Came home a little early this week, not much snow and hard on the machine and rider. Healed up good after last trips misadventure. Kept the WT on it's skis the whole trip. The trail was so hard that the skags didn't even leave a mark. I cannot believe how much snow we lost, looked like May out there. Didn't have a single work wise #9 on the line. They were all either under 3" of overflow or sitting on top of the ground. I had wolf snares that were 2 1/2 feet to bottom of the loop. Didn't even know I had that much snow to begin with. Picked a couple marten, ermine and one mad ol tom cat. Pretty much tripped most of the line til things get better out there.


Saw a few moose, couple dozen caribou and 3 dall sheep. They were liking the lack of snow. Didn't see any wolf sign this trip but probably couldn't see it anyway on the frozen trail. Nice day for a walk so went up in the mountains to try to call some wolves. First howl had a response but it was coyotes instead of wolves. Gotta love the mating season. That ol male wasn't giving any ground to no trespassers. I gave him a couple challenge howls and off on a walk I was. Bout a mile and half later I was 217 yards below him and 2 other yotes sleeping on a knoll. Took careful aim with the .204, let out a woof and as he jumped to his feet, I touched the trigger on the Savage. Right in the forehead and it was over. Didn't compensate for the steep uphill angle, but it worked. Talk about a long walk back to the sled carrying that stinking dog thru ice crusted snow. Found out I ain't in very good shape for this walking BS.

Had to do a little trail clearing and maintenance on the way out today. Kinda nice when the snow's gone, makes it easier to cut down to the dirt. The Tanana crossing was great with a slight breeze to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

Parts of that looks like my mountaiin line. I banged over so many rocks yesterday my arms are sore. Snow dropped a couple feet and what's left is super hard, hero snow, you can go anywhere. Nice pics and story AK hope those mosquitos stay away

Great pics again, can't believe how the snow has melted. It has been quite the winter.

It's always nice to read about your adventures. The snow is like concrete around here as well. I'm not looking forward to this weekends check as the snow seems to get worse (harder) every week. Pretty hard on the liquid cooled machines and the hyfax. Will it ever snow again...

Awesomes Pics! Envy Envy Envy

Thanks for sharing your line with us ! The pictures of your area must be a real kick to trap and snare in with both the brush and open areas . Our snow has been different here to it settles in a little then the wind picks up and it's gone or drifted off into the coulees .
Keep up the good work !
Allan

Thanks again for sharing your pictures and story AK. Always enjoy your postings.

Always love your pictures and adventures! Yeah, we didn't lose that much snow, but everything is as hard as a rock now. All wolf traps were encased with a rock hard cover of ice.

Nice!! Thanks for sharing that!
Nice shot on the yote! Congrats!

Envy is right! Thanks for sharing! Kinda bites about the weather and snow conditions. Next trip out you need to toss out a few haysets!

Came home this afternoon with 2 inches of powder on a groomed trail with fur in the sled and no new scuffs. Does life get any better? Had a pretty good trip this week. Started off with the very first snare I set this season at the beginning of the line, holding a pretty little male cross fox. Crossed the Tanana, hooked up to the groomer and off down the line. Bout 16 miles in came on wolf tracks coming at me, looked like good sized pack. Of course speed picked up knowing there was gear up the trail. Rounding the corner to my Pee post and.... NO Wolf. MB 750 froze in good and hard. 3 more times this happened and then BAM.. 90# male Gray in a #9 Pee post. Bout time.

Every corner was now getting exciting til I got to the river. They cut a corner and missed my party. Wolf sign everywhere and I pulled most of my gear out of the river last week. Ended up hooking up on a wolf in a #3 coil cat cubby. Surprisingly it held for quite awhile before the jaws pulled out of the frame.
Got to the cabin, got a fire going and on up the line. Wolves came to an old kill I had set up and didn't like something and went upriver. I followed them up river getting closer to the bait again my speed ever increasing til I came up to the bait. Seeing the tracks all over the river is a tell tale sign I'm holding something. As I approach the bait site counting snares as I go I see I have had something. I caught a wolf in a snare and it separated the moose stop below the lock. Was always nervous with those and finally lost a wolf. Had another wolf open one of my Thompson locks that I cut and pinched. Ok, 5 wolves caught and only have one in the sled. Getting PO'd. The next day picked up a 22# female lynx in a cubby behind the cabin. She'd visited the set many times this year and finally caught her.
That evening found myself checking a kill site up Caribou Cr noticing the overflow was greatly increased from last week. It's kind of a adventure in itself just climbing up this creek. And this what I find...
You've got to be kidding me. Back to the cabin for some rest in preparation for the battle to come. 6 hours with about every tool I had at the cabin and the wolf was free from it's icy tomb. It had a bobbed tail and missing a paw or should I say it has. Little careless with the chainsaw. Used a sledge to knock the block ice free once it was out of the water.



Ate like a king, drank like a sailor and slept like a baby that night. Got the lynx and fox put up and went back up river only to find a bit more overflow, enough to stop me. Pulled out the rope a long again and Ice screw and yarded the whole outfit back up and on the ice.

Tools of the Trade



Put a lot of wolf gear back out paying careful attention to where the overflow can get. Have a few #9's in danger but not worried about a live wolf in a trap vs a dead wolf in a snare. Live and learn. Howled from the cabin at night cause of the full moon or maybe I do it all the time but anyway, in the morn there was wolf tracks 75 yards in front of the cabin. 2 wolves came up to see who's on the river making all that noise. Left them some gifts, hope to see them upon my return. On the way out today, got outfoxed by a fox.

The good, the bad, and the ugly, sounds like you had it all that trip!

That wolf had the last laugh!

That right there is something i will keep in mind when setting on creeks.
Nice pic of the other one in the #9. Great post.

"Ate like a king, drank like a sailor and slept like a baby " That's good writing.

AK I loved the story of your wolf. You can come ride with me anytime.

Does it get any better?

awesome pics and story. Sure is exciting to see other trappers and their catches.

Adventurous trip you had there, congrats on the critters. You earned that wolf. Nice to have snow to play in again.

good read howler and congrats on the fur, one thing I have wondered is are you taking all these pics of yourself or are you toting some chick or someone around with you? seems like a lot of work to stage the pics but I never see any other sled or anything around, just curious.

as usual good stuff man!

did you get the 2x2 out to the cabin?

WOW! You have some serious adventures!!!!!!!! Bites that you had to dig that one out, and that the jaws popped on the one trap, but the one you did get looks good! Congrats on the critters and thanks for sharing!