This season has been strange for me. The lack of snow and warmer than usual weather for starters. The marten are even more plentiful than last year, which is great, but most of them have fleas. The fur doesn't seem to be affected by them. It's just an annoyance mainly. I have caught several with porcupine quills lodged in them. That's a first for me with marten. I have a section of my line that has fields full of ice, but there isn't a creek within a mile of it so it's not overflow, just coming out of the ground somehow. The ice just keeps growing. I will be installing ice scratchers tomorrow on my snowmachine to help my slides. Anyone else having an unusual season?

In southeast Alaska, it was a rare marten that didn't have porkie quills!

That's interesting AV. Do you think they are going after the young ones or taking on all of them?

I think they are a curious animal, and they see this slow-moving animal they have to check out. They are just as likely to encounter them in a tree as on the ground.
And it is quite possible they see something moving in a tree, they will go up to see if it might be something to eat. Once up there it is probably a curiosity they will toy with.
I have taken many marten with a single quill in the nose, some in the front legs, and a few in the chest area. All have been just a quill or 3. And more than a few quills I discover under the skin while pelting.
Don't remember any that were covered in quills, though.