Wolf Hunt/Trapline Trips
Contributors to this thread:Small Game
From: Goat Guide
15-Dec-10
I have been given permission by Pat Lefemie to create a thread that follows us through a season of hunting and trapping wolves. Me and my brother (Lloyd) will try to keep it updated as the season progresses. Our first client starts Dec18 on a 6 day wolf hunt/trapline trip. The main animal on these trips are wolves but we will also be trapping lynx, wolverine, coyote, fisher, marten, weasel, mink, fox, otter, and beaver. So far we have put out over five thousand pounds of bait and most of the traps are set in preparation for the first client. Here is my son one of two black wolves my brother trapped last week. Jack Babine Guide Outfitters
From: Outdoordan
15-Dec-10
Very cool thread, I will be watching this one for sure.
From: bghunter
16-Dec-10
I have looked at bidding on a hunt like this for several years at a local SCI banquet that always ahs this hunt up for auction. So I will watch this to see what a trip like this is like.
From: trackman
16-Dec-10
Keep use posted i will be watching in vane
From: jerseyjohn
16-Dec-10
A wolf would be great for the trophy room. Will be keeping an eye out on this one. Nice big wolf! JJ
From: Busta'Ribs
16-Dec-10
Jack, what does a 6 day trip like this cost?
From: INbowdude
16-Dec-10
I've never trapped before. Any problems taking a rookie that is likely to screw up every set? LOL. Great thread, thanks Pat! I thought about these on the SCI convention as well. Might be cool to get some interesting pelts we don't have here in Indiana.
From: Waterfowler
16-Dec-10
Very cool Pat!!!
Please describe your sets and add some pics of them. I've been obsessed with trapping since I caught my first muskrat at 14. I take it most wolves are snared?
From: Steve H.
16-Dec-10
I'm watching! I have two micro lines out near my house in Moose Pass, Alaska. Mostly marten/ermine but a pair of wolverine boxes too that look identical to the one you posted on the "wolverine" thread. I saw fresh tracks last April in the area so hoping if I'm just patient!
From: Shiras
16-Dec-10
Do you use connibears in wolverine sets?
From: Goat Guide
16-Dec-10
Traps are nearly all set and the client should be on the road driving up with his wife from WA, about a 16hr drive. Unfortunately the lake didn't freeze enough so we can't access 2 of our wolf stations, but there are still 3 stations baited with snares set that should get the job done.
The cost of a 6 day trip for 2012 is $5700 1on1 or $4320 each 2on1, with that you get one of every animal you catch and 2 wolves. Most of the traps need to be set in advance of the client showing up otherwise most of the trip will be spent setting up the trapline and not checking traps. During the trip though clients help make more sets that will be checked before the trip ends. Most of the wolves are snared but sometimes we use leg holds. Snares are also used for wolverine on pole sets high off the ground so they can't touch the ground when caught, lynx in a pen, and beavers under water. The rest of the trapping is mostly connibears of different sizes in box sets. Here is one of my favorite pictures from last year of Lloyd resetting a snare after catching a pretty grey wolf. At this snare station we have about 15 snares set in the timber 10-40 yards from the shore of a frozen lake. All the snares are on trails we packed in the snow with snowshoes. Then on the frozen lake about 20 yards out we place thousands of pounds of bait over the season. While the wolves are feeding in a pack there is lots of running around and eventually some run down the snowshoe trail and get hung up. Many times there are multiple catchs in one check. Jack
From: jdbbowhunter
16-Dec-10
awsome thread i will be following this one. have enjoyed trapping since i was 12.
From: Mark Watkins
17-Dec-10
Jack (and Pat), thanks for the opportunity to learn about something I know very little about! look forward to it!
From: Bou'bound
17-Dec-10
This is excellent
From: Goat Guide
17-Dec-10
Clients showed up early enough today to check some snares and a few marten traps. They managed to catch a marten, coyote and this young wolf. A great start but tommorrow should bring more with the first day of the trip starting and a full day of checking traps. Jack
From: medicinemann
18-Dec-10
Jack,
This will be an excellent thread!! In a year or two, I may need to string some steel with you!!
Jake
From: trackman
18-Dec-10
Jack Thank's for sharing i will look every day and drem
From: Goat Guide
19-Dec-10
Yesterday was pretty slow with only a fisher, 4 marten, and a weasel being caught. All the snares at the wolf station had there locks frozen and had to be broke free to work properly again. Hopefully today will have better results but we are sure that the locks may be frozen at the next station also due to the warm wheather a few days ago after snowing and now it is -20c. Here is the fisher and marten in front of a wolverine set that caught the fisher. Jack
From: Goat Guide
19-Dec-10
Today the clients went for a nice snowmobile ride to one of our outpost camps to do a little exploring before checking a few traps. The yellow skii doo extra wide track 800 four stroke in the picture is a new addition to our hunting lodge. Jack
From: Goat Guide
19-Dec-10
After the ride they checked a couple conibear traps with only a weasel then some linx pens. But when a linx went into the pen the snares were pushed over with the locks froze up. The wolf station had better results with 3 wolves and one being a good size one. Jack
From: blazelefty7
19-Dec-10
This is an awesome thread. Just curious, what are the average prices on wolf, lynx, fisher, and marten furs right now?
From: hunterx
19-Dec-10
From: travis@work
20-Dec-10
Love it! I`ve trapped on and off since I was 10..Love snaring yotes and bobcats...Wolves would be the icing on the cake tho...WIshed I still had my fur dealer`s licsense..would love to taxidermy a wolf for myself..Have mounted 5...Thanks for letting them post this Pat..
From: Bou'bound
20-Dec-10
how do you kill them
From: trackman
20-Dec-10
Keep the thread going one of the best yet
From: Wages
20-Dec-10
"how do you kill them"
I would imagine, quickly and with as little damage to the pelt as possible, as is tradtional with the trapper. :)
From: travis@work
20-Dec-10
Usually a snare will kill them..especially if they get wrapped around a small tree or something....Not always the case tho..curious myself to see if he uses anything larger than a .22 pistol..I`m sure he carries a quite LARGER caliber with him tho. he he..
From: lawdy
20-Dec-10
I definitely will follow this thread. I am a trapper in Northern N.H. and absolutely love it. We can't use snares up here only footholds or conibears if they are under water or 5 feet off the ground. I snow trap for coyotes all winter. I am one of those who admire and appreciate the intelligence of canines regardless of their reputations. I trap with my 4 year old grandaughter and my wife. Want your kids to appreciate the outdoors and to truly understand how nature works? Take them trapping.
From: hunterx
20-Dec-10
From: travis@work
20-Dec-10
Yup---I shoot most my critters in the chest too...especially ones i want to use for taxidermy..plus if ya walk up on a live bobcat, sometimes ya just don`t have a choice but to shoot them in the chest..They don`t like to pose for a head shot very well..:)
From: proline_2
20-Dec-10
Goat Guide: How many wolves do you take in a typical year? Is that number going up, and if so, is it due to population increase, you focusing more on them, your experience/technique improvements, etc.?
Also, do the wolves seem to learn about your sets as they get exposed to them? It seems like the way you described, with the bait out on the ice and the snares on trails, that the wolves might have a harder time associating the bait with danger and might not make the connection at all.
One more thing ... what keeps deer from getting caught in your wolf snares on trails? Sorry if some of these are dumb questions, but I've never trapped or been around anyone who does.
From: Z Barebow
20-Dec-10
I'll be following this thread also.
I trapped as a kid. Life's priorities have trumped trapping. But I have vowed that if my health ever didn't allow me to bowhunt, I would trap.
Trapping is tough. The ability to get a coyote to step on a 4" square in spot does happen by accident! If I am not doing it, I will live vicariously through those that do!
From: BOBSTER
20-Dec-10
This is a very good thread. Thanks for sharing this trip. Bob
From: travis@work
21-Dec-10
Bump for update????????
From: medicinemann
21-Dec-10
I agree with Travis....where's an update?
From: Goat Guide
21-Dec-10
Yesterday was a slow day with no tracks. The day was spent checking a small wolf station with no activity then they checked the wolverine traps with no luck. There were only 2 martin in the traps but one was a very pretty orange that the client is getting mounted. This morning the guys almost had some luck with a wolf while hunting over a bait pile. 2 coyotes and a fox were eating on the bait when a wolf started chasing the coyote on the lake. My brother was howling and the wolf answered but would only come in about 550 yards. Then the entire pack started howling in the trees for quite some time but would not come out. Lloyd had set out a leghold close to the bait and a wolf set it off last night without getting caught. Today will be spent checking the wolf station that had the locks on the snares frozen and we are hopeful for some good luck there. There are also a couple linx and wolverine sets that could have something but for now it seems quite slow for these. Jack
From: medicinemann
21-Dec-10
Jack,
Thanks for the update.....please continue to keep us posted.
Jake
From: Waterfowler
21-Dec-10
Nice looking martin there. Are you using boxes on trees? That is a cool set up seems pretty quick & easy.
From: Owl
21-Dec-10
Great thread.
From: Tim Hoeck
21-Dec-10
Are you using pans on the 120's to get them caught that far in ?
From: Goat Guide
22-Dec-10
For the marten we are using box sets with 120 magnums in trees and today they caught five marten. The wolf station and lynx pens didn't have anything but the day was a great success with the guys catching a wolverine. Wolverine was a priority to Gary and he is getting this one mounted unless he catches a bigger one. Jack
From: Goat Guide
22-Dec-10
First thing this morning at 180 yards, I will post more when I am done skinning. Jack
From: medicinemann
22-Dec-10
Wolverine and a wolf in the same day.....What a day!! How many traps and snares are the guys checking each day? Over how many miles is your steel strung?
From: Steve H.
22-Dec-10
Here's a marten I caught last season and a typical box setup with a 120 conibear and is probably semi-identical to what jack is using.
From: MM81
23-Dec-10
Great job, I am loving this thread.
From: Beav
23-Dec-10
Great thread! Can't wait for the updates.
From: Goat Guide
23-Dec-10
The wolverine was taken on Dec21 and the wolf was shot on the 22 but because of the time difference it shows the same date. Shooting the wolf was the highlight of Gary and Linda's trip. After sneaking in to a bait station as it started to get legal shooting light yesterday morning there was two nice wolves feeding on the bait at 180 yards. After a perfect shot on the first wolf the second went on a full out run with a shot being taken at him but a miss. Lloyd, Gary and Linda checked a few more traps yesterday but only caught a weasel. Today is the last day of the trapline trip with no wolves on the bait this morning. Now they are heading out to do one last check on the traps with the hopes of a lynx, but they also have wolf snares, wolverine sets, and some marten boxes. Right now we have traps set out for about 60 miles in three directions but on the next trip Jan3 it will be even more because the lake will be frozen enough to cross and set more. SteveH those look exactly the same as the marten sets we use but we switched to 2x8 lumber, porcupines were eating the plywood if they were left hanging until next season. The new 120 magnum in the marten boxes are strong enough to kill wolverine. Here is a wolverine snare with a stinger spring set on a trail of a wolverine coming into a bait station. The stinger tightens the snare to finish the job, otherwise he rolls until he snaps the snare. Jack
From: Mark Watkins
23-Dec-10
What an awesome thread!!! keep 'em coming! This is like a book you can't put down!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
23-Dec-10
I agree! I kind of stumbled across it a couple days ago now I can't wait to check it for updates. Thank you! Jeff
From: Goat Guide
23-Dec-10
The guys are back and today brought in 2 marten and 3 weasel. This concludes the first wolf hunt/trapline trip this year with 1 wolf shot and 4 wolves, 1 wolverine, 1 coyote, 1 fisher, and a handful of marten and weasel being trapped. This is Linda's first trip with us but Gary has also been on a moose hunt, goat hunt, and spring black bear hunt with us. He has also offered to be a reference and said anybody looking for one of these hunts can call him weekends or evenings PH# 509-996-2675, Gary lives in WA. The next trip starts Jan3 and the lake should be frozen enough to safely travel on. This will allow us to set more wolf snares and some beaver traps. The traps have been pulled until a few days before the next client shows up but the wolf snares are still set and if we catch one I will be sure to post it. We had a client who has done 4 trapline trips with us and says Quote, Trapping is like Chrismas, when you get up in the morning you are full of excitement and you just never know what you are going to get!!!! Merry Chrismas Jack
NRA American Hunter Magazine just did a story on one of our wolf hunt/trapline trips, any of you seen it?
From: Hollywood
24-Dec-10
Great thread!
From: diesel
24-Dec-10
My vote is for THREAD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!
From: trackman
24-Dec-10
My vote for THREAD OF THE YEAR
From: Bou'bound
24-Dec-10
for sure this is the top dog of all threads in 2010. Hope it gets to a 500 count as the winter progresses
From: expeditiontraders
24-Dec-10
I am checking this thread everyday like I used to check my trap line. Thanks for sharing.
From: swp
24-Dec-10
Just read it yesterday! Back page on the members hunt. Great thread, I am checking on it constantly.
From: Steve H.
25-Dec-10
Ok, since Jack has a lull in the action, I'll post another Alaskan trapping photo. Here's my killer-trapline attack dog Copper with a nice buck marten we caught in November.
To keep in bowhunting related, snowshoe-ing the trapline is how I stay in partial shape for the coming season.
From: swp
25-Dec-10
How big a line do you run Steve? What all are you setting traps for?
From: Steve H.
25-Dec-10
I just have a couple baby-lines with 6-8 weasel/marten boxes on each and a pair of wolverine boxes on one line. Totally by snowshoe, no 60 miles for me, more like 1/2 to 3./4 miles which can be hit or miss a lot of the time.
I just got in from setting a few coyote snares and found some fresh otter sign (never caught one or been around them during trapping season) and a beaver pond that was "dead" last year. I really don't have large enough amounts of bait for a very good snare "wheel" so just set the snares between the beaver pond and a steep bank on trails.
From: Steve H.
25-Dec-10
A great day's catch for me (actually, they set for about a week, which is ok with kill sets and ultra-cold AK weather). One mink, 2 ermine, and 2 marten.
From: Steve H.
25-Dec-10
A pair of nice beavers from Admiralty Island in SE Alaska. I caught these several years ago when I lived in Juneau.
From: swp
25-Dec-10
NICE!!
From: Steve H.
25-Dec-10
My first snared mink, one year ago today, and a doozie at that.
From: Steve H.
25-Dec-10
I'm sure many of us trap for some of the same reasons as we bowhunt, scenery like in this photo!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
29-Dec-10
TTT - Any updates? How's your "baby" line doing? Please keep us posted. Thanks, Jeff
From: BMG2
29-Dec-10
Goat Hunter,
Been watching your posts and it has been fun to see all the interest in it. I have a trapline in Quebec and I will be after the wolves myself once I return back home from the holidays.
Do u have good success with your boxes placed vertical for fisher? All mine are horizontal or sloped but I like the way the vertical boxes force an animal to get caught just behind the ears unlike the boxes in other positions where a "suitcase" catch is more likely. I find with the suitcase i get more damaged pelts plus if they are frozen to the trap u have swap traps and thaw.
Good luck and clear trails!
From: medicinemann
29-Dec-10
When does the next "trapper" arrive?
From: agassiz ace
29-Dec-10
I love your thread...Snaring is addicting. What size wire do you use for wolves? 3/32 ? ace
From: Steve H.
29-Dec-10
I got back to the eaver pond I mentioned above with four 330's. It is kind of unique as it has been -15 and has only warmed into the teens a couple times in the past two months and the stream is still open water! Must be an uprising warm spring somewhere upstream. There is ice along the edge that tapers out which makes it difficult to set.
I made three channel-run sets but two of them were on smaller side channels; and one "bait" set near a feed bed using an 8-9" section of white PVC pipe on the trigger.
First night nothing and yesterday a 35 pounder! Notice the PVC pipe still attached to the trigger. The beaver thinks its something yummy to eat. I didn't have my hipboots on during the check so need to go and reset today plus a channel set that was snapped.
When I take BBQ to work do I tell them its beef, lol?
From: Steve H.
29-Dec-10
I went to reset the two 330's mentioned above. We got 4-5" of snow last night. I wasn't expecting much with just two sets but caught this 36 pounder in a run.
I watched Copper the Killer Attack dog closer this time since he chewed the nose off of yesterday's beaver! The little $hit!
Jack, hurry back the half time entertainment is struggling here, lol!
From: swp
29-Dec-10
You're doing just fine Steve!! This is a great thread.
From: Goat Guide
30-Dec-10
I missed the question earlier about how we kill the wolves after they have been trapped. I just double tap them with a .22LR behind the shoulder and it's done quick with no damage. WE avoid shooting in the head because the skulls are part of the trophy. We clean and bleach all of the skulls on the trapine for all of the clients. The size snare we use for wolves is 3/32. Our fisher are normally caught in our marten boxes which are hung vertical and wired to a branch so they hang away from the tree to prevent pitch damage. It is normal to have the animal frozen in the trap, then we must replace the trap with a new one and thaw out the catch to remove him. Tomorrow Lloyd and I will be out putting out bait and setting out more traps for the new clients that are scheduled to show up at the airport January 2nd. I will be leaving to do shows for a month in Texas and Washington, and I will be waiting for updates just like everyone else. Lloyd will be taking over the thread while I am gone under the handle Babine Guide. Here is a picture of a lynx pen we just set that hopefully will get something for the new clients, the best bait for lynx is another lynx carcass. Jack
From: proline
30-Dec-10
Goat Guide: I had several questions above (on 12/20) that I was hoping you could answer. This thread is very educational! :)
From: BMG2
30-Dec-10
Medicine man - Where are all your sets... Lexington and 51st?
From: ORARCHER
30-Dec-10
Looks like a blast !! VERY interesting and educational thread thank you !!
From: Airborne
30-Dec-10
Awesome thread!
From: Goat Guide
31-Dec-10
Sorry proline don't know how I missed you. Last year we trapped 28 wolves and the year before that I believe it was 26 but we are hoping for 30 this year with a new snare station added. I do believe that we are catching more wolves because everytime we catch some more move in for the neighboring trappers do not target wolves. Trapping wolves requires tons of bait and a lot of effort with little pay. In our case its worth it because it increases moose and goat populations. Plus it has become very popular these wolf hunt/trapline trips with 7 clients coming this winter. We target the wolves inside our guiding area which is nearly 5000 square miles which is a lot of wolves and effort. The wolves do learn about the sets and many times a whole pack may enter without any getting caught so you have to trick them by putting new snares in the new trails. 50 snares may be at a station so when a wolf gets caught it creates confusion and panic which many times leads to multiple catches like this photo from last year, 8 in one set. You do need to be careful of moose here but they avoid the bait stations because of all the wolf activity so it has not been a problem. One VERY IMPORTANT thing to remember is to set your snares far enough away from the bait so eagles will not walk into them, under trees works best with the bait in the open, then there is no problem. Yesterday I put out some bait 180 yards in front of the log cabin in the earlier post and all the bait I put out before was eaten and there was wolf tracks all around the cabin. Looks promising for the new clients who show up on Sunday, I am bummed that I will be gone when the trip starts. Jack
From: medicinemann
31-Dec-10
BMG2,
"Medicine man - Where are all your sets... Lexington and 51st?"
I live 475 miles west of New York City.....is that what you were asking?
Steve H.,
Are you going to make one of those beavers into a hat? They sure are warm, aren't they?
From: Goat Guide
31-Dec-10
Lloyd just got back from setting more traps and restocking the bait pile in the snare station and caught this pretty grey wolf.
From: proline
01-Jan-11
Thanks for the info, Goat Guide! I'm glad you guys are so successful with the wolves and that you can see the effect on improved moose and goat populations. Looking forward to more updates :)
From: wisconsinteacher
01-Jan-11
Great thread and pictures. I have one quick question. Is a wolf as hard to skin as a coyote, because a yote does not give up his hide easily.
From: tjsna
01-Jan-11
Look at the size of the back foot on that last wolf!!
Saw blade in background for comparison..
Them things are huge!!!
Would love to hang with goat guide for a winter of trapping...Trapped in my youth and always wanted to trap the great white north...
Great thread keep it coming..
From: Babine Guide
03-Jan-11
Hello everyone, this is Lloyd, Jacks brother. I'm going to be giving you the updates on the trips while Jack doing the Sportsman Shows. I'm sorry if I don't stay on top of the updates as good as Jack did but with one less person at camp to help out with skinning and everything else leaves me with less time at the computer. Don't worry Jack I'll throw lots in the freezer for you to skin when you get home. Today I picked up two clients at the airport, (Lorren and Dave) and we swung into a wolf snare station and found two wolverines hooked up. A pretty good start to the trip. Lloyd
From: Babine Guide
03-Jan-11
Here's the second Wolverine.
From: Carcajou
03-Jan-11
Most excellent story and pics! The old Carcajou has met his match..keep the pics and stories coming!
Where are you folks located?
From: TxTrapper
03-Jan-11
Thanks Lloyd. Don't ya just love it when they hang themselves like in the 2nd pic. Nice and quick :0).............
From: medicinemann
03-Jan-11
Lloyd,
Thanks for the update! TWO wolverines....what a way to start the new year!!
From: Shiras
03-Jan-11
Ahhh...Gotta get rid of the stupid ex-step sibblings and their frivolous lawsuit so I can start planning something like this trip.
From: Babine Guide
03-Jan-11
This morning we seen 5 coyotes around the bait by the lodge. Out on the line we got a big fisher, 5 marten, and a couple weasels. Still lots of wolverine sign around but they're outsmarting us. One of them ripped a marten box apart. Tomorrow night we're going stay at a camp that we have wolf bait out and try to shoot one. Lloyd
From: brettpsu
04-Jan-11
That is the biggest fisher I've ever seen.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
04-Jan-11
Again, this is the funnest thread to check every morning! I had never heard of a trip like this until now. The more I see it the more I'd like to try it. Keep it coming, Jeff.
From: Shadow Man
04-Jan-11
Good heavens, that's a B&C fisher for sure!
Good luck on the wolf ambush, guys!
Shadow Man
From: swp
05-Jan-11
You guys inspired me to set out a couple of traps and this is what I found this afternoon.
From: 300 Win Mag
05-Jan-11
Can you post a detailed picture of how you put / attach/mount the conibear to or in the box on the trees? How do you attach so it does not fall out?
From: hunterx
05-Jan-11
From: Shiras@home
05-Jan-11
I guess you could say that they are always looking for a better mouse trap. ;)
From: Babine Guide
06-Jan-11
Here's some mouse trapping from this fall, you know it's going to be good marten year when this happens.
From: Babine Guide
06-Jan-11
We didn't see any wolves today but Loren shot a coyote. We did get a nice cross fox in a snare station though. We also snared a lynx but another lynx was eating on it when we got there. I think we'll catch that one in the next day or so. The wolves were howling by where the guy on the last trip shot a wolf so in the morning David and I are going to walk down there and see if they're there. Hunterx we drive a nail close to the top of the boxes from the outside in so we can use that to hold the bait in. It's also fast for rebaiting too. Lloyd
From: Babine Guide
06-Jan-11
This morning we went and checked that lynx set and caught the one that was eating on the one that we caught yesterday. Today we're going to set some wolf leg holds and some beaver sets. Lloyd
From: Steve H.
06-Jan-11
"The springs will hold the trap in the notches"
We had an earthquake with an epicenter within 5 miles of my trapline back in November. About 3 or 4 of my 120's got rattled out of their boxes!
Some of my boxes has clipped of nails and the back 120 jaw is held on them.
From: Jammer
06-Jan-11
What exactly is a cross fox?
From: Shadow Man
06-Jan-11
Love that cross fox and lynx! Lifetime dream catches for me.
Keep 'em coming. Here's a pic of my friend Dale Simpson's coyote catch for 2010. He "only" got 102 of them and 23 fox due to bad weather throughout the season... lots of passing rain and snow fronts that made it hard to keep sets working.
Shadow Man
From: Gerald Martin
06-Jan-11
A cross fox is a color phase red fox. Looks like a ton of fun there guys!
From: Brian Swartz
07-Jan-11
Shadow Man what part of the country does Dale trap? Some nice looking fur there. I love pictures like that.
From: Jammer
07-Jan-11
Thanks Mr. Martin. This thread is awesome.
From: Gundy
07-Jan-11
Wow that cross fox is a beautiful critter.
About 10 years ago I called in a cross fox to about 15 yards and didn't get him. lol. He came in from the backside and just 'appeared' off to my right. I moved to get the gun on him and he went back the way he came in and was gone before I could do anything. He would've gone on the wall. Bummer.
Good thread.
From: Shadow Man
07-Jan-11
Hi Brian,
Dale traps in central/eastern South Dakota. He's a trapping machine. He shrugged off the 400-plus muskrats and other critters he caught this year. And he's still out there.
Shadow Man
From: trackman
07-Jan-11
Keep up the good thread Trackman
From: trapsmart
08-Jan-11
Jack, First of all I’m coming next season for a week I’ve already sent in a request to your website www.babineguides.com for more information. I want a Wolf for my man cave. Jack, I have a trap monitoring device that attaches to any type trap and will notify you by email and text message to your cell phone the moment the trap has been sprung. One control box will monitor an unlimited number of traps within 500 ft in each direction depending on terrain. This will allow you to save lots time when checking traps. I want to give you one so you can field test it. I’ve already sent you an email to your web site.
From: Babine Guide
09-Jan-11
Not a whole lot happened today. We were hoping to snare a wolf or two today but even though two of our wolf snare stations were visited by wolves, they seemed to have stayed clear of the snares. Tomorrow is the last day of Loren and Davids trip and we'll going check 3 other wolf stations as well as some lynx sets. On the bright side of the day the marten trapping today was very successful.
From: trapsmart
09-Jan-11
medicinemann and to all you the other guys who have sent me private message’s asking for more information about the remote trap monitoring device that attaches to any type trap and will notify you by email and text message to your cell phone the moment the trap has been sprung. For some reason when I click the link to respond Bowsite is showing an ERROR message so I can’t respond. All questions can be answered at Trapsmart.com or by calling me Tom @ 973-670-3602
From: Highway Star
09-Jan-11
Goat Guide, and Babine Guide, this the most interesting thread that I have seen in a long time. I believe that I speak for many when I say that we live vicariously through your posts.
Anxiously waiting the next update.
Scott
From: Sage Buffalo
09-Jan-11
Can we start a Pt 2 for the next trip so we don't have to scroll all the way down...man I know that sounds lazy.
From: Babine Guide
09-Jan-11
I'm not sure if the remote trap monitoring device would work for us. I'm guessing you need cell service and there's no cell service where we trap. I only have one spot on someones farm where I'm snaring wolves that have cell service. It's up to you guys if you want us to start a part 2 thread or to keep it as one thread for the whole season. Keeping it the same would be better for those who are new to the thread. Today was the last day of David and Loren's trip and the wolves outsmarted us. Today we setup snares by one of out baits that had about 12 wolves working it. I think the next trip will be very successful with the wolves. The trip otherwise went real good. We got 2 wolverines, 3 lynx, 1 fisher, 2 coyotes, 1 cross fox, 4 weasels and 12 marten. It was good ending to the trip with the last set we checked having a lynx in it. The next trip starts on the 13th. So far this year we've put out about 25000 pounds of bait.
From: Goat Guide
10-Jan-11
Just finished the Dallas show and it was awesome with some great people, multiple bookings,lots of interest and plenty of great booths to look at. Here I am working the booth with my wife Crystal. Looking forward to the updates of the next trip!!!!!! Jack
From: Z Barebow
10-Jan-11
Kudos to to this thread.
I have been checking the trapline posts daily!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
12-Jan-11
TTT - I didn't get on the computer yesterday and feel like I missed out on checkin my morning trapline! Glad to see I didn't miss anything yesterday but sure hope we get something today!
From: jerseyjohn
12-Jan-11
Find myself here everyday looking to see what we trapped too. Trapping.....go figure! JJ
From: JayR
12-Jan-11
Hello Jack i was wandering what would you charge a person to come out but not take any pelts back.
From: Bou'bound
13-Jan-11
this is a great thread. how much longer will the updates go on.
From: Goat Guide
13-Jan-11
Sent you a PM JayR. I think we will be posting updates during our entire trapping season which finishes at the end of March. The last client leaves near the end of Feb and after they leave we will only be trapping wolves. Jack
From: Babine Guide
13-Jan-11
Last night Jim and his wife Marilyn flew int Smither to start his trip today. Today we went out and reset some of the snares and traps. We set out more bait and caught a few marten. Tomorrow we're going to check some wolf snares and spend the night at one of our camps to see if we can get a shot at a wolf. I'll update when we get back.
From: Babine Guide
14-Jan-11
I'll update everyone later on the rest of the days catch, my camera battery died on me. Here's a nice grey wolf that we got in a leg hold on our way out to check the snare station down the lake
From: Babine Guide
14-Jan-11
I'll update everyone later on the rest of the days catch, my camera battery died on me. Here's a nice grey wolf that we got in a leg hold on our way out to check the snare station down the lake
From: Babine Guide
15-Jan-11
Well it's midnight and I just finished skinning the wolves we got today. This morning there was a coyote on the bait in front of the lodge but it wondered off 10 minutes before shooting light. After Breafast we went down to check a snare station about 6 miles up the lake and on the way we got the wolf from the posting above. We then continued to the snares and found 2 more wolves hung up in that station. Our plans were to spend the night at an other camp to hunt wolves but that got changed to tomorrow night with 3 wolves to skin out.
From: diesel
15-Jan-11
Those black wolves are incredibly beautiful!! I check for this thread every morning!!
From: Goat Guide
15-Jan-11
Good job Lloyd, sorry you have to skin by yourself, makes for some long days. To answer a couple questions earlier a wolf does not give up his hide easily and to also have to turn the eyes, lips, ears, and feet on 3 wolves takes some time. We are located in central British Columbia just east of Smithers which has a convenient airport for us to pick you up at. Jack
From: proline
15-Jan-11
I don't think anybody's asked this yet, but what do the wolves up there typically weigh? Big male, small female, etc.?
From: TD
15-Jan-11
Great thread. Keep em coming!
Thanks from another guy who trapped some in my younger years. Small boy times we trapped squirrels and sold the tails to a fly tying supplier. Later we shot and trapped coyotes. Didn't get much for the skins but at the time there was a bounty on them from the local cattleman's assoc. Great fun and good money in the 60s-70s for a teenager in the wintertime.
You folks have got it down! Bet you have to watch some of the clients, nearly lost my hand once to a yote in an old victor trap playing dead. He was FAR from dead, came back to life pretty quick! I was in a hurry before school and getting sloppy. Close one I'll never forget. See there, bringing up old memories....
Goat Guide would you know how many of those wolves would it take for a jacket/coat? Kind of a lifelong dream, OK, obsession of mine. Not to just buy one, I want them to be MY wolves.
I'd wear it through every airport or hotel I ever went through in the fall/winter....
From: Babine Guide
16-Jan-11
A full grown male wolf will weigh around 120 pounds although they can get up to 150 pounds. A female will be about 100-110 pounds. One thing to remember about talking about the weight is that a wolf can have 20-30 to 30 pounds of food in their belly if they had just finished eating. I'm not sure how many wolves it would take to make a jacket. The big thing would be to get wolves that the colours match up. We're going to take a break for a day from the trapping, I'm going to go break some trails in and set out some more lynx set. It's been snowing like crazy the last couple days it's getting hard to get around. Two days in a role we got stuck one the ice in the slush trying to cross the lake to get over to a snare station that I'm sure has wolves in it. The good news is that the snow has stopped and it's supose to stay cold for a few days.
From: Hardcorehunter
16-Jan-11
Awesome pics!!!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
19-Jan-11
Any updates/pics for us? I haven't even caught a mouse at home for a few days so I'm really needing my daily trapline stories!
From: Bowhunner
19-Jan-11
This is the coolest semi-live thread yet. I just got on to it so I got to go through the whole thing. In high school I used to trap 4 legged beaver for gas money to cruise for the 2 legged variety.
Great thread, I'll be watching daily!
From: Babine Guide
19-Jan-11
Still working on getting everything set out properly again after the 2 1/2 feet of snow we got earlier this week. It was the most snow we had at once in about 5 years. Before the snow I had around 400 snares out and they are had to be reset. The animals also haven't been moving with all the fresh powder. Last night we stayed at a cabin that we had bait at and just before dark a pack of wolves were howling about 400 yards from the cabin. At 6:15 am a wolf was on the bait and at 7:15 am a wolf was back on the bait. Legal shooting light isn't until 7:45 am. (1 hour before sun rise) It had left by then, I believe we'll shot one next week off this bait. On the way back to the lodge Jim shot a coyote out on a lake that we were driving by. After tomorrow the trapline should be all set out properly again except one wolf snare station that I'll do Sunday.
From: Babine Guide
21-Jan-11
Today was a good day for marten but there was still little movement with the other animals. Jim is going home tomorrow and on his trip we got 3 wolves, 16 marten and he shot a coyote. It was a slow week with all the snow that we got but we still had a lot of fun out on the trapline. Victor is the next guy that comes in and he starts Sunday. I think we're going to start the trip off trying to shoot a wolf over the bait that we were at the other day.
From: INbowdude
21-Jan-11
Lloyd, Are the wolves hitting the bait at all times of the day or just early mornings and late afternoons? Not sure how they behave in the cold and snow and if that forces them to be more active looking for food. Thanks.
From: Butts
21-Jan-11
Don't know squat about trapping but I do know someone that could show me. As has been said this is great. Does the value of Wolf hides change much with coloring? Can you show some of the more various colors you may not have posted? Thx
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
21-Jan-11
Saw a Red Fox sleeping in a field on my way to work today and immediately thought about checking this thread! Keep the updates coming. Thank you, Jeff
From: Babine Guide
22-Jan-11
The wolves still mostly are hitting the baits late evening, at night and early morning. Are now the moon is pretty bright so I think during this next hunt we'll be able to watch them feeding on the bait during the middle of the night. It's just a matter of one of them being on the bait that 1 hour before sun rise which is when we are aloud to start hunting. I've seen a whole pack of up to 17 wolves sleeping around the bait in the morning. The value of wolf hides can depend on colour but it's mostly on the quality of the hair. Right now black seems to be the most popular ones. Wolves can be white, cream colour, grey, black, or a combination of any or all those colours. The picture of the 3 wolves together posted last week are the most common in our area.
From: Master Baiter
22-Jan-11
awesome thread! I still cant get over how big those wolfs are.
thanks for sharing
From: haji
22-Jan-11
Awesome thread..... Keep us posted... Truly enjoy the pictures and information. Best of Luck and thanks for sharing.
From: Babine Guide
23-Jan-11
This weekend my 4 year old son and I went out and collected bait for the next trip. We got about 1000 pounds of trimmings from the butcher shop, 2 deer that were hit on the highway and 2 moose that were hit by the train. It was a good hall and we're all baited up for the next trip starting tomorrow. We went and drug one of the deer into a snare station and got this nice silver fox in one of the snares.
From: Steve H.
23-Jan-11
Looks like its time for the half time entertainment to reappear (for a very brief moment)!
We have had very cold weather and low snow this winter for this area (Kenai Peninsula). My baby lines have turned more into a walk with the puppy and I haven't wanted to allow him to get very close to the 330's so I haven't rebaited when I desperately need to. Now that I have some beaver I decided to go rebait when Wifey had him out for a walk.
Surprisingly after TWO months of NOTHING on this line (ok, I think marten were sneaking into the wolverine boxes and stealing bait) I finally got a marten on my upper line. Bait was from a bison quarter I begged from a rifle hunter in BC (lamest hunt EVER), next door to where our main story is taking place.
From: Babine Guide
23-Jan-11
Just on my way out the door but here's a couple pictures of today.
From: Babine Guide
23-Jan-11
I'll update date everyone on the pictures tomorrow
From: Steve H.
23-Jan-11
You guys are a SALVATION to ungulates! Wish we could borrow you guys and transport you to Alaska for a few seasons to give some of our moose a break!
From: Goat Guide
23-Jan-11
Wow nice fox, looks like Brenden is putting good use to the new snowshoes he got for Christmas. A great start to the new trapline trip to!!! See you in a week. Jack
From: Shiras@home
24-Jan-11
I love that fox!
From: TD
24-Jan-11
Wow. Look at the FEET on that kitty... who needs snowshoes!
Cool Steve! Game's on!
From: Babine Guide
25-Jan-11
The last couple years we have really noticed an improvement on the calf crop Steve, it's worth spending the time trapping wolves. The first day of the trip we caught the wolf a couple posts above about 8 miles down the lake. We caught 2 wolves in the same station last trip too. The lynx was caught close to where we caught 2 a couple weeks ago. Last night we stayed out at cabin where the wolves have been hitting the bait for about a month. The bait was all gone when we got there and we put out about 300 pounds more. We'll go back there in a couple days to see if they're back. This morning we snared another wolf in a station that we caught 4 in before Christmas.
From: Babine Guide
26-Jan-11
Today was a pretty good day, although it's real warm for this time of year. We got one of the biggest coyotes I've ever caught. It was in a lynx set. We also got 6 marten, a weasel and a couple squirrels. We're not sure what we're going to do tomorrow, it's going to depend on the weather. Right now it's raining.
From: Babine Guide
26-Jan-11
Here's the days catch
From: Carcajou
26-Jan-11
Wish I was up there with you running the line! Great pics and wonderful catches!
From: Deerman1
26-Jan-11
this is an awesome thread!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
26-Jan-11
Though I check Bowsite almost daily anyway, this thread and any BTC always give me something to really look forward to. Thank you again, Jeff
From: Elk Hollow
27-Jan-11
TTT
From: Babine Guide
27-Jan-11
We stayed last night at the other camp that I've been talking about. At during the night there was up to 6 wolves that I could see around the bait. Come shooting light there was still 4 there, 3 of them started to wander off but the biggest one stayed there. We Victor pulled a good shot on it at 220 yards. It's a big wolf and has just over a 17 inch skull. We also got a coyote in a snare on our way back to the lodge.
From: Goat Guide
28-Jan-11
Good job, Crystal and I can't wait to get home!!! Tell Victor congrats for me. Jack
From: swp
28-Jan-11
Nice shooting!
From: medicinemann
28-Jan-11
Are your wolf baits always out in wide open spaces?
If not, would it be possible to put a tree stand near the bait....at least in some cases? How often do wolves visit the bait? If a person was willing to spend the night in a tree (or maybe a ground blind, but if the wolves circle the blind, you could be winded, or even in deeper doo-doo), would you believe that they would have a 50% chance for an archery opportunity within 40 yards?
From: Babine Guide
28-Jan-11
Wolves feel alot safer if the bait is on the edges of lakes. Even my snare station baits that are in the trees are aren't visited as much as the ones that are in the open. I think it could be done but I'm not going to give a percentage of what I think the success would be. My first wolf that I shot I howled into 30 yards and Jack shot one that he howled into 40 yard with a shotgun but howling rarely get them in that close. To get them that close I would put bait on the lake edge where there is a steep bank or somewhere you can get 30 yards into the trees with a shooting lane. It would be important to hang clothes and stuff close to the bait right from the start of baiting to get them use to human smell. Even my baits that are 200 yard away from the cabin I make sure that I start the fire everytime I go there even if I'm not staying to get them use it.
From: Babine Guide
28-Jan-11
Today we some shooting in at some coyotes with no luck. It was kind of a slow day today, we had to reset some wolf snares that were frozen up. After the last few days of warm wet and rain there will be a lot of resetting that will have to be done now that it's below freezing again. We did catch a fisher on a wolverine pole today, it's the first fisher that I caught in a snare. We found a moose today that was killed by wolves about a mile from the lodge. So I still have a lot more around to catch.
From: Babine Guide
29-Jan-11
Victor redeemed himself this morning on the coyotes. He made a perfect shot from the lodge window (acually from my bedroom window) just as it was getting light. The bait is about 180 yards away.
From: Florida Mike
29-Jan-11
Awesome thread, I would love to run a trapline with you guys but first I gotta get a bigger house! Mike
From: Babine Guide
29-Jan-11
It seemed like it was going to be a slow day after only getting 1 weasel in the first 15 sets that we checked. In the last 5 spots we got 4 marten, 1 weasel and a coyote. I guess it's just like hunting, it's just as likely to get your animal on the first day as on the last one. Don't give up till the end. There's a double header marten catch in the picture
From: keep
30-Jan-11
Jack I can't believe you and Crystal aren't home yet. Tell Crystal, Wyatt said hello.(she's his buddy now) Jim
From: Babine Guide
31-Jan-11
I just had the guy how's supose to be coming on the next trip cancelled if someone wants to come up and use his deposit. The trip has to start Feb. 3rd or 4th.
From: Babine Guide
31-Jan-11
Just took Victor to the airport, yesterday we got 2 coyotes and a marten. On his trip he shot 1 wolf, snared 2 wolves, shot 1 coyote, snared 5 coyotes, 1 lynx, trapped 11 marten, 4 weasels, 1 fisher and a fox. Today I'm going to go set out a wolf snare station that hasn't been set out yet this year.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
31-Jan-11
If there was anyway I could take the place of your cancelled trapper I would take you up on it!
Here is my son, Wyatt, with his first fox. He crawled out on him Saturday and made a perfect shot on him. The rifle is a .223 with a custom stock made by Wyatt and my dad.
Please keep updating us even if don't have a trapping customer next week! Thank you, Jeff
From: Shiras
31-Jan-11
Crap! I need to get my passport renewed...Any chance they could do it in 4 days? HAHAHAHAHA
From: Babine Guide
31-Jan-11
Got the wolf station set out, there was a lot of wolf sign around it. I had bait out there but no snares were set. Last year it was my most productive station. On the way over to it Brenden and I checked a station that I was going to check on the first morning of the next trip and we got 2 wolves and a fox. Tomorrow we'll go check what we would have checked in the afternoon of the first day.
From: ridgerunnerron
01-Feb-11
Jack and Lloyd-
This is a great thread! I check it everyday, it's just like Christmas morning everyday! Really wish I could do a trip like this but it's kind of pricey for this hourly working guy.
A friend emailed you on your website on 1/24, he is very serious about a bow goat hunt.
From: Babine Guide
01-Feb-11
I'll check with Jack to see if he responded to the email about the goat hunt. Right now our next goat opening is 2013. Today Brenden and I checked a beaver set and got a pretty nice one. There were 3 coyotes in the background on the lake watching us chop the whole in the ice.
From: medicinemann
03-Feb-11
Could you explain your beaver set? Do you have a conibear in the water, and a couple snares out of the water to catch predators checking on the hole, or are the snares lowered into the water on the pole in a beaver channel?
From: jerseyjohn
03-Feb-11
All booked out for goat up to 2012 already! Excellent! Can't wait for August of 12 to go. A dream come true! JJ
From: Tom inPA
03-Feb-11
Looks like a common snare pole set for beaver. I would venture to guess that the small pieces of wood located at the bottom of the pole are bait wood. All you do is push the pole into the muddy bottom. The beaver will swim around the pole as it eyes up the bait wood. Eventually it swims through one of the snares. I know guys that have actually doubled on these sets.
From: ORARCHER
03-Feb-11
Too cool !!
From: Goat Guide
03-Feb-11
Yeh Jim its been a long time from home and now me and Crystal are enjoying a few days with the kids before the next wolf hunt starts. Ridgerunnerron, I responded to your friend but between bowsite and the Dallas show our goat hunts are full for the 2011/2012 season and I even booked one for 2013. TominPA described the beaver set perfect, I also like to put lots of spruce limbs over the hole to keep the ice from freezing to thick between checks. Jack
From: ridgerunnerron
04-Feb-11
Jack- Thanks for the responses. My friend is a very experienced avid bowhunter from Alberta. Did you guys get a hunter to fill the trapline cancaellation spot? I was so tempted with this!
From: Babine Guide
04-Feb-11
We never did get the spot fill but it was a good break to get a few things done. I'm chomping at the bit to get back out there now though. I think Sunday I'll start checking the line one time before the next trip starts the following Saturday. I have one spot that has been having lots of wolves visit but they have gotten smart to my snares. This will give me some extra time to put some new sets in to outsmart them. I'm posting a picture of a couple mounted wolves that client shot a few years ago. The grey one was huge and is #1 in the Mountain Hunter Record Book. The black one is up there too.
From: ORARCHER
04-Feb-11
THOSE ARE AWESOME !!!!!!!!!
From: Babine Guide
06-Feb-11
Went and checked one snare station today with Brenden and got 2 coyotes.
From: Shiras@home
07-Feb-11
Good lookin coyotes there!
From: Goat Guide
07-Feb-11
I went out to break trail with the snowmobile and set some wolverine and martin sets. Last couple days we got a pile of snow so me and Lloyd will be busy getting ready for the new clients that start on Saturday. As you can see in the picture I was pushing snow with the snowmobile. Jack
From: hunterx
07-Feb-11
From: Goat Guide
07-Feb-11
After putting out my sets I ran into Lloyd setting a couple lynx pens and he took this picture of me with a martin and a nice fisher I caught today. Jack
From: Babine Guide
08-Feb-11
Here's my beagle in the fresh snow, it gives you an idea on how much we had in the last couple days. We seen lots of wolf, lynx, wolverine and marten sign today. The next trip should be a good one. Hunterx that sled above is a 500 wide track Polaris. It's not quit as good as the 800 but it still is great in the powder.
From: trackman
08-Feb-11
Jack What is the best snowmoblie for the deep powder. Keep up the good thread
From: moosenelson
08-Feb-11
I really enjoy this thread. I check it every day, sometimes twice a day. Any chance you could do a video of skinning a wolf or coyote?
From: Babine Guide
10-Feb-11
Here's a picture of us putting more bait out for wolves where we shot the last one with Victor. The bait was a road kill moose.
From: Babine Guide
11-Feb-11
We pick up the next group (Doug and Dave) at the airport tonight. Jack and I will both be taking them out. The picture is of a wolf I snared last winter and got a rug made from it. I got it back from the taxidermist at Christmas.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
11-Feb-11
Can't wait to see next week's catch! Keep the pics coming. Jeff
From: Babine Guide
11-Feb-11
We're thinking of doing one more wolf hunt after this one is over if anyone is interested. It would mainly be just wolf hunting. We'd still have wolf snares out and we could still put out beaver snares and you could still catch marten and wolverine till the end of the month. We would throw in 2 extra days. Last year during this hunt we snared 4 wolves got a shot at one. I think the guy got a little excited. The trip would be 8 days between Feb. 25th to March 8th.
From: Babine Guide
12-Feb-11
Today was a good start to the trip. Doug and I got a wolverine, a nice red fox and 2 marten. Jack and Dave are staying out at another cabin tonight so we haven't seen them but I see a wolverine and 3 marten hanging in the shed from this morning. I'm sure we'll hear the story when we see them Monday. The wolverine was caught in a 330 and the fox in a 280. It was the first fox I've caught in a conibear.
From: Babine Guide
13-Feb-11
here's the fox. The trap that caught it has got me a wolverine, a fisher, 2 marten, and now this fox.
From: Babine Guide
14-Feb-11
Yesterday day in the we got a coyote in a snare. After lunch we went over to Morrison camp to hunt wolves. On the way over we checked two snare stations and got a wolf in each.
From: medicinemann
14-Feb-11
Holy Moly!! Just how many wolves have you guys caught this year?!!
From: Babine Guide
14-Feb-11
Here's the second one. You can see the camp in the background
From: Sage Buffalo
14-Feb-11
Dumb question - are they dead or alive when you get there?
I have got to put this on my list of things to do. Is there a limit on wolf?
Too bad it's in the middle of winter. I can handle cold but prefer a little warmer weather. lol
From: Babine Guide
14-Feb-11
Sage Buffalo: Both those wolves were dead when we got there. You do sometimes have a wolf that is still alive, whether it was just caught or maybe not a good catch. The limit for shooting wolves in British Columbia is 3 but a trapper has no limit. You won't find many trappers who catch more than 3 in a year. Trappers normally aren't very serious about wolf trapping because of the effort that has to be put in.
From: Babine Guide
15-Feb-11
We're up to 23 wolves Medicineman. By Mid March last year we had 33. I think we're going to be a few short of lasts years number, but that can change in a hurry. Last year I got got 8 in one day. I'll probably pull all the snares around March 5th or so.
From: Goat Guide
15-Feb-11
Here is Dave's wolverine as we first saw it caught on the pole set. It was a large male. Jack
From: Goat Guide
15-Feb-11
Here is Dave with his wolverine. Today we also caught a Mink which is very rare. Me and Dave have been also staying in an outpost camp for a couple days sitting over a baitpile waiting for a wolf but no luck so far. Jack
From: Babine Guide
15-Feb-11
Here's a wolverine we caught today. I've been after this one since the beginning to December. Today we pulled all the wolverine and lynx sets so it was in one of the last ones. We got it in a ground snare with a stinger spring. We also got a weasel and 3 marten today.
From: medicinemann
15-Feb-11
Cool lookin' feet!!
From: TD
15-Feb-11
Wow. I thought the lynx had big feet. Odd creatures for sure. Maybe my eyes, looks like a dogs head....
What's getting the best price right now (in general), if you don't mind me asking? I'd guess it can vary quite a lot, maybe even during the season? Or is the price contracted to a buyer at the start of the season?
Not tryin' to be nosy, just curious. =D
You guys trapping through March? I'm following through March. Cool thread.
From: Shiras@home
15-Feb-11
Jake, That was the first thing I noticed. Those feet are awesome looking. Totally different than the others.
From: Babine Guide
15-Feb-11
That was one of the nicest wolverines I've caught. It has the whitest mittens I've seen and I think because it highlights it's feet it also makes them look bigger. They do have big feet though. TD: The furs that bring the best prices on the taxidery market are wolverine and big wolves. There is always a market for any unusual looking animals. This is the last trip we have booked this winter and we've pulled most of the line now and have left just the wolf sets up. I'll pull a couple wolf stations on Friday and leave the rest of them set till the beginning of March. Pat we've howled some wolves in in the past but bait has always worked best for shooting them. I've never had any luck with predator calls. There is still 3 days left in this trip and we're going to spend them sitting over bait to try to shoot a wolf.
From: joehunter8301
16-Feb-11
this thread is awesome. i am amazed at how many wolves you guys are catching. i cant imagine you covering all of the land you mentioned you have access to. it would take forever to make that trip. how far out are most of your traps? i would love to come shoot a wolf. seems you have to be doing your part in keeping the wolf packs from gettin out of hand and devastating the moose population in the area. just goes to show you how many animals are really in the game rich woods. thats a lot of wolves, martins, wolverines and all the other stuff you guys have caught. i wish we could trap wolves in wyoming when i guided but chances are better we would have caught a grizz instead of a wolf..big no no
From: Babine Guide
20-Feb-11
We dropped off the guys at the airport yesterday. We never got any shots at wolves in the last couple days but wolves were at both bait sites that we were at on the last night. We could see them in the full moon but they weren't there come morning. We did get an oppurtunity at one that came out by one of our snare stations 150 yards away but we didn't see it in time to get a shot. It turned out to be a good trip though still snaring 2 wolves, 3 wolverine and a bunch of other critters. I'm going to spend the next couple days ice fishing and staying at one of the cabins with my son trying to get a wolf. We'll keep posting if we get any thing. The picture is of the last morning from the porch of one of the cabins. We finally got a nice clear day.
From: cassman
20-Feb-11
This is a great thread. Ask Jake about his beaver hat. Its a beauty.
From: Goat Guide
21-Feb-11
Took this picture of Dave on the last day of the trip. It was -32C, the mountains in the background are where the world record mountain goat came from and below is Babine Lake which our main lodge is located. Jack
From: houndy65
22-Feb-11
I've got to say that this one the greatest threads, I've been a life long trapper. My dad starting taking me with him when i was very young. The wolverine with the two white feet was my favorite. I'm hoping we can starting trapping the wolves down here soon. This is the only way we get them in check here in Montana wyoming and Idaho. What size was the snare wire you guys are using.
From: Babine Guide
23-Feb-11
Brenden and I didn't get any wolves this weekend. We didn't spend much time sitting still. Here's a Burbot (frest water ling) that he caught. We're using 3/32 snare wire for the wolves and making the snares 10 to 12 feet long. You probably don't need them that long but that way you're more flexible on where your anchoring spot is.
From: moosenelson
04-Mar-11
Please don't stop posting pics and updates. More of the same stuff is why we all keep coming back.
-moose
From: Babine Guide
04-Mar-11
Here's a wolf that I got lastnight. I have pulled all my snare stations now.
From: Bear Track
04-Mar-11
Bear Track's Link
Pat, I had a stinky mink in my locker that the vise principal came and asked me to take the time to drop that "stuff" off at home and be late rather than bring it to school to smell up the hallway!
This is the absolute greatest thread I've followed ever, thanks.
From: Babine Guide
06-Mar-11
We're just heading down to the Bighorn Show in Washington to do our last Sportsman Show for the year. We're are all done trapping now for the season. It was a successful season trapping and did farly well on the wolves. Every bait station at the end still had a few wolves hanging out at them. We'll have to try for them next year. When we get back we'll will be getting ready for spring bear and Jacks planning on building a log cabin. I'm going to try to get at least one more lease on another trapline to extend our area a little more for next year. We'll probably do another thread next trapping season if everyone wants it. We'll post pictures of some of the animals that our taxidermist is doing for us and for the clients that left their stuff behind for him to do as he gets them done. The picture is of a collection of skulls that I did up from an easlier trip.
From: Rob Nye
06-Mar-11
Great thread to follow, thanks for doing it, good luck the rest of the year.
From: Fullstrutter
08-Mar-11
Wicked awesome thread guys! I followed it a couple times a week for the last 3 months straight!
I was always rewarded with excellent pics and updates every time I checked in. I really really liked a few of your catches...the cross fox - GORGEOUS...the wolverine with white mitts - AWESOME...and the multiple lynx are always beautiful creatures.
THanks fo the effort on maintaining the thread...I know how much work it can be to keep a thread updated and alive with fresh pics and reports on a daily basis!
Strutter
From: TD
08-Mar-11
A great thread. And a lot of effort, very much appreciated, thanks.
Waiting on next year already.
Take care,
Tom
From: Babine Guide
16-Mar-11
Tomorrow we set up our booth to start the Big Horn Show on Thursday. Last night we stayed at a clients house who has done 3 wolf hunt/trapline trips with us in the past. The photo is of his mounted lynx and wolverine that he got on a trip with us two years ago.
From: MadDog
16-Mar-11
That's gotta be one of the coolest trips to go on. I'll have to keep buying lottery tickets!! I just dable with catching yotes here but that's awesome, nice work!!
From: Wary Buck in the Den
16-Mar-11
Here's a picture I just got from my brother Jason who lives in Fisher Branch, Manitoba and guides for deer, bear, wolf, and waterfowl mostly (in MB/AB) and also turkeys in NE.
13 wolves, a lynx, a coyote and a fox, and a bunch of martens, fishers, and weasels in his first year trapping I think since he was in high school. He's loving it!
From: Babine Guide
23-Oct-11
Here's a wolf that I shot yesterday while taking our cook out to try to get her moose. I also shot a black one 3 days ago, it seems like we're been seeing lots of wolves so far this season. Looks like it's going to be another good trapping year.
From: Medicinemann
23-Oct-11
I was talking with Kent Jarnagin about this hunt. PM sent.
From: jerseyjohn
24-Oct-11
Nice wolf Lloyd! Waiting for Aug...... only 10 months away! JJ
From: MaBow
24-Oct-11
Nice wolf Lyod!
From: diesel
24-Oct-11
When is 2011/12 thread starting Lloyd? My favorite thread ever!!!!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
24-Oct-11
Yes, when does your trapping season begin? I can't wait to see another thread this year. I had so much fun watching last year's that my son and I are gonna make some coyote sets this year. I haven't trapped since high school....and my son is a Junior in H.S.!
From: Babine Guide
24-Oct-11
We won't start trapping till December and our first trapping trip doesn't start till January 12th. We can still take a hunt in the middle of December and one more at the beginning of February. We'll start a new thread in December. I just came from the taxidermists and here are some pictures of Gary's mounts from last December.
From: Babine Guide
24-Oct-11
Gary's half mount Wolf
From: Babine Guide
24-Oct-11
Gary's weasel
From: Babine Guide
24-Oct-11
Gary's Fisher
From: Babine Guide
24-Oct-11
Gary's wolverine. He also got another wolf done into a rug and coyote just tanned but I didn't get any pictures
From: Florida Mike
25-Oct-11
Very nice, I too look forward to this thread. Mike
From: Shiras
26-Oct-11
How are you guys looking for 2013 goat hunts? I am planning to come up and do that within the next couple years.
From: ORARCHER
26-Oct-11
Cant wait for the new thread !! Especially if Pat and Jake are possibly going to be giving some dogs a dirt nap !!
