Trapping the Mackenzie Delta

My son is busy researching new gear this morning. I have eight sets going so far and have caught five fox so far. Missed a couple easy shots at lynx too. Like so close Ray Charles could've hit them. Looking forward to another good season and hoping everyone enjoys the journal this year...

More to come...

looks like hes saying that one dad ..that's the gun I want LoL

what a happy guy that's the best pic ever .....hows ur weather ryan any sign of long fur getting prime ...waiting for cold weather here is driving me nuts im thinking early fur is going to sell poor at best this year but that's jus my guess .keep the journal comin ..good luck this year

One things for sure Ryan, he looks like one happy little fella who can be a hand full. I agree it looks like he is telling you which gun he wants. I also am looking forward to your journal.
Allan

Foxes are piling up again. Picked up one lynx in a fox set and to secure some quality bait I set a couple beaver traps.

My kids watching me skin my first under ice beaver last night. I usually try to shoot some before freeze up but I didn't get the chance this fall. I'll be running the beaver traps until I get enough bait then it's long line time which I can't wait for. My trap order is on it's way too. Mostly Martin and wolf gear and little stuff like aluminum tacks and some bulk havalon blades. Stay safe and good luck on the line.

that black fox is really nice one

Long fur is looking good saskamusher. It's really improved noticeably this past week. First cold spell hit last night so the fox should be looking great before long. A question for you beaver guys, do conibear traps always leave a visible mark on the beaver hides? Almost looks freeze dried where the trap struck. Just heading out to tend the town traps, hoping for the best!

Hey isn't family trapper the leading authority on rotating pictures?

Congrats on the fox! That is a pretty silver! As for the mark, was it fully submerged? I've had critters with that mark when it is really cold and they are exposed.

It's fairly common to get a conibear mark, seems to be more prevalent with magnum traps IMHO.

Not sure about that but I was able to geturdone!! And threw in a little adjustment to the fox as well.
Cool to see all three color phases there. Is that common? Almost like Kodiak.
l

hope it stays cold for u ryan and fur gets heavy . as others said the big magnum traps leave a mark it seams to squeeze all blood and fluids out of the spot where trap hit leaveing just white leather and see as the heart is no longer pumping it isn't replaced when trap is taken off so it stays white . I never heard of it being a down grade unless buyers are looking for excuse to down grade ur fur to buy it cheep .

Nice! Good luck with the rest of your season.

congrats ryan looks like a good start.

They look well furred allright,great start.

I got that triple to start the season as well, silver,red and cross! Here's to good omens!

Nice - A grand slam of fox

Ryan what type of set up you use to catch that beaver?

Nope. Missing a Samson fox.

The first fox I ever caught was a Samson. I've not caught one since, and it's been 35+ years.

I've caught Samson fox before. Are they worth anything? Muskrat- I caught it in a 330 about 2-3 feet from the lodge entrance with sticks placed to funnel him into the trap. The silver and the red in the picture were a double. The cross was first to be picked up that night.
Running out of room on my trailer...

Family trapper- yes the three color phases are common up here. Throw in the little white arctic fox too for a nice occasional surprise.

HFT- the beav was fully submerged. I cleaned skinned it and the castors are drying in my furnace room. Tiny house so I'm thinking there isn't a whole lot of beavers in there. I found another house about five minutes drive from my house that looks like it might hold lots of beavers. The new house is about 7-8 feet high. The only way I found the first house is by finding the air vent with the feed pile out front.

Been thinking about that after reading what graydog and saskamusher wrote, makes more sense to me now. Sounds like that new house will produce for you! Hope you connect with a few more!

I got a Samson a few years ago, felt sorry for the dang thing and let it go. In hind sight I should have taken it out of the gene pool. I wouldn't think you'd get much for one if you could find a buyer.

Beaver always have those marks on them from conibear the smaller beaver really have them. There is no fat where the trap hits.

Here is a hat I made for my daughter out of a Sampson red,quite a few years ago.
I caught 3 sampsons that year.

The two Samson foxes I caught in the past had zero (0) guard hair on them. Looked exactly like a fox in fleece one piece underwear. Looked more like a cat than a dog and if I remember correctly they had slightly thicker leather. They went to auction so I can probably look up what they went for.

My Lowest price for fox at the auction the Sampson fox was at was $46. Someone must've thought it looked nice

Because they have no guard hair,they are soft like a sheared beaver.

I sold the Samson red for $25 in '78 or '79 when a typical Alaskan red was selling for $100+, if I remember correctly. One of the coolest fox furs I've ever seen was a Samson cross. It was a uniform cream color except for a distinct chocolate colored cross about an inch to two inches wide running from elbow to elbow, and from between the ears to about mid-tail.

Second beaver from the same trap. Picked up a lynx too but the picture is blurry. I missed two lynx and two fox but I'm happy with a beaver and lynx. Lynx looks pretty good compared to the first one I got.

Don't know why all my pictures are getting posted sideways.

Turn your camera 90 degrees. That should do it.

The one sampson I caught in western AK looked more like a fox colored poodle than anything else. Got $10 for that one from Goldberg in '81

Akroper- if it was that easy I'd have done it already.

Just giving you a hard time. Actually I'm jealous. I haven't figured out how to post pictures, sideways or other ways.

Sounds like the hard time I usually give people! I've never had the sideways picture problem before. Got to start using my camera instead of I phone.

That was a nice dark beaver. Your nearly caught up to me on beaver. I better get the rag out.

Nice picture taken at Aklaviks community char harvest in October.


I took the kids out this past weekend and decided my Nephew has to start watching less and doing more. Here he is with my daughter setting a trail set.
Later on Morgan got cold and Rylan and I finished the day with this nice cross fox from the very last trap.



Here is some pictures I took during the community char harvest of an unusually colored wolverine shot by muskrat411's son Samuel. Very nice white feet and chest markings on this one.

In have start taking stills. My golu is only on video, maybe I will take some pics of the hide.
Congrats to your family on a hard fought victory tonight. The young feller made a race out of it.

thanks for the great pics,good to see you getting the kids involved.

Cool gulo!

Awesome wolverine!!

Nice!

Finally made my trails out to the cabin on Tuesday. The mighty Mackenzie river had two open holes and a lot more piled up ice than most years. The good news is that the wolves and lynx are around. I set two 330s for the wolverine that looks to be living around the cabin. One of those pole between two trees with hanging bait in the middle deals. I'm at home with my two juniors watching cartoons. Within the next 3-4 hours I'll most likely be fully loaded and on my way out for the weekend. Lots of snares, 330s and a couple dozen #3s and 750s. The bad news is the rivers have overflow now. Hopefully all goes well and my line produces this year. With the distance I will be be travelling and the work involved i would say now is a fitting time to say here we go again, no more of this cushy town/road trapping in a warm truck for me! (Well less town trapping anyway)

Good luck and be safe this season Ryan. Looking forward to following your season

Good luck be safe out there Ryan

Yep be SAFE! But more importantly, have a dang good time!

You can't get a better quality bait than lynx meat !! Even beaver takes a back seat. I have had foxes waiting in line to get caught at a whole lynx carcass.....minus the back straps for me.

Had a good weekend at the camp. Didn't set as many traps as I would've liked to but the ones I did set are on good sign in sheltered spots. I had one set of fresh wolverine tracks running on my trail yesterday so it's good to know they are out there. Shoveled the roof on my cabin and banked the bottom logs. Can't wait to get back out there to check on my sets and get more traps out. Oh yeah I found a buried log and put a hole in my boggan. Got stuck in overflow too but that's expected from time to time. Luckily the water was shallow.

I'll start taking some pictures next trip out!!

Good to hear it was a productive trip! You going to be able to repair the boggun?

I got a fox an mink over the weekend. Mink from lynx trap end of the MR and Fox from snare at the Moose guts. Margo and Sam checked them I'm still stuck in Inuvik with my finger.

HFT- the boggan can be repaired fairly easily. It belonged to my dad so telling him was probably harder than it will be to fix it. Luckily he bought it at a gov surplus sale for $20. Sure got $20 use out of it. I used that sled all last season but it was the first trip out for the sled this year.

Merry Christmas Ryan
From the Gwich'in harvesters assistance program!
I scored 4 12 inch and 4 8 inch savageaus plus 16 Martin stretchers last week Too by being at the right place at the right time.

How do you set up your fox setups?

Sonny- I just set regular cubby sets similar to a lynx cubby but smaller. Bait and stepping sticks crossed in front of and behind the trap. Blind traps in high traffic spots do well too with a small amount of blocking to guide them in.

I finally caught a lynx from a family group last night. They were hanging around where I had beaver traps since the season started and finally one got caught. I put snares and blind traps out for the rest who are probably milling around the area. Been getting ready all day to check my traps at the camp and set more. Feeling excited to have a look and get more sets out. Pretty cold out though.

I woke up this morning expecting to be forced to drink instant coffee. I got to the cupboard and lo and behold my girlfriend bought McCafe for the keurig. Hallelujah! Just waiting for fiona to get home from work and then I'm off to the trapline. I think my 14 month old future partner is getting tired of me asking "think daddy has a wolverine today?" Hopefully I do have one waiting. I know not to get your hopes to high otherwise it will be more of a let down if you get there and see an empty trap. My goal for this trip is to get about forty more snares and #3s out. Good luck this weekend young fellers!

Good luck Ryan be safe out there.

He failed to mention it was -37 straight up yesterday afternoon. Hard as nails this guy ah? Hope your gear didnt freeze up pal. I got two LED bars for my skandic, if it warms up next week you should let me follow you around!
km

Got back before. I don't have internet at home right now so I can't put up all the pictures until tomorrow. This is the end result though. Got a big lynx too.

Sweet! Can't wait to hear the story and see the pic's! Congrats!

Be carefull skinning lots of power in wolverine blood.

All this week I couldn't wait to go check my few traps I had set out by my camp. I didn't have very many to check but with the wolverine sign from last weekend I knew I had a decent chance of snagging one.
I was all set to leave this past Thursday at 1 pm but on my way out the door my furnace quit. 4 hours later I was on my way knowing the family would be warm while I was away. The 65 miles I traveled was pretty cold and instead of checking traps I went directly to my cabin, made a fire and then went to see my traps.

This is the first trap I looked at. I figured I would go to the furthest trap and look at them on my way back to my warm cabin. Pulling away I was thinking "Right on I got him" Well either that or a porcupine!
Seeing that my line usually produces 1 or none on wolverine I didn't expect much more that dark night besides maybe a couple fox or lynx.
A lot of fresh snow erased all recent animal track. Walking up the steep bank to my very next trap I heard a faint jingle of trap chain and a low growl. I first seen the glowing eyes and knew it was another gulo! This big male left a typical wolverine bomb crater and wasn't very happy to see me at all. I could see I had him by one toe so I didn't waste any time and quickly put him down.

Running the rest of my short line I managed to pick up one jumbo lynx too.

I went back to my first trap and had a better look at the nice female that was frozen solid.


Back at camp I took a few pictures and couldn't wait to start skinning the thawed male.

I like the color on this one.

Mouse damage that most would be mad about but since they will both be used for sewing I couldn't care less.

First time my cabin seen two wolverines at the same time since I inherited it.

I seen big fresh tracks the next day so I can;t wait to see if I pick him up next trip out. I put out 15 more sets in that area.

Good job Ryan. Nice run and a beautiful light diamond on the female. Those firsts at the cabin are always memorable

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Wow - nice run on the trap line!

Nice catches!

Nice job ryan nice looking gulos be safe out there.

Awesome!

EXCELLENT! That male looks large! And as for that tiny nick on the ear, that wouldn't ding you on a taxi sale, IMHO. Keep the luck rolling! Sure wish plastic would work, here. No takers for me, or others I know in these parts, ever. Gave up after 5 years, or so.

nice catch Ryan, That female has a beauty of a diamond on it

Nice haul! Nothing like a two-fur! And nice lynx.

Nice! I love the smell of wolverine. Good job. I like your OSB cubbie boxes.

Inupiaq- that's 3/4 inch plywood that someone threw away. They are super heavy but when they get set they stay. Usually haul them up above high water line and leave from year to year. I've used osb before with success but like it's been said on here the animals like chewing on that stuff.

Alaska Viking- same.
I haven't caught anything in a milk crate either.

If you can find a piece of old lexan its good to screw it to the back of the cubby box that way the wolverine can see through. Plus your bait is lit better.

Muskrat- i froze my bait into the box. Since wolverine arch their back when they pull at stuff I set my triggers high and wide facing the back of the box. That's the result with the catch behind the front arms. I'm going to keep setting my triggers like that for now and see if it's consistent. Never tried lexan before.

You saw my box at John Martin it had a lexan back. Caught a wolverine in it. Your trigger set up sounds well thought out. I just leave mine as they are.
But come to think of it those wolves you shot looked through there and moved on, so maybe it is poor trigger placement.

Frustrating day on the trapline yesterday! I started out early and set three 750s on thick wolf sign, that will be nice to see what happens there. I was expecting about 4-5 lynx but instead I had tracks at 21 traps and one lynx caught. HWGA! I think some checks will be great but still frustrating to see so much tracks and so few catches. It seems like the rabbits are plentiful so I think the animals would rather eat a warm bunny than a frozen chunk of meat. Next trip out makes sense to set snares and trail sets so I can catch whether the animals are hungry or not. Coming home I seen tracks where a big wolverine came down off the bank and started following my trail. I sped up, the tracks started running hard. I came around a corner and see where he left the trail and ran straight across the big river. I unhooked my sled and shined my lights out into the piled ice. I could see the sunuvagun running about 400 yards out!! The far 1/4 of the river was smooth so I figured this might work out. I made my way through the rough ice way slower than I would've liked and got to the smooth ice where I pinned it towards the monster gulo who had snow flying behind his big snowshoes. I closed the gap to about 120 yards but ran out of shooting time. He was hitting the willows as I pulled my gun off!! What could I do? If I had daylight I would've got him, if the ice froze smooth I would've got him, something as simple as leaving my camp 1/2 minute earlier could've made the difference!! Oh well, had a smoke and started home again. That's when my rear shock froze and I had to low ride all the rest of the way. Couldn't budge it. I pull up outside my house cold, damp and hungry. I Park my skidoo and while I'm still sitting on it..... Donk!!!! The shock frees and I'm sitting high again.

I can't wait to go again!!

Haha! I know exactly what your talking about with all the walk by's! Yep very frustrating but there will be that day when everything clicks! Hopefully you'll connect with that wolverine later this season. That's for sharing the story!

I thought about the possibility of seeing an animal in rough ice so I was going to carry my 270 and have my22 mag for backup. Next time I will have my rifle. I'm sure I would've got him with one of my scoped rifles.

One lynx you're in the big time. I got three traps and one snare on mountain road, If I can get 1 anything I'm doing real good. Might haul a load of wood to John Martin on the weekend for you.

Load of wood for wolf hunting would be awesome.

Went for a late load of wood for my house got 1 mink on the way.

Checked traps yesterday. Came home with 3 lynx and one beauty of a cross fox. Best sign of the trip? I have wolves on my line. Put out a couple surprises for them. One small set of wolverine tracks. Hmmm, got slapped by a 330 luckily the safeties were on but still got a pretty nice slap. My son is going out for ear surgery today so it's just me and my girl at home this week. Good time to have a fur skinning marathon.

I got a wolverine at my moose guts on Saturday and one black wolf got away. Might start trapping lynx on the weekend, Sam brought some caribou home so lots of fur for bait with a drop of Hot (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) should be sucking them in for miles.

I was going to put up some new pictures but my memory stick is corrupted. Just came home with the 6th, 7th and 8th lynx out of a family bunch that's been around my town traps. Caught another yesterday but it was eaten. Cant wait to see my camp traps.

Good on the wolverine but bad on the wolf muskrat. That's one more that I might see when I get out to my happy wolf hunting grounds.
You shot the wolverine or trapped it?

Fantastic journal, Ryan. I feel like I'm right there with you. Here in Pennsylvania we are allowed one bobcat and one fisher, in very short seasons, plus unlimited fox, coyote, raccoon etc. I'm heading to our family cabin to get the traps ready for the fishers and bobcats. We have no snow up north, very strange this time of year. Wondering what it'll do to our trapping. Stay warm and stay safe.

Lynx activity has been picking up this week. Its really great to be catching and it sure makes me want to set more and give it more effort. Had a marathon skinning session these past couple days. I did 19 lynx, 6 fox and a wolf. 8 more lynx going on stretchers tonight, flip tomorrow and off to my camp for a couple days of setting and wood hauling.
A couple pictures that I recovered from my corrupted memory stick.




Remember that snare my nephew and daughter set?
Got 3 lynx out of it so far!


I really like this picture. The good old trap/snare combo.


My style of a bucket set that I've been using for a few years now. The 330 is sitting on a flat piece of driftwood and the bucket has two forked sticks on opposite sides and then buried to keep the set rock solid. Brushed in so much that the trap is barely visible. Its been working well on foxes but just one wolverine with this set so far.


These are a couple picture of me this fall doing what I have to to pay the bills. Super hard unenjoyable work. Awful scenery to boot.

Your doing awesome! Congrats on the fur and thanks for sharing!

those Char or dollies?

nice pics!

well done ,you are living the life Ryan.

Thanks fellers. The fish are dolly varden char from the rat river. Yes the same rat river made famous by one Albert Johnson.

Great pics and awesome lynx catches.
Show us a pic of your fur when put up,love to see it.

I didn't take any pics of the first batch that I sold yesterday. Eight lynx and a wolf. I'll take a picture later of the next eight. I'm sure you can all guess that I have eight stretchers to use right now. I should've took a shot of me and the biggest lynx so far this year. Probably top 10 for size that I've ever caught. And no bugs!! Promaxx makes a wicked effective flea killer.

Every time I do fur they end up looking over my shoulder. Morgan does some skinning this year.


How I do my lynx. The leg veins are easily pulled off and I will scrape that remaining fat with a spoon knife ulu whatever I feel like using.

His big sister used to fall asleep watching me work with fur too.

Awesome, Ryan

Sold another batch today. Forgot to take a picture with the whole works but I did get this pucture of a big lynx. It's the one I picked on the two wolverine check. Eight days of skinning and two hours to spend it all. Merry Christmas !!!

Thank you Ryan for giving us a glimpse into your life on your line as well as the chance to watch your kids grow up. Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.
Allan

Good deal! Thanks for sharing, and have a safe and happy Xmas!

Merry Christmas to yourself and family.

Trapping luck is still holding out for lynx. Got some new wolf packs peeing on everything they can. Seems like two packs are competing for territory with my home river as a boundary. Set out 5 boiled traps on pee posts and moved some frozen pee to a area where a loner has been hanging around. Got a broken cross member on the rear suspension to fix tonight. Still loving trapping and not feeling one bit lazy out on the line. I dropped 19 pounds since trapping started with all the climbing steep banks and walking. Broke through thin ice in a creek the other day but luckily I had some speed going and stayed on top, loaded sled and all. My friend Patrick picked up two wolves on his last check. One in a 750 and the other in a 1.5 coil spring. Don't know how he does it but last year he held one in a1.5 long spring better known in the delta as a rat trap! His 5 year old son goes everywhere with him now and he was there to see wolves caught in one spot too. Checking traps in -51 was fun the other day. I was told to stay home but trap checking is a responsibility that comes with trapping. I'm not one of those guys that can sit and wait for weather to improve. Animals are caught, I'm going to go no matter the weather.

Patricks catch that lucky day. One of the fluffiest delta wolves I've ever seen.

My order came in a box of #5 Budgets some #3 Onieda and a bunch of snares. Along with some 330s and 280s.

Good job Ryan, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Have fun and be safe.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all!

I've never seen my son so interested in something. He would rather play with a small ratchet and an old idler wheel than all his new toys. Proud dad to see that today.

Light bulb burnt out right before we finished if you were wondering about the headlight in the dark porch mechanics.

Same to you buddy. I asked Santa for a couple #9s but I guess Im not on the list. I'll get a hold of you once I start work in the new year.

Howdy. Trap checking day has finally come. Soon as Fiona's home from work I'll be on my way. I've got a new line set that caught 3 lynx out of six traps last trip. Now that line has about 20 traps to look at. 2016 has been great so far and I've managed to pick up 13 lynx so far. Hopefully get some good pictures today and post them in the next couple days.

Good luck!

Ryan when do the wolves in your area begin mating and do you see an increase in catches when that starts ?

I think wolves start mating soon. Usually get some big males in traps around end of February. It does seem to pick up during mating I guess because the wolves are scent marking their intentions and getting caught more often. I missed one wolf yesterday. It snapped a pee post trap. Picked up one lynx in the first 3/4 of my line. Wasn't looking too good but the last four traps on a row made my trip each holding a fluffy cat. Got a mink too. The old 700 Polaris ran fine after a rebuild and sitting for three years.

Busy skinning lately. Last trip to traps was eventful. Seen a wolverine and two wolves but it's hard to get them in the delta unless you catch them in the middle of a big lake or river. No chance for a shot so I say at least I got to see them.

Brought this batch in before to keep me busy this weekend. The wolves I seen last trip freshened their scent posts without stepping on the traps so hopefully they are more comfortable and one or a couple make a mistake and step in the right spot.

Took my son on his first trap checking trip during some recent warm weather. Didn't catch anything but he was smiling the whole time.

Morgan led the way on our walk with her 4 years of trapping experience. It's going to be fun watching these two kids as they get older and have some friendly competition snaring lynx on snowshoes. That's what I look forward to.

The kids will be on snowshoes, not the lynx.

Ryan awesome. So cool to see you getting those kids out.
It was a priority as a father to always take my kids if possible.
Here is a few tips.
You can not find a little kids pair of boots that will keep them warm in really cold temps. Start putting those furs to work for you.
Make some kids mukluks. Good first project. A lot easier than a hat. I came up with a very simple pattern for the most part. Nothing fancy but very very functionals.

What are you using for bottoms? I sent my beaver out today now I will have to trap a few kits. You mentioned a pattern? Looks like those could keep the grandsons feet warm. You have beaver liners inside as well?

Wow! Those are cool, F.T.!

Ryan: Edward checked my traps in John Martin today on his way back from Head of Willow. One wolverine ripped the back off my plywood box and took my bait. I think I'm going to pull out of there. More fur in 1st Creek. Plus I'm trying to run a line along that Husky cut line. I'm as far as Black Mountain Creek. Hopefully eventually make it as far as Lobstick Creek and run into son tutu or vidziaa for that side I suppose.

Almost forgot Edward said he saw tracks of a wolf pack otherwise of JM canyon. He said there tracks spelled out kneck shot. Just kidding about that last part.

There was a product called Sole Saver. Used to be at Black Elk in Anch. An old guy on the east coast made it. Fantastic stuff. Went on like cake frosting. But he died and you can't get it anymore that I know of.
I have a gallon that I saved. Some day I will make my own custom otter mukluks. I have everything I need except the time. All my own tanned otter etc.
My first pair I put otter fur on the bottoms. I then put some rivets in them with the numbs out for traction. They worked okay but slippery still on snow.

The second one was better. I made the sole out of otter and turned fur inside. Then coated the leather with sole saver. I made a 1 inch strip vertical around the outside perimeter of mukluk. Coated this too. My mistake was I ended the sole saver at the joint. And that is where they failed after a few years of hard use. I would now shave the leather up past the joint now and coat that too. They take a lot of abuse. I used chrome tanned leather and it held up well. But the seam is too important not to keep guarded.
I used a full felt insole as the pattern out of material. Then inserted the full felt insole inside to give additional insulation and some stiffness. They don't have to be exact as kids are growing. Make them bigger.
I just left an opening in the back big enough to accommodate getting the foot in and then closed up with ties. I think this one thing was responsible for taking my kids out in the cold more than anything. Just hard little insulate feet with new plastic boots. I put a flat felt insole on the bottom. Then a full felt insole in side.

My son and I are talking about making two pair as a project together when life slow down a little bit. I have some nearly knee high felt insoles waiting.

Ayakulik turned me on to another cool option for soles he found that I want to try. Using 3M 5200 chalking for the bottom. Anyone that has been around the marine boats knows this stuff.
Really pursuing mukluks is something that is really hampered due to "What to do with for soles?" problem.
This could be the new answer. Who is going to be the first to try it?
https://lostcreekadventures.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/repairing-steger-and-other-mukluk-soles/

Another fantastic use for 5200 FT. Looks like it works well too. I wonder if anyone has tried a rubber traction coating, like Rhino Lining? It seems like doing a seal coat with 5200, like he did, then a grip coat with Rhino Lining (or equivalent) would be very durable with great traction.

I have used 5200 to patch hip boots and Extratuffs. Works great.

Ive always wanted a pair with hardend seal skin soles. The girls in our village sew them for the little ones and there beautiful.

Nice pile of lynx! Does your family make anything with the fur? Or do you just sell them dried? Good luck with the wolf sets.

I mostly sell them dried but I've been selling them with feet and skull left in to a buddy of mine these past couple years. He mostly buys in January. Haven't really sewed anything but I have some nice lynx bellies that I salvaged from lynx that were eaten in snares. It's the back legs that mostly get damaged. Me and Fiona have quite a few furs that we put aside for sewing, just haven't started yet.

Fiona's into beading but I know she's got fur projects in mind.


On another note... Got this and five lynx today. Clubbed a weasel in my Grandparents smokehouse when I was grabbing bait this morning too.

Wow! Beautiful work there. I showed the pics to my wife, and she said she would only be able to wear those beauties to church.

Is that wolverine sporting a bluish diamond, or just the picture?

Av- the wolverine has some silver color in the fur. Not so much blue but with the lighting it shows up like bluish.
Trapper tom- sounds like yer wife needs a pair of church shoes. I'll bet there isn't many if any of these beaded slippers in Pennsylvania.

Here's the slippers she made for me and the ones she made for herself and Morgan. The first ones I posted were for a customer.
Everything all set to start skinning the ten lynx I brought in and the five fresh ones from yesterday. Pepsi and coffee are stocked, and season seven of sons of anarchy is ready to play as I skin.

Len- the kids mukluks you posted are awesome. Look very warm. I have two beaver hides from this fall that could end up looking like that.

Incredibly beautiful

How many Golu is that now? I got as manny weasels as you this weekend but only two lync,the golu took another one for himself. Edward got a nice sheep up Semple Creek. Man did the willows ever grow up in that creek.

We're tied again in the gulo department. You still like lexan back on your coni boxes after the wolverine ripped them off. Try putting a box with no trap until he's confortable going in to grab bait. Just be sure to write Acme Wolverine box on the side. Then rub your hands together and say " Ian McLeod...Suuuuper genious" Just like wiley coyote.

It was a different box all lumber that one. If I weren't going to pull those up I would use a bucket in its place. Cover it with snow. But Im giving up on john Martin for this year I might try Canoe lake for fishing. 1st creek more animals and closer less rough.

very nice beadwork.

My journal is pretty poor in the picture department since I can't upload at my house. I'm over at my Mom's right now so here's a few pictures from my recent travels.














Too tired to describe every picture but this is one of the bigger lynx this year. He's missing the entire cartilage in one ear and check out his cool scarred eye!
Was cool to borrow my Grandpa's DLS traps, the original 7 I started my trapping adventures with.

Size 11 for scale.





[img:gal:4011556a58f8047ae6]http://www.trapperman.com/forum/attachments/usergals/2016/01/full-40115-315786-20.jpg[/img]

This wolverine came down off the high bank and went directly to the trap without taking one step to either side. Just B-lined'r for the old beaver skull with 4 " of backbone attached. Most wolverines I catch mess with me for a bit but this year so far none have. Also a few pictures of backlogged fur that I have been busy skinning and some finished furs. Now to check town traps and start skinning the 10 lynx and 4 mink in my porch at home. Hope you all enjoy the pictures and since I didn't do much of a write up feel free to ask anything.

Here's the one that didn't upload the first time.

Nice haul Ryan and nice looking pelts.
You must have a good population of cats and fox too.Do you snare rabbits too?
Any marten?

Thanks again for sharing your trap line with us, those slippers look nice and warm, and the bead work is some of the nicest I've seen in ages.
Do you get many cross fox and those lynx and wolverine and quite a sight something that isn't around this part of Montana.
I can't wait to see how well your kids do when they are old enough to start their own trap lines.
Stay Safe out there.
Allan

Seems to be more cats around this year Boco. I usually set snares when family or friends ask for bunnies to eat. More of a "Choot'em" kind of guy when it comes to putting rabbits on the plate.
There are some areas with high marten populations but where I trap there are some but not a lot. I'll be looking at starting to set for marten next year. The thing with me is that I really like trapping lynx and often don't set for other animals that can really increase my fur hauls like mink, otters, etc. I'm still developing my line too so once I get all the lynx travels routes figured out then I'll start setting for other animals. I have 48 new 120's so trapping marten is pretty high on my list of new things to do.

Mainly trap fox around town until ice is thick enough to get after lynx, wolverine and wolf.

Allen- Thanks buddy always good to hear from you. Cross fox are pretty common in these parts and I'm already planning on starting my kids out with 6- 1 1/2 LS each and a dozen snares each.

I love catching the cats too,but we don't have the numbers you have.Most I got on one line was 12.
One guy near me traps several traplines,he gets between 30 and 50 when the pops are good.
We used to have a lot more fox but they have been very scarce for a few years now.Marten is the staple fur here.
I like snaring wolves too.

Is Inuvik doing that muskrat sampling program again this year? You going to sell mink and fox carcasses again? I had none this year, did not trap mink at all this year just two accidental catches that I gave to Samuel.

WOW! That is a real good haul of critters! Looks like you got a lot of shed time ahead of you! Congrats!

Awesome pile of fur

Did you get any Golu golu this trip or am I one ahead?

Muskrat- I sold them 4 fox carcasses and it looks like you're ahead again. Big fresh tracks though about a mile from one line so maybe we're tied and I just don't know it. Your latest wolverine looks good, seen it on youtube. Must be one of them milk crates I grabbed for you when you started to take 2 and I grabbed an armfull.

Muskrat- Besides trapper243 you're the only guy I know who catches fairly often with milk crates.
Should change your sign in name to milkcrate411. Talking 'bout that milkcrate information.

Here is some milk crate information. Wolverine don't like 280 in a milk crate I think they see the top and don't like it, they walk past. One wolverine went through the back of a lynx pen and are a goose. I Evil Keneevilled down the bank at Carnigorski's did not check before I went over. The tundra has BMX handel bars now. Wolves clipped my bait below Shi Boy Semple's. There trained to snif out traps those wolves. Tough day on the line today.

Had a good trip yesterday. Will post more when I get a chance.

Màaannnn tough trying to stay ahead of you. Now I have to find another one. I'll have to make one of those big bait pen sets like TheWildNorth.

Quick Update:
Been pretty busy these past couple weeks. I made a trip south to pick up my truck after the engine blew and got repaired, had my warehouse moved from my parents yard to my yard, started work again, skinned and dried 21 more lynx and still managed to run my traps and raise my kids. I love being busy though and I wouldn't have it any other way. I caught a wolf a couple days ago but unfortunately the pack ate it. The wolverines around my cabin have disappeared for now and I'll most likely be pulling my wolverine traps soon because the sun quickly takes it's toll on wolverine fur, hopefully they come back around one more time. Lynx trapping has been up and down lately with catches ranging from 1 to 6 per trip. I've found some martin and set a couple traps for them, saving my efforts on martin for next year when I have all season to trap them. Pulled 18 traps at the farthest end of my line to save time and explore some new areas. I finally have all the parts to fix my 550 so once that's done I'll think long and hard about switching from trapping to tracking so I can get my yearly wolf hunting in (I haven't set out specifically to hunt something all winter) Just mostly been trapping.

I'm still trying to take pictures but my camera was submerged in water during the fall char tagging program and has slowly been deteriorating in photo quality since then. Most picture during daylight turn out straight white. I'm looking forward to spring hunting and stocked up on ammunition when I picked up my truck. I've got shells for rats, geese, wolves, and my 1 spring grizzly. Lots of adventures to come yet before that awful season known as summer.

How many qavvik so far for the season?

I caught 4 which is the most I've ever caught out of the lines I was running. Before this year it was 2 qavviks in 5 years out in that area. Good to know there's still a couple out there but haven't seen the tracks since they tried chewing into my plywood house and scratching up my door on the loghouse. The gulo fur will be starting to go downhill next couple weeks with the longer sunshine. First they lose the shine then they thin out on the legs and base of the tail.

cool, got three, had one caught in a duke #4 but it wasn't on very good just took some fur off of it. Most i got was five in a season. Just got one last year, hardly any snow. A little more snow this year. I had a giant one pulled out of one of my 280s, I think it swiped the coni with its paw and got caught on the leg with the coni. I may need to invest in some belisles. Maybe sell off the dukes a little at a time and buy some at a time.

Yessir that fool! I need to get rid of some traps that I don't use and get more of the ones I like. I don't have any belisle 330's but if they're as effective as the 120 super x then they must be a pretty good trap. Well designed and built. I was regretting getting 48 120's instead of more 330 and #3 but now that I have found some decent martin habitat I'm pretty excited to hit them hard next year. Pretty awful feeling to see where you had a good catch and he got out/away or in my most recent trapline heartbreak....eaten.

man, is a heart breaker to find eaten animals, just had a fox and a lynx eaten on my line so far. Hopefully don't find an other animals eaten. Will be heading out after work again to fix up some beaver traps and hopefully set a few more sets.

Yeah I'm heading out tomorrow morning too. I'll set a new line and try finish the season strong. Got more 120 boxes cut out, just need to put them together tonight. I'm up to 6 lynx eaten and a wolf this year. Hopefully I never pull up on an eaten wolverine, That's probably enough to cut my season short if that ever happens, but after a couple days I'd get bored and keep on trapping. Good luck to everybody this weekend.

Went to traps on Monday and ,right before the first trap, a set of wolverine tracks came down off the river bank down to the river. He dug up all the chopped pieces of bait on the trail and then tunneled into my cubby to steal the bait. The next 11 traps were also snapped and robbed of bait, even the big 330 was snapped. Instead of resetting and rebaiting everything for him I chose instead to set up one spot with a 330, a stinger snare, and 5 blind traps. It was pretty obvious this bugger knew exactly how to disable a set and now my goal for the remaining season is to pick this guy up. I would hate to start out next year with a trap savvy wolverine running my line that knows all my set locations. Ridiculous amount of track in the area so it's pretty likely he isn't too far away. One more set of wolverine tracks in a different part of the line but he just crossed the river, Why? you ask, did the wolverine cross the river?
Well it's likely he crossed the river to get to the other side.

I also did a 200 km day in the mountains with one wolverine track found, but the tracks disappeared into some timber and we ended up losing the tracks in a wind blown creek. Spotted some sheep too but a busted jerry can ruined our sled for hauling meat home.

I am really upset about the affordable care act, Oboma is bum. OOOps sorry wrong thread, party on!

Ryan I had one of those my first year long lining for marten. The canopener I called him. Many will remember. Never did get him. But he never came back to my line either. So there is hope. Sure hope you get it.

Good luck catching him! My buddy and I had a wolverine eating up foxes from buckets a few winters back. We ended up catching him 3 feet from a tom, both in leg holds on a caribou kill.
I'm going to give my sets a couple more weeks. By then I'll have a lot of day light to do some long distance traveling.

FT- After about 6-7 snapped traps I was pulling up on a 33o box and could see the snow knocked off the driftwood. I said out loud "And then he met a box" but was sure surprised to see the trap snapped and the 1/4 beaver carcass gone.

Nunamiut- I'm about ready to pull up my lines and do some wolf hunting too. This season has worn me out.

This is how I set up the "Hail Mary" spot for the trickster

Any guesses which one will catch? (Don't say none of them....even though it's very possible)

I'm thinking a double front foot catch in the 750 for some reason but I'd love to see him in the snare set where he comes off the bank to the river.

The 750 is set squarely in front of the baited bucket.

Most times that I've used this type of set up I wind up catching him in more than one trap. Just last week I caught a lynx in a #3 and he swung around just right and hit the snare set beside the cubby, good neck shot.

haha Ryan, I think you will catch him for sure. Theres no way he can dance through that mine field.

Are all your leg holds anchored or are they on drags? And is this all in a cubby of some sort of is it on the edge of a trail? Where is he likely to approach from? Trying to get more info so I can make a good guess lol...

This set is done in a small pile of drift wood about 30 feet from the rivers edge. He will most likely approach from the left of the bucket. There is a couple good solid drift woods running behind the box and bucket and that is what I am anchored to although I should've used drags to avoid multiple catches on one critter. His main trail comes off the bank to the left of this set and I would be approaching from directly behind the set.

my money is on the snare before he gets there get him tied up before he even knows it .

This is roughly what it looks like out there. Keep in mind I said roughly. 2 minute drawing just to get the main layout clarified for guessing. Maybe I'll have a vicious growling birthday present tomorrow...Wrapped in frost resistant fur!

Saskamusher- I was hoping I'd snare/conibear him to avoid broken claws, etc. but mainly I just want to get him off my line. I haven't snared a gulo in 4 years. My daughter was only one when I last snared one.

The wolverine was reeking havoc on a different part of my line and showed me clearly that he knows traps. A black wolf didn't know traps and caught a ride home in my boggan though.

Congrats on the wolf I had one step right on my trap. Crust was too solid and trap did not spring. No more running over traps Too cold up here the snow sets up too hard. I should have st two traps on that log.

Well, I logged into my FHA trappers account expecting millions of dollars but instread I almost threw up my lunch when I seen the pitiful clearances and prices. This is easily the lowest prices I've seen since I started trapping and I'm already thinking that next year I might buy skates and play hockey instead of trapping. Better yet, since I know I will trap next year, I may just run a strictly "W" line. Wolves and wolverines only. I was planning to sell the wolf I got but instead, to remind me of the positive side to the season and not concentrate on a negative fur sale, I will go home at 5 pm and cut the wolf up for some new mitts. In all honesty though, the trapping experience is the same regardless of price and I cannot measure the success of a season based strictly on fur prices. I had fun, stayed active and enjoyed my self on the land doing what I love doing.
BUT based on the sale I can now take my family out for a pizza instead of going on a trip to Cabela's town....I mean Edmonton.

BRING ON THE GEESE.....I"M GETTING HUNGRY HERE!!!!

awesome, I am going to keep my beavers and sew some stuff with them. I will probably make a couple pairs of hunting mitts and some fur hats. I need to make some ruffs with my wolverines and make parkas. Have lots of cloth material at home I bought many years ago. Maybe a spring project for me. Just ordered some bearings for my ace, going to change them out when they come, was hopeing by Friday, but will have to wait until next week. Will help my dad put together my old polaris and maybe head out this weekend.

Hey Ryan congratulations on catching the wolf. That's an empty feeling when a guy gets the news on how there fur did at the auction after all the hard work.
I for one would like to see the final products made from the wolf and those wolverine pelts.
Down here our winter weather has went to parts unknown, with temperatures in the 50's + during the day and in the 20's at night. How is your daughter doing with her new rifle is she ready for spring muskrat season yet ?
Allan

Not sure when the products will be finished but I'll post some pics when they are done Allen. Morgan is actually going out tonight for some gun lessons. Probably be ready to try some shots at bunnies soon.

That's a great idea just remember that women can and will out shoot us guys if given a chance, I've got two daughters who were pretty good shots one kicked butt at a local turkey shoot against some tough competition.
Allan

My girl stringing lynx when we still thought we would get a few bucks for them
The old 700 rides again.
The last wolverine I caught.



Wolverine tracks on the porch.
I don't catch them like this too often.
Look on a map of Mackenzie river. This is the Horseshoe Bend.

Where the first wolf got hung up before getting eaten.

First hanging martin on my experimental marten line.

The first time I seen the big buggers tracks.

He taunts me for fun....




More wolverine havoc and my first or second wolf of the year depending on how you look at it.

Those are some great pictures again Ryan as for the wolverines messing with you I'm sure you'll catch them before you know it. I had a huge bobcat mess with my mind one one of my snare lines long story short I ran out of time as the season closed before I could get a snare around it's neck. Keep up the good work with you helpers there at home, both my kids used to be good help for me now next are grandkids to help grandpa ?
Allan

I ran into 3 wolves on Wednesday night in the dark skidoo portages. I managed to get all 3, a white one with mange will be handed in whole for sampling and 2 healthy blacks. I had to use a come along to lift one of the black ones for skinning. It's roughly the size of a cow caribou and easily 100+ pounds. Lots of fat on the two black ones that I skinned so I'm guessing this is the pack that's been terrorizing the moose out that way. I've even seen moose beds in the middle of rivers right on the ice so you know something in the willows was scaring them pretty good. Another pack upriver was also just ahead of me and they ripped up an old caribou hide before running hard for the river banks. I think I almost ran into two packs in one dark night!! I'll put up some picture later on tonight.

Way to go on the wolves Ryan. Looking forward to the pictures.

Had a pretty good story written on my other computer but when I tried posting it the laptop says incompatible programs.
I'll try tomorrow and put up the rest of my pictures too. Need to sleep now, took me 3 hours to do 21 km with a broken rear shock.

One more.

Good job on those wolves!
That big one one is a brute!

Last Wednesday started out like any other day. I had no idea that it would end up turning into a dark night that will always be remembered as a stand out memory in my wolf hunting adventures.

All during the work day I was thinking about the traps that I had to check that night and shortly before quitting time I asked my supervisor for Thursday off so I could camp out at the cabin and wake up early the next morning to set and run 10-15 rat traps for the day. I hurried home at five bells and got my stuff ready while caribou meat and potatoes sizzled in the frying pan. I decided that since I would be camping there wouldn't be much sense in rushing to get out of town, and I even waited around long enough to help put my kids to bed.
After that I sat around some more and watched a movie with Fiona and then when she went to lay down I started getting dressed for the trip before I was tempted to wait for morning to travel. It was now about midnight and dark but I've never minded travelling at night if I have a good trail to follow (sometimes with no trail too), so I grabbed my gun and bag and then went to gas up my skidoo tank and 15 gallons extra. While gassing up I noticed that I had forgotten my extra cigarettes in my truck, so back I drove, all the way across town to get them.
Finally I was on my way, for real this time.

The trails were dark that night as I travelled through familiar lakes and portages with no stars or moonlight to be seen. About half way to my cabin was when I first seen the fresh wolf tracks.
I quickly checked them and continued on judging them to only be a few hours old by the amount that the snow had hardened inside of the prints. I wondered if waiting so long to leave town was such a good idea as I followed the tracks across a wide open stretch of the Mackenzie River where seeing them earlier would have been the ideal spot to get a few delta dogs. The tracks followed the main trail back into the lakes and portages and before long I pulled up to the first pee post which was marked with blood streaked urine, a sure sign of the females coming into heat. I quickly shovelled the frozen pee into a plastic bag that I had in my pocket then smoked a cigarette in anticipation of the possibility of seeing a wolf at the 2 month old moose kill that was coming up in the next chain of lakes. This is when the exciting stuff started happening.

A couple lakes later.......

I hit the lake and grabbed the throttle thinking if the wolves spent a couple hours at the kill site then I can either catch one in the headlights or stop and try howling to see where they were.
Pulling up fast I could already see the moose was dug up and there was some tracks bounding up into the willows and some more tracks running down the skidoo trail. I figured my best bet would be to keep'er pinned down the lake in case some were still on the ice. Sure enough I spotted a black wolf running into the start of the next portage. It's funny that this log stands beside the trail and every time I pass by in the dark, the shadow from the log passes the portage left to right. This time the shadow went left to right and straight? It took my brain a quick second to sort out the sight and tell me "YES that was a wolf you just seen Ryan!"

The wolf got through the willows and hit the next lake way faster than I could. The speed he was going on the hard packed trail could've put a grey hound to shame and before the next portage he was so far ahead that he took advantage and jumped off the trail into the powder, up the bank and into the timber where I could never follow. More tracks running though so on I went knowing that I was less than a minute or two from the Mackenzie River, and more importantly, a smooth stretch of the Mackenzie River. The last willowed area before the big river is a long slough covered with 3 foot high red willows leading to a narrow channel with cut banks on both sides as it hits the Mighty Mackenzie.
EYES!
Pinned. Can't see them. Then a blurry spot at the furthest reach of my lights. Wolf Breath steaming, and snow flying behind them, I catch up as they hit the cut banks. I can smell them now and the deadly looking white wolf running in the lead has all my attention as they leave the slough and the willows for the last time. The white splits to the left with me behind as the 2 blacks stay on the main trail across the Mackenzie. I get close enough then with the wolf running broadside I first see the mangy side view. I decide to take it out of the population and hand it in whole to the GOV for sampling so I let my first shot go. It drops the wolf but as I slow down and turn back I can see he's gotten up and doesn't look much slower. Get him back in the headlight, broadside....Click! Click! Rookie mistake. The one time I forget to fill the magazine before leaving!! Was probably swearing at myself as I stuffed 4 shots in and took off again. Now the 3 tracks hit some rough ice and about half way through it, two sets of tracks leave the trail and go right, Heading back towards the smooth area with some deeper snow. I quickly think it's the black ones when they had a big lead so I follow the single set going straight on the trail. I caught up at the far (west) bank of the river and made no mistake this time dropping my first wolf of the night. I filled the magazine right up and got back across to the smooth spot, quickly turning down river hoping the wolves were headed back to the east bank. I was speeding along with only my headlights and a prayer. I said out loud a couple times "Come on tracks...Come on tracks..." THERE! TRACKS! Couple minutes later at the far edge of my lights I see a blurry shadow and catch him as he hits the bank. I jump off my skidoo and let er' go dropping the biggest one with a clean headshot just before I would've lost him. 1 more set of tracks! Let’s go! Spotting the last wolf was a repeat of the first black. I get him broadside and down he goes!
I went back to where it all began and picked up my sled and wolf mitts which both got dropped when the action started. A quick look back at the first lake showed 6 wolves had gotten away. I looked for them for a while but they stayed in the timber. But man was I happy with my 3 wolves, and the chance to have a smoke! I followed my trail and retrieved the 3 wolves. I grabbed the white one first and was sure to fill my sled with snow before placing the wolf on top. I brought it over to the east bank and buried it then dumped the snow from my sled. I knew I wasn't going to skin it so I would leave it until I was on my way home when I could bring a tarp from my camp to wrap it up and avoid handling it too much. Travelling on I seen a different pack had been around about 15 miles upriver and they were bounding into the willows and trees as well. I stayed up all night skinning the two black ones, and kept thinking, how much more luck could I have asked for? A lot of things could've prevented this but everything worked out. A night to remember for sure! The next morning I pulled some winter traps and picked up a really nice pale cross fox in a snare.

The first black

Fresh cut on the hind quarter. didn't look like a bite mark though.

Headlights and a prayer

Tracks leading to wolf #3

First black is in the sled

Thanks Ryan for the great story and pictures I felt as if I were riding along with you on my sled. Years ago I also had a black wolf run out in front of me on the interstate going home from work late one night but never got a second look at it no matter how hard I tried.
So what did you find wrong with the hip on the one black wolf ?
Those are sure a nice color and size.
Allan

Thanks Allen. The hip had a small tear and I'm guessing it was from ice, or another wolf. With the female around close by the 3 big males might've been fighting. Maybe it was slowing down another faster wolf in the narrow portages and got a few nips to tell him to speed up. Hard to say what happened. No damage to the muscle underneath though and nothing a few stiches won't take care of. I gave the last black wolf of the night to Fiona to tan and sew whatever she wants to. The trapped one from a few days earlier is still intact and will be sent to auction.

My new theory is that he got cut by the log in the picture.

Great play by play Ryan.Nice job on the Wolves.

Ryan McLeod, Excellent story

I enjoyed writing the story so much that I've decided to get back into writing after a 3-4 year loss of interest. I've even picked the title for my first book:

"A bear ate my oranges: A collection of short stories by Ryan McLeod"

HAHA! Just an idea I had, thinking out loud more than anything at this point.

Sounds good Ryan I want a signed copy LOL
Allan

Thanks for the ride a long Ryan. Great story

Ryan,
That white wolf is cool! Too bad the hide is no good.
Sounds like quite the rush for a few minutes.

Thanks for the story

Yeah when I seen the 3 running I had my chance to choose one. I picked the white because from behind he looked like a good wolf. Once I seen the mange I was thinking darn it I should've chose a black. I thought the two blacks were long gone but luckily they took a long route through snow and I was able to get them too. I looked for the others yesterday but only found tracks from one wolf. Probably the first one I seen. It is a rush but I've learned to save the shaky nerves for afterwards, dry eyes and cold shaky hands after it was all done. I tried a wolf hunt in the mountains on Saturday too but a busted shock on the way home ruined the day. Still feeling it in my neck and shoulders today.

wow great picture
the wolves are beautiful
and what a journey we are living
thanks to you and your writing

Great read Ryan, thank you.

Osky

What a rush! The few times I've seen wolves it's been almost as stressful as it was fun because you know the odds of them getting away are pretty good.

Great gunning ! Maybe some of that initiative and knowledge of yours will rub off on me Sept 15 2016( Wolf opening ) our season closed yesterday and I only saw one (I was too slow ) .Keep up the writing otherwise pilgrims like me will be discouraged ! smith

I'm heading out to the cabin tonight with a passenger.....My baby girl Morgan Sophia (5 years old) will ride along and learn about muskrat trapping, wolf trapping, rabbit snaring, and possibly moose hunting. She's on spring break all next week so I took some time off to bring her out and teach her some valuable lessons. I'll be taking some luxuries along that I don't normally bring such as a generator and playstation for some late night movies. It's going to be fun. Maybe she'll be my lucky charm and old Mr. Wolverine will be hanging mid air from the elevated set beside my cabin.

Not too sure how effectively I could get wolves with her riding as passenger but when I asked her " What're we going to do if we see wolves?" she said " Ummmm.....Shoot them?"
That's my girl!!

First thing after work we're going shopping for grub and then hook up to my Dad's trailer and load his wide track then take off. I'll have my camera and should be putting up some pictures next week sometime. It's also the first time I'll be checking a trail camera so hopefully we get some pictures of the pack out there. I imagine she won't like being left at home after this trip.

That sounds like a great time for dad and daughter Ryan, I can't wait to see pictures from your trip. Will Morgan be bringing her rifle along just in case ?
Stay Safe out there.
Allan

What did you shoot them with? I don't see a drop of blood, (other than the hip on the first black)?

Morgan brought her gun but didnt shoot it.

Av- i was carrying my 22 magthat night

Had a good time out with morgan even though the lakes were mostly flooded. Was pretty hard to find productive push ups so we didnt catch many rats. Sure had fun though and when i feel like it ill put up a couple pictures. Expensive trip but well worth it in my opinion.

Pulled most of my traps today. Got two lynx to put me over 20. The smarty little gulo sprung the milk crate again just for one last kick. Be putting in a deadfall in Simple Creek next fal. You never get that wolverine can I start wearing my special ordered king of da swamp sweatshirt now?

Tried breaking trail to my spring hunting grounds in the mountains but had to turn back after getting stuck 9 times in deep snow. Didn't have the right skidoo for that kind of snow. Seen some sheep but nothing else in the mountains. I came back to town by way of my cabin and was happy to see that my trail camera had over 1200 pictures on it. I knew not to get my hopes up because twice I have seen a high number of tracks around but couldn't seem to get the wolves or wolverines on camera. Lots of mink, crow and whiskey jack pictures though. BUT today was different and I found these 7 pictures out of 1246...






looks like the same wolf in all these 5 but there were a lot more tracks and you could see where the others were laying around off camera and dining on lynx carcass or caribou hides.


Pretty sure this is a bigger darker one.



Dates are all wrong. This wolf is hanging in my warehouse waiting to be skinned tomorrow. The tracks left the camera site and 15 miles upriver I found him running on the trail, in daylight this time. Also seen couple days old large grizzly tracks near my cabin so might just have to go find him tomorrow evening....or at least try.

Congratulations on getting the wolf and the successful trip out with Morgan it won't be long before you will have a very good trapping and hunting partner.
I hope you get a shot at the grizzly and the story and pictures to fallow. Our fish and game dept are changing some rules for when folks are fishing on some of the rivers and lakes because there numbers are on the rise. We haven't had a hunting season in quite some time so you will have many folks in your corner.
Stay Safe out there.
Allan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evvnrJsRqiM

A slide show I made for youtube with pictures from "The Trapperman Years"

Watch it, subscribe, tell yer' friends! Then watch it again!

Don't forget to tell them to click on the adds. Then go and watch your buddy Muskrat411.

Muskrat do you benefit from youtube adds at all? Never pursued it at all.

Very minimally, if I made videos about Star Wars or Game of Thrones or putting on make up it would be a different story. But $400.00 every couple years is a nice surprise for doing stuff you would do anyways.

Seen 5 mallards yesterday while building my 12x16 tent floor. Then while making a trip to haul gear from my cabin to my new tent floor I ran into 3 wolves. They were running in a river with deep wet snow so they wouldn't leave the trail. Was easy to pull just ahead of them and I managed to drop all three from one spot. Wolves are sure stink now! Looking forward to geese hunting with my family.

That works for your moose and caribou population Ryan how many wolves did you get this winter ?
The resident geese are back in the creek behind the house again I miss listening to them, I used to really enjoy hunting them they make some great jerky.
Allan

Right on Ryan! The birds started showing up last weekend. I'm stuck at home with a bum calf muscle, I got a Charlie horse a week ago, walked on it for a bit, now I can't even put weight on it. Hopefully it gets better before the birds are gone.
I also picked up 3 nice greys last week before the season closed! No rubbing on any of them. I heard a big pack howling and intercepted 3 that I did see. Be safe this spring!

I ended up with 8 Mr. Minear. 4 blacks two greys and 2 whites. Most had some level of mange ranging from dandruff to full on baldness.

Birds showed up early here this year too Nunamiut. Lucky to get nice wolves with no rubs. I got all mine in the delta so mange was common. The mountains didn't give me any fur this season. Not even a bear. I spent the past weekend looking for one particular grizzly that I seen in 2013. Let 3 little ones go and then on the last day I seen the big bugger I was looking for but unfortunately I couldn't climb out right close to him. I sped back to where I could climb and just when I had that "I'll be shooting in the next couple minutes" feeling, My belt ripped. My spare belt and my phone were about ten miles away in my boggan so I sat and watched my 8 and a half foot silvertip walk over the mountain...heart breaker. I'm pretty sure I could've made the long shot but if I made a bad hit I would beat myself up until I found him. Good judgement ruled and I can live with knowing he'll be growing some more before I have my day with him. Crawled back to my spare belt, hit a rock on the way. Bowlegged skis were still travelling then my steering broke. I repaired it with a small axe and a couple feet of rope then splashed the whole mess with water for more strength. It's funny that I made it all the way home (120+miles) and right outside my Moms the little axe got hung up on a willow and I got stuck!! Flying out to geese camp with my family on Monday. My Boy has a little white parka cover for his first geese hunt and my nephew is excited to use his 20 gauge. hopefully your leg heals up so you can get after the birds too.

Went up Bug hunter yesterday, Winter up there. That caribou huge rack just over the climb was that yours? Not even squirrels out up there. Seen one pile of sheep marbles and 3 ptarmigan. Went as far as head of Semple Creek then the fog and snow came down so we went home. Still looks foggy on the peaks so good call I suppose. Did you make it to Bear Crk?

Still have not got my crane yet. You know they are the rib eye of the sky?

Bear Creek is running waist deep in the middle and knee deep on the sides where I got stuck for 3 hours while water was rising. Almost got me thinking I should start taking a partner!

I thought cranes were the jackfish of the sky....

Too busy right now, I haven't even shot a goose yet. Can't wait for Monday!

Nope lots of guys on TheWildNorth said they were the "rib eye of the sky"

I have not shot anything yet. I might go trap a beaver just to say I'm doing something, plus I have one lynx in my back porch that needs some partners to go to Lloyd with this summer. Go to West Channel on Friday and trap some rats and shoot some birds I hope. Crane hunting this weekend some time.

I will call the bear MOBY. You can call me Cap'n Ahab!

I'll chase him to the ends of the earth to get him.....And Bobby can hunt his offspring when he's older.

I'm skinning all night again tonight. Lots of furs yet. They're staying frozen solid under my house in a boat. I did 10 fox 4 mink 3 lynx and a wolf hide last night. Might be the longest wolf to go on my wolf stretcher so far.

I think I'm going to save up for a chopper out to my new camp this fall and hunt bear on foot. Up the creek, might have to invest in a mechanical wheel barrow to haul stuff home. I don't think a bear will pay for the flight though but get most of it back in income tax. Make some dead falls and tip-up snares while I'm out there. Should be some good videos also. When can we expect the great bear hunt video on Youtube?

Too much swearing for youtube. My videos are usually rated G

Well Ryan it sounds like your bear hunt was one of my checks on one of my coyote snare lines on my old snowmobile but then that keeps life interesting.
I'll bet many on here like I was hoping to see a picture of you and your grizzly but I agree with your choice to hold off on the long shot.
We have some geese that are hanging around the creek south of the house however I've not seen any large flocks heading north.
Allan

You need to start an extra channel for tough trips, TheWildDelta. For a more mature audience.

You should sign up for that show Alone. You can do it in Willow Creek and challenge Bam, Butter and the boys who can survive the longest Alone.

46 Lynx on the FHA auction block. Hoping they all sell for a decent price.

Good luck to you with the cats.You got any other fur on the auction Ryan?

Just a couple red fox and an otter BOCO. Still have a lot of fur skinned and frozen too. My last wolf and another 8 fox are going on stretcher tonight. I have high hopes but based on the year so far I know they might go for a low price even though they are all mostly select goods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4kfbNxIEoI

More work bringing the family out but also very rewarding to see the kids learning and enjoying themselves without the technology that distracts and ruins young minds making them unable to entertain themselves like iphones and ipads. I wonder who's bored enough today to notice we flew out in a chopper, a fine piece of technology indeed...

Without technology?You took a chopper ride to go hunting,lol.

Once we got there Boco...Once we got there. There is no other way to get to that spot at that time of year.

I watched your video last night while I was trying to warm up from my little dip in the Mackenzie I liked. Hardly even noticed the hunting. So much else going on. Good to see you back on YouTube. Is there going to be a wheel barrow full of muskrats video?

I would love to go hunt rats one more time and fill up a wheelbarrow but I'm guessing waters too low to get into my best lake. They hardly ever chew each other up in that lake so they would still be good but I doubt it if I could even get in there.

What a fun goose hunting camp Ryan, while we were fishing over on Fort Peck a flock of 30 flew over and I thought of you getting to hunt them. Thanks for bringing us along .
Allan

Well I bit the bullet and picked up a four stroke last month. Looking forward to putting in some serious mileage this winter. More than the 4-500 miles a week I was doing this past season. Had it narrowed down to the expedition 550 ( last year for those), bearcat xt, Scandik wt with the 900 ace and the expedition le which of course is the one I went with. Got a full length skid plate added and a wrap around bumper. Would love to go hunt caribou this weekend but I have been battling the flu and I am starting to feel better so no use to push it yet besides its still early in the year and September caribou is the best imo. The flu I have been fighting is not the little 1-2 day type either, it's the real deal that used to kill people back in the day. Lost 13 pounds this week alone. Hope everyone is looking forward to another season of hunting and trapping because I sure am.

I got the SKandic 600 ACE last year. I love that machine. What a great ride. You will enjoy your new machine. I was going to go with the Expedition but we get a lot of real deep snow here and got talked out of it for a wider track. I think I am happy with my choice. I think a 16 inch track would be fine most of the time but I am glad with what I got. Good luck on your new machine. You will like it a lot

I also bought my dad an 870 wingmaster, Something he's always wanted but since he has a hard time spending money on himself I took the opportunity to start attempting to repay him for the years he payed my way through life. I told him he can retire his '82 sportsman 12 gauge to the cabin wall at goose camp or use it for a paddle. Maybe when he's retired I'll get him an 850 etec in the expedition extreme. Can't go wrong with 165 (published)horse power (actually 173 on the dyno, or so I'm told)

Nice rig Ryan! I think my next rig will be a wide track for sure.
No replacement for displacement!

A couple nights ago I was busy around the yard and as I picked up my wolf stretcher to move it I was surprised to see that one side was covered with mold. I had it covered with a tarp but all the rain we've had found it's way in somehow. My first reaction was "F@#% sakes" but then I figured "hey this stretcher that I made for myself has lasted long enough and served it's purpose" So yesterday after work I picked up enough 1 x 4 to make TWO new wolf stretchers. They just need to be sanded now. Instead of measuring the stretchers tapered end I just took the clean side of my old stretcher and traced it on. I'm also up to 39 120 boxes and 1 330 box built this past week. Some are made from scrap plywood and some are made from a couple sheets that I bought new, some are even made from a desk and shelf that I got tired of looking at in my warehouse. My old stretcher has stretched 90% or so of the wolves that I have harvested in my life, 1 at a time, now I can stretch 2 at a time! Anybody paint or seal their stretchers? I'm thinking it might not be a good idea.

My new 900 should be ready to ship by next week and I plan on making my first hunting trip soon. After that first trip I will be officially started another August to June harvesting season. I think this year I'll just continue on with this journal, something I should have done since joining like Bushman and his Mountain Journal. Start getting your gear ready fellas 'cause trapping will be back before you know it. Wish you all good luck in the upcoming hunting and trapping season. Shoot straight, set properly, and most importantly be safe. Hmmm....better put my 550 back together too I suppose, and clean out my freezers, and mount my Dad's new scope for him, and find some parts for the old 380, make some snares, get my net ready for egg fish, find a pup for the kids, etc and etc. Feels great to be getting some energy back! Oh and I found the weight I lost when I was sick...It was in the fridge.

awesome ride, I got the 600 ace renegade, almost got the expedition, but it was a couple thousand more. Them four strokes are nice rides.

Took a ride up the Dempster highway last weekend looking for some caribou but the only ones around were way back and only a couple guys harvested caribou with the help of a quad. Seen 4 bears including one monster grizzly and a really nice old black bear. The other two were smaller, 1 griz and 1 black. So now I've taken some time off next week to do some real hunting back in my hometown of Aklavik. Looking forward to seeing some old haunts for sure.

Good evening Ryan, I sand down my stretchers and give them a lite coat of turtle wax paste letting it dry wiping off any excess. I think it helps with put up and removal of the furs.
I'm sure your kids have grown a great deal this summer my grandsons have.
That's one nice looking sled !
Allan

Just got back from down below 2 Bulls and an ugaruk. Also saw a Sow with three Cubs. Picked half a pale of ukpiks.

Fall hunting has been awesome so far this year. First me and My Hunting Partner and Daughter Morgan harvested 4 fat bull caribou and then I did a solo sheep hunt in the high country. No pictures but I do have a bunch of video that I will be uploading to youtube when I get back to my own computer in Inuvik. I've had many chances to harvest sheep in my life but until 2 days ago I've never followed through on my urge to hunt a big ram. I ended up putting the sneak on a bachelor group of roughly 20 rams and I harvested a 41'' x 41" 8 year old beauty. He did the classic roll down the wrong side of the mountain deal but luckily it was a reasonable few hundred feet pack back to the top. I'd rank that day as one of my top 5 days spent on the land in my whole life and one of the most rewarding as well. Was pretty tough finding my way across the willow flats and back to the boat in the dark but I made it home at 3am tired, wet and hungry but also very happy!

Wow Ryan sounds like an awesome time. Those tough are always the mostly lasting memories. Excited to see the video. Shame on you for no camera. ;0) Click a few stills from the video to give a a sneak peak.

I tried uploading a 17 second clip and also a couple pics from an iPhone but no luck. I'm using a mac and it is still unfamiliar for me. Once my Aunt gets back from the airport I can use her adapter and try to post a still picture sneak peek.

Original iphone photos, at least, are too large to use the uploader. I find the best way to get a photo on Tman from a mac is to export to the desktop, or my preference, a junk folder on the desktop. During this process select medium for both quality and size. This will give you the perfect photo for the web. Uploads very easy and is sized right. Will be less than a hundred Kilobytes vs 4-50000 k.
For using going straight from your phone I can give you another option that works. If you need any help don't hesitate to ask. I can give you a lot of insight to using a mac.

Is that Spanish? I don't hablo.........Lots of pics I could share, but even photobucket wont work, for me anymore.

I'm home now so I can take a pic with my camera and upload easily. No field pictures, so in my house will have to do. Give me about ten minutes or so...

Here's my first ram. I couldn't ask for any better and I think the bar is set high for any future rams. The next one I want is an old heavy broomed one.

Me and my caribou hunting partner.

Very nice ram Ryan I totally agree with you the bar is set very high !
Allan

That is a game changer Ryan. WOW :-)

Monster ram!

Nice trophy Ryan.

Pretty impressive.

Nice one!

Congratulations Ryan,,that's a ram of a lifetime!

Thanks Guys.

Went through some old pics and came up with these. I don't have the measurements any more but they were some beauties. [img:left][/img]
[ [img][IMG]http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/t594/ian_mcleod1/IMG_2020_zpssmb0xm4b.jpg[/img][/img] [img:right]http://[/img]

Muskrat you should go take a picture of the sheep picture at the Band Office that Roger took. That one would rank pretty high all time I'm thinking. One of the biggest I've ever seen in person, books or magazines.

JM says the big Rams hang out in that Canyon the other side of Big Fish River fish Hole. I followed him up there one time rough country my GPS is still up there someplace.

Awesome ram Ryan! What did it measure tip to tip? 42",43"? I've gotten a couple nice broomed ones in the past, but nothing like this guy. I just started work a few weeks back so my sheep hunting season is limited to weekends. We're finally getting tuttu coming down our valley this fall, so I gots to try to fill up the freezers before they disappear.

Nunamiut- tip to tip is 32". Length is 41 on both sides. That day made top 5 all time for days spent on the land in my life. When you're in good sheep country the only thing above you is the sky, everything else is below. They sure are fat.

Here's a pic of a ram my sister shot. It had the biggest body ever that I have seen for a Imniaq(dahl sheep). By far the biggest set of headgear I have seen on a ram, girth was 13.75 and the longer side horn was 40 inches from tip to tip.

Ed and Sam just got back from Mount Lang. No sheep up there.

Now that is a nice old sheep! Really good mass, something I'll be looking for next sheep hunt.

Being sick sucks! Lots of things to get done and I'm stuck in bed with whatever this sickness is. Feels like pneumonia so I'm gonna head to emerg later. Grabbed 4 bags of insulation and started the warehouse, also put in a new stove. Count down is on fellas. 10 days til beaver and muskrats open and 26 until fox etc opens. We're having cold weather so fur should be nice right off the get go. Can't wait to set the few 330s that I have in town on some beaver houses close by.

Probably Mononucleusis! Any of you trappers want to lay a wager on what Ryan has?

Spent some time in the water in freezing conditions the other day when I got stuck with a loaded boat so that has everything to do with this sickness.

Loaded with what?

My hunting gear, gas and everything from my parents tent frame on the coast. Not really over loaded but more than heavy enough for one guy with a bum shoulder.now my shoulder is really bad after having to put 100% effort into getting out. I wish I took pictures but that was the last thing on my mind at the time.

Thunder jet Luxor OB dry weight 1800 lbs plus the 115 Yamaha and gear. Once I got water between the hull and the mud I was able to move it inch by inch. I also had 2 blocks of wood and a 6 foot length of 2x4 which helped as a pry bar. Any animals within 3 miles must've learned some new words for sure. That feeling you have when you know nobody will be travelling by and you just have to get out by yourself is all too familiar to me these days.

I've been stuck like that before Ryan. My trapping partner just got stuck with his jet boat two weeks ago had to go help him. He literally wasn't even ankle deep water took use 3 hours with 6 people. Was about 30 feet or more to deep water.

Also know what it feels like traveling alone most of the time. People these days just don't want to go hunting. They are too stuck on Facebook and Xbox.

Sonny you ever try digging under the intake on the bottom of the jet boat with a shovel and using the jet to clear a trench? We used to do that when my dad had his eagle jet boat. When it's done right you can clear a 4 foot deep trench 20-30 feet long which is usually enough to get back to deep water.

Nobody brought a shovel so we couldn't do much digging. Never thought of doin that but now it'll help when he gets stuck again.

I have plans to wake up early on Saturday and set the only 4 330s I have in town for beavers in ponds around the edge of town. I would've set more but all my 330s are hauled out to the line already so I'll probably try some snares too. Can't wait! There's caribou on the highway now so I might head up there at some point but no rush as I'm sure there is a small army of shooters out already. Should be lots of gut piles to check for wolves and wolverines next month. With big bulls in the rut I will be after 2 year old young bulls or old cows that are past reproduction age. There also ought to be some grizzlies gorging on gut piles too. No rest for the wicked my Grandpa always says.

Well 5 bells

Scouting time!!

Where are the caribou Ryan?

Beautiful ram Ryan, congratulations.

Osky

River frozen this morning fuse I am going to have to trap beaver in Pump Lake.

I found a spot with 3 beaver houses all within 60 feet of each other so I will set everything I can in this spot. Looks like there are a few beavers living there. Ice is thick enough for walking on, it took 3-4 hits with a chisel before hitting water. I seen 2 rats swimming through the clear ice but couldn't get my video camera out fast enough. Also someone offered me 2g for 2 moose so I will see what I can do. Looking like it will be a busy weekend as always.

No bridge so I cant get up and trap mountain beaver. S I might have a boring weekend.

Pull a boat on a trailer like I used to do.

we will be freezing up soon, some ice forming up the river. Probably within the next week we will have ice covering the river and most ponds. Will need to pull out some mannaq sticks and hooks. Try getting some trout and smelt. Hopefully caribou shows up soon around here.

Hey Musky,

East Branch is wide open so maybe it's easier for me to go shoot a boatload of beavers. Seems they all disappear though when the 15th rolls around.

TF- I'm looking forward to fishing too once beaver trapping and moose hunting wraps up. Cooked a char yesterday.

awesome

My old Crestliner is already up there maybe I will throw it in the creek.
The Peel likes to freeze up early and break up early, must have to do with the mountain water source. Have fun shooting beaver. Mention me in the video.

Set 3 beaver traps on Saturday morning and had 1 beaver by evening. Had a snapped trap yesterday and otter tracks near the house as well. While setting and not paying attention, a lynx walked out and sat about 20 feet from my buddy. I spotted it and it scared a year off my life. Glad it stopped when it did because I didn't want to have to shoot it with my 270. Very big lynx! Surprisingly white for this early in the year too. I also spotted 5 fox while doing some scouting near my regular trap spots so it's looking good.

Your one ahead already for the title King of Da Swamp. You never trap any muskrats?

Picked up my first beaver in a snare last night! After experimenting with beaver trapping for a couple years I think yesterday was a major breakthrough in deciding what works for me and my beaver chasing through ice adventures. I like setting 330s but I can fit a lot more snares in a backpack than I can with conibears and I think the snares are much harder to see than the traps. My new method that I will use until I find a better way will be to set 10-15 snare poles with two snares per pole. This beaver is bigger and much heavier than the first one, yeah that's right, I've only caught two so far. I'm a self proclaimed amateur when it comes to beaver trapping but give me a few years and that should improve. Lots of rabbits and rodents around so lots of fur running around this year. Can't wait to start trapping familiar animals like fox for starters, I know I can catch them.

Congrats Ryan on catching the beaver in a snare ! I've tried it quite a few times but prefer the 330's granted they take up a lot more space . How's the fur looking on them so far ?
Stay Safe out there.
Allan

Our beaver don't get really dark, they are usually reddish. I've heard this is because we are at the northern edge of their range. The fur is really thick though, rich and glossy. Hopefully pick up more this week. I'm thinking about going to set more snares later. Two adults out of the house so far. Thinking back I believe ive only seen 2-3 beavers in my life that were really dark including a black one that my friend George shot one year.

Way to go Ryan. I have not started beaver trapping yet. I have never had any luck starring beaver good on you that you figured it out.
Ing around with fish this weekend. The bridges are really crappy right now got to wait for some snow.

That interesting to hear about the color of them around here they are a reddish color also and some are called a silver dollar because they stretch around 60" and are very silver colored. Back in the day they brought as much sometimes more than a well cured xml blanket beaver. I hope you catch a bunch I'd enjoy seeing what they end up being turned into as a finished product.
Allan

Once in a while we get a beaver with rich red guard hair,like a dark cherry red fox,but with black underfur.I really like the looks of those beaver.Most of our beaver are dk brown to dk.

Trapping season starts tonight at midnight. Its been cold for well over two weeks so I'll be setting a couple fox traps. The foxes I've been seeing are looking good despite the low snow we have. Its going to be another 2 weeks before I even start thinking about getting out to my main line so its town trapping for the next little while.

Toby, Kevin and Lloyd got to be smiling to hear the good news!

Cold has nothing to do with good fur. That said, good luck. We here have another month to go for most critters.

It must be a bit different where you are AV. If we had warm weather all fall the foxes would still be very thin but the ones I have been seeing are nice and bushy. Better already than most places will get all winter. As Bushman once said "Ryan's is about the last stop before Santa's place!"
Besides, this is town fox removal which I have had permission to do from the wildlife department (They even gave me traps some years back)and the town office for 5-6 years now since a little girl got bit by a fox outside the school here. I'll be out to the delta trapline later on to target other, primer furs but these town foxes are pests, nuisance animals that need to be thinned out during November while I'm mostly around town. I took out 37 last November and there seems to be more this year. I also found another beaver house that I wish I knew about when the ice was thinner, I'll probably still set it even though the ice is thick enough to support a truck.

I hear you, on the nuisance critters. I occasionally get permitted for beaver removal, and that generally occurs in the summer. Hate tossing those pelts, and on occasion, I've sent one or two to Moyles for the land owner. They didn't care about prime. Just thought having a pelt was cool. And I score easy bait.

Town fox give me a chance to get in the groove for the main season on the line. I used to set traps around midnight-2am in heavily populated areas of town then check and pull them around 7am before work and before traffic picks up. 5 fox was my best morning. Usually by December a good part of the population is either trapped or dispersed into the delta away from town.

my son Bobby is going to be a big brother!

Congrats Ryan.

The King of the Swamp is a fertile sovereign.

A Blessing for sure,Congrats

my guess is that it will be another boy.

Congratulations.

How about posting a few pics of your trapper helpers. Us old codgers enjoy seeing the young ones.

Home from the fish harvest. Was up to the Big Fish River Fish Hole in the mountains for a few days of tent camping. We only had to do one sweep with the seine so it was an easy harvest with about 600 caught and 150 kept for distribution to the community of Aklavik.
Only wildlife seen was 2 moose, a fox and some muskox plus Ravens, whiskey jacks, mice, ptarmigan and snow shoe hare. I had some traps out but snapped them all before leaving town. It's been slow, not a single fox yet. 2 Lynx were caught in fox sets though so I'm started okay but it seems the animals prefer a warm bunny yet over bait. I have a trip to Edmonton tomorrow for some chiropractor appointment so full speed trapping has to wait even longer before I get going. I do have some snares to check later on though...

Coffee is on then I'm off to the main line until tomorrow evening to get my line started. Hoping for the best.

I had a good weekend of setting up the trapline. Didn't sink my machine and got about 45 sets out. Seems to be a good number of fur bearers running around in my country so it should be a good year. Few wolves around, one set of wolverine tracks and plenty of everything else.

Same wolverine you could not catch last year? Any marten?

Smaller wolverine so not the one from last year. There's a few marten, still have to make my trails through Pokiak Lakes behind my Grandpa's though because those creeks stay thin for a long time.

Just finished some chili, fresh buns and lemon pie over at my Moms. Now I'm off to the trapping cabin.

If you pass through AK stop by and pick up some caribou hides for golu bait.

Good luck, hope it's a good season for you.

Got home this morning after a 600 km trap checking/caribou hunting trip. Harvested 7 caribou, an otter and a nice coastal wolverine. Sure was hard to leave the hunting grounds to return to town!

Way to go Ryan!

yoi got any pictures to share? What did you get the wolverine in?

My time off to go hunting was approved at about ten to five the day I left so I didn't have any charged cameras ready for the trip. I'll take some pictures later on though. I shot the wolverine Sonny. Fresh tracks at a caribou gut pile and a ten minute tracking job, 1 shot with the lucky 22 magnum. Same with the otter. Seen a grey wolf later in the day but I almost broke my right wrist due to the front heavy 900 and the dangerous nose diving it creates. 900 ACE is great for flat country but pretty bad in the mountains, maybe better when the snow hardens.

awesome, still waiting on snow here, been itching to butcher some caribou for fresh meat.

The only fix for the nose diving is wider skins and revel springs in the pogo's. Stock springs are 60lb and revel are 90. By far the best upgrade to any new brp wt or swt.
https://revelsuspension.com/contact-info/

If mine had pogo shocks I'd be all over that. Might try wider skis but no getting around the dead weight of that big engine after a lifetime of riding 2 strokes.

Ryan, do you use the 40 Gr Winchester jacketed hollow point in the 22 Mag ?

Good job Ryan! My Yamaha triple 4 stroke feels the same way. Get the Skidoo 10 wide ski skins that fit over the stock skis, they help out a lot.

I'll have to try the wide skis Ben. I said before I bought this machine that I won't be chasing any wolves so it could last longer. Looks like I won't have a choice. I don't mind though, it's an awesome machine for trapping, caribou hunting and whatever else doesn't require going fast. I'll get my nephew to follow with my 550 and when wolves are spotted we'll do the old switcheroo. Just under 600 km on a tank and 9 gallons with a load of wood going one way and a load of caribou coming home though so I can't complain. Pros and cons just like everything in life. Overall I like the machine, and I'm lucky to learn my lesson without snapping my arm.

Mostly 40 gr fmj. Tried some other rounds but always come back to these ones.

Well the trapline was drifted over again last night. Of course you know about 7-8 wolves did a few dances on the buried traps as did a few lynx and martin. Seen a very large set of wolverine tracks too. The last short line to be checked was in a sheltered creek and with functioning traps I picked up a cross fox, a mink and 3 martin so it was a good night of trapping. I got home this morning just in time to have coffee and warm up my truck to go to work. Heading back out tomorrow night for a couple days of setting then I have to be home early enough on Sunday for my Great Grandmother Sarah's 94th birthday.

Drifted over traps do you simply just dig them out?(I know it isn't simple but is that the solution?)

Yeah I'll dig them out and reset them but if drifting snow gets to be common for a set then that set will get moved. When a blizzard comes up though everything will get buried. Very important to hang some colored ribbon so you aren't digging blindly and you can have a better idea where the set is. I've had as much as 6 feet of snow cover a set, that wasn't fun digging that out.

John Martin Creek when your traps get covered over up there it is like digging through cement. You need a jack hammer to get them back. Not as bad as overflow in Semple creek though.

We had a big blizzard in 2012. This one trap I mentioned earlier was covered with over 6 feet of snow. I dug and dug and dug and finally I hit a piece of fish that I was using for bait. Once I got my trap out I realized that I was standing in a hole a couple inches over my head. I couldn't get out easily so I had to shovel some steps and then I climbed out. Best story about buried traps is a guy I know here in town had a bunch of traps buried really deep so he waited until the season ended and with warm weather he went and dug them up. Under about 4-5 feet of snow he picked up 2 prime winter wolverine in 330 boxes. Same guy that got 512 marten one year.

Didn't you pick up a prime winter wolverine in a trap you thought you lost last spring?

No, I caught a wolverine in a box that was completely buried the night before. 2-3 feet of hardened snow and I thought I would dig it out the next morning.

The meat before giving some out to family.


1st wooly of 16-17 thawing out.



Short bushy horns is how I was taught to ID old dry cows. Once they stop having calves the energy is put towards to horn growth and fattening up.


My pup.




My girl when she was 1 year old living in the bush. She emptied the cupboard everyday.





Now she's one of my main partners.






Some older ones.



Never give up!

At least you did not have 5 45 drums like your Uncle Stephen.

That pic was the last load in 2011. About 3 or 4 days later the river was dried right up. We just rocked the boat until water went underneath and inched it to deeper water about 4 feet to the right.

I tried hunting yesterday but they were too far back for me. Got MO and Tuesday off might head out to the new camp try and set up that seismic up the hill towards Bear Creek. Start going hard for King of the Swamp.

Nice pis! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the pictures. Always enjoy posts of your trapping and hunting.

Picked up a couple martin and a couple lynx last night. The same wolf trap was snapped again and on closer inspection I found that the trigger was bent and wasn't working properly!! Missed 3 good chance because of that so I set a couple more at that spot, hopefully I didn't educate the pack of mostly pups. Not much so far for wolverine sign, only seen 2 different sized tracks all season and the bigger of the two was not on my line. On the way home I seen fresh tracks on my fresh trails, less than 4 hours old, so I sped up and followed until I spotted 3 wolves running up into the trees in the moonlight! Too bad I didn't catch them in the open but I'll get my chances yet this season. There is one 330 box out of commission from over flow, should've moved last trip when I thought to do so. Town traps with Morgan and Bobby tonight.

I can sure understand why some guys enjoy martin trapping so much. I found an area with some martin and have been picking up 2-3 every trip this year. I pulled up to a spot where last week I interrupted a martin just starting to eat another frozen martin in a trap so I reset the box and moved another box directly across the creek for 2 in one spot. Pulling up to the spot last trip out I could immediately see a bushy martin tail sticking out of the first box and the second trap was missing. The missing trap ended up being behind the box with the second half of my first martin double covered in a fresh skiff of snow! I'm hooked! Now to try my hand at some otters! The lynx on my line can breath a sigh of relief for now because my mind is focusing on learning some new critters habits. I would love to have more martin in my trapping area, and I can't wait to explore my new trails I made in September. I also set a new line with 10 #3, 5 120s and 2 330 boxes. If any of those 120s hold martin then that area will be set up with more martin sets. It took awhile but my motivation has finally kicked in, and I still have 3 solid months of season left.

Hard to beat marten trapping Ryan,easy to catch,easy and quick to skin,no fleshing,easy to carry can pile up quite a few in a small area, and bring good money.Just have to be careful not to overharvest.Keep an eye on the adult female to juvenile ratio.

Just before the marten crash here there was abundant numbers of marten. We had a good pull and had 5 eaten. I have never had that many in 1 trip. The next year was the crash! I think that the food source that winter contributed to the crash.

Happened here too around 2006.When you start to see marten all over the place even after catching big numbers,that is a bad sign.Over 80% adults.This is marten abandoning home ranges due to a small mammal crash.The refugia method of management doesn't work in those years.
Trapping hard during the home range abandonment can cause the recovery to be prolonged,but if you don't trap at all,much of the resource is wasted.Maintaining bait piles on my trapline well into april that year helped the marten recovery. The next year I was one of the few trappers that had a harvestable number of juveniles on my line.

I agree with you Boco that large bait piles placed in the spring really helped the marten population for the next season as well as provided opportunities for other furbearers used to frequent said bait piles.

I skinned 9 martin the other night with my Daughter and they were all pretty fat so they are eating good. There were 5 large adult males, and 2 each male/female juvies. No adult females so I'm not sure what that says about the population in the martin crick. My time off starts today so I'll be busy trapping for a couple weeks. I'll be sure to take some good pictures. Hoping to make some time for a caribou/fur hunting trip on the coast. Merry Christmas everyone!

I went out to set a line yesterday. Crazy Beaver same Red Mountain Creek and flooded my trail. Spent all day cutting willows across the trail.

Hello fellers! How goes the battle? I've been busy during my time off and have had some decent luck in trapping with the usual highlights and lowlights, with lowlights being no worst than missing animals because traps were snowed over, none of that stuck in overflow for 3 hours BS. Just today I set 6 #3 and 14 120s in a new creek that I accessed by one of the portages I cut in September.

Some pictures:



I've been having fun trapping martin lately and I have some good little helpers that are eager to learn. Ive skinned martin a couple times with my grandpa and caught a bunch in lynx traps but Ive never really had a good population to work with. This year I'm into a new chain lake with lots of thick timber and there seems to be a few more martin than there is around my camp. Addictive stuff...



Heres a set Ive caught lots of lynx from in the past few years. The first lynx was picked up on the way to my cabin for an overnight stay and the second lynx was picked up on the way home next day.I don't mind having to reset every time I catch something here because it doesn't really take that long and there is a lot of lynx activity here.






Classic trapping when tracks get you all exciting and hoping for...



This otter was 1 of 3 that I seen one day whilst breaking trail through a creek I leave until around Christmas due to thin ice. I shot this big fella with my first shot and the second shot went "thlick" not "click" but "thlick" and right away I knew something wasn't right with my gun while 2 otters sat and watched there buddy use his last kicks to go under the ice and disappear. I took my gun apart and seen that my trigger assembly was cracked. Simple fix with new parts (2-4 weeks) but still disappointing to put my 22 magnum on the injured list.
I ended up smashing the ice immediately downstream of the hole the otter went down in and couldn't find anything for about 45 minutes or so. I almost gave up but decided just for the heck of it to check upstream in the slow moving creek and with a final push of my awesome ice smasher/mover, which was really just a stout chunk of spruce, up popped the otter and the fish and muskrats of the lake breathed a collective sigh of relief as this big bugger is the biggest Ive ever killed and surely had an appetite to match.





Lucky night two night ago when I picked up this young male wolverine in a cubby set #3 baited with a loche head and ukruk on a stick. Seen him from quite aways across the lake in my headlights and being just recently caught he was pretty lively. 3 years ago I bent the magazine on my trusted 22 Remington 572 and it sat until Christmas day when I replaced the magazine with a new one that acquired in a trade with a fellow member a couple months ago (Thanks Buddy!). Believe it or not my 22's comeback first shot was a wolverine kill shot further elevating that, older than me, 22 to super natural status. It's been around since before I was born and what I've shot more animals with than all my other guns combined. Happy to have it back anyways. I skinned the wolverine for parka trim and as soon as I got to town I gave it to Fiona's Grandmother, who just that morning mentioned that she wanted to make a parka. She asked how much I would charge for a wolverine and I told her I wouldn't expect her to pay and that I would rather give them away to family to keep the luck going. That very night I caught this prime gulo! Coincidence??



Finally a shot of the start of my new line where I finally made it to the creek after a couple years of scouting and cutting trail.
I'll be sure to have all the animal travel routes figured out by the time my Daughter Morgan pictured here is old enough to run her own lines. Lots of exploring options is the reward for hand cutting trails through thick brush. That and untouched animal populations. Can't wait to check all my traps again real soon.

Nice, thanks for sharing!

Nice catches,Ryan,nice looking fur.

Nice catch on the wolverine!

Thanks for sharing! Looks like your having FUN!!!! I like the before and after shot of the kitty set with tracks I only wish it panned out like that every time

That looks like a great area! Nice work.

So out of the 14 120s that I set in the new creek I picked up 9 mink and a martin. Every box that had a catch also had both mink and martin tracks that were made after the catch. Looks like I will be liking this new line. Couple wolverines hanging around the line and the wolves came back but haven't investigated any sets yet. I'll keep trapping mink as long as the carcasses are worth $25 for research purposes. The lynx continue to have zero interest in bait.

Awesome!

Nice pics Ryan. Thanks for sharing.

Seems my new line is overrun with mink! Picked up 7 plus 3 martin again out of 14 traps. Also picked up a fluffy pale lynx. After the short blizzard we had it was sure nice to dig out some frozen catches in the 120s. Going to do a bit of skinning tonight. LOTS of overflow now in the delta, deep too!

The creeks up Husky are like glaciers so much overflow. Two otter now maybe get a second hoodie for King of the creeks?

Couple spots around my camp had water from shore to shore. 550 would've gotten stuck, luckily I bought a new skidoo last summer. I guess we're tied for king of the cricks then musky. Lots of wide open holes too. I seen where a lone wolf was walking on crusty snow then fell through into the water, looks like he got soaked. There's a monster lynx hanging around this one lake, he's a mink eater. There's also a lot of knocked over trees, luckily none fell across my trails.

Ryan he is a mink eater use a skinned out mink for bait I know you need them for research but 1 mink spent might save you three or four eaten plus you will have the lynx to sell. Make sure and cut the glands so the lynx knows he is there but not till you set and deffinatley not in the house

The mink eater ran away when I was pulling up last trip and left a half eaten mink so I used that along with a small piece of rabbit fur for bait. I'll post a picture if I catch him. He sure leaves some massive tracks.

Got one of these coming in the mail for backup to my mtsl which has to be sent to the Gravel agency for repairs. Picked up 3 martin, 2 mink, a lynx, and a fox last trip.

awesome!

A few years back I was out for a ride with my cousin Butterhead to John Martin Creek. We were going to look for rabbits and maybe see some fur to shoot. Things were going good and the weather was nice so we took our time and enjoyed the day. As we pulled up to a good patch of willows I looked back and seen Butters taking his gun out to shoot some ptarmigan, I had no interest in birds that day so I took the opportunity to stop and pour some gas into my machine. Just before I stopped I noticed a quick flash of dark fur in the willows and just figured it was a moose, which were plentiful at the time. I could hear some shots as I emptied the jerry can and kept looking for the moose that I thought I had seen. As I raised my head again I nearly jumped out of my boots as a black wolf slowly walked out of the willow patch. I quickly put the can down, started the 550 and sped off to "position" myself for a shot. As I pulled up almost close enough to shoot I grabbed my gun which was in a case between my left leg and my seat, as I grabbed the gun, my 550 shut off. I could still hear shooting and I started yelling at the top of my lungs "FREDDY, WOLF! WOLF!" I heard his machine start and I knew he heard me well because he started up and pinned it to where I stood, cursing my machine for shutting off for no obvious reason. As Fred was getting closer I just pointed at the tracks and waved my arm for him to keep going after the wolf, which was now just cresting the hill. I continued cursing my machine as I started inspecting for what caused me to lose the wolf, but I was happy that my apprentice was hot on the tracks. The 550 could turn over, but still no life. I figured I would be getting towed home so I started getting things ready starting with putting my gun back in the case. The bottom of the gun case was sitting on the ground and as I lifted it, I seen something that made my heart start racing...the stupid key!! I guessed it fell out when I pulled my gun off! Within a minute I was back in the cha...er.."positioning process" and could see my young cousin right behind the wolf which didn't look right for some reason. I wanted that wolf too but since Freddy was already there I watched and decided if he missed once, the wolf was fair game. He missed an inch or two below the wolf as it ran down hill into a deep creek, I was young with less foresight so I took a chance and followed, finding a way down the steep creek. I pulled up and shot the big black with my 223 and waited for Butterhead to make his way down to me. Once he got there we looked the wolf over and it had some of the thickest hair I've ever seen, aaaaaaand a swollen face full of porcupine quills! Man did that ever look painful. His lips were swollen to at least 4 times what they should be and when skinning it out I ended up with a pretty big pile of quills. Another time I was heading home after a long day of looking for wolves and decided to follow a familiar ridge where I've seen wolves many times. At last light I noticed something out of place in the willow flat below me and even from a distance I could make out the big ears of a wolf, also a black. This one too looked out of the ordinary. I was still about 200 yards away from him and he took about 2-3 big leaps and then layed down. He did this a couple more times as I slowly pulled up and shot him with my 223. I was very happy to get him and as I checked him over I could see that all 4 feet were covered in a ball of ice! Skinning him out I found a few quills in the lips and face but what surprised me was the amount of quills in his ribs! They were starting to poke into his lungs and had a lot of blood jelly like a bloodshot animal would have. I just wanted to share that to show that animals have a lot worse ways to die than being shot or trapped and I felt like both were put out of their misery before they froze or starved to death. I'm positive the second wolf was going to die that night. I've got a lot of wolf stories and just wanted to give some reading material for your morning coffee.

Good read! Thanks for sharing!

awesome read!

Thanks Ryan, things like this happen every day and some of us are just lucky enough to be out there in the wilds to enjoy it. Good luck and be safe.

Well said Jr

Thanks guys, and you hit the nail on the head JR. We are lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy the land and see lots of cool and unusual things that we wouldn't see if we were sitting on the couch.

Another cool thing I seen one time:

Freddy and I were hauling abandoned fuel drums and ran into 7 wolves, which were all grey and all came home with us. There were 4 more sets of tracks ahead of the 7 but we were short on gas and had to return the next day to look for them. We seen that after we left the area the 4 wolves came back and left one side of a caribou antler on our trail. We followed the wolves and the tracks led us right to a single caribou. I shot the caribou from a distance and when we went to butcher it we were in shock wondering how could this poor thing still be alive! Its hooves were worn right down and had very little black left on them, it had teeth punctures everywhere, its marrow was like red water, I don't know why the wolves didn't just finish it. I always wonder why the wolves came back to leave an antler for us. Maybe they thought we would leave them alone if they showed us where their prey was. Hard to say. We didn't get the remaining 4 that day, but I did get 3 about a month later within 2 miles of where we got the caribou. The 3 were so preoccupied with some muskox backed up to a cliff that I shot 2 before they even knew I was there. The 3rd only made it 1/2 mile before I got him too. All this wolf talk has me itching to go tracking!

Ryan, I was guiding a big game hunter over here in AK a few years ago, sitting on a ridge line watching a average black bear vigorously feeding on blue berries. I was looking through my hunter's new binos when out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement. Over the top of the ridge came a pack of 14 wolves at a full run downwind of the unsuspecting black bear. The lead dog was a huge black wolf and everyone else followed behind in a V-formation kinda like a flock of geese. The Black bear didn't have a clue until the lead wolf was about ten feet away but it was too late. The big black wolf put his shoulder into the bear and sent him rolling down the blue berry bush covered hillside. As the bear regained his footing, he found himself surrounded by the entire pack of black and gray wolves. I am going crazy wishing I had a video camera but not wanting to miss the show. The wolves picked at the bear from every angle while he sat on his haunches and spun round and round trying to get a piece of the wolves. This went on for a couple minutes before the bear realized his dire situation and charged over the wolves and made a bolt down the hill for an alder choked draw directly below my hunter and I. We watched as the black bear sped into the alders and rolled into a defensive position with his back to the wall. The alder thicket was about 15 yards wide and ran down into the creek valley below. A few of wolves charged into the alders in pursuit of their former combatant while the others just milled around the outside seemingly playing awaiting the out come. The bear had a far better defensive position now and seemed to have the upper hand now. Some of the wolves ran in and would literally come flying out sideways from a swat from the 150# bears paw. Let me put this into perspective, We are sitting 400 yards above this whole show now at about a 30 degree angle above them in late September with no leaves on the trees or brush. This is like a big movie screen to us looking thru our binoculars. Back to the story, the battle continues for about 5 minutes before the wolves realized they were getting the worse end of this deal. They slowly pulled back and the whole pack of 13 came together licking and playing around like a bunch of punks who just beat up a homeless person. The bear just sat there in the alder patch holed up awaiting the second volley. The wolves rallied and howled. It was awesome. I was shaking with excitement as I watched the ragged black bear sneak down the alder draw to the valley below and to safety for now. Meanwhile the wolves seemingly happy with the bullying they'd just given to the bear, single filed back up the hill to the ridgeline above and continued on their way. That is when the spectators became participants and we took off after the wolves. Needless to say, we didn't connect on any wolves but the experience was well worth it. Now, I am going crazy at what we just witnessed and my hunter, a young rich man about the same age as me, has a look of confusion at my excitement. He would rather be out chasing moose or something. I explained to him that "This event is something happens every day in the wild and we were blessed and lucky enough to witness such a wild moment. Now if you were paying attention, there were 14 wolves that attacked the black bear initially and 13 single filed away after the fact. So the very next day we are sitting on the very same ridge watching the same now scruffy black bear eating on the same blue berry patch when a big black wolf charges out of the alders in ambush of the bear. The big wolf put his shoulder into the bear and sent it rolling again. This time he just rolled the bear and looked back at him as to say he got the last lick in and trotted up the ridge in the same directions as his pack the day before. He had a bit of a limp and looked back several times before going out of sight. Near as I could figure was the wolves were not hungry and just were worrying the black bear for sport.

Great stories guys. wish I could ride along to witness your adventures. Awesome reading your posts. Has to be awesome trapping the Wolves in the snow and snaring them also.

That sounds like quite the show you witnessed Jr. The wolf that body checked the bear must've had some weight to him. I'm always hoping to see things like that every time I go out. Thanks for the story.

awesome story jr!

Well my new gun came in today at lunch time! The last 22 magnum from my Grandparents was 5 and 11 days old when I got the first wolverine and then wolf with it. I'm going to pull an all nighter and check the whole line tonight and see if I can get something within 12 hours of getting the new gun (Not too important but would be cool). Its pretty nice, I thought it was the plain Jane model but I opened the box and seen that it had the fancy checkering on the stock. It was so cute watching my kids get excited to see Daddy's new gun and I told Morgan that she can either have it when she turns 14 or pick her own. Its going to be so much fun watching my kids learn to follow me around. Morgan already can't wait for geese hunt and has been looking at Cabelas every day asking "Think this is good for geese hunting?" Now to send out the stainless 22 mag and then look into getting the Henry pump action fixed too. I wiped out my skidoo with the Henry slung across my chest. Broke the piece that holds the barrel straight and broke my tooth at the same time.

Ouch! I try not to wear a long gun on a machine for those reasons, I've been lucky to not break equipment or my face when I've been thrown with them before.

I have a twin to your new Marlin,it is a accurate rifle .That is some sharp checkering they do. Thanks for the wolf story !

Lol I was riding my sled going 30 mph through the field about a month ago. I had my left knee on the seat and partially standing on my right foot (so sled was right side heavy) and I hit a dip with the right ski. I went flying off the sled and spun in the air landing on my back. My left elbow hit a chunk of frozen mud. I'm more careful now lol!

He's back. I noticed one foot leaves a different shaped track, maybe it knows traps so well because it was the one that was caught and busted the snare a couple years back. Sure would be nice to get him this year, left a few blind traps out for him.

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4343913/A_picture_is_worth_a_thousand_

Hyperlinking so all my posts could be in one spot.

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5165836/1

2014-2015. I think that's all the journals I've had on here...

I had a message to call Butterhead today. I was excited because he has phoned before to tell me about a catch in 1 of my traps that he passes on his rounds. He called to say that the wolverine has wrecked a good part of my line. Heading out to see this evening. I'm going to try 5-6 blind traps in a narrow point of the creek he's been hanging around in. Time to think outside the box I think.

Hope you get it!

Id sure like to see it caught one of these days. I'm curious to see why one of his rear feet is deformed. He leaves a track similar to the rounded bottom of a grizzly pad instead of the regular track. I'm bringing a friend for a ride along so with the extra help I may try a deadfall amongst the log jam. If I'm lucky maybe he got caught since last night when Butterhead was through my trail.

I finally connected last night! Not on the wolverine but further along the trail I followed wolf tracks right to my set and from a distance I spotted eyes!
Big male wolf was caught in 2 traps. Thick fur but has a rub on its back, I think from a log that the traps were anchored to. Doesn't look like mange or lice. I'll post some pictures later.

awesome, hope ya get the qapvik soon.

over night catch was still warm



the otter. how much bigger do they get? I think this is one of the biggest ive ever got. The mink emptied out the 330 box before the wolverine checked it out.


finally got a wolf this year!

Woo hoo!

i left Inuvik after work on Friday in a blizzard and travelled to Aklavik through drifting snow and poor visibility before jumping on my skidoo and checking traps all night. With all the snow and wind we've had lately I was digging out and resetting traps as I went making for slow travelling not to mention the steady sting of powder snow in the face as I freshened up my trails and sets. There wasn't much activity through the first part of my line but I had high hopes for the remaining 3 sections to come even though it was now around 2 am. Second section was also uneventful but there was some animal tracks since last trip.

As I drove across the small lake to the first trap of my 3rd section, and what I consider the main part of my trapline, I spotted a set of eyes right where my trap is, right on! Pulling closer I spotted another set of eyes right where the Martin box is, I figures another Lynx stuck a paw in the box, right on! Then as I was close enough to see the two Lynx caught I spotted two more sets of eyes behind in the willows where there is no trap. I stopped and shut off my skidoo and headlight then took off my parka preparing for the cat and mouse game I've played a few times before. It took about 10 minutes of playing peek a boo in the trees before I turned my headlight back on and shot one of the Lynx at around thirty feet. The other one took off but I was sure happy as I sorted out the area before continuing down the line. I then picked up a mink, a nice winter prime red fox, 3 wizzles, and 3 Martin. I was pretty tired and soaked from all the trail breaking so I sped for my cabin and got a fire blazing. I sat beside the fire and slowly got my frozen clothes off being sure not to catch a chill. It was so nice beside the stove that I decided to check the remaining traps in the morni....zzzzzz....
A few hours later I jumped up with a cramped leg and foot, threw on some dry winter clothes I keep at the camp and took off to the last few traps ending up with an awesome looking pale Lynx Lynx with 4 white sox. I then broke a new trail through a long creek, ski jumping three beaver dams along the way before turning back and setting a single wolf trap where the creek starts. Soaking wet again I headed back to the cabin and changed my clothes then hauled some wood and did camp chores, chopped bait, and hauled wood some more. I kept a strong fire going all day to dry the house and all my clothes up. I finished the evening with some radio, boiled caribou ribs with beans and some progress on my puzzle.
Sunday was spent rechecking and rebating the whole line on the way back to Aklavik which added another Lynx and Martin, then switching skidoo for truck and then driving back to inuvik, and putting everything away ready for work in the morning. Can't wait to check traps again! Now if only I could sleep....

I'm gonna have some cereal now.

Nice story Ryan, for your leg and foot cramps, try to eat more bananas and drink more water. Potassium from the bananas helps and drinking water.
Dehydration is one of the main causes of muscle cramps. Along with a lack of potassium in your diet.

awesome story, nice catches too. Otters around here can get about four and a half to five feet long. These are the older ones though. Most will be about three and a half to four feet long. was that one a male?

Gibb- It was definitely dehydration plus being damp for a few hours. I usually carry lots of Gatorade and that helps but didn't take any this trip. I sweat a lot tracking down 1 martin that ran away with a trap.

That fool- the otter was a male. top 3 big ones ive gotten.

Very nice run Ryan that's quite a collection of fur. That wolf wasn't going anywhere, it will be a great looking ruff for someone I'll bet. If you get a chance to take a picture of it on a stretcher I'd like to see it.
Stay Safe out there.
Allan

Great story on your trap check Ryan.

Be very careful with Gatorade. You need to drink about 4 water to 1 of Gatorade. Some of the new Gatorade bottles are already diluted now. It adds electrolytes but is not a total re hydration such as water.

You need a texas mickey of rye whiskey at camp for medicinal purposes.

Hot 100 helps sooth my sore muscles sometimes. Mix some with hot tea and it's like buckleys, tastes awful but it works.

Not a whole lot of time left in the trapping season...

Yup the clock is ticking for King of Da Swamp. Hopefully some lynx start moving

First time coming home with 5 lynx the last trip.

awesome! we will be getting more lynx next year, lots of rabbit signs appeared this year. Will probably start setting traps for lynx next season

No martin this weekend. Picked up 4 lynx and 4 mink though and crossed 3 fresh wolverine tracks over my day old trail on the way home. 2 big ones and a smaller one. I reset everything and I am looking forward to checking traps again mid week.

Had a bunch of last years foxes go for over $50 so I'm kicking myself for not trapping fox this year. Usually have 50-60 by this time of year.

4 lynx, 4 mink and a martin last trip. Made a new trail to set up next weekend. I gave my nephew his early Birthday gift yesterday, a case of federal waterfowl 20 gauge shells for May geese hunt.

Ryan are you required to use steel shot on waterfowl ?

Good price on those fox Ryan! How far are you from Old Crow ?

Yeah smith we are supposed to use steel. I actually don't mind steel though. I've been using the same loads for ten year or more so I have them figured out pretty good.

Y254- not the greatest price yet but more than enough to add up nicely. I had a good deal going on for a few years when prices were high selling rough skinned undried foxes for 125. I have gotten more from auction but 125 straight across was pretty nice. Not sure the distance from old crow but it's about a 45 minutes plane ride I believe. I spent a lot of time there when I was younger and my great grandmother was living. Its west of us over the mountains and you can make it there with skidoo, haven't made the trip yet but I have an inherited cabin roughly half way.

Thats nice country up there. I flew into Old Crow years ago on my way to Fairbanks for the Quest. Steve Frost was sitting there at the airport so had a good chat with him. Sure wish I had the muskrats those guys do!

Nice country for sure! I've fished king salmon and hunted caribou there but haven't trapped with the old crow family. My grandmother grew up there, she flew to aklavik for a skiing event and met my grandpa at the old Cafe. The rest is history. She always says the rats in the delta are lower quality then she was used to growing up. I'd sure like to hunt one of the big Salmon fed bears over there some day.

Well they say time flies and I sure believe it. I cant believe winter trapping is almost over already. Today will be the start of the last weekend check and then everything will be getting snapped on Wednesday with next weekend for cleaning up the line and putting the 330s, 120s and #3s away for next season. I plan on trapping rats and wolves though so its not like I'm going cold turkey! I'm actually looking forward to pulling the traps and having some time to do other things such as tracking some wolves and doing a caribou hunt. I'm busy with planning and getting stuff ready for the whole spring including rat hunting, bear hunting and of course my favorite, the good ole' geese hunt! My Dad has some time off this month and we plan on finishing the geese hunting tent frame, hauling wood for the geese camp and getting a few things such as the freezer and generator hauled out. Shells are all packed and I'll start cleaning my shotguns over the next month or so. Looking forward to seeing my Dad use his new shotgun that I bought for him last fall too. Last year he came out to the geese camp for 1 day and shot once, knocking down a speckle belly with my nephews 20 gauge. Hes been reminding me that he shot 100% on geese last spring so I'm looking forward to seeing him miss a few times, I doubt he will though because he's one of the better shots I've seen so far in my life. Really hoping to get more family involved on this annual hunting event. Mostly for help with plucking!

awesome, I haven't had much luck this year with trapping, no snow for half the winter. Wasn't able to head all around the country until the end of february. Hopefully we get snow next season. we usually start getting birds about the middle or end of april. can't wait for spring bird hunting. hope to see picture of wolves. I am going to head out this weekend to track some wolves this weekend. would of had last weekend but it got white out and windy, had to turn around to the lower parts of the valley.

Pulled my back on Friday and waited until today to go to the ER. Turns out I have some muscles stuck in spasm mode and they are swelling. Ouch! It sure slowed me down this weekend on the trapline and instead of setting a new lynx and wolf line I pulled traps and started shutting things down on the season. I might still set a couple wolf traps and for sure some rat traps at some point but I think I'm done with lynx and I have been done with martin for close to a week I think. I took a few pictures of my last real check for the year.

I think I get 1 lynx a year like this and always in the same area.

I spent most of this season exploring and finding new spots. This will be a favorite spot in the coming years I think. Nice big lynx.


Further down the same trail. One of the darker ones this year.

Couple traps later...

I look across the trail to the second box and I can see the springs aren't sticking out the sides.

Double!!

3 martin, a mink and 2 lynx out of this new country. I'll be back in there next Fall.

COMING UP ON 6000KM from that seat, I don't feel like I have even been buying much gas!

1st line...

2nd line, and 2 lines came up empty.



Hangem' then skinnem'


My camera doesn't work so well in the daylight these days so I had to take a creative selfie while checking my 5 rat traps that produced 4 rats. Shutting down winter trapping is the end of that great time of year but it's also the start of Spring. SPRING. SPRING I TELL YOU!! Cleaned my shotgun yesterday and my 150 grain core lokts are waiting patiently in the storage room... but I won't need those until I get some muskrat and wolf harvesting done. If only my back can heal up quickly.

Hope you heal up quick!

awesome catches, hope you get better soon

Ryan, your field journal is an awful lot of fun. I've read the whole thing. Here in PA, we are very limited in what we can catch. Watching you interact with all these cool critters is like National Geo x 100. Good luck hunting, have a complete recovery.

I seen the first set of bear tracks of the spring this past Saturday, small female so no use in following. I'll be leaving for geese hunt in exactly one month so now's the time to get things done. My Dad and I are planning to finish the tent frame, set the tent and stove, haul wood and a few supplies out this Saturday while the travelling is good. I would imagine the same grizzly from last spring is back out around the trapping cabin or will be soon. I did 320 km in the mountains last Sunday, and about 560km total over the weekend. I've seen 6 eagles in the past week but still no sik-siks out in the mountains.

Bears are coming out farther north. Not so much along the coast here yet but its warming up fast.

we left aklavik on Friday morning and travelled through a patch of wind ,and stinging snow in the face, reaching John Martin cabin for a lunch break and a good strong fire. we covered a lot of country tracking a large pack of wolves For the rest of the day and then camped, woke up and continued on eventually running into the pack in a place where we couldn't reach them with skidoos thanks to thick dense brush and a cut bank. We sat and watched as some climbed the mountain in plain view but out of gun range and listened to more howling and barking in the creek but out of sight. After the last of the staggered pack disappeared over the ridge we could tell they had regrouped by the loud and concentrated but out of view howling. Freddy and I continued glasisng for any sign of the pack or stragglers and then he spotted a black wolf nearly the size of a cow caribou on the most rugged rocky outcrop on the mountain. I watched through my scope as four more followed the lead wolf, then six more, 11 wolves in a single file line walking up the mountain!
What a sight. Then three more hit the skyline, then 15,16,17, 18.......19......we waited for twenty to show but it did not. 19 wolves walking up the mountain! We spent the rest of the day playing hide and seek with these wolves spread over two valleys and a very high steep ridge line that we somehow climbed in a couple different places. All in all we had at least 50 individual sighting over the day, a couple times we almost got in range, a couple chances where we could've got a bunch if they weren't hidden by a ridge and in range but out of sight, and every other heart breaking situation of trying to hunt wolves where they are most comfortable and at the greatest advantage. I went in some places that I had no business going but found a way to make it work with out hitting any rocks or wrecking and I still can't believe the climbing power of my wide track. My best chance was when I climbed a long drifted knife blade ridge just wide enough for a skidoo that led to the rocky outcrop where the pack had given us the finger from earlier. I flushed three in to the huge open bowl on the other side that unfortunately had a steep creek through the middle that required me to go travel further up the valley to get to the other side. It ended with two blacks and a huge grey wolf beating me to the edge and into the steep timbered valley below. I think if I had been able to gain a hundred more yards I would've had enough time to get all three but I just ran out of level ground a bit too short. I've run into 2-3 wolves and gotten them all many times, 7 one time, 3 in the dark another time, but this time we ran into 19 and didn't get a single one....still one of the best wolf hunting days yet!

That's awesome Ryan. A pack of that size is very territorial and should be easily called in with challenge howls. Probably wouldn't respond after being pushed for a few days though. 19 wolves take a lot of ungulates and beaver to feed.

awesome story. too bad ya didn't get any. fun and exciting day though.

We tried calling but they knew something was up. I wonder if they are smart enough to think "Hmmm...warm weather today. Be on the lookout guys, that McLeod guy usually shows up around this time of year!" I doubt it but I was thinking maybe someone had hunted them earlier this winter and they were educated to know that a skidoo means trouble. I can imagine this large pack is one of the reasons we don't see 40-50 moose a day up there like we used to in the not too distant past. MAAAAAN, there were some giants in the pack. I have taken wolves from this pack in the past few years so Im sure the older ones know that humans mean trouble. Nothing like the sound of a pack howling and knowing you cant reach them without risking injury or damage to equipment.
Gives me a whole new appreciation for the land and animals we hunt knowing we're on their turf.

Thanks Ryan, I enjoyed the trip,almost like I was there. smith

The other McLeod guy hunted them this winter. Must have been Edward when he got three in the dark this winter. He said there was twelve in that pack but maybe he missed a few in the dark. Must have been one of that pack that I trapped this winter and it got away from me.

Freddy said one black was limping, maybe that's your wolf. Could be the same pack Edward seen but I was thinking the one he seen is the one from around my camp. The disappeared for awhile around the time he got three. The ones he got looked like the kind I get around my camp.

Could be I think the one I lost went past town and headed down below though. Seen a grey wolf just past Hudson Bay at that next creek yesterday. No gun but it would have been a long shot from the ice road anyways.

Well fellers we caught up to that pack again in a better place. Seen 12 of the 19 and got 8, 5 blacks, 1 grey and 2 whites.

You should have made a good long post again I would have screen shot it and sent it to Wanda McLeod and her dog. That way she can say "here on Northwind we like listening to Stories" and you can tell your story on radio. Really be good, best Northwind in months. Make sure you send out hugs and goonics all around.

I will write something up when I have some time. Wouldn't mind to share the story right now but I still have a couple more lynx to skin right now. I was carrying my Dads 270 this day because he was carrying mine on his day out with the family at a different spot.

Congrats, nice job culling the over population. Many animals will be saved for sure.

Smoke a "pack" a day. Fantastic!

Way to go Ryan!

awesome! nice catches

Nice job Ryan

Wow thats awesome. Nice country up there.

April is always a very busy month for me. I’m done winter trapping for the season so I have traps to put away, extra bait to haul away from my camp and any skinning of animals that I didn’t get around to during the winter months.  I’m also busy with getting my spring hunting gear ready for my favorite time of year which is wolf hunting, grizzly hunting and my favorite, spring geese hunt.  As busy as it gets, I always make time in my schedule to head out and do the spring hunts but with a lack of available tags it was looking like I might not have the opportunity to hunt grizzly this spring.  I was busy skinning some lynx last Thursday when the phone rang….It was my cousin Butterhead on the line and he said something that made me reconsider my weekend plans.  I was supposed to bring more lynx in the house to thaw out as well as haul some lumber to my geese camp, pick some martin boxes up from one of my traplines, set up my bear fence and get some spring cleaning done outside of my house and in my warehouse but Butterhead was holding the 1 available bear tag for the Aklavik band and I wanted to go!  I told him I would be over on Friday and a plan was made for a grizzly hunt in the Richardson Mountains.
Fiona, our son Bobby and I drove over to Aklavik on the ice road but our daughter Morgan decided she wanted to stay in Inuvik with her grandparents for the weekend. 
Our plan was to leave Aklavik Saturday at 9am sharp to get the most out of our planned day trip.  I was tired and ended up sleeping in for an extra 2 hours but eventually we were on our way.
From Aklavik we travelled to the Husky River and from there we climbed Red Mountain before making our way south to Black mountain then west up Willow River.  As we travelled along I thought of our last trip together the weekend prior and the heartbreak we felt from seeing 19 wolves and not getting any chance at them because of the steep terrain in the spot we seen the large pack, but hey we were here for a bear and that’s what we needed to concentrate on.  The day continued and we found some bear tracks but it looked like a young bear and we didn’t waste much time with it because we were after a big male grizzly only.  As we travelled along I started getting a nicotine craving so I waved to Freddy to stop but he just pointed to a distant ridge and kept travelling.  We’ve hunted together a lot and I knew he was planning to make it to the ridge before stopping for our smoke break.  Here’s where the fun started….
We stopped and hadn’t even shut our machines off when Freddy’s hand shot up and he said “WOLF”
Sure enough I spotted the big grey wolf down in the valley below us. Freddy said “GIVER” and I didn’t argue with him since he would be the bear shooter it was only right for me to go after the first wolf.
I found my way down to the creek, keeping my eyes on the lone grey wolf the whole time.  As I pulled up close enough to shoot the wolf something caught my eye off to the right.  2 more wolves, black wolves to be exact and they were headed up the valley too.  I dropped the big grey with my first shot then shifted my attention to the closer of the 2 black wolves and I tried a couple shots as he started climbing a steep mountain.  Unfortunately I missed but since there was another black wolf around I left this one alone and started off to find another one.  Travelling up the left side of the narrow valley I spotted a nice pale white wolf leave the creek bottom and start up the right side of the valley.  I looked back to where I last seen Freddy and he wasn’t there so I hoped he was hot on the heels of his own wolf.  I was getting closer to the pale wolf when Freddy came flying out of the creek below me right behind the pale wolf.  I watched as he stopped, pulled his gun and dropped the pale wolf.  There was a short pause at this point as my mind started playing back what just happened in the last 5 minutes.  I remembered seeing a couple more wolves climbing a spot a little ways back and then suddenly there they were running along the top of the steep mountain directly across from me.  I sped off to see if they could be caught and as I gained some ground I spotted another pale wolf following behind the others.  I climbed out and picked up their tracks heading out onto a large flat but couldn’t spot any.  Then a black wolf came running out from behind a small hill and into the flat.  Anybody that’s hunted wolves like this knows that seeing a wolf running into a large flat is the best sight as they can be caught up to easier. Right before shooting the black I spotted the pale wolf heading back towards where we started all this action earlier.  I quickly shot the black and smiled to myself knowing that I was bringing 2 wolves home for sure and Freddy had at least 1 of his own as well (he had actually shot one of the blacks wolves too that I spotted earlier before shooting the pale one).  With the black down I sped off to catch up to the pale wolf and as I crested the next ridge I spotted him along with 3 more crossing the big flat.  I was sure happy to see that but was hoping Freddy was close enough to get in on this opportunity.  Just like before, here comes Freddy flying out of the creek above the wolves, perfect timing and he was in position to keep all 4 of them away from the rocks and escape terrain.  I focused on the 2 wolves closest to me while Freddy was getting close to the 2 further ones.  I pulled up to a black wolf and dropped it in one shot before speeding after the pale one. I glanced over towards Freddy just in time to see his wolf fall, and then I shot the pale one, then looked over to Freddy and see his other wolf drop.  I looked around and didn’t spot any more so I took the opportunity to light a cigarette which I wanted to do since before all this took place.
I back tracked and hauled three of my wolves to one spot but still hadn’t talked to my hunting partner.
Once we finally met up I could see he had 2 wolves in his sled and was in the process of hauling them to where I left my 3.  I told him we’ll meet up at the spot I left the 3 once we finished picking up our wolves and that it would be worth it to skin them to avoid hauling a heavy load home and to keep the fur cleaner instead of throwing them all in the sled and have them bounce around for a couple hours.
We pieced together our chase and filled each other in on numbers we seen, and what we did right and what we could’ve done better.  We confirmed that we had seen 12, and a quick look at their tracks told us that they had come from the direction we lost the 19 a week earlier. There was also a bunch of tracks heading off in a different direction which we decided had to be the other 7 from the pack of 19. 
 
We skinned all 8 right there in the flat and would’ve kept looking for a bear but ran out of daylight.  We made it home at 430 in the morning with 4 wolves each, a couple tired but happy wolf hunters.
 

What an adventure. You will never forget that hunt.

2 days to go boys! My Dad and I finished up at geese camp on Monday, I will haul a last load tomorrow then we are off on Friday for 8 days of geese hunting fun. I seen 10 mallards while hauling a load out on Monday and, after leaving geese camp to my trapping camp for a load from there, my Dad saw a big bunch of yellowlegs and they flew right over my blind. I'm excited, cant wait to head out.

Shoot straight Ryan and have some fun I can't wait to see the pictures.
Allan

Wow, quite a haul, nice shooting!

Hello fellers,

Two things to share this evening. I dropped my HD camera in a foot of water yesterday while shooting rats. I recovered it but we'll have to see if it works.

Most importantly though, Morgan and Bobby have a new baby sister named Charlotte Kathryn Rose McLeod! Happy healthy baby girl born last Thursday. Mom and baby are doing great and I look forward to having another little helper.

Congratulations! Hope your camera will dry out okay

You got to get one of those JVC quad cams best zoom and you can drop them in water all you want and you can't freeze them. Tough to get in Canada though. I have been trying to get one for a while.i

Congratulations.

Congratulations

Congratulations. No rest for you for a while now.

Congratulations!

Another blessing to help you out when you are old and gray .When you hear her say "let me help you with that Dad " smith

Man I just started reading this and couldn't stop man yall put a hurtin on them wolfs looking forward to more be safe out there!

I put two wolves and ten lynx on stretchers last night and just got finished turning them all fur out about an hour ago. I put off drying all my furs for a record amount of time this year due to being distracted by other hunting/travelling opportunities and the birth of my daughter but now I've been full bore for the past 2 weeks or so with my limited amount of stretchers. I have every last fur from last season except for the martin and wolverine I sold as well as the 10-12 fox I gave away. I didn't put in more than a week of effort on foxes last year. I plan to send the whole thing to FHA even if it sits until next years sales. I'll need the room in my warehouse because I have some plans for next season brewing in my head. Looking at google earth, and getting my trap/supplies order drafted up has the gears in my noggin turning.

Now to stretch the 4 lynx I brought in before and bring in the grey wolf for first thing tomorrow morning, after coffee of course.

Good rapping you missed at music festival. Larry Greenland did the worm and a couple head spins.

Getting a few lynx dried lately. Had pictures of the two black wolves but my computer wont let me upload them. Ill put them up next time I guess.

My Dad gave me my Grandpa Bobby's Rifle.


Couple nice caribou in the last picture. Couple year old picture.

My Grandpa Bobby grew up at a bush camp on the Pokiak River. Big family. When my Uncle Arthur was alive he told me that this gun killed a lot of bears. There is still a lot of bears out in that country. Arthur kept the gun after Bobby passed away and still used it until he gave it to my Dad some 20 years ago. My Dad and I went to pick it up and Arthur had a brand new in the box 270 Remington pump with a nice wood stock. He gave my Dad a choice and since you don't see a 270 pump you can only guess which gun my Dad picked.

Ryan ,is it the 303 British Jungle Carbine ?

Not sure. I was hoping some of the gun experts would let me know. It says mk1 on the barrel. It is a 303.

Hey Ryan I shot my first deer with an old .303 British rifle my dad had complete with a pep sight and a 10 round clip. After he passed away it disappeared but I still have the dies, clips and a bunch of brass and a box of bullets for it.
If your wondering I've really been missing winter this past couple of weeks since our day time temps have been in the 90's.
Stay Safe out there !
Allan

I just checked it out and yes it is a jungle carbine.

Weird that I've never bothered to do research on grandpa Bobby's gun. Apparently quite a story to the gun. A couple minutes of looking online has my interest. It was cool before just for being his gun but now it's even cooler. I'll be checking into this more but not now since I have a headache. Got to find out more now. I wonder if the gun was used in combat? I wonder if the gun has killed a person? I carried it once for grizzly when I was in my early twenties and once for fall caribou around the same time. Didn't see any bears and couldn't hit the two Bulls we seen at 600 yards or so.

Those jungle carbines are good bush guns. i'm looking for one for a buddy. However you can keep your noisy 270 remington pump. I hate it when someone shows up in camp with one as the pumps rattle when you walk.

I have a pump 270 in my gun case. I never use it anymore because I lost the clip. I never noticed it being noise now I want to fix it and complain about it being noisy.

The 303 british was a gun that was used all over in the Canadian bush 40-50 years ago.They were a great calibre,much better than a 30 30,and the guns and shells were available everywhere cheap.
Not so today,those guns are very collectable now and some varietys are valuable.
I remember back in the 70's the MNR would have auctions of stuff seized from poachers.There were tables full of 303 british army surplus rifles.

Muskrat - I suspect a jokester like you would have to stop talking long enough to hear the rattle. We'd have fun on a hunt i bet Pull it out of the gun case and shake it without the clip and see what you hear !

Boco I'm one of those guys, not the poacher though. I'm thinking the 303 were way more common in Canada as part of "the empire" then in Alaska.

My first big gun was a 303 British and my old man would give me all the military hard point ammo as it was cheap. Shot my first moose at 14 with it. Put so many holes through it my dad said it was like swiss cheese, but he was pretty proud. He reminded me the other day ( he's 87 ) that one of my shots was through the back knee which slowed it done enough for me to perforate it.

Seems like I saw a story about a Swede up in Sask that shot a record moose with a 303 recently. He was hunting for the pot and it got in the way .

MOV_9725.mov

Took Rylan, Morgan and Bobby out shooting yesterday. Morgan went 3 for 10, Rylan is becoming a great shot with his 22 and my 22 magnum. Bobby went 1 for 15 or so and I'm sure the balloon he popped was a luck shot but darn it if I wasn't proud of all three of them! The older kids thought Bobby's shot was the funniest thing and then Rylan sends me this video today.

Not working I'll try again later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei88ncXU1zY

Should work this time.

My Aga Sarah (in the red cover) passed away at the age of 94 on August 23rd. Tough women with a heart of gold. I remember one year I had 456 muskrats to skin, I might've been about 14-15 years old. With her help and the help of my Grandma Bella we skinned them all in one sitting. When it came time to stretch them they both said "BYE!" The funeral is tomorrow.

I'm betting that picture pretty much captured her personality... R.I.P.


Aklavik - rat capital of the world.

Dam. The changes she must have seen. Thoughts and prayers.

Ryan that's a cute video those kids will keep you on your toes. I'm sorry to hear about Sarah's passing away from the picture along with the short story she was a special person to many and will be missed by all who knew her. Talk about a great life 94 impressive years.
Allan

I caught a big bull moose swimming across the river last week but decided to let him go. I was having alternator trouble with my sisters boat and after paddling hard to cut the big bull off I decided to let it walk and avoid adding all that weight to a boat that was already dead in the water. I managed to swap boats and did a caribou hunt that ended with 4 nice fall caribou. Planning to hunt for the rest of the family this coming weekend. Caribou for sure but maybe a moose and sheep too. I will be trapping full time this winter!

December 11, 1922- August 23, 2017

Rest in peace, great picture.....

Sorrowful but sweet. A new beginning for her.

Ryan was totally old school hauling his Polaris in plywood scow. Best thing I ever seen him do was the time him an Bo Boy hauled a 3 bull caribou across Canoe Lake in a kids plastic boat.

I had pictures of that but can't find them. Those little boats can sure take a load!

Caribou hunting with my Dad! I think its been 3 years?

I bought him a stock from a gun show and a leupold rifleman for his ol' trusty 25-06 so it'll be nice to see him out on the hills this weekend. One of the rare times where I'm okay with not shooting, just going along as a butcher/camera guy. Hopefully put some pictures up after the hunt. Might have time to squeeze in a sheep hunt. If I get a sheep over 170 then its going to be sent out for a shoulder mount. Ive said it before that the world record lives at BLACK MOUNTAIN.

My Dad and I got 3 young bull caribou on Saturday. We seen about 30 caribou but no big bulls. The next day my brother in law Ray and I tried another hunt but his machine only made it 2-3 hills back before blowing a piston due to water in the gas. I was able to easily tow him back to the lake just in time to see my cousin Butterhead getting ready to head up so I topped off the 550 tank and went off hunting. We seen about 250 caribou all together including a single big bull with no velvet. I shot this guy right away as the boys checked over the next hill for more big bulls. No more big bulls to be seen but Freddie shot a good young bull. As it started getting dark we spotted a bunch of 7-8 with 4 fat young bulls so we went over and I shot 1, Butterhead shot one and our third partner Kyle who didn't have any up to this point got his sled load of 2 caribou. That's 8 caribou put away for me this fall. Some of my Aunt's have room in their freezers though and my Moms willing to buy another freezer, so if they help with gas I will hunt for them now and also look for a bull moose before we get too far into September. I felt bad for Ray not making it to the caribou so I gave him and my sister the young bull for which Kim gave me a couple bags of cranberries she picked that day. Good trade as I like cranberry muffins.

Great stuff

Ryan do you have plenty of snow for the sled now ?

Some snow in the mountains but for the most part no snow yet.

I heard you had some big adventure this weekend, tracks busting, Renagades running in reverse only, people lost in pea soup fog! Really Rescue Ryan to the rescue. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

My wiring harness starting burning, Renegade was stuck in reverse, Freddy's track ripped right off crossing a small swamp. We weren't lost though. Got the Beaver House Trail 3D mapped in my head now. Devon drove right by us in the fog though and Freddy had to go and chase him down.

Whoaw, no end to the adventure. Me I went up John Cross Creek with boat from Uviavialuk Nellie and Dez followed in there boat. We made it way up but just when we started seeing caribou on top the creek got too narrow and willows went right across. The creek was going the opposite way of the caribou anyways. Fun turning around with Kingfisher in that narrow creek with the mountain current.
Jonas never made it down below we went as far as Beaver House with him by Moose River but sand bar all the way across.

If anybody is heading to Beaver House again tell them to grab my thick white rope beside the boat landing trail.

Yup will do that. Took tomorrow and Wednesday off going to pick cranberries.

Ive been wishing I took more pictures this fall but, despite carrying a gopro, I have no fall hunting pictures or video of this years hunting. I thought Id put up a couple from when I was busy with fur this off season though. Most of the furs are not brushed out in the pictures.

Not many berries but did see two moose. Perfect hunting situation. I was above them had a noise creek to cover sound good wind and called them right into range with the berry picker. Young bull and a cow. But not much of a moose eater so took some video and eventually the sun flashed off my phone and they bolted.

Morgan sophia mcleod turned 7 yesterday and Bobby Ryan mcleod turned 3 today. I'm away on field work so it's the first time I've ever missed my kids birthdays. Missing my 3 babies right now.

Yup tough times, your missing out on rabbit and mallard hunting also.

Come on muskrat! You know I'll catch up to you in one trip.

Since my total stands at zero that's a reasonable assumption.

I heard the tuktus all buggered off to Alaska so I guess it's just moose, sheep, grizzly, rabbits and waterfowl from now til freeze up. Oh yeah plus black bear, and wolf. Lots of wood to haul and some new trails to cut for the trapping season too. Always something to keep busy. Less than a month to go for beaver and rat season to open too right muskrat? I haven't been this motivated and excited to trap in a few years. Can't wait.

26 days until beaver season counting today. I hope the Pineapple express blows in again so we can get some beaver hunting in. Its weird that the beaver season opens in the NORTwest territories later than it does in Ontario and Minnesota (not totally sure about that but I think Oct 1 in MN?) (I think Tom Orr started trapping Oct 1 in Montana also).

Southeast Idaho usually gets an October beaver open also. The season opens November 1 for everyone else.

October 5th here Muskrat.I wait until the 20th-much better fur just waiting those couple weeks.

MN is Oct 28th this year in both the North and South zones.

Well my snare order came in yesterday. Enough supplies to make another 200 lynx snares for the coming season plus a few other goodies. I finally know what GUSTO smells like. Pretty potent smelling stuff.

Gusto has a whole other meaning here lol

I guess all it took was my lucky charm. Morgan wanted to come moose hunting with me last night so I gladly took her along. She is the best company I know and her sense of humour is much better than most adults I know. We left town after supper and with only 3-3 1/2 hours of day light we didn't waste very much time getting to the moosey areas. I kept the 150 Suzuki almost wide open for about 25 minutes before reaching a grassy, swampy area that is a known moose producing area. Its the same general area where I seen the 2 young bulls and cow a couple weeks back and I figured with limited day light our best bet would be to go and call while we drift. I eased up on the throttle and started looking into beaver ponds and hidden bays as we travelled along slowly. Well low and behold there stood a moose! As we passed a beaver pond with a very active house I spotted a moose. We drove just passed the opening to the pond, quietly tied up the boat and slowly walked back to get a shot at the big cow. We spotted the moose plus another cow standing in moose knee deep water and as soon as I let out a small grunt they both bolted for the far side. Well I wasn't going to let these ones get away so I held my gun ahead of the running moose, waited until it just hit solid ground (just barely hit solid ground) and squeezed off a 150 grain core lokt which hit home with a loud CRACK as it nearly popped the top of the skull off! The first thought I had was "Did that moose just die in the water?" I lifted the outboard and started pushing through the shallow, grassy pond towards our moose as I told Morgan a hundred times how happy I was that we 1. Got a Moose and 2. WE got a moose together! I gave Morgan a big hug, told her I love her and thanked her for coming along and bringing her good luck too. As I poled across the pond I spotted a cow with 2 calves and told morgan that with all these girls around there has to be a bull too. Turns out our moose died with only the very end of the rump in the 4" water near the shore. The front half was high and dry and after a few minutes work with a tow strap and one strategic flip of the beast so was the back half. Geese calls filled the cold fall air as I quickly got to skinning and quartering the fat cow. The ground was muddy and just a little bit soft so I took extra care to keep our moose meat clean. Couldn't be happier with the meat on this moose. Fat and healthy and very clean as the pack to the boat was maybe 2 feet! Morgan kept me entertained the whole time with questions and stories. As I finished the first side of butchering I heard the unmistakable sound of a bulls grunt and spotted the bull across the pond. We kept a close eye on him for the rest of the meat cutting and I was glad he didn't come check us out. As I finished loading the last pieces another bull and dry cow joined the original bull and it was fun watching them. I pushed/paddled us back out of the beaver pond and we sped for home as the sun disappeared and darkness set in. I think we left at 630pm and I finished hanging the last pieces at 11pm so Id say that was one of the fastest moose hunts yet for me. Morgan can now add September moose hunter to her growing hunting resume! I plan to hang the moose for a few nights since the temps are dropping and the puddles were iced over this morning. No risk of spoiling anymore. Just wondering if I should go get another of the 8 this evening. If I do I will definitely be carrying my bow and come along.

Angus Tartif is not doing much, you should take him as an apprentice. You can call him Gusto!

No thanks Muskrat. I'll be better off without.

Congratulations Ryan on getting winter meat with your hunting partner ! It's extra special when you have such a good helper along !
Allan

Shot a young bull with my uncle Steve last night. He speaks their language he does.

Steve grew up in the southern yukon so he knows a lot about moose and is my go to guy for any moose related questions. My question yesterday afternoon was "what age do bull moose start Rutting?" He answered, "why? You know where there's a moose?" I replied, "I know where there's 8"
He gave me a quick lesson over the phone about antler development and stuff and then said he would be done work at 8pm and on his way to the spot I described at no later than 802pm.

I went ahead and started calling at my moose spot but no moose were in the mood for conversation or anything else so I checked another spot and called for half an hour again with no answer so I returned to my favorite spot and resumed calling.
(Uncle Dan is here for moose meat...to be continued)

Now where was I? Oh yeah!

At this point I realized I hadn't slept in 42 hours and was on my Skidoo for the last 29 hours but I was determined to...oops! Wrong story.

I let out a series of calls and then there she was, the cow with 2 calves! I figured the rest were close so I started bull calling and almost immediately heard the answer. I spotted the bull walking along the beach and I quickly idled out to the main river to wait for Steve to show up in his 16 foot Jon boat. Once he showed up I got him up to date on the moose situation and told him to jump in my boat so we could idle back to the moose. We could see the cow and Calves right away but the bull mustve heard Steve was on his way and split for safer pastures. Steve did some calling and got the bull to start back out of the willows but it hung up just out of view. Shortly after that a 2 year old bull showed up and stood there staring. With the daylight starting to fade we decided that the big bull might be too far into the Rut and that the 2 year old was looking too good to pass. A 150 grain core lokt to the neckbone dropped him in his tracks and reminded me of a line from my old favorite hunting magazine "Big Game Adventures" in which the author described an animal dropping "as if struck by the hammer of THOR" I know, pretty dramatic but that's what popped into my head in that exact moment of time. Our "celebration" was pretty simple. I just said "right on, better get to work" Steve replied " yup. Nice shot Ryan Jay!"

Between the two of us we had the meat in the boat in no time. During the cutting we heard moose calls in the dark from around the lake and some of those cow calls were down right scary sounding. I'd describe it as very aggressive cow in heat come find me right now calling. Fiona was busy hanging dry meat during the hunt and I came home to 3 full racks of meat. Once we get enough meat dried I'll be back out looking for a giant dry cow. Might be trapping camp bound tomorrow for a weekend of preparing for the season. Lots of moose out that way...

Right on, good job on the moose!
I plugged a couple moose with my .270 Corelock 150 gr this year. One neck shot on a 33" and 1 heart shot at about 200 yards on a 58". A lot of people got moose meat this year

That's really good Nunamiut! I really like the 270 for moose. I had chances at a couple big moose in the early fall but wasn't the best situation to be adding all that meat at the time. I gave away a few pieces and we will be drying the rest.

Nunamuit: That's really good to hear that you guys on the North Slope are getting moose. I thought Sue on Life Below Zero said moose were closed never to reopen on the North Slope. Do the porcupine Caribou herd go as far west as to you? If so they must be all over now they pushed back into Alaska early this year. I hope they circle back again.

What you use for bait in your wolverine bucket sets. That is the only set I have not caught a wolverine in so far. Not that I have set a lot of them mind you and the milk crate set is more or less the dame thing. Snow on the ground today, deep snow on the mountains my boy said when he was up there. Unfortunately he had my Tundra and the track busted on him, so my Tundra is still up there in the deep snow. Order a track and pick it up once it freezes I suppose.

I have a .300 that is open sight also, but my Weatherby Vanguard .270 is my go to gun nowadays. Super accurate and most importantly, I shoot it enough to know how it shoots.

I don't know where Sue is at, but she's not from unit 26 or unit 24, lol. The porcupine caribou stay more towards the Alaska/Canada border to the east, so we don't get them this far. We usually get some of the Western Arctic Herd early fall for a few weeks before they move back towards the West side of Alaska. Then the Teshukpuk herd comes down late fall/early winter and pass on by migrating south of the Brooks Range. Last year the TH came through October 10, and we got to hunt them for a few weeks before they moved on. We have not had a wintering herd in our valley for many years now. They are usually found 60-100 miles outside of the village nowadays.

Tainted squirrel is a good bait, caribou/bear/moose innards and inedible parts of the animals. I usually use tainted bear fat too, in bucket sets and leg hold sets alike. Wolves and wolverine go right up to the sets and lick the fat right off the rocks. We have some up on the mountains and some here in the valleys. Sheep are coming down to the bottom of the mountains now, I harvested a couple of them last week and we just had to drag them 300 yards to the Argo. My uncle and I are going out this weekend to look for more sheep, since we do not have caribou around yet.

You might as well buy a seat too for the skidoo, a bear might find that before hibernation.

I usually have both my 270s when hunting moose in the boat. My 700 bdl with open sight for close shots and my stainless sps with scope for the longer shots. I almost bought a mossberg patriot in 300 win mag with a vortex 3-9 when I went to Whitehorse but changed my mind. I carry the sps when caribou hunting on windy days. Can't bring myself to leave the bdl at home when bear hunting. I shot both moose with the sps.

Only picture of Morgan with our moose.

Sue Aiken is a fraud. She frequently lies about stuff she knows nothing about on life below zero

Btw ryan congrats on the moose.

I had a good day out at the geese camp with my Dad. Seen a moose on the way out but I'll wait a couple more days before pulling the trigger again. Cut some trails and did some cleaning. Pretty nice fall weather. Probably head to the trapping camp tomorrow, going to grind the last of the moose meat and go to bed.

Lucky guy must be really going to pick cranberries. Seems like they grew best in that Esua River area. I shot a swan yesterday when I went for wood. Just barely beat an eagle to it, no shot gun had to head shot it with 270. Want to fish but the creeks just wont clear up. Looks like a good fox year, saw one in Pokiak other day and saw three around town yesterday.

Water is really dropping there muskrat so should be good for fishing now. My dog cost me a moose this morning. Couldn't keep quiet and the big cow took off. Really shallow out by the trapline but managed to cut a couple new trails and fix some eroded river banks. I would've liked to see more rabbits as the lynx numbers follow the rabbits. Not many at all. Lots of mink though. Other than the lost moose I would say my dog was good company. She watched me clearing brush and started dragging willows off the trail on her own. The way she would grow really low at the rabbit snare trail each night made me wonder if the grizzly was close. Then I noticed a tarp was moved and knew for sure the bear was around. I made it out of the camp river in time today. The way water was dropping I'm sure I wouldn't have made by tomorrow. Rivers were just too shallow to get everything done but I'll be back out there as soon as it freezes.

What breed (or part breeds is ) is your new dog ? They can sure be of help if we help them to help us ! Obedience says it all.What species of fish are you after Muskrat ?

She's not exactly new at 13 months old but she is husky, Shepherd, wolf mix. The owner of the parents called the litter "heinz 57" because there is a little bit of everything in there.

I think the wolf blood in her keeps her wild and ornery.

I want to catch some conni, also known as sheefish and a few other names. Margo make really good fish patties out of them.

Muskrat I have read of them .Saw a picture in Frank Glaser's book with some big ones that the locals gave him .Does the eating quality of them decline as they get too big ? Set the hook for me !

Dumb question Ryan: how does wolf blood get in their? Just leaving a edit: female dog in heat out and a wolf takes care of her?

Do people purposely try to have dogs bred with wolves up there?

Tough to do as wolves [I believe] like coyotes are mono esterous [female] and mono ??? [male]. Not saying it cant be done but would require having female dog come in esterous during the single period that a male wolf is able once a year.

A couple of the old timers leave a female in heat in wolf country. A male finds her and gets her pregnant. A female finds her and you just find the dogs head. Never tried it myself but some of the older guys do it from time to time. We had a female when I was a kid that was 50 percent wolf, her dad was a pure blooded wild wolf. Her pups were quarter breed which is the ideal percentage. Some of her pups were occasionally wild though. One ripped my grandpa's chihuahua in half, we found it after a grocery trip to town. Another of her pups lived for 18 years, I got it when I was 3 and put it down when I was 21.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa.....what in the world is a Chihuahua doing in the North!?

They had a few chihuahuas over the years for bear warning. The dogs were easy on grub and easy to haul around.

No the big ones taste the best we don't eat the small ones. Bait or dog food. Went today did not get any, one small northern pike. Nearly froze in open boat.

Muskrat ,Some days are diamonds ,some days are coal ,set the hook for me, too much slack between NWT and MT.

After a couple days of being sick I decided to get off the couch and check for moose around 5 o'clock. That gave me about 4 hours of daylight. Called in a few different places but no moose listening I guess. In the last grassy lake of the day I seen moose 19,20,and21 of the fall. It was a cow with 2 calves. This year's twins so they got their pardon. Called to see if a bull was close but again no answer. Lots of rabbits, a gigantic lynx, and a bird I've never seen here before. It looked like the sand hill cranes we see all the time but it was white. What a time to not have a camera. I'll check it out on Google later but I think it was either a whooping crane or an egret? Maybe some kind of heron?

We seen 9 swans today a flock of mallard and a flock of widgeon, no shot gun.

It didn't have the face marking like a whooping crane so that's out. According to Google it is either a great egret or a white phase blue heron. Didn't get a good enough look at the color of its legs to get a better answer. It looked like a younger bird. I should've took a better look but I was more concerned with finding moose than the bird. Cool to see something different though.

A shotgun is a great friend,I am almost never without one,they are so good for my ego ,I see a ruff sitting in the road ,out comes shrapnel shooter and poof . My wife (sweet lady of 49 years )says "you gottum good shot "I love that Lady and I love to eat those Ruffs.

Seen a monster bull moose tonight! Me and my uncle troy were idling through a narrow grassy Creek no more than 20 feet wide, came around a corner and it was just standing there.right in front of us! I was halfway through saying there has to be a cow close by when I spotted the big old cow. Put a shell in the barrel and was about to draw a bead when troy said it " calves!" Okay you're all safe. The small bull we seen was ideal though so it came home with us. Got him hanging up. Glad to get meat again but man what I would've given to shoot the big guy! Easily 60+ with a massive body but he was still after the cow. I prefer leaving the big Rutters alone after mid September. Hopefully see him again next year. Seems to be a lot of moose this year.

Did the cow put up a fight when you shot the little Bull? I did not know Troy was your Uncle? When did he go to Inuvik?

Took a long day of looking but found a cow and young bull moose last night. Shot the big fat cow and then the empty bullet got stuck in the barrel when I tried to reload for the young bull. He left before I could tell Freddy to shoot with the open sight. Best moose this fall! Big and fat! The meat that is hanging is starting to freeze so I might add another moose before the river freezes. It was a great hunting day. Cousin butterhead was in town waiting to go out to work on the highway so he came along. We checked our last hope lake and didn't see anything but at the very last minute I decided to idle into a side lake with a channel just wide enough for my boat to fit and just deep enough to push through. We spotted the moose stand up and luckily she gave me a shot at around 150 yards. 150 grain core lokt did the trick and she dropped in her tracks, on nice dry ground for a change.

Skinned the moose with a brand new havalon forge. I'll never go without. It works great on moose and bear as well as all the furbearers that I trap for. I use the 60 A blades mostly but I did buy 100 of the XT blades recently to use this winter. Makes skinning so easy.

Lakes are frozen.

Nice!
Our rivers got 1 1/2 in of ice. Lakes are all frozen, got about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Winter is coming.

Set 1 330 and 1 snare pole with 2 snares before for beaver. Thin ice on the lakes but the main rivers are wide open. I'm not a die hard beaver trapper but it's always fun to trap a few and get back into the trapping routine before the winter. The meat hanging outside in my shack is all frozen now too. Winter is coming.

It's funny how a guy waits all year for certain seasons then they just come and go so quickly. July always drags by as I wait for mid August to start hunting bull caribou and now its almost trapping season! Just like that. I had a good fall. We're in the last days of our boating season right now. Next will be some down time waiting for safe ice then regular trips to the trapline will be the new routine. Well not exactly down time I suppose as there is stuff to keep me busy. Maintenance, some close to town hunting/trapping, and trapping preparations will keep me busy. Got a bunch of scrap wood to make more conibear boxes. I also have a bunch of chain and 1/8 cable to refurbish some traps. Like always I have snares to be made too.

Worth mentioning that I seen 3 fox before during a quick scouting trip before setting the couple beaver sets.

I set two traps when I went for wood got one super blanket. That beaver lure works pretty good.

Kids are growing! Must be all that caribou and moose meat.

Some picture I stole from the old lady's Facebook. My boy posing with a batch of fur last year.



My oldest with her new 410 this past august.



Bobby hanging out with my Grandpa this past caribou season. I was out hunting when the pic was taken.

This was my geese hunting crew for a couple days this spring plus my mom the photographer. They left by skidoo and me, Morgan and rylan stayed until we had to chopper home.



I teach my kids about this stuff all the time.

Cool when the beaver pics going to start popping up on here?

Nice pics of your kids and grandpa Ryan. Kids are cute. I bet Grandpa is a great man also.

Awesome pictures!! Tons of memories there!

Hopefully soon.

Thanks. Grandpa is a great guy for sure. Seen him drop 2 caribou with one shot many times, he taught me to play poker, and brought me up listening to Cash, Jennings and good old Hank Sr. Just to name a few things.

Thanks. Always good to have memories on the land.more special now that I have kids to share the memories with.

Few more pictures I found while looking at Fiona's Facebook pictures.

Moose


Caribou


Skinned geese


Whole geese



Both dried caribou

We love working on (and eating) the animals I hunt for.

Looks like a pretty precious helper there..
Good on you.

Osky

Ryan the meat hanging on racks is it to be jerky and do you just let dry like that? Thanks

Thanks osky. Morgan has a big heart so helping out has always been natural for her. She has the same love of the outdoors as I do.
Rdfx- we hang the meat for a day then flip them all over. Hang for another day. Next we take them down and put them all in a bed sheet or fur bag and step on the pieces to crack them up and insure the inside is drying properly. After stepping we rehang for another day or two until completely dried. My kids would live on dry meat if we let them.

Love the pictures of your kids and your country. You are doing a great job raising the next generation, keep up the the good work. Thanks for sharing your life with the rest of us.

Pulled the beaver traps from the place I caught the two little ones. It looks like there is a flooded section of land at the other end of the lake so I’ll go check that out another day. After pulling that place I went and checked the other house. Picked up one average size beaver in a snare. Walked further out and set a lot more traps and snares between the house and the feed pile so will be fun checking those. I’m seeing good fur sign now and really looking forward to some winter trapping. Nice set of wolf tracks down by one of the beaver houses. Going to try get his attention and see if I can set a couple traps for it. I threw a couple scraps out on the lake for the ravens to find. Once they start squawking I’m pretty sure the wolf will check it out. Fun fun! Moving stuff around this evening before the snow really comes and I’ll skin the beaver later too.

Ryan, thanks for jerky info.

That’s a lot of meat! Nicely packaged, good job! So no need to cook that meat at all? Would I get sick if I ate it since I’m not use to it?
It looks really good!

No need to cook the meat jurassic. You won't get sick eating this stuff but keep in mind most people can't stop eating once they start, it's that good. I eat mine with a little becel margarine and seasoning salt but have no problem eating it plain too. We make grease from boiled caribou leg bones too which is the traditional topping for dry meat.

Ryan my memory of dry meat is the poem goes " Dry meat with lard on gives dene men a h#@& ON"

Well the Dene have a little help when its so cold out....LOL....

Sounds like what my grandfather would do.

His daughters thought he was being unhealthy and barbaric.

One of his favorite snacks was jerky and country crock. He'd use the jerky like chips and the crock like a dip.

That's a good one bushman, never heard that before.
Tweed- eating drymeat is like eating chips and dip. The meat is very lean unless you purposely leave fat on it. I don't care for fat on dry meat so we usually remove it.

Dry meat and Lard, Dene Viagra

Do you make drymeat out of bear Ryan?

Is it safe to make dry meat from bear ?

Have never made bear dry meat. I've always heard bear needs to be cooked.

That's why I asked,I always cook bearmeat very well.I do a roast and let it cool then cut in thin slices with salt.It is like roast beef and good trail food.

Pulled another beaver before. The 330 was set in a run between the house and feed pile. Same house I snared the last Beav from. As you can see the crows found my scraps and the wolves followed the noisy crows right to my beaver traps. I'm going to get after the wolves now too. Looks to be about 4 or 5. You can also see lynx tracks in the pictures.

Here's the actual spot I left the moose bones.

Dang that is a lot of good sign!!

Man your a good trapper no beaver in my trap this morning. I did throw a beaver carcass on the lake behind Bickish and the wolf cleaned it up to. Be good to lay some wolf traps out and here. Me I’m still stuck at 1 beaver going to have to start going hard to catch up to you.

Ice and snow in Alaska already, hard to believe as warm as it has been here in N.Y. State this year. It is another world up there. Good luck.

NWT Canada. I missed a shot at a grey wolf before. Feeling lower than a worms belly button right now.

Yup $700.00 running away is a sad sight

Ryan, we are waiting to see JR's new wolf traps in action. No pressure, but hurry it up!

Are they new style traps or Ak #9’s?

They are the Alaskan #9s. Made by JR Pederson now. But I shouldn't hijack Ryan's log here. I'm just super excited

I didn’t mean to hijack the thread either.

Ryan, love all that you share on here. You are a fortunate and blessed man.

The wolf I missed yesterday was caught in a trap today! Big grey male.

You caught it? Way to go! Albert Frosts son in law be real happy he can let his dogs outside now.

Not the best pic but it's the only one I have. I had a good write up about the day and the way I had the trap set but once again I hit the back button by mistake and lost it! Too tired to rewrite so when I feel like it I'll try again. Main highlights included walking the lake edge towards the trap and seeing the edge of the catch circle slowly pop into view. Also the set itself was all on the lake ice. Anchored the trap with a 10 inch piece of thick willow pushed lengthwise through a barely big enough hole in the ice. Once through I pulled the chain which was attached to the center of the willow and the willow centered itself under the ice. First night catch of my life with a brand new trap. Should've taken Fiona's phone for more pictures from the lake.

Dispatch shot nicked the jugular. Shucks but it'll clean up nicely.

So just a little stick under the ice is the anchor?

Nice fur ev n the hounches are well furred it must have had a good summer eating dog food. Better than those mangy dogs you had from MacKenzie last year though. Good catch

Initially yes just the stick but keep in mind the small hole freezes quickly and adds the extra holding power. I'm pretty sure the stick under the ice would hold though. I always use an old snare to cam lock the chain in place. If the wolf was to somehow get that stick out before it freezes in I think the stick would be enough to get him tangled with ten feet of chain. I'm thinking about getting a new camera to take more pictures again.

Someone mentioned trapping them early before they start scratching all their fur out. Wolf dug up one trap and flipped it over without snapping, then ate all the bait, then got caught at the trap that was set better. He was caught with an full belly so pretty bloated. I skinned up to the belly before to let it cool off with no green belly. Finishing up now.

Way to go! Congrats!

Great pictures and stories again Ryan your kids are sure growing into some great helpers.
We had 5 trumpeter swans on a small lake outside of town something I've not seen often .
Congrats on the beaver and the wolf I'm sure you will have another great season and thank you for sharing it with us. Oh yes and your dry meat pictures made me hungry ha ha
Stay Safe out there !
Allan

I caught a beaver today in a 330 on a metal H stand. Easy way to trap but for shallow water I should order the longer stands try them out.

muskrat, i'll be trying H stands for the first time this season. they sure look helpful. good luck

That right there is one of the most amazingly adorable pictures I have ever seen.

Thanks for the comments guys.

Little update this fine morning.
Beaver trapping was slow so I pulled everything and started setting on a new lake last night. Set a couple fox traps but weather came up and covered everything with snow. I reset these last night and added my own lure so I expect some fox and lynx catches soon. No luck in finding moose this past week. Freeze up was going well until we got a warm spell and freeze up went into reverse. Temps are supposed to start dropping this week though. I caught a red fox in a Martin set yesterday. I was walking down the trail and seen something hanging from the tree. First thought was maaaan that is the new world record Marten! The big heavy fox climbed the running pole and ended up sticking a paw into the belisle 120. He was hanging there! Nice looking fur on the back but the belly is just a little dark yet. Did some fur this week. I did the wolf I caught plus a few skins from last season. Hmm what else? Most likely a couple more weeks until I get to my camp and get serious with trapping but that’s fine as it will give the fur more time to get fluffy. Trapping close to town will be enough for now. I have been using havalon knives for a few years and finally slipped a little and took the very tip of my thumb off. Mostly dead skin but the blade caught some living tissue and hurt pretty good. Still kind of touchy. Stay safe guys, ice is still dangerous here.

Better go to walk in clinic and get a shot that's how I got infected finger. Could not work or trap for a month.

Ryan & Muskrat how is the most of the caribou and moose cooked --- Boiled ,roasted or fried ?

All of the above the best is caribou dry meat but stew is great, fried meat is great, if I knew to chicken fry caribou meat probably be great also.

Picked up 3 lynx out of 4 traps last night. Surprisingly white already. Just waiting for my bacon and eggs then drop Morgan off to school and check the 8 martintraps I set a couple days ago. Fun to be getting into the fur. I also got a phone call from a relative yesterday letting me know that he seen a Wolverine about ten minutes out of town.

Smith- we eat caribou all kinds of ways. Dried, fried, boiled, roasted, slow cooked, open fire, ground, stir fried, occasionally frozen, etc. I fry caribou using the stomach lace fat for grease rather than bottled grease.

Remington core lokt 150 grain. Smashed a moose neck and was recovered in the far side half sticking out through the skin. Beaver trapping with my friend Greg, whos in town for just a few days, turned into moose hunting pretty quick today when 4 were spotted on a beaver pond. I'll give the gut Pile a couple nights and go have a look. Seen marten and lynx tracks in the area. I'm betting a wolverine will find it shortly. No breaks on the bullet, it's all there. That's why I like them so much.

Remington should sponsor me a gun, some ammo, couple caps and stickers and maybe an insulated coffee mug for all the free advertising I do for them and their ammunition.

Also Ryan yr pic on the boxes of shells.....LOL.... good pics

Good going on the Moose. Sam and Jordan were down at Shingle, no caribou but they figure you could still hunt Beuhead whale as there is zero ice anywhere other then the harbour.

Smart young hunters and trapper Paxton Gordon. My buddy Patrick's son is already an accomplished hunter at the age 7. This is one of the wolves that have been hanging around town. Heard a guy got attacked last night so should be more people trying to kill them today.

Well Ryan you folks don't need that happening around town ! Paxton looks very natural skinning the wolf ! I'm proud of him for wearing gloves when he's skinning and very cool knife green is one of my favorite colors too .
Stay Safe out there !
Allan

Finally made it to my cabin on Saturday. I see some good fur sign for the year and I managed to get about 12 spots set up with multiple traps. Just enough to make the next setting trip worth it. Still lots of thin spots or even open spots once you get off the main rivers and into the lakes of the delta. Looking forward to getting back out to set more.

Did you use the ARGO? I have 10 days off and have done very little trapping back to work Wednesday. Try John Marten on the weekend hopefully. Any wolverine sign? You got to get that king of the swamp goodies back

Used the bearcat. Broke an a arm bolt on the ace night before I planned to leave. I seen a couple wolverine tracks. One hanging out right behind the cabin again.

Donald "Buster" McLeod
November 17 1928- November 26 2017

We just finished laying my great uncle Buster to rest this afternoon. He was a trapper and hunter and he was dam good at it.

I just wanted to share a couple passages from the eulogy:

Buster left home on snowshoes when he was 18 years old and that's when he discovered his love for the land. He trapped with his dog team until Skidoos came along allowing him to expand his trapline.

Over the years Buster took and taught many young men how to hunt, trap and prepare the catch to bring home. He was tough on them and made sure they learned how to work hard out on the land.

Buster always helped many people during the hard times. He would provide them with native food with no hesitation and especially made sure he provided for single mothers and elders.

Buster is one of the last true "Ole timers", he was a great man and that is how we will remember him. A provider for many.

RIP Buster.

Ryan,thanks for Busters story . Those guys had some tales I would have liked to hear. What was his most targeted species ? a picture of him would be great . Muskrat did you get to stink up the skillet with some of those good whitefish ?

As far as I know Buster was trapping everything. He was in my eyes the definition of a good hunter and trapper. Not just good at it but respectful and humble as well. He was part of the generation who seen the introduction of snowmobiles. That generation was deadly on snowshoes and tough as nails. He was my Grandpa Bobby's older brother.

RIP Buster.

Was he originally from up there?

With that last name I'm imagining he came from down here.

His dad was Donald "dan" mcleod who came from Scotland. I'm up early this morning getting ready to go to my trapping cabin which we call the Buster camp. He gave it to me and my dad when he stopped going out. One of my favorite stories about Buster:

I guess there was a cop in aklavik back in the day that really thought he was a tough guy. Kind of went around act8ng tough to the locals from what I hear. Well one day Buster walked to town to have a couple drinks at the cafe. After awhile he got up peacefully and started walking home. The cop seen him and decided to be tough. He called for Buster to stop. Buster kept walking. The cop tried tackling him but Buster kept walking. Soon the cop had Buster in a bear hug and was trying to dig his heels into the snow but Buster just kept walking. After about 600 yards the cop stopped trying and turned around and walked back to town. The old guy who told me this story was imitating Busters walk and still thought it was hilarious all those years later. Tough as nails those Ole timers.

Great ! Thanks

I waited until Saturday morning to head out to the camp. Didn’t really want to travel on a funeral day out of respect. I was up after seven and after a big breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs I was on my way. I stopped at the first big lake, known as? Any guesses? BIG LAKE....you guessed it! Splashed a little anti freeze on my 22 magnum since it was so cold out and carried on. I seen three moose and stopped to take some video but my old trusty Everio HD seems to have kicked the bucket.

A quick cigarette and on I went.

I was travelling along the Mackenzie river When I spotted wolf tracks come off the bank and start following the trail. No mistaking these ones, they were fresh. I picked up a bit of speed hoping to catch up before we reached the rough ice. The hours worth of sunshine was just starting so there was a mirage effect as I looked up river in the direction I was heading. Seven stumps that I had never noticed before materialized about two and a half kilometres away. They weren’t moving at all and I thought to myself that those stumps kind of remind me of a wolf pack. I kept a close watch on them and after a couple minutes I noticed that two stumps were moving away from each other. Turns out the seven “stumps” were indeed the makers of the tracks I was following. As is the case with wolf hunting, things start happening really fast and it’s up to you to make sense of everything quickly and often times a split second decision could mean the difference between one wolf in the sled or 3-4 wolves in the sled. Anyways I see the two lead wolves on the far left and they have committed to crossing the river. Smart move on their part as they have a big lead on me. I quickly unhook my sled as I scan for more runners. The last four in line have turned back and I imagine they are yelling “retreat! Retreat!!” The two Leading the retreat are long gone and I’ve got the Bearcat XT pinned. Luckily the big river has froze smooth here and I’m closing the distance fast! The second pair in retreat mode are in sight now and I can make out their colours. A big dark grey one and a monster white close behind. As nice as the two of them look I can tell I’m not going to make it. Maybe if I was carrying my 223 but not today. Two committed, four retreating...where the seventh stump you ask? Just standing there in the middle! I make the decision to take a sure thing and veer to the left. The big pale grey knows he’s made a mistake and grabs a gear or two but it’s too late. I close the distance and give him two quick shots and it’s done. I know the other six are long gone but as I glance even further upriver I spot 5 more, all black! Again I try to catch up but these ones have way to much of a head start. Twelve wolves seen but no chance at any besides the one who waited too long to high tail it for safety. I’ll take that over none any day. Wasn’t much animal activity afterward on my trapline but I still broke more trail and set out more traps. One track worth mentioning was the big Wolverine tracks that followed my trail for a while. I fished for a while for my neighbor, caught ten loche and cleaned them all right away before calling it a day. I spent today setting more traps and as I was heading back to the cabin towards evening I spotted two sets of fresh Wolverine tracks cross my hours old trail, both heading for the twenty kilometres of line I just set. I love that feeling! After fried caribou and a couple loads of wood I packed up and started for town and again I spotted the Wolverine tracks from the night before. They were still near where I seen them but had changed direction on my trail and were also headed for a seven kilometre line. the last place I seen them was one stretch from a 330 box and snare. The snare which Is the last set to look at had a nice big lynx freshly caught. I added some whale oil to the 330 box, replaced the snare then crossed my fingers and headed for town.

Man, oh man! You know how to get an old man's heart pumping! Great adventure, well told. Thanks for sharing.

another bites the snow !

Ryan, you make me feel like I'm riding along. Sorry about your grandfather. You are certainly carrying on in his way, which is a beautiful thing

Thats quite a pack Ryan. Good write up, it was so good I put my parka on while reading!

Good Luck next trip.

Good call. I have made the call just seconds too late in the past. Then I had to watch amagut(3 or more wolves) run up the mountainside just out of range.
Sounds like a good trip! Sometimes you have to ditch the bunch for that, "for sure" catch.

<----then you feel like this

I had a trip of highs and lows. Long story short I picked up some fur out of a limited number of sets, got more sets out and lost a wolverine in a snare. Chalk up another chew out in the 1/16. Great for lynx but it's the third wolverine that has chewed out or busted the snare over the years. Might be time to invest in snares that will hold the occasional incidental wolverine. Overall a good trip. I've got some pictures to put up later.

I didn't take a picture of the first lynx that was snared but this is the second lynx of the night. I caught it in a new place I found last year. I posted a picture somewhere saying that it would be a good spot in years to come and it looks good so far.



This was set in a rush at the end of the previous trip. Its set in a spot that has produced marten in the past, this year was pretty scarce for tracks but I threw the box out just to see and it paid off. Didn't spend much effort putting more sets in here just yet because the ice stays thin well into winter. I will eventually get another 25 or so elevated sets in here.



A lynx from another short line. Same line I had the wolverine break a snare. one of my best producers this set.



I had this 330 box set on wolverine tracks last trip. I was following fresher wolverine tracks heading right for the set and when I got close I could see the disturbance around the set and then a bushy tail popped into view. What I thought was a tail was actually the whole martin. Thought I connected but at least its a martin plugging the trap and not a mink. I'll take it!

Previous pics are all from Friday night. I spent Saturday breaking trails and marking spots during the short daylight then setting the trails up in the dark. The next morning Sunday I started out with setting more and doing a once over of everything set. I was checking the traps from the night before as I set more and spotted something dark at one the 120 boxes.




Overnight catch was still warm around the chest and hadn't even stiffened up yet. caught within 20 minutes or less ahead of me getting there. glad I spent 25-30 minutes setting 4 traps in one area just before this spot.





this wolverine isn't a giant but he crossed my trail heading into the middle of a horseshoe shaped line. Seen this on the way home.

Alaska Viking said to use enough trap!

LITTLE STIFF TODAY. Last glance at my odometer said 480km between Friday and Sunday. Its probably just over 500 total. Tried looking for moose near my camp but none around right now. Hopefully get one soon for drymeat. Gut pile on the trapline is always welcome too. The wolverine I snared was big and after getting out of the snare he went on as usual. Be nice to get him later and see the snare on him because I hate losing them like that for a few reasons. 3rd one lost over the years I've been trapping. Building more 330 boxes and stretching fur is this weeks objective here at home. It feels good when I'm in town knowing the traps are all fresh and ready. Then catching fur makes you want to keep the traps that way so the motivation Builds up and maintains leading to better productivity. That's when I feel good on the line. I HATE getting lazy out there! HATE losing wolverines too. Always end up tracking on foot for TOOOOO many miles. That's probably why Im stiff. Unfortunate for sure but what can you do except try harder and keep setting?

Congrats on the fur!!!!! And thanks for sharing!

I haven't really set any traps for fox this year (so far) but I still maintain a couple of really good lynx spots with 15 minutes of my house. Usually have short walking lines with 4-6 sets. Best part of this little trap line is getting to bring my kids even when its cold out. Today was warm. My nephew Rylan had some scheduled activities so he was out. Bobby my son was sleeping so he was out. The one little partner who never misses an opportunity to go was ready and raring to go. Morgan has quite the sense of humour so she's always lots of fun and she also loves hunting and trapping. The two of us headed out to the first spot with 3 snares and a baited #3 set over a few hundred yards. Its always such a good sight to see tracks heading down a trail and Morgan is getting good at recognizing and pointing out animal sign.

I had already spotted the tracks when we parked the truck and I waited for it as I grabbed my snare pole from the back of the truck.
Sure enough. "Look Dad, lynx tracks from before it snowed!"
5 minutes later down the trail.

Nice! Always like seeing the kids excitement when we make catches together.

I replaced the snare and Morgan got busy with the blocking. She did the left side and I did the right. I figure I do a pretty good job knowing a little bit of lynx behavior. Morgans learning and she doesn't take any chances. "How 'bout here Dad? Think a lynx could fit through this spot? Hmmmm, I'll put another stick I guess. Think a lynx would jump over the stick Dad?" "Only if you don't raise the stick when it snows Morgan" Smart questions.

The remaining snares and trap were empty So on we went to the other spot with 2 snares, a baited #3, and a walk through blind trap.

Tracks going down both trails here.

Snare stick should've been right to the right of Morgan. I thought I would give an easy tracking lesson but a quick look to the left and there were some big feet sticking out from the snow. Other lynx tracks were around and I thought it might be picked at but luckily it was fine.
from here there are two traps about 20 feet further and then a snare just out of view. Morgan led the way past the empty traps and the stopped suddenly and said excitedly "The stick is gone!" She turned around smiling and I said "Ispy...." I was already staring at the lynx below us on the edge of the lake also with tracks around it. I hoped it wasn't bothered and luckily again it was fine.

Second missing stick should've just above the right side of Morgans head.

I kept staring at it until she spotted it.


Top reset is where the second half of the double was caught and the bottom is where the first half was caught.


My partner.

Woo hoo! So happy when the kids get out.

Good deal!!!!! You are raising her right and making memories! Congrats on the kitties!

Good stuff Ryan,great that you can take and teach the kids.Nice cats too.

I have caught and held wolverine with 3/32 1x19 cable set up with a dispatch spring and others I know have had success with it too. The key is a good anchor and to not get a front leg in there. As well blocked as this set is, I would be pretty confident about getting a good neck catch on a wolverine and holding onto it. Of course my first choice for grappling with a wolverine is a 330!

I've only ever snared and held wolverine with 1/8 cable. I'd like to use the kill snares and I actually have a few sennekers right now. My plan was to use them in areas where the wolverine starts messing with my sets as they did last year. Only thing with running kill snares is the cost. I made 200 lynx snares this year, all 1/16 with cam lock like I've always used for lynx. Costed about 160 bucks for the parts.I'm thinking about going up in cable size just for the higher breaking strength. This way I can still make and set a whole bunch that will hold wolverine and keep my cost low. Always try to set my snares high enough to get the loop right under a bigger lynx chin so it doesn't make sense to me that I'm not getting good neck shots on wolverine too. I figure I am either catching them by a paw somehow or the snare is going too far up the neck and tightening on the bigger neck muscles. 3 educated wolverines out there unless there's one big monster with 3snares and a face scar that all the others are scared of! I agree the 330 is the way to go. Usually have more 330 boxes set along the line for the wandering wolverine but a bear found some and now I have to make more!

You probably are getting them by the neck but they roll roll roll and wad-up and break the cable and with 1/16 or 5/64 it doesn't take long!. Given a good neck catch, stronger cable and dispatch springs should do the trick. 3/32 1x19 works, 7/64 or 1/8 should work even better but all in all I think 3/32 should be good for both your cats and wolverines.

Thanks drasselt. I'll look into getting some supplies and get some snares made. I really like the 1/16 for lynx, it puts the biggest ones down with no trouble but if I switch up my snares then an occasional wolverine will be caught too. Unless I'm lucky and the next one finds a #3 or 330 box before a snare.

Wait for the trapping course before you invest Mark Taylor has a really good system.

Ryan, I have snared a pile of wolverines. The only one I ever lost was caught in a wolf snare, back when I was using 1/8th cable. The kill springs are great and work well, but costly. I've caught most of mine in regular cam-locks. Like you I like the ability to use the same snare for different animals. I switched to 5/64th and really like it, IMO it kills faster than 3/32nd. My favourite wolverine set is a snare pole set, but I have caught a lot of them on the ground too. I set my wolverine snares a lot lower than I do my lynx snares though. Here is a wolverine I snared...it fought more than normal.

Thanks Yukon, I’d like to stick with regular cam locks if possible so your idea sounds good.

Y254- is that 5/64 1x19 or 7x7?

5/64th 1x19 I've been using those cam locks with teeth. Sometimes Yukon Trappers store has them. I use the same snares for everything...wolves, lynx and wolverine. Keeps it simple

Way to get the little ones involved awesome

$12 for 100 dispatch springs.

http://www.minntrapprod.com/50-Dispatch-Springs/productinfo/DS50-12/100/

Ok. I was checking those out yesterday drasselt. I figured that was the springs you were talking about.

Overkill for cats but cheap insurance for wolverine. Nothing is 100% but they they help.

I really like the Alberta Powersnares. Expensive to put together a bunch of snares but they do work well.

Awesome pictures and catches.

Quite the evening! Took Morgan, Rylan and his cousin Cody to snares before. We had a lynx in both the remakes from the double on Monday. Both ripped up and eaten by a pack in the range of 8+ wolves, about five km from my front yard. We were just leaving the road when I spotted a familiar line coming down the bank and into our trail. I looked and listened for a second and spotted a bloody wolf track, literally bloody. Took a few steps and I didn’t like the feeling so I walked back to the truck grabbed my 22 magnum and told the kids to stay inside and wait for me. “Something fishy is going on here” I said. Back in the trail I walked and watched for anything, listened for anything. I started seeing a big mess up ahead and before long I started making out little shreds of fur and then blood everywhere. I walked to the further snare and same thing there. Looks like the pack crossed the road and made a snack out of two dead lynx. Quite the crime scene! I heard there was wolves around town but didn’t expect it to be a big pack and sure as Adam ate that apple I didn’t expect to see wolves eat my catch so close to town. Might have to haul a couple 750s to town for some evening wolf trapping!

Ouch. That is a bummer. But you have a new game to play near home now!!

That's crazy!

This is going to get fun now.

get them robbers.really enjoy your journal ryan.

I'm going to bring 3 or 4 750s in from my camp and set up in daylight on Monday. Weekends are for my camp but since Fiona starts her Christmas holidays on Monday I can do some exploring during the week. Ideal time to get 2 moose I think. Dry meat for Christmas!

Journal is going to be full of pictures this years.



A place where the wolverine ate some bait but the 2 traps were drifted over. its all reset now. See the big tracks he leaves?

Snared lynx. Note the 1/16 isn't even kinked.


Now that is a bunny trail!

Walking up behind the big tree and I could see the spring wasn't sticking out of the box...

I knocked all the spruce gum off the side where the martin would be hanging ( when I first set the trap) didn't like it so I rew2ired it to hang further out.

another beauty.

Favorite marten of the trip because I could see it in my headlights blowing in the wind from quite aways down the stretch.

that one lynx is really as bushy and white as it looks. the one marten has silver or grey in the tail, something ive noticed on a couple other pale ones.


Had another at the big tree on the way home plus another and 2 more mink that I didn't take pictures of. I got really sick out there and didn't expand my line. glad I was able to at least open all my trails and maintain what was already set. My Dad and I are planning to open trails through the main line tomorrow and im taking the family out for Christmas. Still cant access a good part of my trapline due to thin ice.

Last pic shows the second box on the tree in the background. Good spot so I put in another box.

Good call on multiple boxes at good catch sites. Some places are marten rich, others nearby are marten poor in my neck of the woods.

You are doing awesome!! Thanks for sharing!

I like seeing guys' pics Ryan so post away! Good stuff.

Thanks guys. So the plan this year is to take my whole family out to the camp for Christmas. The last time we were all out there I had a much smaller crew, just he three of us (4 if you count the dog) now we're the 6 of us including the mutt. Went ahead yesterday and opened my trail by aklavik to cut off about 75 km of Skidoo travel making it that much easier for the kids. I'm still feeling sick so it was very lucky for me that my lifelong pal Blue came and gave me a hand. With his help it was reasonably easy and went smoothly. Now today is packing up day. I've been up since 7am but I'm still the only one up. My son is usually up with the birds too but when he sleeps in I never bother to wake him up. Kids need their rest. Once we trailer everything to aklavik I'll most likely run a load out tonight, maybe a load in the morning too so I can have the house nice and toasty when we all pull in. First order of business will be to find a half decent Christmas tree for the cabin then what will be one of the highlights of the whole trip for me, show my two older kids a few parts of my trapline. Morgan can't wait, she's been checking traps with me in the truck since she was 2. Bobby is more excited because i told him he could drive his skidoo from the time he wakes up until he goes to sleep. He needs all the practice he can get so wolf hunting will come natural. Im going to build them a little track but no larry enticer style jumps just yet. I'd choose now for my first wolverine of the year or how about a big wolf? They would love to see that! It's going to be fun and we're all looking forward to our trip. Good coffee this morning, got to get back to packing.

Speaking of your life long friend Blue. This would be a great spot to stick in your video of his sled flying down the mountain where we missed McDougal Pass going to Summit Lake.

Wish me luck boys and gals. Just leaving town with the whole family for Christmas at the camp. Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas Ryan to you and yours.

Really enjoy your posts Ryan. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

Nice catches Ryan, good luck and Merry Christmas. Be safe out there with the family.

Good luck ryan merry christmas be safe out there

Happy new year everyone! I was hauling a load in from the camp last night, in the dark, of course. As I crossed a lake I wondered who in their right mind would put all those blue Christmas llights on that big tree? As I got closer two of them jumped and my dogs barking sent the remaining five back up the tree. Long story short I picked off 5 lynx with my 22 magnum, not small ones either. Just going to the family supper then I'll put up a few pictures from our Christmas in the bush.

Wow Ryan thats pretty cool. You must have a lot of lynx up there this year. Hows the marten numbers looking??

Wow, pretty cool!

Can't wait to see your photos, Ryan. Where we trap here in PA it's considered pretty remote and wild, but it ain't a thing like your experience. We live vicariously through your adventures. Be safe

Seems to be a lot of lynx and especially a lot of families so the peak of the cycle should be in the next couple years. Forest fires further south seems to have pushed Marten and Wolverine north into the delta. My trapline doesn’t usually have high Marten populations but there does seem to be more this year so far and from what I have been hearing the trappers that get high numbers of Marten are really doing well.

Tough on the west side got zero today, not even tracks. Did catch a wolf but in a milk crate. Took it no time to bust the hay wire to get and eat the beaver meat and buggered off. Lost its track after it hit Husky.that was an old trap caught lots of beaver. It probably tore it to prices by now. It's tracks look pretty good. Might have to be like Marty Moriato and pull my line to try and save my season.

Looks like the kids are having a great time. Love the tree decoration!

Bobby still up at 5am


Another late night for the two of us

I call this set "The Big Tree" even though its not that huge of a tree. Best spot so far this year. I think this was the 4th marten and its never in the second box, always the same one even though they are only set about 15 feet apart.



Last one is the 5th at the big tree.
We made a plan over a month ago and stuck to it. Me and my family spent a week out at our cabin for Christmas this year. I hauled a sled load and then the double sled load and camped out on the 22nd then travelled to town and hauled the family out on the 23rd. We made another trip in for Christmas dinner then stayed out until the 30th. It would've been nice to have a little warmer weather but the cold will make my kids tough. We had a lot of good eating, laughs and a few short adventures on the trapline never getting the kids too far away from the big wood stove. It was -42c with the wind chill when we went in on Christmas Day and nobody got too cold but that was with a sled set up with a foam mattress and a couple goose down blankets. My daughter Morgan sat in front of me on the skidoo the whole time.
we ended up with 10 lynx, 4 marten, a mink and a weasel while out there. I can find more pictures later on when I have Fionas phone.

*11 lynx. Just forgot I hung one up in my Grandparents smokehouse. 16 if you count the 5 I picked up on the 22nd.*

This is the only picture I took of the treed lynx. I know for sure the 3 blue spots in the tree are some of the lynx. I couldve gotten some better pics but if they all started jumping Id be kicking myself. My 22 magnum was frozen but I always carry gas line antifreeze when its cold. Almost started shooting with morgans single shot but was happy my favorite thawed out quickly. 3 dropped on the high bank almost on top of each other, one fell right to the lake ice and one fell behind the tree. Waited and watched for the two that jumped but they left and never showed again. I caught a triple on lynx on my far line but one was eaten. I pulled that whole line and started a new one.

Cool picture Ryan. What kind of 22 magnum do you have? I need one.

Some visitors we had. MOM,Dad, Rylan and my younger sister Janesta.

Sure going to be quiet without the kids out there.

I'm using a marlin 22mtw right now. Holds 13 in the tube magazine. I have a stainless laminated marlin too, a Remington 597 and a Henry octagon barrel pump.

Great pics, good times! Looks like you should get a blade for your little snogo if you are going to use it for trail clearing...

Great pics I see one of the young guys drives the skidoo similar to me
always seem to end up off the trail. No pics of the 5 lynx together.

My son drives a bit reckless. I'm sure the girls will both be more cautious. I thought of taking a picture of the dead pile of cats but 3 were pretty bloody. Walking around the tree looking for shooting lanes had some pretty picture worthy views. I wasn't going to risk it and tried not to waste any time though.

Great pic's!!! Thanks for sharing and congrats on the critters! That is wild about all those lynx! And I love the Xmas tree decoration ! !

Holy Cow. Way to go Dad. That will be a Christmas they will remember. Nice!!

Looks like you guys had a good time! This spring my girl will be big enough to spend time at the cabin with us. I can't wait, we're planning on building a fort down their for the kids.

The lynx checked the wood pile...




Then the canoe and eaten lynx...




Sniffed the skinning shack then walked down to the lake and stepped in a #3.




Big lynx family all over the creek and none walked through the snares.



This lynx did the front yard tour before getting caught just like the other one. Richardson mountains in the far background.



I broke trail into this spot last week but I only had 2 120 boxes. You can see the other martens head sticking out from the tree in the background. I set 8 more boxes and a whole bunch of #3s and snares.