Welcoming 2017 on the trapline

December 31, 2016 - January 2, 2017: My good friend Pierre decided to join me on this New Year's trip. I've spent the last five New Year's on the trapline and was looking forward to this one as much as any other. Pierre has the exact same snowmobile as I do and having driven his only once before, he was looking forward to giving it a go. Pierre has been to the trapline several times over the years but never once during actual trapping operations, so I was hoping I would have a catch to show him. I knew he'd see an ermine catch and still needing three more lynx to reach my quota, I was hoping for at least one lynx catch.

When we arrived at the trapline, it was snowing hard and there was a considerable amount on the ground. We drove down to the wellsite at the start of Cabin Trail but struggled getting there along Smiley Rock Road and even the road to the wellsite was sketchy. Once parked, Pierre suggested that we drive back out and park at the generating station some five miles away. His concern was not having chains for his truck and with it projected to continue to snow over the next two days, getting back up Boulder Hill might become an issue. Several times in the past, I've had to do exactly this because seldom is Boulder Road plowed and with the huge snowdrifts it can get, the risk of being snowed-in is too great. I agreed and back up we went where we unloaded everything into my sled and started the trek back down to the cabin.

You can't see it, but the snow was really coming down here.

After we were unloaded and had the stove fired up in the cabin, we took off to run the lower bowl and Pipeline Trail. I wanted to pull all my traps from Pipeline Trail because so far it wasn't producing and with a lot of future snow projected, trying to stay on your trail there becomes difficult. Pipeline Trail is wide open and when it's windy, the snow drifts over your trail completely concealing it. Often, this means digging yourself out, so Pipeline Trail would be shut down instead.

We finished the top side of Pipeline Trail without issue but on the bottom side the snow was quite deep. I decided that rather than burning gas breaking trail, we'd head back to the road for an easier route. We could access Centre Trail that way and finish out the day's check on Clear Trail. Other than a couple of ermine, our run of the lower bowl and Pipeline Trail was uneventful. I was disappointed that I hadn't caught a lynx in the sets I had out on this end of the trapline and was hoping that South Trail would produce.

The next day was shaping up much like the first with just a few ermine to show for our efforts. When we reached the cubby at the top of Broken Bridge Hill, it too was empty but you could see where a lynx had walked right by it, heading down Broken Bridge Hill. I told Pierre that I had built a cubby half way down the hill and was hoping I could catch him there, as he had walked the hill a couple of times before. When we arrived at the cubby, at first I wasn't sure what had happened. The side wall of the cubby and the front of it were knocked down but I couldn't see anything because of the snow. Then, I recognized the familiar shape of a lynx buried under the snow. I had lynx number three!

An average-sized female lynx uncovered from the snow.

Pierre holding lynx number three. Only two more to go to fill quota.

We stopped at Broken Bridge and had a quick lunch. From there, the trail takes you out over what is now a barren wasteland, a huge cutblock the trail goes through. With high winds because of a lack of trees, I knew we could be faced with some big snowdrifts... and we were. In fact, the first one we came to bogged me completely down. About 30 minutes later, we had shoveled our way out and up a small incline to where the trail was flatter and the snowdrifts smaller. From there, we didn't have any further issues getting stuck but I know that my next trip through could be an adventure, especially if it continues to pile up in snow.

We carried on down the south route checking empty traps and cubbies. I was a little dejected but knew that sooner or later I'd get my lynx quota filled, although I was hoping for sooner. We started up the trail towards the new cubby I'd built in the replanted cutblock with about a 20-year growth in it. This cubby was the last of the day and I'd caught a lynx there a couple of checks prior to this one so I wasn't extremely hopeful. Again, upon arriving at the cubby, I wasn't sure what had happened. There was no disturbance, the bait and lure stick were intact, but my snare was missing. Then I spotted the tied off end of the snare, followed it with my eyes, and then suddenly saw a lynx wedged in between three trees, completely hidden. We had our second lynx of the trip and number four on the season.

You can see how little disturbance there is inside the cubby. The lynx was wedged behind the trees to the right and completely hidden from sight. The snare had done its job very quickly.

Lynx number four on the season.

Back at the cabin, I boiled 20 coyote snares I had built for the Ranch and hung them up to dry. I couldn't dry them outside because it was nearly -20 Celsius and they would simply just freeze up. Once dried though, outside they would go. I'd let them sit to make sure there wasn't any foreign odors on them before putting them to use.

That night, Pierre cooked up a feast of elk steaks, carrots, potatoes, onions and mushrooms that was simply magnificent.

The snares drying above the stove.

Pierre getting ready to put the elk steaks on.

The next morning, we prepared for the five-mile journey back to the trucks. Once there, we loaded up, wished each others well, and headed down. Pierre would head back to Jasper, about the same distance from the trapline as I am in Parkland County, approximately 2-1/2 hours. It had been a rewarding trip with a good friend.

I'll be back in just a few days to hopefully fill my lynx quota. My concern now isn't actually filling the quota; rather, it's exceeding it. If I do, I have to report the extra to Fish and Wildlife and fill out an affidavit swearing I didn't go over on purpose. We'll see what happens. I'm hoping for just one more but the chance of going over is real, which is why quotas aren't held in high esteem by trappers - they are just too hard to hit exactly on the nose. If you go over there is no penalty and generally you are allowed to keep the extra; however, if you do it too often or with too many over, they tend to frown.

Until next time!