A couple more checks to report. We are now up to 86 rats from the rouoghly 70 sets we originally put in. Down now to 15 with a check or two left. Wednesday night will be below zero and traps will be out by then!

Bryce

Todays catch from my short line I can run on way home from work.
Dave

The warm weather has the coons moving I see.

All traps are out of the marsh! Below zero will thicken the ice a bit more. -30 windchills tomorrow, will make one glad to be in the house doing some fleshing. Wound up with 113 rats.

Bryce

Yeah, not crazy about walking my short coyote line tomorrow, hopefully the wind calms by the afternoon. Checking my bottom edge otter sets this afternoon.

Nice catch Bryce. Happy to see you found some rats. I set a few bottom edge sets three days ago and have 13 rats, 1 mink and a pine squirrel that was in the trap. Not really sure how that happened but my only guess is that it may have been in a mink's mouth and hit the trigger first. I'll be interested to see if I catch a mink in that set the next visit.

Those 113 rats are divied up between the two of us. My total for the year is around 180 plus some kits. That will be my lowest catch in about 6-7 years. I am putting up some coons for my partner. He has a shoulder that does not like fleshing coons. I am taking 2 weeks off due to my heart catherization the 5th and won't do coons for a couple weeks. I put up one of his that was the longest female I have ever boarded. She was a bit over 40 inches on the 8.5 by 54 inch board. Several other 5xxl coons as well. I don't like those grizzly males! Females are easier, and better color in our area.

Bryce

Bryce . . . you are an animal!

Not the best picture, but otter #2 is in the shed now. 220 bottom edge set. 44 inch long male.

Way to go! Nice otter.

Looking at the picture now, he must have been barrel rolling when he got caught.

Thanks Lance.

Nice job K snow!

Dave

Checked and pulled a few sets today. Nice crisp day. Picked up a coon in a fisher cubby earlier this week. Rebaited the boxes today in hopes of their return soon. I'll check and relocate/pull a few under ice muskrat sets tomorrow. Temps beyond this cool down look good, an opportunity to get my son out again anyway!

Nice otter K snow, I put in a channel set today. Nice catches to all as well.

A few pics

Good job everyone! Cold one here today.

Have a small creek that is good for a few rats every year. A few pictures of this year from that location.
Dave

Good to be back at it after a long deer season. Might have had one more if I could remember to take the safeties off

Nice pics and catches guys!
Pulled the remaining under ice rat sets I had out Sunday. Had intentions of re setting 20 or so on the otherside of the dike separating 2 sections of marsh. For some reason or another those 2 areas make more ice quicker than other locations I trap.
Yesterday I took a walk to check an area I haven't set in a few seasons. Parts had less water than other years and some had more. Overall things looked good enough for me. Today I set a couple dozen sets out. Alot less thickness to the ice in this area.
Counted 6 rats swimming under the ice while setting, always neat to watch a rat swim under your feet. 3 rooster pheasants and a short tailed weasel. As always, walked by a few sets on the way out and connected on one of them! Ill check tomorrow and hopefully put in a few more.
A few pics

Walking off Sunday

Those are the kind of bubble trails that will get a trappers heart pumping! Got 3 rats yesterday so hit 270 for the season. Gonna try to fill my fisher tag now. Got one coming thru every several days. Forecast calls for snow but warming up next week which will bring the coon back out. Did I mention I hate coon?! Lol.

I had 9 muskrat in bottom edge sets yesterday but no mink. I have 31 rats so far but only 2 buck mink. Maybe the snow coming will make them more active.

Checked the sets I put in yesterday. My wife joined me today, her first time on the ice this year. Because of her company I wasn't able to get a few more sets in, maybe tomorrow. Fun check anyway! Some snow moving in for tomorrow. Should make for an amazing sight in the Marsh! Fisher cubbies are ready and waiting for their return! A few 330's await the pass thru of an Otter or two as well.
A few pics from today