Breaking trail... again!

December 19 - 22, 2013: Knowing we would need an extra day to get our trails back down and to get to our traps that have been waylaid by the deep snow, Dakota and I took off to the trapline Thursday afternoon, a full day ahead of schedule. Of course, when we arrived it was snowing, which it always seems to do here. If you ever need to get into good shape, just run a trapline for a full season in deep snow, I guarantee you'll be in better shape than you were before. Walking in nearly waist-deep snow to get to your sets is a chore, and digging out the snowmobile and sleigh is an even bigger one.

Friday morning we headed to South Trail and soon we arrived at the spot I had made it to last weekend. You could still see the marks I'd made turning around after getting stuck. After stopping and examining the trail ahead, I gave the Ski-doo some gas and we were off... or so I thought. We weren't more than five-feet farther than I had made it the previous week and we were suddenly stuck! I couldn't believe it! Five feet further! I knew we were going to be in for a tough day, but this was ridiculous! After digging out, we carried on with better success. Often I would ride ahead without the sleigh behind me, breaking trail. I'd then turnaround and go back to hook up the sleigh again. Dakota would jump off and start pushing whenever the Ski-doo would start to bog down. When we reached the Crossover Trail, things were going much better. Our narrow trails don't have near the amount of snow on them our wider ones do and with Dakota off the sled, we even made it up the big hill on Crossover Trail, which Dakota then had to climb up.

Looking down Broken Bridge Hill. We're headed over that ridge and then on to Old Forest Trail.

We had to rebuild the only lynx cubby we have on South Trail, as expected. The snow had buried it and then when the snow got heavy in the tree branches above, it too came down, flattening a lot of the work we'd done. I knew we'd be rebuilding the three cubbies we have on Old Forest Trail as well. Our marten boxes were also buried to the fullest.

There's a lynx cubby in there somewhere!

A marten box completely out of sight.

This spruce grouse suddenly appeared out from below the snow in front of us.

We finished that day digging out lynx cubbies and marten boxes. Many of the marten boxes, especially those difficult to get to in the deep snow, we shut down, including the entire Extension Route. We also counted six times that we'd been stuck and had to dig out the snowmobile and sleigh. We also had to cut our way down Clear Trail, as the heavy snow had lowered all the willows. We were exhausted when we reached the cabin, but we now had a big part of the trapline back in order, our trails were down again and our traps were back up. Our catch for the day wasn't big, just two ermine, small reward for all our hard work.

Clear Trail not so clear.

It was snowing again when we awoke Saturday morning and Pipeline Trail was up first. The snow we didn't need. We had to get to the bait station and replenish it, but bait is heavy, much too heavy to pull up Pipeline Trail while trying to re-establish your trail at the same time. We would work our way up north by road, avoiding the lower pipeline. This would save us the problem of digging out, which was sure to happen if we tried.

We still had difficulties getting up the incline to the bait station. We had to unload weight from the sleigh, the bait, which I took up the hill loaded on the snowmobile. Then we pulled up the sleigh and re-hooked. Finally, we were at the bait station. Coyotes were still making trails into it and a moose hide still remained but had been drug off about 10 yards away. The trails were fewer now with just two coming in. We haven't seen any wolf sign in quite awhile now. Dakota read in the trapper's training manual that wolves avoid the deep snow, hunting at lower elevations where the snow isn't as deep. Why the coyotes are here is beyond me, but we're seeing more sign of them, even if it is only a small amount. Next weekend coyote snares will be going up at the bait station.

Dakota adding some ermine carcasses to the bait station.

We finished up the top Pipeline Trail getting stuck two more times. After getting stuck early on the lower pipeline, I ran the rest of it with just the Ski-doo, shutting down the three traps there as I went. While I was gone, Dakota dug out the sled and turned it around. We had caught two more ermine, giving us 30 on the season. This trip was turning into a "big effort, little reward" trip, but I didn't expect it to be much more. All we had left now was Unnamed Trail. Our success on Unnamed Trail, discounting ermine, has been poor, so I started up the trail without high hopes. Soon our first trap was in sight and something had been caught in it. At first we thought it was a marten but as we approached in the deep snow, we realized we had something much larger. It was half buried in the snow but it was a fisher! And a big one at that. Finally, Unnamed Trail pays off.

Dakota with the big fisher.

We slept well that night, exhausted from two days of hard work. I awoke around 7:00 am and read -35 Celsius on the thermometer. By 8:30 it was -30. The radio was calling for warmer weather, so we had a late breakfast and waited for the sun to warm the Ski-doo up a bit before starting it and heading for home.

Outside the cabin window.

We decided we'd take a quick trip down Gulo Trail and check the lynx cubby we have there and the gulo pen before heading to the truck. As soon as I turned onto Gulo Trail, we cut a set of very fresh lynx tracks heading straight towards our cubby. I built this cubby after taking photos of a lynx here a couple of weeks prior, maybe we caught him? Our trip had been a hard one and at first it didn't appear as if we would be rewarded very well for that hard work, but the fisher had been an added bonus. Now, as we approached the cubby, we realized we would be rewarded again... we had our first lynx of the season!

Our first lynx of the season.

 After examining the lynx, we realized it's not the one I took photos of. This one appears to be quite a bit smaller. It wrapped right up the tree, a perfect catch and a perfect end to our trip.

Our catch from the trapline so far this year:
4   Beaver
9   Marten
30 Ermine
2   Squirrels
1   Mink
1   Fisher
1   Lynx

Until next time!

The Trapping Season From Hell

December 13 - 15, 2013: I knew there would be a lot of snow at the trapline, just because the weather over most of north-central Alberta has been snow, snow and more snow for much of December. Highway 16 was in terrible shape and we spent most of it at speeds of less than 90 kmh. When we hit Highway 32 to Peers, the first thing we came across was a semi on its side in the ditch. This Highway was in brutal condition.

Highway 16 not too far out of Edmonton.

Highway 32 to Peers.

We parked at the compressor station and started our five-mile trek to the cabin in nearly two-feet of new snow. The Ski-doo was working hard pulling the sled through the deep snow and by the time we reached the cabin, I knew I wouldn't be able to pull the sled and Dakota up Pipeline Trail; the snow was just too deep.

Look at the snow! Moose tracks were all over the yard.

Once we were unpacked and loaded up with our trapping supplies, we headed out to try and run as much of the north end as we could. After getting stuck and having to dig out for the third time, I definitely knew Pipeline Trail was going to have to wait for another day. We also wouldn't be able to replenish our bait station. I wanted to get some snares up on the coyote trails coming into it but that too would have to wait. Even Grizzly Road was two-feet deep of snow across it. We had worked our butts off and hardly got anywhere; the sled was just too much of a drag in the deep snow. It was dark when we returned to the cabin, having caught one ermine. Which was surprising, as every trap we checked was buried out of sight, including the two lynx cubbies we have on this end.

Looking out the cabin window.

Saturday was a disaster. The weather had warmed dramatically and now all the deep snow was real "heavy" deep snow, making our lives miserable. We weren't even near the Crossover Trail and we had already dug out three times. Pulling the sled just wasn't going to work. We returned to the cabin and unhooked the sled. I grabbed what I figured I would need, bid Dakota farewell, and headed back to South Trail by myself. It would be the only way to make an attempt on the south end of the trapline.

I didn't get too far, when on Smiley Rock Road I got sucked out of our trail and down into the steep ditch that runs along the road. Twenty minutes later, I was back on the trail, just a little warmer now. I reached the last place we'd made it to with the sled without another incident and then started heading across the large cutblock on South Trail. However, it wasn't too long before I was stuck again. Our trail was completely covered and non-existent. I was simply doing my best to guess where it was and the deep snow was often dictating where I went. After a third dig out, I turned the Ski-doo around, pointed it toward home and shut the engine off. I sat there in the middle of nowhere wondering how I was going to do this. The snow was beginning to settle but it was just too heavy and sticky. And once again, even if I made it to Broken Bridge Hill, would I go down it, knowing that I wouldn't be able to get back up it if I had to. It was deja vu all over again. With warmer weather forecast, the snow would settle and then when the weather got cold again, it would freeze a hard top and we'd be able to run the line again. But my concern was the traps that we had set. Most would be buried but there was a chance we'd caught something that might end up a meal for another creature. Dejected, I started the Ski-doo and headed back to the cabin.

The sled that acted like a drag in the heavy snow.

We spent the rest of the day shoveling paths around the cabin and doing chores. There is always something to do when you're a trapper. Dakota refreshed his mink set along the creek near the cabin. He has been trying to catch a mink there since last season without luck and was hoping his luck would change this year. That night, in plus weather, it started to rain, which I deemed to be a good thing. It would help to settle the snow, giving our next attempt at South Trail better odds.

We'll have to shovel the snow away from the cabin soon.

The snow acts as an insulator, meaning less wood has to be burned in the wood stove.

The next morning we packed up our gear and loaded it into the sled, getting ready for the trip to the compressor station and then home. Dakota made one last check of his mink set and was whooping his pleasure at a catch. Finally he had a mink! I congratulated him for his persistence and started to think that maybe our luck would begin to change.

The mink is to Dakota's right. He came out of the water next to the trap.

You can see how close his trap is to the cabin.

The mink has incredibly soft fur. Only the lynx has nicer fur by my estimation.

Our catch from the trapline so far this year:
4   Beaver
9   Marten
26 Ermine
2   Squirrels
1   Mink

Until next time!

Brrrrrr!

December 6-8, 2013: It was -21 Celsius when I left Edmonton and a balmy -25 when I arrived at the cabin. My plan was the same, get the center and north part of the trapline checked on Friday so I would have enough time on Saturday to run the south end and get as many lynx cubbies up as I could.

Another six inches of snow had fallen and in many places along Pipeline Trail my Ski-doo trail was completely drifted over, making it difficult to stay on track. I'm starting to get used to it now though and gun the Ski-doo hard whenever I fall off the trail. This saves me from having to dig out.

When I arrived at the bait station, I unloaded two bags; one containing a deer hide and legs, the other had part of a moose hide in it. I packed them in to the bait station and could clearly see four distinct trails leading to the site. Not wolves, they still haven't been back; coyotes were making the trails. After dropping off the hides, I made a mental note of the coyote trails and then left. We will set snares here soon, maybe next weekend.

By the time I reached the cabin it was -27 and getting colder. I had managed to catch three more ermine but no marten. We will start pulling several of our marten sets next weekend. The dispersal is most likely over and the longer your traps are up, the higher your chances are of catching an adult female, which you try to avoid for obvious reasons.

The windows are completely iced over.

I awoke the next morning to -38 Celsius. My first concern was the Ski-doo and whether or not it would it start? Would trying to start it even be good for it? I decided I would cover the Ski-doo with a tarp and put my lantern underneath it to at least bring the temperature up a few degrees before trying. An hour later than planned, I was on my way down south.

The lantern doing its best to warm up the Ski-doo.

You can see the light where the lantern is.

My luck on the south end of the trapline wasn't any better than it was in the north. I caught a couple more ermine but that was it, giving us 25 for the season. Even with the extreme temperatures from the night before, the snow was giving away the secrets of the night's activity. An owl had left his hunting imprint in the snow and the ermine had been busy as well. These little guys amaze me, and there are so many of them it is almost hard to believe.

I wonder if he got him?

A hole in the snow made by ermine.

More often than not, the ermine and the bait are in the trap together.

Once I was on Old Forest Trail, my progress started to slow, as I began setting up lynx cubbies. We have three along this trail and each of them was successful last season. Judging by the lynx tracks we see here, we hope to be just as lucky this year.

A lynx cubby on Old Forest Trail. If you look closely, you can see the scent stick and the snare.

From there I made my way to Muskeg Trail, out to Boulder Road and then down to Smiley Rock and Clear Trail, and then on to Gulo Trail. It was starting to get dark and somehow I missed the ribbon that marks the lynx cubby on Clear Trail. Unable to turn around, I was forced to bypass it. We caught two lynx from this spot last year, so it would have been nice to get it set. I did manage to get a new cubby built on Gulo trail though. I managed to get six cubbies built before dark. Three on Old Forest Trail, one on South Trail, one on Gulo Trail and another on Cabin Trail. Next weekend we'll try and double the number.

I took this photo, looking back down Gulo Trail, Sunday morning.

On my way down from the trapline, near Pig's Head Road, I hit some washboard and all the stuff in my console vibrated out. I tried to catch it and the next thing I knew, I was in the ditch. I actually plowed into the berm that the snowplow had made, about three feet high. The berm was centered directly on my truck and I was stuck! Not knowing when or even if a vehicle would be coming by, I got out my shovel and started the arduous task of digging out. Luckily for me, about ten minutes later, the junior partner of my neighbour trapper came by. He introduced himself to me as John, complained about having few marten this year and last, had caught two fisher and was getting lynx cubbies up just as I was. I had some chain in my truck and in no time I was out. Lesson learned, keep your eyes on the road, not the floor!

Until Next Time!

An ermine explosion!

November 29 - December 1, 2013: When you spend enough time in an area watching the animals that reside there, you eventually start to notice things. Comparing to last year, this year we have noticed that our grouse population is once again healthy; we are seeing more deer sign than normal; and our moose population is in good shape. Our squirrels seem to be fewer but still plenty, and our mouse and vole population appears to be at a high. This bodes well for several other species. We've also noticed that there is more coyote sign than last year, even though it is still a small amount. However, our wolves haven't been making their regular runs through the area for some reason. This concerns me, as they haven't found our bait station yet and now that we can use snares (December 1st), I have no idea where to put them without their trails being established.

We've also noticed that our lynx population is extremely high, yet our snowshoe hare numbers are dwindling. In fact, the hare sign this year compared to last isn't even close. We are on the downside of the cycle so hare numbers are in decline, but the lynx may not have recognized this yet. We are seeing more lynx and their sign because they have to travel further in search of food. Soon their numbers will begin to fall as well. Twice in the span of four hours, Dakota and I saw two lynx in different locations. One adult lynx and one younger one, perhaps born this spring. The older cat allowed me enough time to get a few photos.

This lynx crossed Cabin Trail Road just ahead of us.

Zoomed all the way in.

But the biggest thing we've noticed on the trapline this year is the incredible amount of ermine that are running around. We attribute this to the amount of mice and vole sign we are seeing, which is everywhere. Conditions must have been perfect for this little member of the weasel family and birth rates must have been high. I have never seen so many sabotaged traps, as nearly every trap we came across on the Pipeline Trail and all the other trails that make up the north and center part of the trapline, either held an ermine or was empty and sprung. We caught five ermine on the Friday check. Unfortunately, with so many traps out of commission, we never caught a marten, which is the reason for these traps. The 120 Conibear is also too powerful for the ermine, often damaging the pelt beyond salvage. Of the 10 ermine we'd caught before this trip, three had to be discarded.

Caught trying to pull the bait out of the box.

Another bait thief trying to get the bait out of the box.

Here Dakota is removing another ermine, this one on Unnamed Trail.

We caught a marten in this set two weeks ago.

This ermine is tiny and probably too damaged to salvage. Caught in a mink box along a small creek.

On Saturday, our plan was to hit the south end of the trapline and get back with enough time left in the day to build a couple of 220 Conibear cubbies along the creek for fisher. We also wanted to get the gulo pen set on Gulo Trail.

Our journey began much the same way as the day before had. We were dealing with snapped traps and stolen bait continuously but this time we weren't catching anything. I think we caught only one ermine by the time we reached the Extension Route and then, once again, our luck changed. Dakota had said just before we got there that the Extension Route would produce a marten, and it did. In fact, we caught two.

Our first marten of the day.

Marten number two and our fifth from the Extension Route.

Our rig.

Another ermine from Old Forest Trail.

We arrived back at the center of the trapline in time to build our cubbies. The first one we built along the creek where we'd caught the fisher last year in the mink box. I wanted a more powerful trap down there this year. This cubby is a simple one, made of sticks with only one entrance guarded by a 220 Conibear right at ground level. A piece of duck is hung down behind the trap on a piece of hay wire and some fisher lure is added. This is very similar to a lynx cubby, just on a smaller scale.

The small fisher cubby along the creek.

Next was Center Trail where we'd built a fisher cubby the previous season. A fisher had come to a lynx snare pen we originally had in this spot, so we quickly converted it. Today, we would rebuild it.

From there we made our way to Gulo Trail and the "great gulo pen" that Dad and I had built two springs ago. I hadn't seen the gulo pen since last February and was happy to see it was still in good shape. The beauty of the gulo pen is that it is a well-built, permanent structure, meaning the only work that needs to be done when you get there is to add the bait and lure, and then set the trap.

Dakota at the gulo pen.

On our way out on Sunday, we stopped at a few accessible traps and caught two more ermine. We had now caught nine for the trip. With about 55 traps set for marten, we were catching one ermine for every six traps we checked. Last year our total ermine catch was 15. This year, just one month into the season, we've already caught 20.


Until next time!

A snow-filled successful trip!

When we hit the "Y" in the road that begins our climb up to the unmanned gas plant (compressor station), and the top of the trapline, I knew we would be battling a tough, rough road. A lot of snow had fallen and more than 30-inches lay on the un-plowed road. I managed to stay in the ruts of a previous driver and reached the unmanned compressor station and the beginning of Boulder Road without problem. At first, I started down Boulder Road but the previous driver had stopped at the compressor station and I was now the first one trying to get through the deep snow on the road. With Boulder Hill in mind, I decided we would back up, unload at the compressor station, then I would make the five-mile trek to the cabin where I would get the sled and come back for Dakota and our gear. My plans were waylaid when, not being able to see where we were on the road and backing up with the trailer on, I got sucked into the shallow ditch. We were stuck! I wished I had taken a photo but for some reason I didn't. After a trip to the cabin for the sled and shovels, we began the process of trying to get unstuck. In less than an hour, we were out of trouble, loaded, and ready to get to the cabin. We were running a little bit late now but would still be able to run the Pipeline Trail just as we had planned.

After getting a fire started in the cabin's woodstove and all of our stuff unloaded, we reloaded the sled with three bags of bait for the bait station - containing a deer carcass, a moose hide and legs - and the rest of the stuff we carry, off we went. The Ski-doo was working hard in the deep snow but we were managing to make ground on the lower side of Pipeline Trail. At an off-shoot down a wellsite road near the top of Pipeline trail, we picked up our first marten.

Our first marten. The amount of snow that had fallen buried many of our sets.

Our next stop was at the bait station, but a sharp hill lay before us. I told Dakota to run behind the sled and push as best he could. We made it about two-thirds of the way up the hill before we bogged down. After unhooking the sled and getting the Ski-doo turned around and now hooked back up to the sled, we unloaded the heaviest bait bag and without Dakota on the musher, I got to the top of the hill. Dakota now had to carry the heavy bait bag up to where I was.

The hill is much steeper than it looks.

Almost there!

That's it! He's had enough.

We replenished the bait station and carried on down the backside of Pipeline Trail. Most of our traps were either sabotaged by ermine (we had managed to catch two so far), empty, or completely buried in snow. In fact, almost every trap was buried. When we reached the bottom of the big hill at the end of Pipeline Trail near Grizzly Road, we picked up our second marten. So far, our success rate had been very good, despite the knee-deep snow.

Marten #2 at the bottom of Pipeline Trail near Grizzly Road.

We were laying down our first snowmobile Trails of the year as we traveled Pipeline Trail. Wherever we doubled back, I would ride far enough over to make the trail 1 1/2 Ski-doo widths wide. After learning last year that a single trail isn't wide enough, making it too easy to get sucked off and stuck in the soft snow beside the trail, I was determined to make a proper trail and was doing so. The deep snow was making it tough though. I worried about how deep the snow would be on South Trail that always seems to have more snow than anywhere else. We would find out the next day.

Here you can see the snow we were pushing throughout Pipeline Trail.

The next morning we headed straight to South Trail. Our plan was to get the farthest parts of the trapline away from the cabin done first. We'd run the center of the trapline later in the day, including Clear Trail, Unnamed Trail and what we now call Center Trail.

Pushing our way down South Trail we were finding much of the same, buried or ermine-sabotaged traps, but so far we were making decent time while laying down our trail. And then the hill on Crossover Trail  loomed before us. I tried to hit the hill as fast as I could but the deep snow wouldn't allow me enough speed. We were once again unhooking the sled, pushing and pulling it up the hill. At the top, we were both exhausted. For two weekends in a row, the Crossover Trail Hill had given me a tough time. The weather was also warming up dramatically and we were starting to get wet. The snow was changing too and starting to stick to the Ski-doo and sled, adding unwanted weight. We knocked it off as best we could and carried on.

Soon we were looking down Broken Bridge Hill, wondering how the Ski-doo and sled would handle the journey down it for the first time. The snow was deeper than Pipeline Trail, like I suspected. Pushing the snow ahead of us, the Ski-doo and sled slowly crept down the big hill and we were soon easily at Broken Bridge where we caught our first ermine. Unfortunately, something had dined on this ermine (#10) and it was now bush feed. Our next set was empty but the next one after that held another nice marten, our third of the trip. Things were looking good with many more traps yet to check. Making trail though was getting tougher.

Our first marten of the day on Broken Bridge Trail.

Things were going well again until we hit another sharp incline and once again we were unhooking the sled, pushing and pulling it as best as we could to get to the top. Our hard work was paying off though, as we caught our fourth marten of the trip and second on Broken Bridge Trail. We had caught two marten from this same spot the previous year, so it was proving to be an excellent set.

A new box, but an older set. This is marten number three from this location over the past two years.

Next up was the new Extension Route south. It has several smaller hills on it and a few boggy spots, so I knew we would be working our butts off again at some point. And I was correct. I'm not sure how many times we had to unhook but it was several. When we reached the end of the Extension Route, exhausted, we stopped for a small well-deserved lunch. We had been working hard but we were doing well. We'd caught another marten, giving us five for the trip and three on the year from the Extension Route. Exploring this area earlier in the summer had proven to be fruitful and had been a good decision on my part.

Marten #5 of the trip and #7 on the season.

We made our way back down the Extension Route and headed towards Old Forest Trail where we would take Muskeg Trail out towards the center of the trapline. Once again, Old Forest Trail wasn't proving to be any easier on us and we had to unhook a few times again to get up a couple of hills. Old Forest Trail wasn't producing either, as all of our sets were again buried or sabotaged, mostly buried. This trail has proven to be our lynx trail though, having taken three from here last season. It has never produced anything else other than ermine though, but keeping the trail open is a worthy investment.

This cow and calf on the Extension Route watched us for the longest time.

We finished up our day without making another catch but we were happy with what we had accomplished. All of our trails were now down, some 1 1/2 Ski-doo widths wide, which will make the rest of the season much easier for travel. As well, we'd had a great catch of marten. Our ermine catch had been four but two had to be discarded, the second one because of trap damage. Marten traps are a little too big for the eager bait thief.

Dakota with our catch.

 Until next time!