I prefer the buckets for depth ( bait ) and secure fit. But people have done ok wiring them to a steel fence post and planting them in the high country snow , where there are no trees to set to.

Wow, piper, what an idea. Buckets on fence posts. A guy could go hog wild around here with that. A 2x4 would work great. Carry a little water to freeze in and a guy could put those ANYWHERE!
mt

Here is Piperniners photos he sent me

Martentrapper : I was actually referring to crates in regards to the fence posts. The buckets forward cg is not so good on single posts. Could probably make it work though. With either container and just a foot of snow or so, you could freeze in a log like you do with log drags. Then use the log as a tee bottom for stability. If Tundra only, could freeze in some support with the water like you said. All sorts of possibilities. I'm glad I have had trees most of the time.

Well I see Fish came through - Thanks Fish. The photo's show how I set app. 30" off the ground. I usually tamp the snow down with my snowshoes, or can raise the set if you need to. Two of these photo's show the set lower because I was picking them up for the season. A cable goes from the spring to up around the tree or branch. Paper wired to tree is what bait was wrapped in and it would be the same place I would put lure. Cut out ears hold the trap completely inside bucket, secure and unobstructed. It works well for me.

Piper any chance of getting some close ups of your ears just to see the differences.
This is great stuff.
Piper have you had any problems with voles on the wolverine?
What about putting them 5 feet off the snow and hang them in the air after getting caught.
Dusty good info on the haiscreen marten proofer. Hail screen. Are you just talking hardware cloth. I think is what some call it. wire mess with 1/ 4 inch squares? or smaller?
Good thread folks.

FT : Nothing has ever touched my catch, even after frozen in for quite awhile when weather prohibited travel. Although most critters avoid these animals, something would go for it in time. In my opinion, if you set to high, you may cut down your odds. At app. 3 or 4 feet, you are accomplishing your goal of a weatherproof set . When checking, you can stomp down big snows or raise if need be. Putting cable higher up tree assures the animal is pretty much off the ground. Not so much for voles and such, but so he does not freeze in and damage guard hair when you pick him up.
Construction : Place bucket on bench open end up. Go to where bucket handle enters bucket. Directly above that point on outside lip - make a mark 3" left and 3" right of that point. Repeat procedure on other side. Now take a saber saw and cut in at the two marks at a 45 degree angle. Cut in 2" which is the first lip on most buckets. Cut other side the same way. Now cut out the 2" strips all the way around so you are left with two 6" ears. If you cut the ears 8" the trap will be tighter but to long and it's too tight. You can cut the ears whatever length you like for your preference for tightness/looseness. #14 wire is your friend for this set. You can wire a keeper to keep trap from falling forward and you will need to re-tighten everything with expansion/contraction due temp. fluctuations. Some fine tuning but this is pretty much it.

Piper: How weather proof is your way of setting buckets? Do you set the bucket a particular way in accordance with prevailing wind?
We get alot of sideways snow out here, I'm sure a horizontal bucket will fill with snow somehow.
mt

Hey, I am a defector from the "other" forum. I am the trapper formely known as coreys. I thing I only posted 10 times or so there, mostly just watched and read. I have been reading this forum for about a month now and really like the people on it.

I have had multiple exclusive wolverine lines in the past and look forward to sharing some things I have learned. This post is to just to say hello and see if I can figure out posting pictures. Here is one of my favorite pictures and actually has a little to do with the last post. I trap up in mountainous county and it is near impossible to keep sets from blowing in where I am at, and I just accept the fact that some sets will blow in. No matter how poor the odds are a potential set will blow in, if it is on hot tracks, I typically make it.

It looks like this is previewing all right so I am going to submit it and look for some other pictures to post.

I rounded up some recent photos, I hope people enjoy them.

I have caught wolverine in modified round buckets similar to the ones in the pictures that started the post. However, I saw these square buckets a few years ago when I was working in SW AK and got some for trapping. The are the perfect shape for a 330 and I think they look better as a "set" than the round buckets. Here are some pics.

BEFORE

AFTER

and
BEFORE

AFTER


Here is a pic from last years final check.


Just so you know, I prefer a more natural looking set, and only use buckets when a more natural looking set is not available or would be difficult to construct, or if I am short on time. I'll post some pics of non bucket sets right after this one.

So like I said, I prefer a more natural looking set. Here is a pic of a successful natural cubby set. The trap was to the right underneath the leaning tree.



Here are is another natural looking set:

BEFORE

AFTER (It got warm and the snow melted a little)


and

BEFORE

AFTER (Again,it got warm and some snow melted)


Here is a pic of another one of my favorite photos:

Very nice Guloboy. Glad to have you on here. Great photos!! Are you finding you get some refusals on the buckets is that why you go the natural set. Or just like it that way? Do you just set on tracks as a rule?
Do you market to taxidermist? Or the fur market?


I like your buckets. I have seen only one like yours and have no idea where it came from. Any idea where a guy could get some square buckets like yours.

Here is a bucket set I made last week on fresh tracks.


Man the wolverine came back the night before I went through in the same exact location. A great bluff that pushes him out and around. Nice to see he or she is an habitual traveler. Looks like a two week turnaround on him unless his old track was covered. Should be an easy one to pick up I hope. Good sized wolverine.
The bucket set up is quick and easy alright.

I made two other leaning pole sets for other wolverine as well. Combo set 330 and 110.

Family Trapper:

I got the buckets from a fish processing place in Bristol Bay. I think it was Peter Pan Inc. I saw them in a catalog since then, but I cannot remember which one. If I find out, I will post the information.

I get refusals in buckets and natural cubbies, I just like the look of the natural cubby and can only assume it would work better, but I have no way of knowing that. I have just accepted the fact that not all wolverine want to stick there heads in 330's, no matter what you do to entice them.

I do have a suggestion for you though, I would not use the chain on those 330s. A 330 does not always immediately dispatch a wolverine, and the chains on those 330s are not real good. Look at it this way, a wolverine is as strong as a wolf, would you want to use that chain to hold a wolf? Also, my pictures are poor examples, but I would not suggest using 9 gauge wire either. Last year I had a 330 caught wolverine break the 9 gauge wire I had securing it to a log. It twisted and twisted and the wire broke. Amazingly, I found the wolverine close by dead. My brother had one break his 9 gauge wire also (a 330 catch), and he tracked it for miles to no avail. I am not trapping wolverine this year, but before I do next year, I am going to use 1/8 or 3/16 7x7 cable as my linkage from the trap to the tree/drag. I am also going to use some type of swivel in the linkage.

95% of the time this will be overkill, but I think it is worth doing.

Thats a good call. I have the 1/8 cable. I do like to get my 330 where they will suspend the wolverine if possible.

Thanks for the pictures and welcome Gulo. I very seldom have any wolverine on my line, I saw 1 track this year.

FT:

What do you think drew in the wolverine: the moose leg, the pike, or the pepsi?

That question reminds me of Audrey's little experiment to see "what scent" was most attractive to the young wolverines that she was raising and studying.

We all turn ourselves inside out trying to avoid getting oil or gas on our trapping gear. So naturally, in her experiment, it turned out that AvGas was the #1 attractant.....!

Who would have thunk it?

Pete

Looks like this one hit a 160 set for a martin and broke the anchor wire and you tracked her down.

Is that the case or am I way off on this one?

No, it was a quick kill with a 330. It is the same wolverine that I posted earlier (the bank set underneath the tree picture with the wolverine on top of the overflow). His tracks were perfect on top of the fresh skiff.

WOW, you gotta admit that picture is deceptive, thanks for the pics globoy!