Thought he was educated after getting slapped but hunger made him try again right away


Set this one up at my moose kill from September. It’s on the way to where I start checking traps so I figured why not. Picked up 5 marten here so far

Only way to keep catching is to keep setting. Good weatherproof set


First half of the line

Second half

Busy as always.

My half of the weeks catch





Gotta love them skinny ones


Most recent wolverine to show up chewed on a marten box to get at the bait. I interrupted him and used the whole marten box to bait the 330 set

Be nice to each other. It’s not that hard and nobody’s responsibility but your own.

Great stuff Ryan !! That is a beautiful silver and the wolverine appears to be a hog !

Thanks for including us on your line !

Were you watching Caribou hunting in the spectacular Northwest Territories on YouTube.com/muskrat411 in your skinning shack in that one picture?

Great catches and love the photos.

See glad to see your posts back Ryan! Looks like your doing well!

Awesome, looks like you are having a productive season!

Welcome back and congrats on a successful season so far! That silver fox sure is a beauty!

Ryan , it's a great season for you with those marten and a real good looking wolverine !
I've missed seeing your posts thanks for the ride along !

You are busy!
Nice haul.

Good haul ! Pretty silver . Thanks

Hey bud! I’m glad you’re back posting!! I like seeing all the fur you bring in!!

Great pictures! Thanks. You ARE busy.

Nice pile of fur Ryan.

Love seeing all those frozen furbearers hanging up to thaw..... with the fleas leaping off them!

Great run!

Pete

Good stuff Ryan keep it coming.

Good to see some production. Might have to post picture in 1/4ers waiting for the Half Time Show is filling the screen.

You’re doing well on the fur, as usual. Congratulations on your success!

Many THANKS Ryan for taking all of us with you on your adventures. Have missed seeing you for sure.

I set this snare with a coffee can that the wolverine was just getting into when I came along down the line. Same place he chewed on the marten box. I left them there to make room for a big load of firewood. A little whale oil in the can but not enough to get the wolverine too messy.


My view for 5 nights a week since November

My tools minus a buck knife I use mostly for cutting wolves and wolverine feet off at the joint.


My trapping partner. New skandic wt 900 ace

A marten hanging because who could possibly get tired of seeing those?

I usually thaw them out 6-12 at a time. 8 is about right for after work and the kids extracurricular stuff is over.

First day of sunshine after the dark winter

A few pictures. Been a busy season.


One more. Upside down for old time sake. Debating my trapping plans for the weekend. Pretty cold out right now so we’ll just see what happens when I wake up I suppose

Great photos Ryan thanks for sharing them with us!

Ryan notice you pin the marten ears. Not sure why you do that but I do same thing. Idea is to stretch the head out and help with outlaw length of the skin but not overstitching the fur. Just put pin in the ear and pull down and pin. Stretches the head a tiny bit. The head in not only a bit longer but, when drying, is not shortening the rest of the skin. Gets you a small bit of xtra length and might be enough with some skins to get them to the next size.

The pup has sprouted up ! I bet he can pull a small sled with a bunch of beavers you catch plus some gear too .They seem to have a sense of self respect when they are working for you.I Used to pull deer home with my 2 mutts and they seemed to like it . Many thanks for your post .

You all are hitting it hard this season and it’s paying off!

What percentage, roughly, of your wolverine do you sell? I assume wives, moms, aunties, want some for sewing. Whale oil.........beluga? Is this an above average year for you? Quite the marten haul, wolverine too.

Thanks all. Marten trapper some years i sell all my wolverine and some years I don’t sell a single one. I gave my mom 5 last year and 2 this year so I’ll sell the rest. If they’re above average I keep those ones. Yes beluga oil. Fresh is good but aged 2/3 years is better with the occasional stir and good air circulation. Anything past that will bring the animals in but they won’t usually commit. This is about average or below for the line we’re running. Me and the partner both work full time so we’re just doing what we can on weekends. We’d probably get 500+ Off this line if we were trapping full time. On my own line 100 would be an exceptional year for marten. Average 50-60 with a high of 89. We got about 260 last year as weekenders. Still not sure of next years plan. I really miss my own trapline and the cabin life but I’m open to looking at another year on Sonnys line.

No. Straight dvds in the fur shack. Watched them all. Need more

I just pin them because it looks neater but I see what you mean.

My trapping partner Fredrick Blake Jr AKA Sonny. Good guy to trap with.
We work pretty good together but sure wouldn’t mind to see what we could do running different lines every day. Hopefully prices are high when retirement is an option.

Isn't Sunny retiring next year?

I got a Mcgruber DVD I never watch. Watched it 5 times when i was in Wekwahti for to weeks with no TV channels and only 2 DVDs. Even watched the directors cut.

I spent a few seasons back in the last half of the 80s doing an airplane line west of Fairbanks. Some old burns and some black spruce. All pole sets with foot holds. I had some aged seal oil which I dabbed a bit on each pole. Caught a lot of marten those days in that area. After the first year, some of the poles would have hair on them where a bear, or maybe a wolf rubbed where the oil had been. Long lasting smell.

Maybe that is why this bear always rubs this tree ukaruk smell from the traps hanging on it

I havent trapped my own line in 2 years but i guarantee any animals that passed by a set will have sniffed around. Most of my regular spots have an oil stain on the tree from Ukruk.

Its a balmy -32c today so I took tomorrow off to run traps. Feels so warm after that -44c (-52c windchill) weather.

Ukruk = bearded seal? = udjuk here

Ukruk means oil. Beluga oil in this case. I’m only using it in the 330 boxes. Some have beaver castor too. Best lure I made so far was beaver castors soaked in ukruk which was potent enough by itself but then I added some fireball whiskey. Majority of animal tracks went directly to the set those two years. It Was a clearish orange Color. Smelled sweet. Intensely sweet with a touch of cinnamon. Haha.
My best year for lynx and wolverine was with that wicked stuff

Fireball whicky..................I'm gonna have to remember that!!

Shoot I didn’t realize fireball was such a great lure additive. Have to try that out next season.

On the old Canadian Trapper sight there was a guy made a lure called Hot (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman). Non toxic anti freeze beaver Castor and some other stuff. I added ukaruk to the recipe. I try worked great for everything. I put it in a Gatorade bottle and squirted it on everything.

Ok thanks Ryan. Hard to get beluga here but porpoise and dolphin are got. Might be close enough to beluga.

He came back for the marten box. Long day on the line battling some sort of chest cold of something. Had to go though while the weather is decent

Congratulations Ryan on catching the marten box raider !

Beauty of a wolverine

I like that wolverine set!

Great looking wolverine

Got 1 trapline to check tomorrow. Maybe Sunday if i get busy tomorrow

Great pictures thanks for sharing. That sure would be an adventure.

Good day out. Surprised to pick up 10 marten with this cold weather we’ve had. Season is about to start winding down. Last couple weeks and I’ll have to find something new to keep me busy

-33c when I left town. -28c when I left my truck and started out on the snowmobile. -38c when I got back to my truck. 10.5 hours including a bit of wood cutting and trapline maintenance.

Ryan I'd say your doing very well again this season nice color on the wolverines !

Beautiful. Thanks

Ryan you never slow down. Seems like you are always about catching one sort of game or another.

Nice pics Ryan, thanks for taking the time to share with us.

Unless there’s a rush I’ll skin all my animals clean so can avoid the fleshing beam. It can Get messy with the fat wolves and wolverine when using a fleshing beam. Not much left in the season but we have a warm spell coming and both lines are ready and waiting for action

10 marten and a few 120s snapped by a new wolverine on the long line yesterday. Pretty good considering the weather

That is a great looking wolverine!

Like all that necklace bling on him !

Yup he’s a beauty for sure.


Another nice marking on This marten

Heck of a year ! What’s your count at now ?

2 in 330s, 1 shot, and 5 in 220s. That 220 is becoming my favourite trap

5 in the 220’s impressive I would have thought a Wolverine would destroy one of them

Imagine those 220's are Fur Institute of Canada certified humane ones here in Canada. Mean traps.

Went out flying today. Checked out a bunch of collared wolf and caribou activity. Awesome stuff. Lots of caribou but hard to get at them on the ground in a weekend. If I was going to travel that far I’d want a tent, stove and a bunch of wolf/wolverine/Martin gear.

Ryan thanks for the ride along that truly is a slice of heaven where you call home !

That had to be a huge time saver flying for the wolves and caribou , how is the moose population doing this winter ?

That caribou sign looks awful familiar and good. Used to be like that here back in the day. Some people here won't give the deer/caribou a break though. Don't have to kill that many when they down to keep them down. Gonna be a long time before we see that again if ever.

Thats some serious caribou traffic.

Woke up both morning this weekend to tracks around outside the cabin.
Wolf gave us a chance on Sunday morning. Great weekend hunt for caribou in my favourite location.


Skinned for making mitts so it didn’t take long at all. Nice when you don’t have to split lips, do ears, etc. Using fur for the most practical purpose


Good lights on the way up on Friday.

Me in my element. I love the mountains and there’s no place I’d rather be

Now THAT is a BAIT PILE!!!

Hope you get some critters off that offal heap!

There wasn’t much left at the site after we loaded. This hunt was for elders so we took almost every edible piece as they prefer the little goodies (organs and guts) more than anything. We took all the shin bones for making grease. I’m sure some wolf or wolverine has checked it though. Even the part of the stomach that you would cut through to remove the guts is edible. Check it out next time and you will see lots of good fat in between the layers of that membrane. Good wolf country up that way for sure. They run the place

I circled what we left.

Hi Allen. Lots of moose in the foothills and mountain creek. we seen over 60 the day we went looking for collared wolves.

Looks like fun Ryan. Great pix ! Thanks !!

Exactly.

Thanks Ryan for the moose update I'm certain they and the caribou don't mind when you remove a few wolves from the land scape .
Fresh caribou sounds real good I'm sure the elders enjoy every bit !

Thank you for the ride along , story and great pictures !

Fiona left to Vancouver for a week for an artist conference. She cooked a big steak dinner the night before she left and I re heated left overs on the wood stove at the tent yesterday. 5 star dining

Lots of fat in that meal. My kind of food, and healthy!

The steak was good but it doesn’t compare to the caribou tongue we just ate. Best food. Ribs, potatoes and corn on the cob is almost done too. We don’t do take out around here when fionas out of town.

Everything tastes twice so good out in the country cause you (usually) worked hard all day and breathed fresh air. Usually most peaceful sleep out like that, especially in tent cause you hear and generally sense it all better, listening to the wind and the waves (seasonal) and whatever wild stuff is out at night like owls and wolves. Generators, even the quiet ones, no thanks.

The tent last night

Caribou tongue? Often said if I had a caribou killed and God came down and told me I had to give it all to the poor people but could take 1 lb then would take the tongue. If God were in a more generous mood and told me take more then would take pocket knife and cut out brisket quick enough where it joins to the ribs. It is all about fat. Tongue almost pure fat usually and brisket lots of bone/cartilage together. Mamattusuak.

Part of my sons school project

He started earlier than he mentioned though. I used to carry him to a walking line before he could walk. I would prop him up in the snow when we made catches.

Great shot!

Ryan that's a fantastic picture of you and Bobby it's one to copy for his report for his class .
Something to be proud of !

That has to be a fun project and one that will bring back fine memories of past adventures.

X2 !! Best part of the caribou !

Boiled Tongue and fried heart is something I look forward to after a good hunt. Fat ribs and brisket. Boiled bible. Some fried backstrap with fat. A roast rolled up in lace fat No other meals I’d rather have. 40 years old today fellas. Look like I’m 30 and work like I’m 20 yet so all good here. I consider myself very fortunate to grow another year older. No big plans for today. Just going to stay busy with the kids around the house and get a big rough skinned wolverine cleaned up and boarded.


This big guy

You're living the good life Ryan !!

Happy birthday, Ryan! Here's to another decade!

Happy Birthday Ryan enjoy your special day !!!

Late start today but I’m taking off to pull one line today. Never likes pulling traps but it’s ok. Time to move on to other things. I’ll still probably run a wolf line for a few weeks though

Wow looks like you've been busy !

Last of the marten and wolverine gear will be snapped tomorrow. It’s been a good season but a tiring one. I’ll finish up all my fur in the coming weeks and run a few wolf traps for something to look at. Starting to feel a little bit of heat from the sun in the afternoon so you know spring and a lot of hunting is coming up.

Seems like he Gets a little bigger everyday lately

Love your adventures! The pup is sure growing.

My own skidoo again. Now I can do anything I want and there won’t be
Much to slow me down. I have a long list of things I’ve been wanting to do and now I can do them.

I picked it up at 130 and I’m just getting dressed to make some trails to the camps

That is a fine looking machine. Congratulations!

Good last run. Done with marten for another year.

Ryan that's a very nice way to finish up the Martin season I'd say !

The cabins appear to be ready and waiting for you and the snow load didn't damage the roofs which is a good thing .

The first of many grizzly bears already came out of its den down in Yellowstone National Park I'm sure it won't be long before you see the same .

The concrete jungle. Down in the city for work this week. Going to the oilers-stars game tomorrow then flying home and heading straight out to the hunting grounds on Friday

Went and checked cabelas but they didn’t have the rifle I was planning to buy

I mounted this 4-12 diamondback HD on my tikka the night before flying down

That is a culture shock I bet. Nice to get to the big city every now and then, but I always look forward to getting home. I've found Cabelas to be lacking in a lot of things these days, unfortunately. I'm glad you get to do some pucking around every now and then, enjoy the game!

Culture shock for sure. I lived here when I was 18 but man have things changed. Lot more crazies nowadays. My dad will be passing through tomorrow so he got us a couple tickets. Looking forward to watching a good hockey game

Looks like your boys pulled out the win, even got to see a McDavid goal. Hope you had a good time!

Yup. Great game. Jamie Benn was invisible out there for Dallas and Tyler Seguin is injured. Oilers were playing good though and hustling hard so they deserved that win. They need someone to stick up for McDavid. That knee on knee hit he took could’ve been way worst but he shook it off. Can’t be letting guys run your star player like that. Bought $100 worth of 50-50 tickets but no luck. Some lucky person is 885k richer tonight. Now I’m chilling in my hotel with an early flight in the morning. By this time tomorrow I’ll be a cabin somewhere waiting for daylight

Delayed the trip until morning. I sure found out that I don’t like the city or the city food. Couldn’t wait to get home and eat my kind of grub

I like to get out of town a bit but noting beats that moment you walk back into your own house! You got to see a good hockey game.

Last wolverine of the season, or are you still trapping up your way?

As always, beautiful scenery!

I’ll still shoot them in the mountains or on the coast for a few more weeks. This one was still 100% prime. We were heading towards 3 wolves on a gut pile and this guy came out of the creek. I could’ve got him right away but I wanted a chance at one of the two black wolves. Unfortunately they made it into the trees. Happy my buddy Brandon shot his first wolverine though. 👌🏽 We were scouting that evening. Seeing lots of caribou up high. Finally got our chance at a lower much on Sunday evening at 730. 12 caribou, a very high mountain to get down with rapidly fading daylight and a wind picking up and starting to drift made an excellent adventure.

Old caribou corral from long long ago. Perfect notch on top of a high mountain. Smart use of terrain and “scarecrows” to funnel entire herds into a corral with people doing the herding. Always cool to see and I have always especially liked this spot because of the history. Standing there you can only imagine the excitement of a good kill when survival depended on it. I always think maybe some year was pretty lean and 1 decent herd came along in time to get meat and skins put away for the winter. Thinking of everyone doing their part, having things work out and seeing the caribou end up in the corral. If that doesn’t get you exited to be a subsistence (or any) hunter, man I don’t know what will.

This last picture is the entrance. Entrance direction is right to left. The second picture is looking toward the bottom end. You can see a few posts still standing in the second picture too and Of course part of the corral itself in the first picture

Two more from this year to finish and a bunch of other fur to get taken care of in the next couple weeks. Might go wolf Hunting this weekend. Still not sure. Works has been busy. Free time has been busy. slowly putting winter away and getting ready for spring and all the fun that comes with it.

5 and a half months old and already looking like he’s saying “Go ahead and try.” My big pup. Sure is getting strong.

Nice pictures and stories to go with them , I really enjoy seeing the corral places like that are good to know about and to continue to use.

I'll bet that pup is a real character ! The collection of wolverines will make some great collars and cuffs with very nice color to them .

Lets GO Brandon!!

Ran into Brandon on Cache Creek yesterday he was skinning 5 caribou. travelled back to AK with him, stopped and fixed up trail camera on the way home.

Brandon Firth I mean this time.

Ryan I enjoyed the corral pictures . Read of them in Samuel Hearne's story of his trip to the Coppermine river from Hudson Bay in 1770 . Thank you for post .