Well, it’s that time of the year again. My trapping area is forecast to get 4-8 inches of snow starting early Wednesday morning through evening, with another small shot on Thursday. I’m debating whether I should check today or tomorrow. Some of my sets are right on an old road bed and I would be driving right by them. Obviously I’m going to be creating snow machine tracks all winter, but in the early season do you think Jeep tracks along s road I’m trying to trap is going to spook the animals? Would it be advisable to sweep the tracks 50 yards either direction from the set?

This is making me ponder the effect of vehicular tracks on animal behavior in general, I know they will run down snow machine tracks if they are going the direction they want to go anyway…

This is my first season and so far have been busting my rear for a month and a half with no wolves yet, so maybe I’m just overthinking the whole thing. Any input?

In my experience, tire tracks from a truck are of no consequence. Boot tracks, on the other hand, can be disastrous. Snowmachine tracks, especially when snow is more than 18", are good travel routes. Snowshoe tracks, strangely, are not avoided.

Jack

Thanks for that! Maybe snowshoes aren’t identifiable as human or really anything.

They must think it was just Bigfoot, out for a stroll!