First lynx of the year!

Thursday, December 27 to Tuesday, January 1:

  We arrived Thursday night to a frigid -22 Celsius, falling to -27 by bedtime. Boulder Road hasn't been plowed since before the last big snowfall and it's starting to get real rough, or at least rougher than normal. Hopefully they plow it before too long. Boulder Hill is still in good condition though, so I consider that a blessing as putting on chains is a pain in the butt.

  Driving in on Cabin Trail didn't reveal many encouraging signs. No new tracks could be seen and the two traps we pass by were both empty.

Boulder Road is getting to be rougher than normal, which is rough!

  Friday morning we decided to divide the trapline into two runs. The plan was to allow for more time to make additional sets for lynx, which when cubbies are being built can take some time. We'd run the north end of the trapline first.

  On Pipeline Trail, we discovered another sprung trap and evidence something had been eaten from our trap. This had happened previously at this same spot when only the head of a red squirrel remained in the trap. I was suspicious of other trap failures here since Dad and I first caught a marten in this same spot earlier in the season. Since then, bait has been stolen, traps sprung, things eaten and no signs left to show what was happening. I figured ermine were the probable cause for some of the sprung traps and stolen bait, but no way could a ermine eat a squirrel from a suspended trap. Today, coyote tracks gave away the catch eater. We made a snow-hole set with a #3 soft-catch trap, hoping our coyote would come back again looking for a free meal and perhaps stepping into our trap. On Pipeline Trail we picked up another bait thief.

Ermine are plentiful on the trapline.

  A set I like to make is called the Trail Snare Set. What I like to do is find a place along the trail where a tree is growing close (very close) to your trail, or perhaps a tree that is still alive but is leaning across your trail. You can then build a slight funnel leading toward your snare that is set directly on your trail, a favourite travel route of lynx. The only problem is when you have to pass that way again, you have to move your set and then replace it. A small price to pay though for a quick, effective set.

A Trail Snare Set on the Gulo Trail.

Another Trail Snare Set, this one on Unnamed Trail.

  With daylight running out we hit Clear Trail. Clear Trail saw us catch our first squirrel and our first marten of the season. Along its route, we have three marten sets, three squirrel pole sets (all taken down now), a trail snare set and two lynx cubbies. One of the cubbies could be considered nothing more than sticks sticking out of the snow with a duck carcass suspended from a tree branch hanging down in the center of the cubby, some lure on a stick also in the center of the cubby, and a suspended CD in front of the set. Two entrances are provided for entrance and each is guarded with a snare. I remember saying to Dakota we'd never catch anything in that sordid-looking thing. Lo and behold, Clear Trail and this cubby gave us another first - our first lynx.

Our first lynx of the year on Clear Trail.

This lynx refused to enter the front of the cubby, but couldn't resist the back entrance.

  The next morning we awoke to warm weather, -5 Celsius. I hate to complain about warm weather but anything above -10 Celsius when you're trapping isn't any fun. Trapping is a lot of work and you can get sweated up in a hurry if you're overdressed.

  South Trail, Broken Bridge Trail, Old Forest Trail, Muskeg Trail, and Boulder Road essentially make up the south end of the trapline. We spent our day covering this area, adding a few more lynx sets and snaring a few trails. We managed to catch two more ermine and had a lynx walk right up to the back entrance of a cubby, only to knock down the snare without getting caught. It must have scared him off though because our bait remained untouched.

Too bad they didn't command a high price.

  When you travel over the same trails consistently with a snowmobile, you eventually pack down your trail very hard. Unfortunately, on each side of your trail is all that untouched snow that has been building up as you've been packing down your trail. On occasion, your snowmobile can get caught in that soft snow and you can get sucked off your trail. When this happens, the work begins.

The snow is soft and deep on both sides of the trail.

  Sunday we were back running the north end of the trapline, once again adding another cubby and trail set, along with a couple of snared trails. On Pipeline Trail our snow-hole set hadn't produced our coyote and a lynx had walked right by the only cubby we have set on this trail. He didn't even give it a glance. Our day was starting to look pretty bleak when we hit Clear Trail, the last trail before Cabin Trail and a warm stove and a cold beer. Our first sets produced nothing and all that was left was a marten box and the same cubby we'd caught the lynx in previously... surely we wouldn't catch another lynx there again would we? We couldn't believe our eyes when another lynx lay at the back entrance (again) to the stick cubby.

Notice the "stick" cubby behind the cat. Bent over spruce boughs make the back entrance.

Our second lynx taken in the same cubby on Clear Trail.

  Monday, New Year's Eve would be our last night (and first New Year's Eve spent on the trapline). That day, however, the south end of the trapline needed its turn for checking. Early on we were greeted to a cow and calf moose where South Trail begins. It's nice to see the South Trail wolf pack haven't discovered these two yet, considering they weren't very wary of us. They allowed me enough time to get off my Ski-doo, open the sled, pull my camera out of its case, discover the battery was dead, get out another battery, replace the two, scrape the now forming frost off the front of the lens because the camera wouldn't focus through it, and still have enough time for several silhouette shots.

The cow and calf that didn't give a damn.

  Our first marten box produced another bait thief (#13). This box has been continually robbed since it was first baited. I discovered that changing the trigger wire configuration will catch them on occasion but next year all my 120's will be fastened with pans. This should allow our ermine catch to at least double.

And another ermine.

  On Old Forest Trail we picked up our seventh marten of the year, a nice male. With the last receiving date for the North American Fur Auction looming, our first shipment will consist of 13 ermine, 7 marten, 2 beavers, 1 mink and about a dozen squirrels. The lynx won't be ready in time as they have to be skinned and dried yet, as well as registered at a Fish and Wildlife office because they are a quota species.

A nice male marten on Old Forest Trail.

  As always, trapline trips go by faster than imaginable. Dakota and I spent six days enjoying the beautiful, breathtaking outdoors while taking in the wonders of Mother Nature... and it can't get any better than that!

A great trip. Two lynx, 1 marten (center photo) and 4 ermine.

Until next time!