Hello, I am a 14 year old kid from Manitoba and I have decide to try a journal this year. I mainly target marten, fisher, beaver, muskrat, and coyote. I am going run 20 power snares for coyotes and 35 bodygrips for marten and fisher. Last year I caught 51 coyotes in 20 sets,as well as 4 marten and 1 fisher and 3 weasels in five sets. I also caught 111 muskrats, 1 mink, and 1 beaver.

Over the summer I have been haying on our farm and getting ready for this fall. Here are some of the boxes I have been building.





Also I am happy to report that today in the mail these three pretty certificates came from NAFA.

Congrats! Look forward to reading your journal this year!

Hey congrats Christopher your off to a great start! Why the holes in the back of those boxes?

where in manitoba are you from

Scent mainly, I prefer wood over screen because of snow, I also wire my bait to the back of the box so the holes are a good place to attach wire.

Impressive numbers for a young guy. When did NAFA start giving out top lot awards for weasels? In the old days they didn't give you anything. I had 5 in the top lot one year at $12 each and got nothing.

Thank you. I have no idea when they started giving out top lot awards for weasels, but I am sure glad they do .

I got top lot for weasels this year at $7.00. Saw on the auction list that was REAL top lot, FOR ALL. 51 coyotes is a heck of a haul. You must be doing it right! Good job!

Just North of Me about an hour.

Storytime'
One morning at the Nationals one of the Manitoba NAFA employees was telling a story of some new trappers bringing fur into the NAFA depo. Mel was telling the Wisc boys of how the ages were going down and the fur bags volumes were going up. Powersnare you were the last one in the story.....and he was mighty proud telling the story of YOU.
Looking forward to your journal.
Make sure you get your hat and pin while in the depo in Winnipeg.

We can thank 2poor on this forum and his weasel threads for having TopLots for weasel... that is why they ran out of hats at the National....almost every Minn kid got one. One year they separated out 100 better skins,,,but they sold the same as the 1000 lot...go figure.

Wow!!! that Awesome. it sure helps to have guys like Kris F. as my mentor.

Kris does not read here but his wife sure does.
having someone as Kris as a mentor sure does help and the help he does pass on is execelent.

Yep, he is an amazing trapper and an even better guy.

I am looking forward to your journal !

Congratulations on many accounts. Those are some nice numbers and awards. Look forward to you journal and contribution here on Tman.

Way to hammer those coyotes!

Sad part is that it didn't have any effect on the population, and all of them were taken off of three different quarters of land.

Jealous ?????

Good work Power Snarer ! Looking forward to your exploits this winter

This Summer I have been preparing some of the skulls I had saved in my fur freezer (mink, marten, beaver, three wolves, and a fox). Here is a female mink that I prepared.



I will add pictures of my otter and marten skulls tonight, and the rest of the skulls when they are finished.

Marten Skull

Try to difuse your flash intensity and the sutures will show better . Did you take any measurements for museum specimens ?

Okay, I will try turning down my flash.

Where on the skull do I measure for museum specimens?

I will phone you and give details
Are you making mental notes where the trails are when cutting the hay?

Yep, I have 20 trails marked on my GPS already, and i am always looking for more.

Don't worry about it, I just prepare a few skulls for my wall. Thanks for the offer though.

August 24 2012

Figured I should show some of my preparation for the upcoming season.

Here are the forming boards I have been building.
Cedar Mink Board


Cedar Marten Boards


Spruce Fisher Board


And my hinged lid marten and fisher 160 belilse boxes



Today I opened up my wolf skull buckets and was pleased to see they had cleaned up nicely.
These pictures were taken right after they were washed.

and the other one

and here is all the teeth from the first skull.

That nice clear cedar must have come from BC. Nice job on the boards, did you use the NAFA pattern?

Yep. all built to NAFA's specs.

Hey power snarer, I like your hinged lid design! Perhaps the two blocks could be arranged to fit between the jaws to stabilize the trap?

yes that is how it is supposed to work. i just threw it in there for a picture

OK, so is your hinge a rod that goes through the sides and top? Can't tell from the picture. The whole idea is a great modification!

No, Just a single nail on each side.
be sure to drill a pilot hole or the lid will split.

On your marten box, we have some BC Trappers that use that hinged lid also. The only difference is they have the lid only over the bait compartment, the rest of the top of the box is solid. The notches to hold the trap in palce are very narrow so the springs hold the trap in place, even on a vertical set box.

Very good idea indeed Power Snarer.

Thank you

The young of the years teeth always fall out due the growth and spacing Polidet on the top holds them in place A soaking in 20 Mule teem laundry soap will clear up the last of the fats.

Sept. 8 2012

Well, the first day of regular goose season was here, so my dad, three of his friends, and I went goose and duck hunting.

We had a good morning with twelve geese and thirteen ducks.

Sept 13 2012
I put out some 160 buckets for skunk yesterday and got this little skunk today.

I'm a little confused as to why you would put 160 buckets out for skunk? You could catch so many other things Accidentally

Anywhere where that is possible I have placed cages, however this is a location where that is not a risk. This was placed just outside a barn where the only other possible catch is Raccoon and I can assure you I have no problems with dead Raccoons.

Sept. 15 2012
Two skunks today, one in a 160 Belilse and one With the Remington 870 Wingmaster.

Big yellow skunk I got with the shotgun.

Pretty skunk out of a 160 trail set.

Are you skinning these skunks, and putting them up?

no, extracting essence and placing the skunks around possible set locations for marten and fisher. more of ADC than anything, considering i am trapping them around our farm.

Very funny that you say this cause I have placed raccoon traps where there is no chance of catching a fisher or mink and yet I still catch them. Marten an fisher will venture a long ways from trees.

true but the barn beside our house is not one of them everywhere else i have cages, however this is a location where that is not a risk

snowstorm did your neighbor not get two fisher right next to the house in a trap?

first mistake is thinking you know your prey 100%

The thing is, when your traps are set with in a couple feet of a livestock door on a barn that is 50 feet from the house with cattle at large. Fisher and Marten do not come into the area. They also do not like the active firearm use that is going on there on a daily basis. Empty .22 and shotgun shells throws up a sign of danger.

Plus after living around something for 14 years you get to know what comes to the house and what doesn't.
Out in the bush, that's another story.

Ya he caugh two the same night right beside his house

Thank you, That is exactly right, i agree that a 160 set just anywhere is not smart, however there are locations that you know what is there after years
of living right beside it

Sept. 19 2012
2 Skunks
This one from yesterday in a cage


This one from today in a 160 belilse.


Couple ounces of skunk

Sept 23 2012
Nicely striped skunk caught in a 160

Sept. 29 2012
Skunk #7 today in a 160 Belilse.


Also I got a call yesterday from a lady with a miniature doberman pincher who is being attacked by a large marten. I put a few cages up and if I capture it I will release it in a more marten friendly area.

Pretty skunk! Cool that you're helping neighbors with pests, hopefully you put the big marten on stretcher come season!

I hope so!!!

Oct 2 2012
Skunk number 8 today.


Also yesterday a baler fire got away from a farmer 3/4 of a mile north of some of our properties and made it into the dry bulrush swamps. It was pretty bad with 5 fire departments and a helicopter. We lost a quarter section of pasture land and a quarter of wild hay. Fortunately we were able to get all our cows and bales home yesterday and this morning.

Oct. 4, 2012
Skunk number nine this morning, wearing a pretty belilse necklace.

Looks a little wet

Just a little

Bonus bird tonight while scouting beaver ponds.

Looks like you are doing a number on those skunks.Do you sell all of your skunk oil?

don't sell any of it (usually). I need all i can get for my marten line

Oct. 6 2012
Beaver in a 330 Castor Mound

Oct. 7 2012
Beaver number 2 today, caught in a run. I put out a few more sets this morning to make 6 330s out right now.

Woo hoo!

Yeah, I wanted a few for marten bait so its always nice to see a flat tail sticking out of the water.

Oct. 8, 2012

Well today's hunt was cold wet and miserable, but we did get to smack a few snows and a few ducks.

Loving this thread.Keep up with the pictures.

Oct 14 2012
Well no beavers today, but when I went to check/pull my last skunk set I found skunk number ten.

Oct 20, 2012
Beaver number three today in a 330 drive-by set.

What's a drive by set?

Maybe a set that is on the way to somewhere he always goes.Work possibly?Otherwise I wouldn't know.

It is a set I use when the bank is too steep to set crawl-outs and the water is too deep (or the bottom too soft)to set channels. it works best on a vertical bank. sometimes you find a spot naturally as was the case this time, but more often than not I make one using a shovel. (in which case leave a patch of mud/sod istead of placing a log).
The arrows show the route a beaver uses to check out the lure.

I stand corrected.Good post!

Thank You

Very good post. You seem to have a wealth of knowledge for a 14 yr old kid.

Thank you very much, I try my best.

Your knocking the heck out of the skunks!! Keep up the good work, I know all the waterfowl appreciate it!

All the farmers do to!

Thanks for sharing that nice little beaver run set, got a tree nursury beaver that chewed 600$ worth of trees one night with that set.

Expensive tastes I guess

There is a whole bunch of dwarfs apple trees turned into stumpy.pigmy apple trees

Oct 28 2012

First fur coyote of the year in a ram this morning.

Also today a farmer made me a deal I couldn't refuse on a 1/2 dozen powers snares

Oct. 29 2012
Nice female beaver tonight in a 330

Oct. 31 2012

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Today I did my traditional 870 pumpkin carving and figured I would share it here.

First I gathered up my tools.


Then the canvas.


Shot one



Shot 2


Shot three


Shot four


The final round


Happy Halloween to you and your families!

Like I said, suspect down Sergeant.

Try drilling a little hole on the top and fill with water.... a little hydro-static pressure sure build's up.

It will only take one shot then.

But I like emptying the 870, one shot is ideal on live animals, but pumpkins are best when you empty the magazine into them! LOL

Nov 2 2012

Put a bucket up yesterday for fisher close to home and killed this male this morning.

What'd you have for bait?

Great work young man, sitting here at work and doing some catch up on T-man. Read you journal, doin well and working hard. Good to see some of our younger generation showing some drive and not playing video games. Looking forward to following your journal this season. Good luck and be safe.

Hunk of beaver and some of my skunk essence I have been collecting.

Thank you, always have enjoyed being outside.

Thats a good looking critter! Congrats!

Nov 3 2011

Checked the five rams I have out today and had this little fox. Not the K9 I wanted but I will take what I can get.

Nice! Still trying for a canine.

Yeah, but we have a low population so I try to avoid catching them.

Wow your having a great start to the season!
Keep up the good work!

Nov 7 2012

Today was take your kid to work day. So I spend my time "farming with dad" building a few coni-boxes for the upcoming season. Build a dozen 120 boxes and six 160 boxes.

I'm sure he appreciated the extra help and comaradrie.

Nov. 8 2012

Had a few rams out on the home quarter and killed this big male coyote the morning. Coyote #2 for the year.

That is awesome ! Congrats!!

Nov. 15 2012

Well caught my first weasel of the year in a mink set, and I have to say between the fleas and ticks weasels have it tough this year.



Also today me and TheFurTrapper made marten boxes for a school project.

Nov. 15 2012 (continued)

MARTEN!!!!!
Caught this big male tonight in a 160, first one this season.

Nice!

Yeah no complaints

Nice marten. Didn't know you guys had many marten up there.

We do, decent amount.

Jordan, he's only a half hour north of me. I had marten last season, he should to lol

Killed four In the one week I had sets out.

Good job!

That looks like a fairly large one considering its a 160, good job!

It is, very large male

How do you like the 160s?

Need pans to work well, but I like em

Nov 17 2012
Ran the line today and had this little female in a 120 box under a bridge. she had a few porcupine quills stuck in her paws and chest. I will add pictures of it later today.

Then I had a weasel in a 160 marten and fisher set with beaver for bait. One benefit I find to coni-pans is I am picking up more weasels.

How thick is the ice under the bridge there? Looks well frozen?

some place four inches, couple feet down it is open water though.

Yea that makes sense

Nov 18 2012

Ran a few sets today and had a weasel in a 120 mink box. Then on to a few marten/fisher sets where I had the red squirrel. catching squirrels is the one thing I dislike about the panned 160s


Will probably run the 18 power snares I set yesterday for coyotes this afternoon and if i get something I will add pics.

Gonna skin the squirrel? They're great practice!

I am going to skin it for the pelt competition at the agm. Not really sure how much practice squirrel skinning is though...

Hahah it isn't practice at all considering how good you are at skinning.

I'm surprised the weasels and squirrels trip the pan. I wouldn't consider a weasel or squirrel a good alternative to a 100 dollar marten.
You should be able to affix the pans closer to the coni and reduce the radius of the applied weight. That would make the triggers harder to trip for lighter animals while still allowing the marten to trip the trigger.
mt

yeah, I don't mind the weasels as much,but IO hate when red squirrels are hanging beside the set, even worse when they are half eaten. will definitely try that

Nov 20 2012

Well an EXCELLENT check here on my line today, 3 coyotes and 2 marten!

Great payday! Excellent work!

Sheeesh those coyote's are massive.
Nickel fed?

Of course, should show you a pic of their fat.

Very nice, keep up the good work.

Nov 21 2012
Weather has been very warm here so I ran the Coyote line again today. had this coyote pup wrapped up in a Ram. This pup has had a pretty bad fall with a missing leg and a bullet hole in the hind end.

You did him a favor for sure!

Yeah I'd say so.

Man, tough. Glad you got him.

Nov. 22 2012

Well a run of the 10 trap marten line produced a nice little marten in a vertical set.


Also yesterday after dark I found wolf tracks within feet of a marten box. didn't think much of it because we have a few wolves running around. Today however, had 2 horizontal boxes knocked down and the strips of summer beaver fur I had hung as an attractant were ripped off of most of my sets. Seriously considering investing in a few 750's.

Vertical set with a pan?

yeah, all my 160s have pans on them and it seems to be working, actually had a marten get through the triggers on a set just like this one last week.

Huh didn't think it would work that well, but hey if it's working keep using it!

Why not a vertical set with a pan snostorm?

I just didn't thi k it work haha, but I'm not a marten trapper.

Well it should work better actually.No wires in there face going up the pole.
Just my opinion though. I am not a marten or fisher lol .

I get less misses with pans.

Nov 23 2012
Well I got the rest of my marten and fisher sets out today because I had the day off. Was nice to get out on the line today. saw probably 20 squirrels a coyote and a wolf pup. Ended up getting 13 traps out in a 6 mile stretch of jack pines and spruce.

Loaded up and ready to go


dad putting up a leaning pole.


lunch break


One of my leaning poles.


This set was made at 1 pm on my way out to the line and had a marten in the set on the way home at five. talk about a fast turn around.


Nice dark marten.


red squirrel in a ground cubby.

Now that's what I call a quick producing line. Do you guys get alot of marten down that way?

Fair enough numbers.Got four marten since Monday and up till today I have not had more than a dozen sets out

I'd say you need more sets out and more time for trapping.
mt

Tell that to our school.

The school I went to would let us take the last 2 periods off at the end of the day to hunt and give you physical education credits for it, can't hurt to ask. Really fun to see young men hammer some fur, and some real ice fur at that, thanks for posting.

Now that's a heck of an idea

I noticed from your pics, you use the plastic corregated board. Do you just bend your triggers at a upward angle and slide board onto triggers?

I like the idea IA/INTrapper!

And RdFx, not my journal but I believe he does the same as me, just bend trigger wires over and slide the corrugated plastic (election sign) up onto it through the holes on one side.

Thats what the plan is. should have 25-30 sets out by this evening. ")

That would be great,but I am not sure how much our fourth period science teacher would like it. lol

Exactly right. The real question is whether your marten are conservative or liberal. Mine seem to be a big fan of our local conservative member of Parliament.

Nov 24 2012

Ran and pulled my short north line today. and will be setting them up on my new line tomorrow. had a pretty good check with a marten 2 weasels and a red squirrel. also snagged a flying squirrel but didn't get a picture of it.


Never fails, mentioned how my marten are conservatives and caught a liberal.