Of coyotes and wolves

February 2016: After I pulled everything from the registered trapline, I took a few days off to recoup from a poor season. But after a few days of sitting at home, I was going stir-crazy, so I took off to the ranch I trap for to see what was going on out there. After touring around for a bit, I decided there was enough coyote activity to warrant a few snares being put up. I didn't want to put too many up though, as the weather still isn't cooperating and it is still way too warm. In warm weather like this, you almost have to check your sets daily because if you leave them for too long and you've caught something, it won't properly cool down and it will go green, which leads to a host of problems.

I hauled in a couple of old beaver carcasses I'd been saving, some of my leftover duck carcasses, and one of three lynx carcasses from the trapline. I piled them up where I'd had the bait station the previous year and hung 13 snares up around the bait at various locations that looked like they'd make for good trails. Once finished there, I found another 8 trails that coyotes were using and hung snares up on each of them as well. I also hung 3 more snares at an old moose kill I'd found that appeared to still have some activity.

So, with only 24 snares up, I made my first check in balmy weather only to discover the coyotes weren't cooperating here either. In fact, there was a lot less sign than when I'd first set my snares up and I was also running out of snow. And to top things off, only the ravens and magpies had been feasting at my bait station. I almost took everything down that first check but decided to give it another couple of days. Two days later in still too warm of weather, I made my second check and picked up a coyote at the old moose kill. However, my bait station was still a dud.

A decent sized male coyote caught at an old moose kill site.

I've caught much better coyotes than this guy but he wasn't too bad. However, only a single coyote wasn't what I was hoping for. I replaced the snare and packed the coyote out to my snowmobile still wondering if I was crazy for trapping in such warm weather.

When I returned again two days later, I was hoping for better. Unfortunately, that wasn't happening. In fact, every snare I checked was empty and I couldn't find a single coyote track anywhere. However, wolf tracks were suddenly appearing to the west of my bait station, most likely the reason the coyotes had vacated the area, as wolves will kill and eat coyotes if they get the chance. I added some more duck carcasses to my bait station and two more lynx carcasses and hoped for the best. The weather was changing slightly and it was at least going down to -5 Celsius at night instead of hovering right around zero. I wouldn't be back for three days this time because of work commitments.

Over the three days I was gone, it had snowed about four inches so traveling on the snowmobile was better, but it was warm once again and the snow was getting wet and heavy. The first three snares I check before the bait station held nothing and I still wasn't seeing any coyote sign. Then, I picked up a trail of what I figured was about five wolves heading towards my bait station. Unfortunately, their tracks went straight past the trail that leads into it, so what elation I had suddenly turned to disappointment.

It's about a 50 to 75-yard walk into the bait station and I had the coyote carcass with me to add to it, so I slung it over my shoulder and started walking in. I always start checking my snares in a clockwise fashion, this way I can make sure I count each of them without missing one. So, by empty snare number 10, I was feeling poor about my chances. Eleven and 12 were also empty but there in lucky number 13, much to my surprise, lay a great big wolf! I let out a whoop and a holler, dropped the coyote I'd been lugging around, and went to check on my prize catch!

The big male wolf barely struggled before the snare did its job.

Packing him out to my snowmobile was no easy task - he weighs well over 100 pounds.

Looking down the wide cutline the wolves traveled.

One heck of a big wolf! Looks like he could take my head off with one bite.

After examining the site, I determined the wolves had veered back to the bait station after they'd passed it, probably because the wind was blowing in their direction and that's when they picked up the scent. Their tracks confirmed this once I got out on the trail again. When the big male was caught, the other wolves panicked and took off before getting into the bait station, missing the rest of my snares or I might have caught more than one of them. This wolf has turned my dismal season into a much better one. Removing a wolf of this size will surely mean there will be more moose and deer around the ranch and less chance of livestock depredation.

I will be back again in a few days to check on my sets. The wolves won't come back to the bait station again, as they are far too smart for that. But I'm hoping they vacate the area for a while and the coyotes come back. Coyote season ends at the end of the month so I'm running out of time and I'd like to catch a few more yet.

Until next time.

Catch Count:
Beaver - 2
Weasel - 28
Squirrel - 12
Marten - 5
Lynx - 3
Coyote - 1
Wolf - 1

Shutting Down 1804

Last Part of January 2016: Well folks, I have to admit, this trapping season was the poorest I've experienced since I've owned this trapline. Industrial activity, from logging to a pipeline to well sites, has completely upset the animal balance that existed here. The only thing that didn't change was the number of weasels running around. Other than weasels, every other species I trap has changed their patterns, either by leaving the area completely (wolves, marten and fisher for example), or by simply not acting the way they usually do.

Too warm of weather and a lack of snow has also played a big part, especially where lynx are concerned. During a normal snowfall, lynx tend to use my snowmobile trails, as it is much easier for them to get around to hunt. Of course, just off my trails or directly on them is where my sets are located. However, with little snow, lynx can travel and hunt through the bush with ease, so it wasn't too often they would travel my trails for any distance. Often, I would come across a set of tracks heading down one of my trails and heading towards a cubby or trail set only to watch in disappointment when the tracks would suddenly veer off into the bush. Sometimes only a few yards before my set.

During the last three day trip I was on the trapline, the weather was 14 Celsius each day, completely decimating the little snow I had. If you've been following this blog, you know how much snow I usually have here, which is a lot!

Here you can see how little snow there is at the cabin.

I never once had to shovel snow away from the cabin window this year.

On a normal year, I would have to shovel the snow away from the cabin window at least four or five times. This year, I never had to shovel once. On the last day I was there, I was even surprised by the number of birds around. Usually, there are few birds that hang around the cabin during winter. This year, there were numerous chickadees, both black-capped and boreal, as well as a tremendous amount of grey jays and several birds I couldn't identify that would show up just before dark. Sitting in my rocking chair with a cold beer in 14 Celsius weather and watching the birds made for a pleasant afternoon the last day I was there.

Having said that, in the distance I could hear the Feller-Bunchers working away. Normally, all you hear at the cabin is the forest and animal life. Not this year. They are logging to the north of me on my neighbour's trapline, to the south on mine, and where they're putting in the pipeline, which is very close, the Feller-Bunchers are also taking down a fair amount of trees. My snowmobile has taken a beating this year because what used to be my trail is now a logging road that I have to travel for several kilometres, and the roads that I use to access most of my trails are gravel now; in fact, when you drive down them in the truck, there's a dust cloud behind you.

Behind me is where I'm coming from and what used to be my trail.

That's where I'm headed. Not fun for the Ski-doo.

No matter what though, I can't really complain too much, even though I still do. I had a great time trapping this year regardless of the hardships and as always, feel a twinge of disappointment pulling down the last trap.

To catch you up on my trapping activities over the last couple of trips, I did manage to catch a few more weasels and some squirrels but only one more lynx. The trail set I had up on Old Forest Trail where the lynx walked under my snare paid off this time. A young female lynx stuck her head right in as they're supposed to do.

This was the trail set where the lynx walked under the snare.

The same set, only this time it worked.

On the crossover route from one pipeline to the next on Pipeline Trail, a couple of coyotes were traveling it regularly, each time knocking down the backside of a lynx cubby I had up there and stealing my bait. On the last two trips I was there, I decided I would try to catch them. However, the only chance I really had was by putting in a couple of dirt hole sets along my trail. The problem is though that foothold traps have to be checked every 48 hours on a registered trapline, and every 24 hours on a resident trapline. This is the law. So, I would put in my dirt hole sets as soon as I arrived at the trapline, and would take them down the morning before I left, giving them only two days to sit. Unfortunately, my timing was completely off with the coyote's. While I was there, they wouldn't be. When I was gone, they would be.

The idea behind a dirt hole set is to create a curiosity situation for the coyote. What you do is find a spot they travel regularly and then dig a small hole about a foot deep and on about a 45-degree angle just off the trail. In the bottom of the hole, you put a big chunk of stinky bait, and then put a small grass plug in the hole in front of the stinky bait. You bed your trap about 10 inches in front of the hole and then make the site look like something had dug there. When the coyote comes along, he figures he's found something. In his attempt to find out what it is, you catch him.

Here I've just finished digging the hole just off the trail the coyotes were traveling.

Here is a photo of the stinky bait. Yes, it does stink!!

The trap is bedded about 10 inches in front of the hole. Looks exactly like something was digging there.

As I said earlier, I spent my last afternoon at the trapline taking in the scenery while enjoying a cold beer in my rocking chair on the cabin deck. With everything packed up for next season, my thoughts were good ones. Spending time on the trapline is a soothing experience and one that puts all of your problems into the back of your mind. I can't think of anything else better to be doing.

Keep checking back, as I'm hoping to spend the last month of the trapping season chasing coyotes closer to home. By April, the ice should be coming off local beaver and muskrat ponds so spring trapping isn't too far away either. Hopefully, I can add to what has been a poor catch count so far.

Until next time!

Catch Count:
Beaver - 2
Weasel - 28
Squirrel - 12
Marten - 5
Lynx - 3