I took in a seminar on the weekend by a BC trapper on wolverine trapping. Carl (you know him Trapper Ron) traps in an area with a good population and harvests them consistently year after year. His beliefs are that snares and footholds have too big a failure rate and chances of loss. He also believes most wolverines have been smacked by a 120 marten set by the time they encounter their first wolverine set. He also believe the average set just kills the dumb or desperate wolverines. this has led to the legend of the uncatchable wolverine.
Carl advocates using a log set for all wolverines. Pretty sure we've all seen these. Cut top slab off 4-5' log section. cut out inside to fit 330 bodygrip and accomodate bait cavity. After trap is placed the top slab is nailed back in place. the trap is set at least 2 feet inside the entrance so that the wolverine has to crawl in and receives a good smack.
The trap was modified to have a foot pan and also a striker bar was welded to top jaw. Typically a whole beaver is placed in bait cavity a couple of feet past the trap. His trap cable is on swivels and secured tightly to the trunk.
Would like to see some photos for discription. The big question for me would be problems with marten. Probably trap local marten first. Have others sets for them nearby. Can you set the pan trigger to not snap with a martens weight. I have decided it is best to find interception points that are void of marten.
Sounds like a timesaver on a registered line to have those sets where wolverine frequent year after year. Just throw the bait in set and go just like trapping marten. You need a big tree though. I seen that set in the NAFA mag years ago-probably same guy.
I think many wolverines may have been smacked by a 120 if they are in an area where people are making sets on the ground. Small diameter pole sets discourage most wolverines from investigating marten sets too closely. I also think that the more different traplines a wolverine encounters, the better his chances for being educated. Most people are too lazy to approach it correctly, IMO.
I would disagree about snares and footholds having a high failure rate if a guy uses the proper hardware and thinks about what he's doing.
I can honestly say that the last wolverine I lost from a foothold was in 1993. It was from a #3 victor in a cat set. It was plenty of trap for a cat, but not gulo, and my mistake was not anticipating his arrival.
The last snared gulo I lost was about 1998. It was from one of my snare poles and he got his back feet on the ground and twisted until the cable broke. I should have realized the set was too low. Now I know.
I do agree with him that a myth has grown up around these animals. But it isn't because they are smart or cunning or magical. It's because we are lazy and don't think through all the possibilities.
Its just comes with the proper tools and the proper knowledge of how to use them.
I use buckets, can leave out just like the log. I also like to throw in a few snares and foot holds here and there as well. I think most don't "know" what they are doing and hang a snare anywhere...or put a foothold and figure "that should work."
I'm sure there are some educated wolverine out there, but I think that their gut (staring at a chunk of beaver) will override their brain eventually.
IMO the hollow log set is just a cubby the wolverine cannot tear apart to get the bait. Yes it works but is a lot of effort to construct. Better yet IMO is a 2-3 ft double end 330 conibear(culvert) cubby with the bait in the center. It's my experience that if the critter can see its way out the other end they seldom hesitate to enter the set. Yes it requires two traps but is worth it IMO to catch a $300+ value critter.
The old timers had the right idea. None of that new-fangled plastic stuff. Just a trap on a stick. Of course they probably didn't catch as much fur either
I've seen people use metal drums for a cubby as well as spiking logs together to build cubbies, I don't have trees with enough diameter to make a set like that mostly black spruce.......
I agree with W17 on the foothold & snare issue and Len brought up a good point about problems with marten. I know what thats like. I think the guy is right in that most wolverines are likely to have been smacked by 120s.....that why I prefer snares. I miss few and have only lost one. But there is no question the set would work, its just in my area at least marten would be a big problem.
I do agree with him that a myth has grown up around these animals. But it isn't because they are smart or cunning or magical. It's because we are lazy and don't think through all the possibilities.
I agree W17. One part of trapping that goes by/over most trappers is that when Gulo comes by your set everything has to play out just right. It is just as easy to over think the set as it is to be lazy in the details, both can lead to a refusal or a miss. But, their lust for wandering is a double edged sword. They are seasoned to sets, but are perpetually hungry.
For what I do a natural brushed in cubby with heavy rocks and logs funneling towards stepping sticks with a foothold is the way for me and my location. My footholds have a decent amount of pan tension and rarely do I catch marten in these sets. Baited buckets have not worked, yet. I have made catches in BG's in natural cubbies. When setting these I shape the trigger wires to minimize catching marten.
I do know a few trappers that use that set, Carl being one of them. Does not take a really big log if you use a 280. With the right cuts you can make this set with a 6 foot log in about 30 minutes or less and the set is there for a long time. The bottom cut can be made just like the top cut only you do not cut the slab off. The pan modification and the trap far into the set is an added touch for sure.
This can be made as a double ender also. Most of the wolverine taken in BC are in boxes with a 330 or 280. The trap needs to be secured in the box or cubby so the wolverine can not pull it out.
White the set is identical except the trap is in deeper. Carl also uses only one scent for wolverine which is unique to those sets. Right now a Forsyth wolverine lure. The idea is the scent is different then all the other marten fisher set lures and acts as an attractant.
I have caught a few with missing toes. They probably lost them in BC or the Yukon to have made it here. I think their hunger is almost always their demise. I have yet to do the rodeo with a super smart one, so I am thankful for every dumb one I catch. They don't come easy and every one of them I bring home is truly special.
Dang White, thats some creative saw work on that log. You oughta be one of them chainsaw carvers. I like that set. Nice work. Can't trap wolverines here but I'm thinkin a cat might just fall for it. Gonna have to try it just to see if I can build one now. Could even modify it and put it to work as a little bear bait "barrel". hmmmmm got me thinkin. thanks for the pic
Well my go-to is beaver but I have had good luck with really, really rotten meat scraps. Stuff so bad that I've almost resorted to smearing toothpaste on my upper lip while handling it.
I know they will investigate every beaver house in the area and they seem to know where every porky den is. Each one that comes through will check out each porky hole in the country.
If I encounter one that is of the super wary variety, that is really hesitant to commit to working a set, a piece of beaver with patches of hide attached seems to make a difference.
Beaver tails. I nail them to trees as well as have full beaver carcass hanging and my cameras shows the wolverine always goes for the tail first. I figure the tails have to have the most fat in them and calories.
Actually that's the part that I use the most. Not just the tail but the rear 1/4 of the beaver with the tail attached. I also wonder if there is more scent on the tail due to proximity of the castor ??
Wow do I feel stupid. ;0) Interesting observation Bushman. Been a lot of tails never made it to a set on my watch. Just didn't look appetizing enough. ;0)
FT not just for wolverine if you think about it they are all fat so loaded with the calories critters need. I will chop a tail into 3rds for marten bait and they work just fine. When using full carcasses on bait piles the tail will often be eaten first if it isn't the part tied down
They work well on marten and they are tough. The birds can work them and not do much damage. I have nailed them right to a tree trunk or leaning pole. Lasts a long time.
Same goes with the feet. They always went into the discard bag. I have skinned a number of them with the tail on but it is an old habit of cutting them off that is hard to break. Good reason to now. Proof is in the photo!!.
Pete - a buddy set a trail cam at a body grip. A wolverine got caught and even though death was quick its immediate reaction was to roll over and over until expiry. Makes a good case for swivels. I also think an elevated horizontal log snare set for wolverines works pretty good. The one where log is 8 feet high, two snares on each end of a ten foot log. A couple logs leaning on each end for gulo access. Beaver hanging down from middle of log, too high for access from ground. Snares are long enough that when wolverine jumps off log it's left hanging suspended where it can't get feet on ground or scramble back up on log. Someone posted a pic of a wolverine double at one of these sets a long while back.
I agree that a combination of multiple swivels and a setup that keeps the animal with its feet off the ground is the best bet for a snare set.
That said, I have never spent much time trying to snare them when other more dependable methods were available. I only would go to snares when one had wised-up to other steel. Frankly I was always afraid that I would not get the loop right behind the ears and the beast would chew through the cable. In my experience, if that loop is just an inch further back, it puts it up onto those famous neck muscles and prolongs the process, giving the gulo a much better chance to prove he is tough!
A lot of trappers here lose lynx snares to wolverine More than one gulo is caught still wearing those light snares. I don't think there is much effort made to snare them here, a body grip is usually lethal and with no drama, not like that Yukon man style.
A lot of trappers here lose lynx snares to wolverine More than one gulo is caught still wearing those light snares. I don't think there is much effort made to snare them here, a body grip is usually lethal and with no drama, not like that Yukon man style.
Come to think of it, I've never tried to beat one to death with a spruce pole either.....!
I have snared a lot of them.....some years as many as 7 or 8. The majority have been caught in snares on a horizontal pole. Never used swivels of any kind and Ive never lost one caught in that set. I have seen two caught right behind the head with a 330 that were still alive....I chased one for 2 miles........Set properly I feel snares are the only way to go......more than once I have caught 2 at the same set.
There are exceptions to every rule Yukon, your experiences are not typical of those reported to me by other wolverine trappers. You are a wolverine whisperer lol
I don't whisper to them, but I have had the same experience as Yukon254, other than the fact that I never catch two at the same set at the same time, since I use a single entrance cubby. 3/32nds snare, no swivel, and a horizontal ridge pole for the cubby. I don't recall ever losing one with that arrangement. They're always wound up tight against the pole with their front feet off the ground.
Sounds like getting their feet off the ground is key to preventing rolling and twisting. Regardless of Speks and Yukons success I still hear a lot of stories of wolverines twisting up and breaking snares so maybe some set details from you two could help out other trappers. How are you tying off your snares Spek that leads to front feet off of the ground, how does your horizontal ridge pole play into it? Thanks
Hopefully spek can put some kind of drawing on here. I have seen his set used before and it works. I have been going try some as I think they have some distinct advantages over the one I use.
My is simple......a horizontal pole about 4-feet off the ground with bait in the middle and a snare on each end. I always make them under big spruce so they are protected from the elements. The biggest thing is loop size......guys that are having wolverine bust out or really mess things up are not getting them caught right. They will twist a snare up like anything else but I have caught many right on the ground that you could have reused the snare. The following picture is an example. The snare was set specifically for wolverine as I had seen where he had been visiting the beaver house in the background. You can see the small dead sticks around him are undisturbed.......he died very quickly.
I too have only lost one wolverine in a snare. That would be the one I mentioned earlier where I had it set too low on the pole. But by the same token I have had many that have almost twisted completely through the 3/32 cable. But I have killed them deader than a wedge with little disturbance in 1/16" cable...once. It was a set for fox so it was just a fluke for sure.
I tie mine off as high as I can when setting on the ground. Their twisting habit shortens the cable and eventually lifts the front feet off the ground.
I agree with Dave that loop size is crucial. If they get a front leg through the loop it's not going to end well.
I've never had one where there was even a remote chance of resetting the snare, they're alway's kinked up and curly qued beyond belief. I can see where it could happen though, especially where you get a perfect catch with a small diameter snare that has a better chance of cinching down good and tight and cutting the blood off to the brain very quickly. I don't have enough confidence though in getting a perfect catch on their little bull dog neck to deliberately go with anything smaller than 3/32. At the same time, I don't feel comfortable setting anything bigger than 3/32. They are for sure tough little animals, but I think they just lack the body weight to consistently pull down a 7/64ths or 1/8th inch cable tight enough for the snare to do it's job. An exception to this would be a set where they end up with all four feet off the ground, which is a set that I have never used.
On the cubby set I just cut a pole about 12 ft long and 4 or 5 inches at the base. Put the little end on the ground and prop the big end up about 3 foot off the ground, usually with just 2 short poles tied together like a saw-buck. Leave about 3 foot of the ridge pole sticking out the front of the set. Cover the sides of the ridge pole with brush or branches. Hang a good sized bait from the ridge pole about mid cubby and hang the snare in front. Maybe they are dumber here than they are in other places, but they will jump over the ridge pole in the same direction or wrap around the saw-buck, until they are sucked up tight and then it's all over. Around here you can make these cubbies under a big tree to protect them from snow and use them year after year. We have a lot of eagles so having the bait hidden inside the cubby keeps them from eating it or getting caught.
Two of my brothers trap also and we have all used this snare set for over 50 years and it has worked well for us.
Yep, that is the set I have seen. The trapper that used it swore by it. This set is IMO likely a lot better than mine because my bait is right out in the open. Will make some this winter.
Yukon you mention the beaver house. I just had a big teleconference this morning about wolverines with some researchers. Guys , how important are beaver to wolverines in your areas? Very little research shows they are a primary food source for wolverines but I think they are in some areas. We're talking about doing isotope work on the hairs to determine their diet over the previous year. We can capture hair both through harvest and passively. I'd appreciate your feedback guys, you know a lot more than any researches I'm dealing with I'm thinking.
Well I can't say how many they take of course but they will always go out of their way to get one. I suspect it isn't all that easy. beaver are pretty dang quick on land and usually not far from the water's edge when logging. Unless they were ambushed I think a beaver would escape many times.
But to indicate the determination of wolverines and their passion for the meat, I'll tell this story.
One fall I was trapping beaver. Late freeze-up so some haul outs were still open. I caught a big beaver in a 330 at one of those spots. An otter found it and tore it to sheds. When I got there I salvaged what hide I could and staked the carcass in3 feet of water under the ice edge. Put the 330 completely under the ice thinking to catch the otter.
Next day that wolverine was dead as a stone in that 330 completely submerged under the ice.
Thats an interesting story Ken. Brian, hopefully you guys will be able to do some research. I think it would be interesting and beneficial.
I think it depends on the area. I dont think a beaver would be that hard for a wolverine to catch. Like most of us know in some areas beaver are the primary diet for wolves. I hunted the Beaver river last fall in southeast Yukon. This river was aptly named as the beaver population was incredible, it turned out the moose and wolf population was also very high. Probably the most moose I have seen since I hunted the Halfway river in the 80s. Anyway the banks of this river are high and choked with heavy willows. Just incredibly thick. The wolves were not even interested in moose they were hunting beaver. Every day we would find blood & hair in a run or on a sandbar. There is no doubt wolverine do the same thing in certain areas. They will dig out houses in the winter sometimes as well. Thats why a beaver house is such a good location for a set.
This was a small beaver house that a wolverine dug into a couple years ago. I spooked it out of the house and was following its tracks when I came upon this.
The beaver here have been hammered by bears and wolves. It's hard to find a live pond anymore. But over all, for this area, beaver has never been a primary food source for wolverine, however they are a supplemental food source. Wolverine are pretty adaptable, so what ever prey is the most abundant at a given time becomes their primary food source.
These college wonders that are out studying animals these days scare me. Most of them seem desperate to come up with a shocking new biological revelation, even if it means making something up.
Well, do you see rejection? If I don't get snow and blow, I see tracks where a wolverine wouldn't work my ground cubbys.
I have seen that too but I have a theory that there are some areas where wolverine transit while en-route to another location. I think there are areas where they hunt actively and areas that they do not. I have a spot on my line where I regularly see wolverine tracks. In over 30 years at that location I have never had a wolverine show any interest in a set. But a half mile away I can catch those same wolverine in the same type of set.
The rejections I have seen I pretty much attributed to poor bait. To old and dried up with no scent left. And I've never had one look twice at a whole frozen porcupine.
One tiome I caught a wolverine in a wolf master power ram. I came into possesion of half a spoiled caribou. So I put it in a thick bush and made a trail through the deep snow and put wolf masters on either side. A big storm buried the the snare on the side facing the river and the wolverine walked over that one followed the trail fed on the caribou then followed the trail right out into the wolf mastrer which was not buried. He must have faught for a couple days because my boys picked it up and the snare broke as they lifted it. It oly had one fried strand of wire holding it when it died. Toataly destroyed my set place, chewed all the willows down in the area it could reach. Caught 2 wolverine this year one in a leg hold set for lynx and one in a 330 in a plywood box. Do you think painting the box is better than leaving bare plywood. The wolverine past up a unpainted box and went to a box painted red and green (old x-mas sled). Could have been the bait though as that box had spoiled beluga whale muktuk for bait.
Up in arctic Canada fresh beaver meat freezes like rock does not have much smell after that. I usually have to mix other baits with it if I use beaver for bait. How about moose lower legs they don't seem to be very popular with the preditors either.
Muskrat, are you using lure??? I use marten magic for wolverines and it works well. The reason I ask is that beaver will freeze solid here too.....I travel through one FN trappers line to get to mine......He has the best marten I have ever seen and uses beaver for bait, with no lure. I see marten tracks everywhere when traveling that section....even under his sets.....but he catches very very few.....has to be because they dont smell the frozen beaver.....
[img:left]http://s1315.photobucket.com/[/img] This is a picture of a see through log trap that I made with two 280s in a log. I only tried it for a week at the end of the season. I left it out there and will reset it this fall. I put a bunch of different types of bait in it so the wolverine will have a choice.
We have very few marten as we are so close to the tree line. We only get them in pockets here and there. I only got 1 last year. I am going to expand my line next year to try and get into some marten. I never buy much lure I usually use beluga whale oil. Or I got some non toxic antifreeze and mixed it with beaver castor. Put it on a ball of caribou fur and both wolverine I caught played with it before getting caught. I may add some High Karate and whale oil to it to give it some kick. I will remember to use lure when I set for marten.
I have research on what has proved in field trials to be the very best wolverine scent lures. I will tell you the top two lures, one will not surprise you but the other will blow you away. Any guesses?
When you click the sun on a new message and select the insert a photo just paste your photo address in it. Your address will be between, with no spaces the script below. [img] [/img]
Notice your script has a mistake in it. [img:left]
I think it was Audrey Magoun who several years ago said that she had found 80/87 to be particularly attractive to wolverine. I wonder if they react to same to 100LL or unleaded ?
One time we were doing a clean-up of abandonned JetB drums in the Richardson Mountains. They were frozen into the ground and we hit one with an axe to free it up and made a little hole we duct taped a fuel pad to it and haulled it like that in an aluminum sled. Must have leaked a small trail all the way behind us. A pack of wolves followed the trail for 25 miles. The next day guys who went up to haul the last drums got 4 or 5 wolves on the trail back to the drums.
Porcupine that feed on spruce bark taste like turpentine.
I second that.
Gin tastes like pine needles which smells like turpentine..... I am going to try castor mixed with turpentine and gin mixed with my Podunk trapping buddies. I do know that they investigate AV gas on the ground.
These are not my finding. A study tested a variety of sunstances on penned wolverines as well as field test in Montana and NWT.
Wolverine scat often has conifer needles in it. Turpentine contains many of the same chemical components as conifers and proved to be quite a draw fro wolverines. They did test gas as well and in some cases it worked almost as well. Mink musk was another scent that while not as good at pulling them in, held wolverine at the scent station for quite a while.
You do know Mackenzie Days are cancelled right? I'm from Aklavik in the the western edge of the Mackenzie Delta right near the Yukon border and 60 miles south of the Beufort Sea. a long way from Providence, my dad's people are from there though, he came down river cutting wood for steam boat, met my mother and stayed.
Quite a bit of conifer has shown up in wolverine scat analysis Spek so it's happening. They also find the Ketones (?) in urine samples which are naturally occurring in conifers.
May be happening there BM, where you have a variety of conifers, but the only conifer we have here is spruce, and they don't deliberately eat them here. I'm sure they would ingest some while eating some prey, but there is no evidence that I have ever seen where they deliberately ate spruce needles as a part of their diet.
In Gwich'in medicine spruce gum is one of the primary substances used. Maybe wolverine get hurt a lot as they live a rough life and have found out that the gum helps to prevent infection so they eat some every now and then by instinct.
Muskrat I was introduced last year to using spruce gum for healing sores and burns etc. I was working in Fort Yukon with the Gwich'in. Worked well and I found it interesting how the next day under a band-aide it was no longer sticky. Worked well.
"Well, I'm a believer. I'm gonna start making cubbys out of frozen beaver carcasses and put spruce bows inside for bait."
I don't know how Dirt firgured it out but that is one of the deadliest sets known to Siberian wolverine trappers.
How do you guys know whether wolverines are ingesting conifer needles or not? I've been around them all my life and never had any reason to check their scat before but I'm going to look at bit closer now.
a b s t r a c t Urine deposition has been observed as an important scent-marking behaviour among wolverines (Gulo gulo, Mustelinae, Mustelidae). Solid phase microextraction (SPME) of headspace volatiles of the urine from free ranging wolverines were examined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Urine samples were collected directly from the bladder of live-trapped animals or from frozen samples deposited in snow. Nineteen potential semiochemicals were identified in the headspace from 22 urine samples. The composition of these volatile compounds varied by type and amount with each sample, but a number of chemicals were regularly found in many samples. The most commonly found constituents were the ketones; 2-heptanone, 4-heptanone and 4-nonanone; and the terpenes: a-pinene, b-pinene, limonene, linalool and geraniol. Mammalian urinary discharge of ingested a-pinene, b-pinene, limonene and other hydrocarbon terpenes is unusual, as these compounds are usually oxidized before excretion. The source of the hydrocarbon monoterpenes likely includes conifer needles, as they have been found in wolverine scat.
I wonder if it's sort of like dogs eating grass? Not a dietary staple, for sure, and I don't think using a grass patch would increase the likelyhood of a canine catch. There's just too much of it, (it's everywhere).
AV - I'm thinking that the conifers act as a "boost" to the chemical message's the urine carry. Another factor is where the urine is deposited as there seems to be a difference between urine on organic material like wood and that on snow or ice. I don't know anything for sure but I like thinking about it. We'll never know what's totally going on.
I mentioned the pine / spruce trees I find Scratched up in the bush and asked if any of you guys have seen that behaviour? I found this information in some Scandinanvian research which seems to confirm this is part of a wolverines territory marking, and is common.
Behaviour: There were 83 observations of marking in the study. These observations were of markings by urine, secretions from anal glands, scratching in trees, most frequent on pine and markings by feces (fig.9).
There have been some observations of wolverines climbing up into trees and urinating along the tree.
Marking during the project
Urine Secretion Scratching Feces
There were 25 observations of day-beds. Wolverines use day-beds in areas where they spend a lot of time, like denning areas and areas where they have a lot of food, like carcasses (see appendix). Other interesting observations during the project are bites made by wolverines on little young plants of pine. This is probably a way of marking (Persson & Östergren, 1996). Observations of wolverines “licking” and “gnawing” on spruce and especially the resin of the spruce are found quite frequently during the project.
"Well, I'm a believer. I'm gonna start making cubbys out of frozen beaver carcasses and put spruce bows inside for bait."
I don't know how Dirt firgured it out but that is one of the deadliest sets known to Siberian wolverine trappers.
How do you guys know whether wolverines are ingesting conifer needles or not? I've been around them all my life and never had any reason to check their scat before but I'm going to look at bit closer now.
I've been accused of being a s*** sifter more than once
If wolverines use conifers to enhance their chemical messaging it once again shows how little we know about the natural world around us. Sometimes this research just reinforces what trapper's already know though. For example we already knew castor is a cross-species attractant and I always use dry, not green, stumps for scent.
Lot's of different animals mark their presence in an area in varying ways. Black and brown bear chew on spruce trees,(at least they do in this area) and I don't doubt that they at times ingest some wood and bark, but it would be stretching reality to consider spruce as a part of their diet. IMO, the same could be said for wolverine.
Out of curiosity, I often cut the stomach open on animals I hunt or trap, including wolverine, and I have never found spruce in ones stomach. And, like White17, I often tear scat apart with a stick to see what can be learned from what is in it. Another thing I have done over the years is follow animals tracks, sometimes for long distances, to gather whatever information I could about them from studying their tracks. I'm sure a lot of other trappers do the same. Anyway, in the areas where the studies you mention were conducted, spruce trees may be a measurable part of a wolverines diet, but I think it is safe to say that is not the case here.
I have to wonder though if the terpenes the researchers found in wolverine urine was not there as a result of eating porcupine meat, which I would think would be high in terpenes? Or did they even consider that possibility? IMO, any conclusions included in a scientific study with the words "likely" and "probably", raises a red flag.
Lot's of different animals mark their presence in an area in varying ways. Black and brown bear chew on spruce trees,(at least they do in this area) and I don't doubt that they at times ingest some wood and bark, but it would be stretching reality to consider spruce as a part of their diet. IMO, the same could be said for wolverine.
I have long wondered why Alaska bears don't tear up young coniferous trees to eat the cambium layer (for you non-forester types, thats the thin layer of material between outer bark and the wood itself, through which the nutrients and water travel...) Down in the Pacific NW, black bears kill a lot of young trees that way. Its so bad that some of the timber companies pay hunters and hounds to kill or to run the bears out of their stands of young conifers.
Yet up north, I have never seen the kind of damage that they have down there.
I have seen on Kodiak where brown bears were skinning cottonwood roots with their teeth to get to the cambium layer, but never seen where they were feeding on standing young white or Sitka spruce.
Pete, I've never seen that here either (eating of the cambium layer). I'm not sure why they do it, but in late spring and early summer, black bear here kill a lot of young spruce, 8 to 10 inches in diameter at the base, by peeling all the bark off the base and exposed parts of the roots. All the bark will be laying there in strips, and no sign of any of it being eaten. It is of course hard to discern tracks around the base of the trees, but from what faint sign I have been able to detect it appears the damage is done mostly by yearling cubs, but can't say that for definite. It's pretty common to see in the woods here though.
Spek I hear you on us trappers gaining knowldge by observing nature in the actual bush, but that's what led me to looking at research. I can only learn so much on my own and I've learnt a lot off of you guys and researchers alike. None of the studies say likely or probably by the way.
I'm not suggesting wolverine are using conifers as a food source. What I'm saying is analysis has shown the presence of those chemicals in wolverine scat and urine. And turpentine was effective as a wolverine attractant. I'll be keeping my eyes open for any connection I can find.
Bears ripping up conifer bark is very common here and is done by both griz and black bears. If you look closely when the bark is freshly tore up you can see claw marks in the tree. They're not eating bark, they're licking the spring sap.
Dirt - Keep your head buried in the sand brother, you'll never get hurt that way. I'm still laughing about that new wolverine cubby you designed though. Do you skin the beavers before you make the cubby?
I suspect the needles found in scat are probably like by-catch. Spruce grouse crops, or just scavenging carrion off the forest floor. That's why I think it would be interesting to see if there's a difference from summer to winter. When there's snow on the ground I would expect a lower incidence of needles in scat although the spruce grouse is still a source.
They definitly are not finicky eaters for sure so I could see them picking up incidental needles in their diet. I'm thinking most of that scat was collected in winter. I smell a grant application here, or is that just wolverine musk?
Here's a picture of a wolverine entering one of Dirt's beaver carcass cubbies, on its way to a juicy mouthful of spruce boughs. Thanks for the picture Dirt now i see how it works.
a b s t r a c t Urine deposition has been observed as an important scent-marking behaviour among wolverines (Gulo gulo, Mustelinae, Mustelidae). Solid phase microextraction (SPME) of headspace volatiles of the urine from free ranging wolverines were examined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Urine samples were collected directly from the bladder of live-trapped animals or from frozen samples deposited in snow. Nineteen potential semiochemicals were identified in the headspace from 22 urine samples. The composition of these volatile compounds varied by type and amount with each sample, but a number of chemicals were regularly found in many samples. The most commonly found constituents were the ketones; 2-heptanone, 4-heptanone and 4-nonanone; and the terpenes: a-pinene, b-pinene, limonene, linalool and geraniol. Mammalian urinary discharge of ingested a-pinene, b-pinene, limonene and other hydrocarbon terpenes is unusual, as these compounds are usually oxidized before excretion.[/b] The source of the hydrocarbon monoterpenes [b]likely includes conifer needles, as they have been found in wolverine scat.
And if I could get one of the links you posted to open for me now I would show you a "probably".
Ok Spek and that proves what? To me it's the researcher being accurate. They haven't ruled out any source but have pointed out a probable cause. If they had emphatically stated the source was conifer needles that would be a problem in my opinion.
I'm used to Alberta trappers not trusting researchers but it appears it may be an opinion held by some of you as well. That's OK with me but I love the pursuit of knowledge, and it's not just us trappers who figure things out, but I do admit we are pretty smart bunch.
You said "none of the studies said likely or probably". Fact is they did. Earlier I mentioned I had never seen where wolverine snacked on spruce, you told me it's happening. Then you say that you're not suggesting wolverine are using conifers as a food source. Just pointing out some inconsistencies in your post.
Not sure what your point is yet Spek. Unless you're just nit picking language? Bottom line is I don't believe wolverines are eating conifers like a beaver. But needles have been found in scat. I wasn't writing a scientific paper for peer review I was throwing out some ideas for discussion. Got any of your own for consideration?
I for one will certainly be giving turpentine a try. It has an odor that will carry a long ways I would think....... Spek not sure about your area but anyplace I have ever been, bears are not marking their territory or presence when they bite / claw trees......they do it in the spring to get the sap running.....then they rub out their fur......course they often use the same tree year after year......You will find lots of bears use the same tree......yesterday I counted 25 such trees in 20-miles of trail......I stopped at a few and showed my clients the different hair colors .....I always wondered why biologists never used these trees as hair traps.....
Bushman, thanks for clearing that up. When I mentioned a number of ways they could be ending up with needles in their stomach besides deliberately eating "conifers" it seemed to me you pretty much blew that possibility off with the "it's happening" statement. I guess you didn't really mean that though. Maybe I took your words to literally, so I apologize for my lack of understanding on that. As far as scientific papers I could post, yes I have a lot of them on a wide range of subjects. A few of them are interesting to me, but IMO most of them are just junk science.
Yukon254, I do recall seeing a brown bear tree or two the last 57 years or so, and I agree with some of what you're saying. It is commonly believed that the rub trees are used as a means of marking their territory. I'm not convinced of that myself either. Many bears use the same territory, and while they may battle over a choice spot at a fishing hole, they don't battle over large areas of land like wolf packs do. So I'm not sure anybody really know one way or the other. But they do not just rub on green trees with sap in them. They will use about any thing that is situated right to rub on. On the Alaska peninsula there are no spruce trees and so they do their rubbing on alders and rock points. Some of the rocks are wore smooth and polished from being rubbed on by thousands of bears, for ages. Here on the Kenai they do rub a lot on green trees, but they also rub a lot on dead trees. They also rub a lot on my cabin wall and the hitching rail. And they chew on all the same stuff, so I think the chewing is done for some other reason than to get sap running. I have wondered if maybe their teeth or gums ache when they come out of the den and maybe thats why they chew on things so much at that time. Howsoever, all conjecture on this end.
I've wondered the same thing about the biologist. They did some DNA testing on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge a couple years ago. I found a couple of their hair snag traps. They had areas with 3 strand barbwire fences about 40 X40 feet square, with a bait in the middle. They collected hair off the barbs to do DNA test as a means of counting the number of bear on the refuge. These traps that I found were set up in places where bear seldom pass through. Roughly three miles away on one and about one mile away on the other there were well used bear trails with dozens of these rub trees along them. They were checking them with a helicopter. Our tax dollars at work.
Spek I sit on the fence about research. I've seen really bad results usually as a result of computer modeling. But I've sat on the Board of ACA for over ten years ( www.ab-conservation.com ) and we spend millions and collaborate on research all the time. What I'm trying to do in a small way is incorporate traditional knowledge and skills into the research. The collaboration between the ACA and the Alberta Trappers Association on wolverines is a small example but we have other efforts going on as well. We're even tested doing game surveys through apps on smart phones. It looks like that method is as acurate as arial surveys and a lot cheaper, but it uses citizen efforts.
But if I just ignore the academic community or marginalize them I have no chance of changing the way game management happens in this province I've also stood tall and fought bad science. I was very vocal during the grizzly bear hunt debate here in Alberta and represented a few groups in the on going debate. Our estimate of 1000 grizzlies turned out to much more accurate then the 280 that was being quoted. I've written columns in Alberta Outdoorsmen on the voodoo science.
In regards to Bears. I have a lot of bears at my lodge. highest densities of grizzlies in Alberta and lots of black bears. I've also put out multiple trail cams for five years and got to watch bear behavior. They are a neat animal. What i noticed is in spring they strip conifers at the base to access the spring sap. The cambium layer is still there so I don't believe they're after that.
I also have many bear rub trees in my area. They look like they've been used for years. Cameras show that multiple bears use them and really have a good scratch, but they also sniff around so it must be their email to each other. Other animals come along and sniff it as well, elk, moose,lynx, and all the weasel family have been caught on our cameras.
But have you ever noticed that a grizzly will create a new marking tree in close proximity to a human disturbance like a new cabin?
I picked up a wolverine last season under one of these bear rub/scratch mark trees. although I used half a moose backbone so I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the tree. Just looked like a good spot
I wonder wolverine will chew through a log to get into a cabin, and there were reports of wolverine chewwing out of log traps used by researchers. I wonder if wolverine chew into trees to get bug larvia in the spring. Would they also chew to make a squirrel hole bigger to get a at baby squiireels? A combination of these things could account for them ingesting spruce. I know they will also chew up plywood Martin / mink boxes if they have lure / whale oil on them. I like to think of wolverine chewwing spruce gum like Hubbabuba gum.
Bushman, I saw your video on the news the other day just after i watched it. News said it went viral 1.5 million hits I hope you have partnership. If so you should be getting a nice cheque in a year or so. Enough to stay at West Ed. or River Cree for a night or two maybe.
I doubt that wolverine would expend the energy to get at bugs or larva. Not enough return for the energy expended. But I have had one try to chew through the roof of my cabin. Almost made it before he gave up.
They might try to dig out some squirrels but there's easier food in the form of voles.
Yukon you mention the beaver house. I just had a big teleconference this morning about wolverines with some researchers. Guys , how important are beaver to wolverines in your areas? Very little research shows they are a primary food source for wolverines but I think they are in some areas. We're talking about doing isotope work on the hairs to determine their diet over the previous year. We can capture hair both through harvest and passively. I'd appreciate your feedback guys, you know a lot more than any researches I'm dealing with I'm thinking.
I have twice caught wolverine in under ice beaver sets. One in a 330 at a lodge entrance and one in a baited snare set that also had a beaver. I believe the beaver was caught before the ice froze over the hole, the wolverine found it and was caught by pure luck. The 330 at the lodge entrance though I still wonder. The wolverine was going into the lodge and I never did figure out how it got under the ice. No tracks around a small lake that appeared to be froze solid. Makes your whole season to pull a wolverine out of a beaver set! I believe in that area beaver was and still is a major food source for wolverine.
I had an old boy here tell me wolverines regularly go under the ice and into beaver lodges and kill beaver I found it hard to believe but said he saw where they went under at a spillway and pulled out a beaver.
I once stopped at a sledom used trapper cabin up the Big Fish river in the Richardson Mountains. The door was open so I went in the trapper had cardboard around his bed and there was a hole. I told my wife I'm going to stick my head in hear and see if there is a wolverine in here. So Id did next thing she is yelling at the door trying to get the gun off her back as a wolverine took off out the hole it chewed in the logs out the back wall. By the time I got out and got Margos gun off her back the wolverine was up the mountain and into the timber.
I don't think wolverine calculate energy expenditure. I think they are always hungry and available food triggers a responce and they do what it takes to get it. Plus there is never just one bug or baby squirrel / bird. Breaking into a nest would probably always be worth while, especially in energy poor areas.
I noticed this is not about wolverine trapping as the title suggest. I need to have somebody explain to me how knowing that there is conifer needles in wolverine Doo helps a trapper catch one?
Always figured it was a critical factor to know what the animals I trap eat! I prefer to know as much as I can about the habits of the animals I trap. I love this kind of discussion. Makes me think outside the box. Which always helps me be a better trapper.
I noticed this is not about wolverine trapping as the title suggest. I need to have somebody explain to me how knowing that there is conifer needles in wolverine Doo helps a trapper catch one?
Generally, it keeps a guy from making sets in the palm trees
Dirt - I bet if you work through that ADD and focus you might find the odd nugget of information that could help you out. For example if you were to start drinking turpentine so you could pee turpentine I bet your catch ratio would go up. And since when has any topic on this forum stayed on track? That's part of the fun of it, seeing where it goes. Do you actually trap wolverines up your way?
Dirt - I bet if you work through that ADD and focus you might find the odd nugget of information that could help you out. For example if you were to start drinking turpentine so you could pee turpentine I bet your catch ratio would go up. And since when has any topic on this forum stayed on track? That's part of the fun of it, seeing where it goes. Do you actually trap wolverines up your way?
You're getting cranky. I'll leave this alone.
Maybe not. I was finishing up your recommended read.
Pages 250 and 251 “ The Wolverine Way” by Douglass H. Chadwick
“Suppose the population isn’t within a fully protected park. How many of those half-a –males and half-a-females-the vehicles for dispersing the gene pool-might get shot or trapped while out foraging in winter to find food to bring some back for their kits? We recorded mothers in Glacier regularly traveling several miles from den sites to hunt. During his Sawtooth study, Copeland caught a female nearly 10 miles from her den. If a nursing mother is taken in a trap anywhere within her wide hunting range, you’d have to subtract both that breeding age female and her young starving back in the den from the population. Should the resident adult male be trapped instead during the course of his still wider and more frequent travels, a transient male could come in and kill the kits. If the newcomer doesn’t kill them, the kits will still grow up with less protection from other wolverines and less experience gained with traveling with a father after they separate from their mother. Both factors lower the offspring’s chances of successfully reaching adulthood and either replacing numbers in the population or transporting genes to other homelands.” “ The mortality data from dispersing wolverines show that they run a fairly high risk of being killed by people outside strictly protected lands such as national parks ( remember: wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, state and provincial parks , and other types of reserves permit trapping and hunting.) In British Columbia, studies by John Krebs revealed that wherever wolverines were in decline, the primary cause was mortality from trapping. Here in the Lower 48, the number of traps specifically set for wolverines is no longer much of an issue. Only Montana allows gulos to be trapped, and the state finally reduced the legal quota to a token handful in 2008. What needs to be considered is the number of traps put out for other midsize carnivores but capable of catching a wolverine-or a protected lynx or rare fisher.”
Cranky? …no don't think so. What's a matter Dirt only you get to be designated smart A$$? I will admit you seem to be very skilled for the job but I have my own talents in that department.
Getting back to wolverine trapping. Last year I had some success with a ball of caribou fur hung near my trap with a lure made of no-toxic boiler antifreeze and castor. This year I think i am going to bump it up with some whale oil. The wolverine played with the ball a few minuts before getting trapped. Got one in a leghold for lynx and one in a 330 in a red & green plywood box. They ate a couple lynx before I got them though.
Beaver castor was number two attractant 411 - after wolverine musk, in the study mentioned above. I have seal oil which I use as an base for some lure, whale oil sounds like a winner.
What do you mean a "deadfall trigger" with a conibear 411 ? Personally I gave up on milk crate sets for lynx and wolverines as I saw too much avoidance but some folks seem to have pretty good luck with them.
OK I got you. I screwed eye hook into back of plastic milk crate and ran the bait wire through it. I took a couple lynx in them but as mentioned had lots of avoidance as well. Some guys do good with them though so I'll be e ager to see how you make out.
Though I have never trapped a wolverine, and may well never have the opportunity to, this conversation and the snare sets with the caught wolverine suspended made me think of a set I used to use when I was a kid and couldn't afford conibears.
The set is a swing pole powered snare, triggered by pulling a bait. A set which I used to catch a lot of fisher and a few marten. Others may have used something similar, I haven't invented many things, but I came up with this when I was 14 or15.
My trigger consisted of one 20 penny nail with the head cut off, a bait holder made of an 8 inch piece of heavy wire, I would wrap the middle of it around a rod bigger than the 20 penny nail so it would have equal legs on each side of a double wrapped loop. I sharpened the ends or cut them on an angle so they were sharp. I would put the loop on the rod, bend both legs to form a "V" parallel with the rod then bend the sharp ends inward at a 90 degree angle or more. This was the bait holder, I would spread the sharp ends apart and impale my bait chunks on them, I carried a bunch of these in a bag in my pack or sled.
The site was chosen, of course, very near fisher travel ways I knew of. Usually a large white spruce tree with another 4-6 inch thick tree within a few feet for the swing pole fulcrum. I would drive the headless nail into the base of the tree about 6 inches from the ground and leave an inch and a half or so sticking out, make sure the end wasn't peened or burred ( had a chainsaw raker file with), I would usually cut the swing pole and tie it with wire or twine to the nearby small tree, so the end of the swing pole would rotate down and end up directly above the headless nail. The baited wire device can sip on to the headless nail now. Tie a piece of heavy wire to the end of the swing pole and make a nice round half inch loop in the end. the wire loop should be no more than a foot from the swing pole end. Slide the swing pole wire loop onto the baited nail. The bait gets pulled, the swing pole comes free and swings high.
I would build the sides of the cubby, lower the swing pole and catch the loop on the baited nail. Then I would attach my snare to the swing pole and support my loop about 9 inches out from the bait, with very little or no slack between the positioned snare loop and the swing pole. I would fence the loop with twigs, and roof the cubby with balsam or spruce boughs.
The fisher would enter the cubby, pull the bait, releasing the swing pole, the fisher would be pulled right through the bough roof and would not be chewed on by shrews and stuff.
I caught a greedy marten that was carrying a meal already, he left 2 voles outside the cubby, and grabbed the bait and went for his ride through the cubby roof.
This set may work, with some adjustments in size and swing pole weight for wolverine or lynx.
It took longer to write this than to make a set, I hope it makes sense. I used to pre make these so I had a bunch ready for season. I should have set snares for the foxes that sometimes circled.
I used 1/16 1X19 cable with a 5-6 inch loop about 4 inches off the ground or packed snow. I had sets that snowed over and fisher still dove in and got caught a few times.
You can imagine the thrill of a kid snowshoeing down the line seeing a nice dark fisher suspended above the snow... better than today's video games!
Should be a good year for wolverine the porcupine caribou herd went through so lots of carion around to get the pups through to the fall. Here is a photo of the log wolverine trap I mentioned earlier for those who do not want to watch the video
Dirt - I bet if you work through that ADD and focus you might find the odd nugget of information that could help you out. For example if you were to start drinking turpentine so you could pee turpentine I bet your catch ratio would go up. And since when has any topic on this forum stayed on track? That's part of the fun of it, seeing where it goes. Do you actually trap wolverines up your way?
They must have strayed out of their study area. Nice wolverine, the thread WAS about trapping, eh? The tails look short. Dirt, were you drinking gin while turning them?
Has anyone ever caught a wolverine in a leghold trap with a drag. Will the wolverine pick-up the drag throw it over there back and pack it? Like I have heard they will do with log drags.
I know with snares they will and some are pretty good at avoiding entanglement, I'd say they would but a bit harder with a trap on your foot, never heard of over the back though.
I have not seen a wolverine throw a toggle over its shoulder myself but my brother and nephew have seen that a couple times when they trapped up in Willow Creek though the Richardson Mountains. All the wolverine I have caught have tanggelled up it the willows near the traps or been dead in connibears. Check out my "great day in the wild north" and "another great day in the wild north" videos on Youtube for some wolverine catches.
Our toggles are usually heavy enough so a wolverine can't pack them around on their shoulders. My sets always have a few snares close by which many times gets them hung-up a couple different ways. I prefer to hook solid to a tree and toggles get froze down most of the times with the freeze-thaw cycles we have here at the Lake.
I'd like to hear how a wolverine holds that drag over his shoulder and runs on three feet....one of which has a trap on it. Common sense should lead us here.
I have not actually seen it but my nephew assures me he has lost traps and seen evidence of a wolverine packing the toggle away. I think the wolverine chewed the toggle short first.
I'd like to hear how a wolverine holds that drag over his shoulder and runs on three feet....one of which has a trap on it. Common sense should lead us here.
Nice topic to return home to. I don't believe wolverines have developed the knowledge or skill necessary to intellectually figure out that slinging a drag over their shoulder will help them get away. Wolverines are like the bull in the china shop and are more likely to use brawn then brains. Not saying they aren't smart in their own way.
We're gearing up for the 2013 / 14 season and have expanded our Alberta research project. Hoping to collar up to 20 wolverines. Our trapping local is building five portable traps this week and we have a lot of trappers helping out with the field work. Nice to see trappers involved.
check out this white wolverine from the Coppermine NWT region. At the taxidermist
Well, better call me BS also grin: cause I've had it happen twice that I can remember and once with a buddies wolf we tracked for miles, the drags on all occasions were not adequate for ether the wolf or wolverine and only a blind trapper couldn't read what was going on, it was in the mouth not over the back or carrying it in his paw and all were snares.
We'll Mr. Mayor I can't vouch for whether he had a big enough toggle or not but I think he told be it was a tree. But there are all sizes of tree. But anyways I did have the over the shoulder part wrong. I think maybe he BSed me at the time. Aren't you suppose to call Shanagans, not BS? My original question was whether metal drags work for wolverine?
They'll work but just a pole is adequate if you can cut one at the trap site or close by. They will chew on them if they are there any length of time but I've never managed to lose one or even had one move away from the set with an adequate drag. Usually I prefer to tie off solid to a tree or two.
Here is a picture of my boy Edward killing a wolverine we caught in a leg hold trap. Note the big toggle no chance it could throw that over its shoulder
Muskrat I know you're not a BS'r. You're a NWT boy ain't no need.
1979 I'm trapping along the McKenzie River. I catch a wolverine in a #2 double spring, set for a lynx. I have a short toggle maybe 5' long and the wolverine starts making tracks down the line. I follow it for a while and discover two ends of the toggle lying in the trail. It looks like the wolverine is now just packing a trap and chain. I follow until it turns into a willow river flat. I'm thinking maybe the chain will get tangled in willows so I pull out the cooey and head into the flat. Sure enough I immediately start hitting tore up areas. I then start hearing the gulo on a rampage. I stalk in closer and closer, I can still remember how the willows were thrashing around before I could see it. We make eye contact about the same time and the wolverine lurches towards me. I take a hail mary shot with the 22 and turn and run like crazy, meanwhile trying to get another 22 shell into the single shot while in full flight.
I turned around convinced it was on my trail but the toggle still had a 12' section left around the trap ring and the wolverine was hung up pretty good. My fluke shot had hit home so I went back and finished off the wolverine. I'm not a smoker but I think I could have used one at that point.
W17 - I'm shocked brother, I though every trapper was born with a cooey! I still have the gun and my Dad had taped a note on it. "Brian shot his first goose with this gun at 11" He's told the story a thousand times how I had dropped a goose from the front porch of our cabin along Great Slave Lake. He's a good story teller so he goes on about trudging through the snow and telling me there was no way I could have shot it that far away ( I watched it fall and then ran into cabin and told Dad) We found the goose and my Pa was puffed up proud. Told all his buddies and made me feel like a hero. Like all stories reality is somewhat different as I had been shooting at the lead goose and dropped number three! Mom burnt the goose.
Good story Brian. I've seen it happen several times on swans and sandhills too.
At first I was afraid that Cooey was Canadian slang for female anatomy parts. It was really shocking when you wrote that you ...." pull out the Cooey"....
Good story Brian. I've seen it happen several times on swans and sandhills too.
At first I was afraid that Cooey was Canadian slang for female anatomy parts. It was really shocking when you wrote that you ...." pull out the Cooey"....
Good humor! I may try calling "it" a Cooey at home tonight and see how that works out for me.
Good story Brian. I've seen it happen several times on swans and sandhills too.
At first I was afraid that Cooey was Canadian slang for female anatomy parts. It was really shocking when you wrote that you ...." pull out the Cooey"....
Good humor! I may try calling "it" a Cooey at home tonight and see how that works out for me.
You may want to read further up the thread and and at home say the Cooey really smells like turpentine it is attracting you.
I have northwoods #3's with new coilsprings and victor #4 longsprings, wondering if these will hold a wolverine on a drag or would I be better off getting some with 4 coils?
I also have some victor #14 jumps but I hate setting them lol. I'm planning to use a leaning pole with a beslisle 330 mag and half a beaver hanging on the end but I would like to put a foothold trap under the beaver for lynk or wolverine so any suggestions for a lynk trap that will hold a wolverine too? I'm considering the MB650, bridger #3 4coil, Montana #3 special 4coil, and sleepy creek #4 longspring..................
I haven't taken the time to read all the posts on this thread, but do most people replace the stock chain on 280's and 33o's with heavier kinkless chain and swivels when trapping wolverine with these body grippers or is this not necessary?
Read all the links on this thread, you have to go out and buy turpentine for bait. make cubbies out of beaver and use your coowie to insult your wife. Either do or do not there is no try; you have much to learn you Padawan
Waggler a warning of using such chain was on here years ago and I neglected to take it. I had caught a number of wolverine in 330's and had no problem, but this female proved me a fool. Luckily she expired about the same time the chain failed and she dropped just to stay put. Thank goodness. I cable everything now.
I use cable on 330's and sometimes on footholds in addition to the chain. I use strictly mb750 anymore on any critter that size. The 650 will hold the cat for sure and the wolverine but it's getting pretty marginal for jaw spread. I would only use the Victor 4's or the 14's if there was no other choice. I had all of my 14's destroyed by wolverines.
I also cable all 330's, and heavy chain on all large traps, with grande' swivels. As to the #14, I have only seen one that was destroyed by an animal. If he wants to post a picture, it's pretty impressive.
This trap had a wolverine in it when a brown bear happened upon its bedtime snack. I had the 10x10" square of hide sealed as a take. Moyles tans hides at a rate based on the salted weight of the piece sent. W17, I have to wonder if the reason your 14OV's were destroyed might be due to your colder temps making the cast jaws brittle? I have yet to have a wolverine defeat this trap, although I do a bit of modifications to them. I will keep using them until proven otherwise.
Pans were part # PIT-BL4 and dogs were MY-18C. I like how the spring pushes the pan up on the paw reducing the room for chewing. They still remove dogs even though I spot welded them. I also use the 78# PIT shock spring on the first 8" of chain. I know the MB750 is turn key right out of the box. I dislike the trigger system too much to use them. I sold all of mine last year.
For trappers who have mb 750 and do not like the trigger system I bought a set of Dave Sheldon's setters for 750 and they take the fear out of setting them good investment. Good man to deal with.
For trappers who have mb 750 and do not like the trigger system I bought a set of Dave Sheldon's setters for 750 and they take the fear out of setting them good investment. Good man to deal with.
For trappers who have mb 750 and do not like the trigger system I bought a set of Dave Sheldon's setters for 750 and they take the fear out of setting them good investment. Good man to deal with.
Are they like the one handed 650 setters? Wish MTP made a set of those for the 750's, sure make's setting a 650 a lot easier
davidfsheldonjr@gmail.com Vance is his pm David Sheldon Jr is his name once you pull them over you can hold the trap open with one hand while you set with the other
I have a couple questions...how far apart do you place your wolverine sets? Every 5 miles, or only set where tracks are present? Trying to figure out a line this season.
Also do you set where a north wind blows across a river bed? I can not run the river here, but I am trying to decide north side/south side.
Jim Almost invariably where I put in a set there's another one that's a bit different with another type of lure or bait on it. Trail sets for wolf in between sets and crossovers. Lots of snare's around sets for wolverine,lot's of Lynx lately, lynx carcass for bait works great for everything. I shot this fellow on the ice in front of our house! Jim
I only set where I see tracks or have seen tracks in past years. As far as whether to set the north or south side it would depend ONLY on where the tracks are. For me. But, if you can only travel one side of the river I would choose the up wind side if you have a prevailing wind direction. The trouble is, a guy never knows which way these guys will be coming from but they will use and reuse the same route year after year. So if you see tracks in a spot one year or make a catch in a spot one year, chances are that wolverines will use that same route or spot in future years.
Congratis ....Nice one sully ! Would you say that one is a juvenile or adult?
Is there a preference for cable size in relation to securing a 330? ..specifically 7 strand or 19 strand.......what seems to withstand the "barrel rolls" The best???
Thanks everyone for your comments. I'm out here in SW part of the state. Rivers bottoms are the only places with any brush. Tundra is bare. Gonna try setting upwind of the trees, so my lure will cover better.
This is a wolverine me and Samuel snared a couple years ago. I bought commercial wolf snares and they had stoppers on them to keep you from catching non target animals. The snarecould not get small enough to choke out the wolverine so he was recently caught and still full of energy. Had to shoot him we were going hunting caribou and no one had a 22 Samuel shot him with 270. Made a big hole, but in the head. Sold it for local use so it worked out. Any one else have photos of wolverine in snares?
I built a log cubby like this and left it on a hill for the summer to become natural. A grizzly bear ripped it apart.
Originally Posted By: white17
I think many wolverines may have been smacked by a 120 if they are in an area where people are making sets on the ground. Small diameter pole sets discourage most wolverines from investigating marten sets too closely. I also think that the more different traplines a wolverine encounters, the better his chances for being educated. Most people are too lazy to approach it correctly, IMO.
I would disagree about snares and footholds having a high failure rate if a guy uses the proper hardware and thinks about what he's doing.
I can honestly say that the last wolverine I lost from a foothold was in 1993. It was from a #3 victor in a cat set. It was plenty of trap for a cat, but not gulo, and my mistake was not anticipating his arrival.
The last snared gulo I lost was about 1998. It was from one of my snare poles and he got his back feet on the ground and twisted until the cable broke. I should have realized the set was too low. Now I know.
I do agree with him that a myth has grown up around these animals. But it isn't because they are smart or cunning or magical. It's because we are lazy and don't think through all the possibilities.
This is a wolverine me and Samuel snared a couple years ago. I bought commercial wolf snares and they had stoppers on them to keep you from catching non target animals. The snarecould not get small enough to choke out the wolverine so he was recently caught and still full of energy. Had to shoot him we were going hunting caribou and no one had a 22 Samuel shot him with 270. Made a big hole, but in the head. Sold it for local use so it worked out. Any one else have photos of wolverine in snares?
Woulda been a perfect candidate for the paper bag!
I just had one run all over the line I'm tinkering with, perfect timing for the thread...shame I had to pull for a couple weeks! Looked like he's following the bou around I reckon looking for wolf kills?
I remember I think it was in Guloboys presentation that they anchored a 330 with left over grader blades? Was surprising how far it drug that thing. I think a used regular blade is what 65-70lbs? chipper teeth is a bit lighter....butter blades are lighter yet.
I've mentioned the research project I'm involved with. So far five wolverines collared. Three females and two males. What do you think average weights for female and male is? small sample with only five wolverines but interesting. Two of the gulos were aggressive in traps while others were more passive. One would not come out of open trap until researchers left
I've mentioned the research project I'm involved with. So far five wolverines collared. Three females and two males. What do you think average weights for female and male is?
It's been many years since I had a line with wolverine on it, but if my recollection is any good I would say about 25 Lbs for females up to about 30 lbs and for males 35 to 40 lbs.They actually look heavier than they actually are.
You just get a heavy paper bag and grab the live wolverine in a leg scissors and choke hold,and slip the paper bag over his head-then he calms right down and you cut off his air with the paper bag until he expires.There is pics of it on here somewhere.No fur damage with that method.
In this case there are three females and two males. The females were heavier than the males, which is not typical. The females were 33 lbs.- 34.1 - 20 lbs. the males were 31lbs & 32 pounds. I suspect the dominant male will be captured sooner than later and will be much heavier.
I got message on Youtube from my buddy rjmcleod21 he says I made a mistake on my post here when I said he got 4 or 5 wolves following trail of leaking Jet B. He said he got 7 wolves that day. I beleive him if he says he got 7 but my picture only shows 5. [img:center][/img] I know this wolverine thread but this came out of the bait section. Hope this makes RJ happy check out his youtube channel he has really been hammering the fur this season.
That is indeed a split ring. I lent a few 650's to a friend, and he added that to reach an anchor point, I'm told. I do NOT use those rings. You can see where that wolverine got wrapped up with the chain I have on my the trap, thus taking what I would assume to be quite a bit of the "load" off the ring. I would think that the first few minutes after connecting with the gulo, the ring got a workout, though. You will also see several crunch-proof swivels. One at the trap, another about a foot from the trap, and a third about 4-5 feet from the trap. All are welded shut and connected to #5 chain.
I've used those split rings and have no problem using them in the future. Never lost a wolverine when it was in a foothold w/a split ring. I've seen pics of them beig stretched out, but i've never had it happen to me.
A 54# gulo!! Wow. I was wondering what sized wolf would you "wolverine" guys say that this is on par with? A 120? Bigger? I haven't handled any gulo's so no personal experience, but I don't recall reading about that many in this range.
Any of you Alaskan trappers get any wolverine that weigh 50+ This one was shot with 22 magnum at Blow River just off the Arctic Ocean. One of my 3 biggest so far!
I've only ever weighed one, which was 54 pounds. I don't think catching a few big wolverine qualifies me to have my own show. From the skeptical tone of your post I take it you've never seen a big wolverine before. Maybe big wolverines and white wolverines are more common over here! The one in the picture was taken near the Arctic Ocean where there is evidence of wolverine eating seals as well as the whale carcasses that wash up on shore. I shot one while polar bear hunting that was 8 miles out on the frozen ocean. Just because you haven't seen one that heavy it doesn't mean they don't exist.
No dead polar bear pictures yet! I can't get my own tag, I've just followed along with some friends from my hometown of Aklavik and we didn't connect! To me it doesn't matter the weight of any wolverine I get because I'm thankful for them all. I just wanted to share a picture from back in the days of lower resolution cameras!
I've used those split rings and have no problem using them in the future. Never lost a wolverine when it was in a foothold w/a split ring. I've seen pics of them beig stretched out, but i've never had it happen to me.
Pretty sure I would trust them too on a wolverine, they are strong for their size but really not that big of critters. My real question though is they seem so much less convenient then the threaded quick links. I guess people use them because they are cheaper or is there another reason? We just use the quick links on everything.
I've used those split rings and have no problem using them in the future. Never lost a wolverine when it was in a foothold w/a split ring. I've seen pics of them beig stretched out, but i've never had it happen to me.
Pretty sure I would trust them too on a wolverine, they are strong for their size but really not that big of critters. My real question though is they seem so much less convenient then the threaded quick links. I guess people use them because they are cheaper or is there another reason? We just use the quick links on everything.
Cheaper was the reason I did it, and I was SUPER PISSSED one time when I forgot my plyers to get a quick link off, and the split rings relieve that problem...however, price was my ONLY reason for going that way.
I'm with Ryan regarding the weight of wolverines along that arctic coast. The further north you go the bigger the animal, and where Ryan is located is about the last stop before santa's. I've seen wolverines at my taxi's from coppermine an honest 50 lbs, and they looked it.
Ryan you might also add to your comment that on the Arctic Ocean there is probably 1 trapper every 100km maybe if it is a nice April day. That gulo you shot 8 miles out was it following polar bear tracks? Edward wants to hunt a moose trying to talk him into going to Running River to hunt a moose that actually tastes good. When you leave for Old Crow?
Old crow is cancelled! The wolverine I shot 8miles out just popped out of rough ice, there was grizzly tracks around that patch of ice too so we figured there might of been a whale carcass frozen into the ice! Shot the grizzly the next day!
