Trapper Ron 2012-13 Stuff

[wolf1199]

Good luck Ron with your half season, better that then none. Expecting some good wolf pics this winter.

[trapp]

Aug 2, 2012 20:10:33 GMT -5 wolf1199 said:

Good luck Ron with your half season, better that then none. Expecting some good wolf pics this winter.

We have a full season for wolves, we are in Region 8. Actually it would be better if it opened Nov 1 instead of Oct 15. Hunters have a longer and earlier season with a bag limit of 3. Trappers do not have a bag limit.

TRAPPING
WOLF
Region 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov 1 - Jun 30
MUs 2-5, 2-6, 2-11 to 2-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept 10 - Jun 15
MUs 3-12 to 3-20, 3-26 to 3-33, 3-34 to 3-44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oct 15 - Mar 31
Regions 4* ✚, 5◆, 6, 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oct 15 - Mar 31
Region 7★ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 15 - May 31
* There is no closed season on wolf in the East Kootenay Trench below 1100 m elevation.
✚ In MU 4-1, open season is Dec 1 - Mar 31 if using a killing snare. In MU 4-1, it is illegal to
place bait between Mar 31 - Dec 1of a kind/quantity that could reasonably be expected to
attract a wolf to an area in which a killing snare is used.
★There is no closed season for wolf in MUs 7-19 to 7-22, 7-31 to 7-36, 7-42 to 7-58 below
1100 m elevation.
◆ There is no closed season for wolf in MUs 5-1 to 5-6, 5-12 to 5-14, restricted to private land
only and use of modified leg hold traps only from Apr 1 to Oct 14

HUNTING
WOLF 8-1 to 8-15, 8-21 to 8-26 Apr 1 - June 15
Sept 10 – Mar 31 Limit 3

[trapp]

For the past 4 months there has been two large Birch planks dry piles on the floor of my shop that I have been tripping over, along with the rest of the mess as you can see. Harley a fellow trapper cut them with his Alaska Chain Saw Mill. He also has about a dozen dry piled in his yard. The other day I cut them in half and planed them. One was over 14 inches wide so I had to trim each side of it before it would fit my planer.

What we have now is four nice clear birch 2" X 10" X 55" long to make fleshing beams. Well one has a knot but we can cut to avoid that.

[trapp]

Today I decided it was time to make some sawdust and shavings. Mostly for some board comparison discussion over on the Alaska Wilderness site.

For today's project I am splitting western red cedar blocks 3 feet long to make marten boards. Here is the process, first the block, then the split shake, then plane the shake to thickness. Next the board is squared up and cut to 4" wide x 36" long. Lastly a finished marten board.

Notice that the cedar had a big center rot/hole on it, typical of western red cedar.



The first step is to mark the board from a template or pattern. The end of the board is marked in the center. The pattern is then drawn on one side of the board facing away from you with the nose to the right. Then the board is flipped and the same tracing producing a line on the flip side. The reason for this is that it is easier to cut out on the band saw using your right hand to guide the board while cutting. If board is all marked on one side then cutting the right hand side of the board is very awkward.





The board is then cut out on the band saw.



I then put the board in the wood vice and plane each edge to the pencil mark. Then plane the edges round and sand them. For major production you can set up a router to round the corners.

Here are a few marten boards, large and small, couple of male mink boards and some belly wedges.

[snowdown]

Nice job

[catmando1]

Wow! Trapp, you and wolf are both excellent wood craftsmen! You both make unparallelled stretchers! Congrats on a fine bunch of boards!

[wolf1199]

Excellent boards Trapp, i see your boards are darker then mine, thus western red cedar. Nice workmanship.

[trapp]

Well back into trapping mode and working on my on my "to do list". Made up some new beds for the camp, three for the loft and one for my brother. They are made so the Rubbermade containers will fit underneath for storage etc. Painted my bed, finally. Just a couple of things left do do inside. A ceiling panel (sheet in) above my bed. Same above my brothers bed in his room.

Sleeping to accommodate 6 now. My wife when she comes to camp uses the pull out couch.

Replaced the cardboard woodbox with a new plywood one.

Loft



My Brothers new bunk.



My bunk and the pullout couch. You can see my wife has her own little cabinet, and her own wash basin.



New woodbox and in place by the stove.

[trapp]

Started to fix my old marten sets changing them from vertical boxes to horizontal and many will be double sets. Also some will move near by to a better location. I prefer my boxes out past the tree rather than between the two trees. The birds can feed on the bait through the screen. Two whiskey jacks (Grey Jay or Canada Jay, whatever you prefer to call them) fighting over the bait is as good as any scent. Some will be between depending upon the situation.

I used to fasten one end solid to the tree with a spike and wire the other end so the poke has movement when the wind blows and does not come detached. Now I powersaw cut a slot in one end and spike that instead of using the wire. Serves the same purpose.

Here is an example:

From this type of set.





To this. Some will just be single boxes.

[trapp]

Well it has been a busy pre season and now trapping season. I have picked up a few marten and looks like lots of lynx sign (opens Nov 15). Wolves and coyotes coming to four bait piles I have established.

Sitting outside by the fire one evening and this guy wandered into camp. Certainly a more welcome visitor than the last one that visited this summer.



Snow has come early this year. This is the top end of my line (6500 feet)just below Greystokes Park. My line actually goes right into the park. There was a foot of snow beginning of the month.



We had our outside fire tarped so we could sit at the fire out of the snow and rain. While we were in town it snowed a bit much. The tarp was old and the temp roof for the cabin for two years.





Here is a nice double and always nice to see those.



A few marten, most are XL, in our neck of the woods it is rare to get an XXL



This is how I dry my marten before turning. The front feet and legs dry very nicely and then are left inside after turning.



My wife Sheila with a Marten. In this set I caught a marten last check. Took the trap with frozen marten with me. I had set another trap but forgot to attach my quick link. This marten was dead in the box in a 120 LDL. It was struck right across the top of the head and behind the front legs. The skull was crushed right in.





Here is one of our "girly" sets, trying to entice one of those XXL Males.

[judd]

Very nice Ron, glad to see you doing some trapping.

[fuzz269]

Lookin good Ron, love your cabin realy nice. hope your season goes great.

[oldyote]

Very nice. Just a question though, you leave the feet and claws on a martin? I have never even seen one let alone caught one . I was just curious.

[trapp]

Nov 14, 2012 6:59:59 GMT -5 oldyote said:

Very nice. Just a question though, you leave the feet and claws on a martin? I have never even seen one let alone caught one . I was just curious.

Was asked the same question on another site, here is my answer:

I split the front legs from the pad to the elbow prior to pelting. When Pulling the pelt down to the front legs I pop the elbow through and my finger works under the leg. The leg is then pulled and whatever comes off stays on the pelt. Most times the total fur from the paw is intact, sometimes only the claws left on the carcass. Just the way I have always done it.

It is only in recent years that I have cut the front feet off of lynx prior to pelting. Even now I still just use my knife on some over the top of the paw removing the top fur from the foot on some. On coyotes I have always just used an axe and cut the front legs off just below the elbow of the front legs.

In the grading process they do not check to see if the front feet are left on. Just do not cut them so short that there is a hole when you look at it once turned fur out.

[trapp]

Nov 13, 2012 23:57:31 GMT -5 fuzz269 said:

Lookin good Ron, love your cabin realy nice. hope your season goes great.

Thanks fuzz. Don't expect to set the world afire. Just thankful to be out on the land with my bionic knees at 67. Yup the cabin is very comfortable. Sheila was out there for several days and we even set up the satellite TV. Now how about that for roughing it???