is my plan. Between castor, meat, and hide I think it will be worth while hitting them hard.

Beautiful day yesterday! Sunny and a high of 49 in the shade! Went out earlier in the day to take a ride and check the beaver sets. Had a partner along and she was not only excited about the beaver but we also saw a pair of eagles by a nest and a fox crossing a lake.



Also saw a single goose fly over yesterday!

That looks like a good one! Glad you had company along with you to enjoy the day

Well if you were wondering. . . The birds came back and so I had pulled my beaver sets. Otherwise, the snow is all gone except a couple of drifts and shaded spots. The river broke yesterday and the ice is flowing pretty good. Doesn't look like quite as much water as the past couple years so I don't think we have to worry about flooding or too much erosion.

Mosquitos have started and before they get too bad I thought it may be interesting to end the trapping season the way I started. Trapping rats. Put out a handful of traps yesterday checked them this morning. I have never trapped muskrats in the spring so it was kinda weird to be setting in a t-shirt and hip boots. I set places where they are eating and enter/exiting the water.

When I was setting I was walking along and saw a dead duck. My guess is someone was unable to find it after knocking it down. I walked a little further and there was a dead muskrat. I tapped it with my foot and the fat little guy went air born in survival mode and skedaddled between my leg and into the pond. I guess he was just having a nice nap in the sun until I disturbed him. Sure surprised me!

Today's catch along with my wife and two youngest who joined my for the ride.



Never handled muskrats with spring glands. I wasn't impressed with the bite marks in the pelt otherwise the fur was nice.

Sounds like you had fun with the family Yeah them spring rats get pretty tore up by each other just be careful fleshing them and they shouldn't be to bad. Hope yo get a bunch more!

Looks like great weather to take the family out on an adventure.

Bet that muskrat coming to life like that got a jump out of you.

We did have fun! Won't be catching any more though as I pulled all the traps. Leave some seed and maybe there will be more next season. Speaking of next year. . . I been throwing the innards from the beaver and rats and birds out with a trail camera on them. Usually I get some foxes on them and figure it helps them a bit before all the young of the year are born/hatched. I got a pair coming in but had a surprise when I saw this guy at the particular location.






It was a beautiful day! I am hopeful there will be less mosquitos this year with less standing water. I suspect I jumped same as he did, but I was watching him and not myself and he didn't hang around long enough to tell me how goofy I looked being scared by a little rat. Haha!