Keep after it WH. What an amazing time you documented for us to enjoy.

It's going to be a weird trapping season. Part of me wants to get at it and stay at it, but I'm certain I'd rather visit my kids and grandkids - so there will be a lapse in the middle. More work for me, but that's ok.

After last season difficulties, I've decided to get back to my water line. It was a lot of work when I did it last, but I caught a first wolverine and a first wolf - so it was worth it for me. I've been working on changes that will make it better and safer this year. I'm still alone. But I have a Garmin InReach with unlimited text messages. I keep it charged and with me all the time. New this year is, I'm staying overnight over there. This way, I have two days, more time, and I am not pushing it by coming and going in the dark. I refuse to drive in the dark anymore, after going back and forth last year sometimes in 4-6 footers. Sometimes in the dark. No way to see logs, or stupid whales that love to come up in front of me!

Trying to be smarter and more efficient about how and where I make my sets. How and where I moor my boat. Trying out some new gear.

I was just out for two days. It is starting out to be a cold season! Days in the twenties. Lows in the teens. That's cold for here this time of year. My trapping bays are freezing up from the cold nights, the large amount of freshwater runoff from the nearby mountains - which spreads out over the surface of the salt water, and then, the weak tides. I'm already breaking ice with my boat to get to my traps, and having to break trails with my canoe, after which I go out a mile or more to moor the boat so it will still be floating when I come in at low tide. It's a real rigamarole.

Everything I am doing is by boat, on foot, and by paddling a canoe, for now. I might spread out a little more come January or February. So far, the wolves have not shown up. I've seen no wolverine or cat tracks. All that seems to be around is coyotes, and otter, but mostly just coyotes. I've set some wolverine cubbies, and wait for one to come through. Hopefully it happens! I think the wolves will be by - when it gets colder, and the snow gets deeper. I'm also waiting for some moose (bait) from our local wildlife trooper. That will help too.

So right now I'm busying myself trying to be a better trapper for coyotes. They are few and far between, and smart. When the tide is low, they run the flats, and there are not many opportunities to get them. A foothold would be flooded by up to 20 feet of water on the full moon! Even at the high tide line, it would be flooded a foot or two. Most of my area gets cliffed out. But there are a few spots I have set snares and footholds. Other areas, when the coyotes get cliffed out, I am finding spots where they have to go up and around to cover ground. So my high tide sets are on steeper terrain on game trails that would be used by anything from a squirrel to a bear. I've not done this before - so it will be interesting to find out what works.

Soon to come is the full moon. That should wash out all the ice on the outgoing tides - provided we get some warmer weather.

My faithful canine companion Sam Elliott is always with me. He's a pain. I have to ride herd on him hard so he doesn't get himself trapped. He pees, and I collect it for future pee post sets. He is on the leash at times, and gets tangled up all the time in the brush. When I let him run free, he chases ducks and other birds, and gets soaking wet. I have no idea how he doesn't get hypothermia, but he doesn't. I do my best to keep him safe, warm and dry. He's my buddy, and goes everywhere I go. Hopefully his scent makes them curious...

Seems like the humpback whales are my regular companions too. They should not be in our area anymore. But the last two nights - they have been feeding hard right where I always moor my boat. I hate whales, but they love me. I'm now used to watching out for them constantly. I think something about my boat is a whale magnet.

I'm nursing a cell phone on it's last leg. My normal load of pictures and video isn't happening because my battery is perpetually dead. I got a few. Will try to do better. Next check, weather permitting, will be next weekend. Not expecting a lot, but perhaps a coyote or an otter. Hopefully more tracks to tell me what the critters will be doing, when, and where. Little by little I will bulk it up, and hopefully close the loop a little bit on them, figuratively speaking. Right now, I definitely have numerous cubbies in the general area where I got the wolverine previously. I hung a few wolf snares in spots where they frequently traveled in previous years. Working on some pee post sets, and some leg holds that I like to put in shallow water streams where the traps will keep working all winter.

Good luck everybody and stay safe.

Yeah you need a better phone for the pictures Hope you connect!

Good luck and be safe!

Great to see you back WH.

https://youtu.be/O8jXZAvdDzE

Getting a little stir-crazy being cooped up here. Super cold for us, and about 4 feet of snow at our house over the past few days. Certainly not conducive to trapping.
I was thinking about practicing snaring on our 5 dogs. I bet I could catch them all.
Yup. Stir crazy.
So I decided to do this instead. It's the story of my recent bear hunt with my son and HFT.
It's about 50 minutes long, but a heck of a good story, and my son documented it nicely, I think.
Pretty happy with how it came out. Enjoy!

Good video!

Thanks for posting the video.

Nice work, great watch while sitting in the airport in Minneapolis. Thanks again.

That was really a well done video!
Thanks for showing it.

Nice work, having worked with a guide from Kodiak many of your comments drive home about those big boys