Arctic fox

I'm in the preliminary steps on heading north to catch an artic fox. It's the last Alaskan species on my lifetime list to catch. One will do the trick. Then it's back to the lower 48 for the final six species on that list. Both my children live in Alaska. One in Eagle River and the other just outside Wasilla. At any rate, I'd appreciate any guidance on sets, bait, lures or anything else you can think of that might help. I was at Prudhoe Bay the season before last for a period of five days and struck out on the white foxes. Thanks, Jim

Dumpsters! Problem is, most places you find whites you also find reds. Even if a white gets in your set before the reds, the reds will kill it and tear it up!

Do you have to trap it or can you shoot it to accomplish your goal. If so it would solve the issue martentrapper mentioned. I have no experience with acrtic foxes though.

Original goal was strictly trapping. With twenty six species down I'd like to keep it trapping. It would bother me to not take a species by trapping methods at this point in the game. It would be easier tho' to just pack a small caliber rifle than pay the associated costs of shipping a couple dozen traps and gear.

will just need to set up your traps and sit in blind or tent and watch for them to get caught.

Arctic fox are easy. One of the most productive sets ive seen is a piece of bait frozen to a 330 trigger then one spring stuck into the snow. doesnt get any simpler and it works.

^^^^^
Sounds like a good raven set too. You do have ravens up there don't you?

Maybe pm Inupiat, on here.

Thanks for the heads up on Inupiat.

You are on a cool mission. I'm rooting for you.
What animals are remaining on your list?

The species that I have left are: Arctic fox, Hooded Skunk, Hog Nosed skunk, W. Spotted skunk, Ringtail, Coati and Mountain lion. I was set up on a good lion a couple years ago. He had been at the head of a canyon twice. From looking at how tracks weather in the desert I guessed the cat came through about a month apart. I ran those sets for another month and then had to pull to go see my youngest get her Masters Degree. Man I hated to pull but I just ran out of time.
My list of furbearers contains thirty three species. I've lucked into twenty six species so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

North slope is likely best area to be in. Another thing to contend with is Rabies. Arctics are supposed to be able to carry the virus w/o getting the effects. Rabies is common in both reds and whites in arctic Alaska.

One of my buddies ran 330's in boxes, fish as bait, and one of those long surveyor stakes as a marker. Gets pretty windy up there and many of his sets would get drifted in when weather hit. He caught quite a few that I skinned out for him I believe he was about 50 miles west of the bay.

That sounds like a great way to make sets and still be able to find them. I need to take a couple weeks off one winter and go catch some.

I don't think you will have problems with reds. Probably trap around the dump or bone yard. Foxes probably to lazy to kill a white.

That's a really cool mission All33. I wish you luck. I'd love to see pics of your taxidermy collection too.

On your mission are you doing all fur bearers or just the ones in the Americas?

Just the legal ones in the United States. That's enough! I won't live long enough or have enough money to do otherwise. Although I did look into trapping in Sonora, Mexico ( not legal). It would be cool to go after dingo and possums down under. Trapping some of the Africa stuff would also be fun. I used to be able to fund my trips with good old north Missouri coons and other such critters. Now it takes about all my part time retirement job income to carry through with my plans. I just dropped off a wolf at the taxidermist for a full body mount. That set me back $4,000.00. It's a good thing my wife supports my addiction.

I will have a wolverine and lynx being shipped on Monday from Alaska. After I get those hung on the wall I'll post a couple pics

There is a guy on the CNTA forum that catches hundreds of arctic fox ,he uses a set similar to what you describe Ryan.He traps out of Arviat.

I have caught a few Arctic's here. They walk from mound to mound so you can blind trap them by setting on mounds. That set stays somewhat windblown and operational a bit longer. Getting one that is not all yellow around the mouth from seal and whale oil, or worse yet, yellow and sticky from living inside the carcass.

I caught one on a leaning tree about six feet off the ground in a 330 and a moose head for bait. Had no problem climbing.

Arctic fox dont have the same body as a red fox more short legged, looks like a possum skinned.

Remember what someone in the lower 48 said about the difference between red fox and gray fox. A gray fox spends its life looking for trap to get into. Seems whites are the same. Way too far north for grays here and whites scarce. Got to go a little further north for whites to be more common here.

Where did you catch the wolverine and lynx?

Cantwell area and the Brooks range Set a few sets in the Brooks range on the way up to the North Slope That's where I caught my first wolverine. Andrea at AK Adventures Taxidermy in Chugiak mounted them.

Brooks range looks to be a nice area one of the places I'm considering living.

You have seen more of Alaska than I have, and I moved here in 85.
Good on you.

What are the 26 you have already ? Just thinking what I have trapped. Muskrat ,mink, coon , beaver , otter, red fox, grey fox, coyote, wolf, marten, fisher, bobcat, stiped skunk ,badger, possum, least weasel, grey squirrel, pine squirrel, fox squirrel, flying squirrel, chipmunk, pocket gopher, thirteen lined ground squirrel, cottontail rabbit, jack rabbit, snowshoe hare, mallard, wood duck, Canada goose, woodchuck, and some assorted raptors that were all released of course. Oh and some mice and rats.

Getting pretty late for trapping an Arctic. They're in mate mode right now and most have lost some guard hair on their hips. Best time and place is Barrow between December. Can get them right by town. Gotta be careful of the polar bears though as they just walk around town and in the area all winter. If you were to fly up to Barrow (Utqiagvik) this week, you might get lucky and get one really quick. Whaling is starting and Arctics will be all over their scraps.

You may catch some here in Kotzebue in December but you have to drive about 20 miles to put some sets in, as they are up the coast. By January they're out on the moving ice with the nanuqs.

I made my list from furbearers that are legal to take and have a value in the fur market. Basically the animals that the big fur houses or should I say the big fur auction in North Bay include in their sales. I also looked at the book "Wild Fur Bearer Conservation and Management in North America". At least I think that's the title, the book is in the basement and I'm too lazy to go get it and make sure.
Here is my already caught list: Possum, coon, mink, beaver, muskrat, nutria, otter, stripped skunk, eastern spotted skunk, long tail weasel, short tail weasel, least weasel, badger, red fox, grey fox, swift fox, kit fox, coyote, wolf, fisher, marten, red squirrel, black bear, wolverine, lynx and bobcat.

I really wish someone/ some organization would recognize a "trapping grand slam". I think that would be pretty cool.

Kudos for what ya got going on, All33. I'm pulling for you.

What is a nanuqs.

LOL, you have a search bar.

Nanuq singular and nanok dual and nanuit more than two - eastern Arctic dialect Inuttut. Polar bears. Adding "s", to make a word plural, is to Anglicize/make into English. Suspect Alaskan dialect a little different but you don't add "s" to a word in Inuttut to make it plural.

Kind of like, "this", and, "those"".

If all this great advice leads to success be sure and post some pics!