I have marten boxes set opening down and horizontal as well.
I change my bait often and horizontal and opening up are quick to re bait.
Opening down the bait needs to be wired in.This takes a lot of time if you run a lot of boxes.
I used to run around 80 boxes at a time but last few years I only run about 25.
According to studies done in the late 80s across NE Ontario,the opening up boxes produced the highest catch rate per visit..

I like the opening down boxes(except for the bait issue) they are good for trappers who dont have a lot of good bait available since the suspended bait lasts a lot longer.problem is old bait gets freezer burnt in winter and loses its attraction.(why I re bait every 10 days or so)

I like the horizontal boxes but they take a bit longer to set up if going into a new area.
A lot of times in the fall before trapping season when doing trail mtc where I can get to traps before freeze up I will change a few boxes to horizontal.
The way I set the horizontal box requires zero mts compared to the traditional methods of setting horizontal boxes.
Also with the opening towards the tree trunk there is less refusals.

Most years the weasels are fairly plentiful on the land,but like other species,some years they boom
There are more this year than the last couple years,The catch is dropping off now though since I am not moving traps into new areas and their home range is quite small so they dont fill in like marten.

Put up another cat yesterday,turned today.
Got 5 of the 10 put up so far.

Nice lookin kitty Boco. Nice work!

Nice and fluffy. How do they grade lynx? The same as bobcats?

Pretty much the same I think.clarity of the belly and weight of fur.
Most of mine grade HVY with A-B or B-C bellys
I believe they also look for the bright silver backs as opposed to off coloured(brownish).

That kitty is plum purty!

Your fur handling skills are unmatched...

Thanks Swampy,I just turned this old silverback.Stretched on a foxboard.

Dang! Your squirrels are big up there!

Had a mild spell the other day,guess it fooled this big old male mink.He was on the prowl pretty far from any water.




Checked a few today close to home.(battery died on the camera)

Look's like your catching more male short tail weasels.

Almost all males,rarely get a female.Might get 2 or 3 females out of 100.
They are able to avoid the trigger wires on the 120s,I suppose and are too small to wrestle a fist size chunk of beaver out thru the trap.

Very impressive Lynx pelt Boco

Checked a few traps today.
Wolves are savage this year.I set up a new jackpot about a week ago,just a small one with 7 snares and a beaver carcass and the hind end of a skinned wolf carcass for bait.
nailed 4 when they came thru,all nice well furred silky Light Tawneys,One nice big one ,one pup with one back leg eaten off,one pup half devoured and a big one half devoured.
I salvaged them all,the nice big one will go to auction,the one with the half the back leg missing will go to the tannery with two others I got a while ago, and the two half wolves I will tan myself and use for strips for mitt trim.
There are 3 snares left there,I will wait for a snowfall and go back and set some more snares there and re bait.
I estimated that pack to be around 8-10 wolves so should be a few left.

Good week,I can't believe you can check once a week,but that's Canada for you,lots of wanton waste there glad you can make something from the remains.I could see a 3 day check in the winter,or even a 2 day check on snare's,but that will never happen here in Mn.They have tried many times to fail every time.We do have a 3 day check on boby grip traps or drowning sets,under the ice I think they allow more time,could be once a week then.Good job on thinning the wolf pack down.

Wolves normally do a circuit and you time it.This particular pack was on a 4-5 day circuit in this area.Those wolves were caught yesterday-only the feet frozen.I already skinned the two good ones.
You cant check wolf sets (or any sets) too frequently it is counterproductive.
The animals wont come around if you are there bothering them.Especially wolves.
Main thing with wolves is to thin them out when they get too many.
Lice damage,and cannibalism is only a thing when they are overpopulated.It happens every few years.
Why I targeted wolves this year.Not healthy for the line(or the wolves) to let them run rampant.

There is no check time here.When you trap remote a mandated check time could cost you your life when there are blizzard conditions or long stretches of 40 below.
I look on the bright side,its easier to carry half a wolf out of the bush to the skidoo than it is to carry a whole one,lol.

Didn't realize that wolves would be that cannibalistic. Always educational
On Tman. Better than my PBS channels.
7 snares and 4 wolves. That's a fantastic catch. Kudos to your trapping eyes and reading sign setting those snares Boco.

Checked a few sets today,swung by the jackpot that had all the action last couple days,Another wolf found one of the snares and was promptly devoured by a couple others.
Only 2 snares left there now,gotta get back with some more snares and bait.
I'm calling this the "Donner Pack".

Boco, do you think the Donner Pack is a different pack than the ones that were snared?

No,all the same family group.They are all the same colour-Lt Tawney same genetics and age class fits.
I snared a lone wolf (14 dec) that was bad with lice on a blind trail set(no bait) about 10 miles north east of the donner pack.I believe he was originally from that pack but was kicked out because he was sick,He likely would have been eaten by the rest of the pack if he hadnt left..He was so bad with lice I left him in the bush.
I believe he was originally from the donner pack
The first two wolves I snared on a different trapline about 40 miles south east of the donner pack are obviously a different pack (Lt greys) because of distance.