Trapper Ron 2012-13 Stuff

[trapp]

Thought I would start a bit of a journal for the 2012-13 Trapper Ron escapades into the wilds of BC.

[trapp]

First visit to the cabin June 13th

Still some snow on the road in:



A bit of snow on the West side of the cabin:



We found a couple of tears in the roof, probably from the ice under the snow sliding:



From seeing those three tears in the roof we are now going to cross strap the roof and put metal roofing on it.

[trapp]

Several pine trees around camp have been stripped of bark about 30 feet up. This is all second growth lodgepole pine planted after logging. I suppose next they will try to eat the cabin walls.



We already know about the griz visit. Here is a picture of my outside wash basin. Think that was a small black that decided to have a chew on it.

[trapp]

I have more pelt boards than 3 trappers need. Having said that I continue to make them, many for other trappers. Now that we have a wolf season we will need to make up a couple of wolf boards. So the other day in my travels wouldn't you know it some cedar left behind at a landing from last winter. Someone cut the best log at 10 feet up then cut a bunch of firewood sized blocks out of the middle of it. You can see the butt rot typical of our Western red cedar. This log will mostly be clear, it is about 18 inches diameter at the butt end. Should make our wolf boards, some lynx and coyote boards and a stack of marten boards.

So out we go with the trailer and load it up. It is now here in town and one of my neighbors will custom cut it for me with his band saw mill.







My trapping buddy Ryan helping out. Well or should I say he did most of the work.



What we did was cut a couple of poles and crossed them above the log tied with a chain. The we lifted one end with a small chain block. backed the trailer under and used a come a long to pull it into the trailer. Worked very well.

[trapp]

Here is a frightening scene and a bit of a story to go with it.

So last summer I was looking for some good wood logs or standing snags which would be handy to get at for firewood for the trapline cabin. In one older cut block there was a nice standing dry fir snag. There was quite a lean to it away from the road so it would take about 70 feet of cable to pull it out. Anyway I left it for another day.

This spring I go down the same road and my dry fir snag is gone and I could not see where it was driving down the road. We turned around down at the landing and started back up. There through the low green brush I see the butt end of the sawn log. So I stopped and went up the bank to investigate. Wow what i saw made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

Some one had made an undercut towards the road then an angle cut on the other side. With the lean on that tree there was no way it was going to the road. You can see he had to cut the stump completely before it came off. When it came off the stump it rolled and came down right where he would have been standing and felled the opposite direction to the undercut. This tree is over 24 inches on the stump and probably over 80 feet tall. Someone is lucky to be alive.

The good news is It will probably be in my woodshed at camp before fall. That is unless this idiot faller gets there first.

[judd]

Fine piece of fire wood.

[robocop]

Quite a mess of felling that tree,but they got it down.

[catmando1]

Wow. Scratch around a little in the mulch under the tree....... may find some bones!

Thanks for posting! I am in awe that there was still snow on the ground half way through June! You could fry an egg on the sidewalk here then!

[trapp]

Jul 20, 2012 6:33:10 GMT -5 catmando1 said:

Wow. Scratch around a little in the mulch under the tree....... may find some bones!

Thanks for posting! I am in awe that there was still snow on the ground half way through June! You could fry an egg on the sidewalk here then!

Our camp is at the 5000 ft level. By the end of February we have 6 feet of packed snow.

This is one path we keep shoveled out. This is beginning of January.

[wolf1199]

And that is one path that should always be open....lol

[trapp]

Today we milled my cedar log. A fellow just a couple of blocks away has a Wood Mizer bandsaw mill. A few knots but lots of really nice clear Western Red Cedar boards. Some are 14 inches wide. They are 3/4" thick and will be 5/8" once dried and planed. Some are cut to 1/2" thick to plane for marten boards, ermine boards, and some squirrel boards. Looks like we will get at least four nice 8 foot wolf boards. It is all dry piled now. All in all I am very happy with the material from this log.

Milling the log:





Boards are all dry piled.

[fuzz269]

Looks like some nice boards about to be made Ron, I would love to get my hands on a few nice cedar logs like that to run threw my mill. Cant wait to see the finished product.

[catmando1]

I could make my otter boards if I had a mill like that!

Really nice lumber you got there, good job!

[wolf1199]

Looking good Ron, i just finished making 30 boards out of our cedar which does not even come close to your western red.For me to make boards with no knotts i will have to go through way more boards then your self. I did manage a few pieces that were 14 inches wide and made a few solid wolf boards out of it and the rest was fisher, fox, otter, marten, mink and weasel. You know if you ever drive this way with your truck throw a western red log in for me. lol

[trapp]

Planning on getting started on my wolf/coyote snares soon. Will have 60 made up but probably will make 100. I have all the parts. When I start I will post some pictures and more details.

This season we finally have a wolf season back for our region. Our two Registered traplines have more than their share of wolves. They have really had an impact on our ungulate populations, particularly a small elk heard near Nevertouch Lake.