Hey all,

New to the forum. I have a few questions for those wolverine trappers using footholds aka white17, guloboy, otterman, and others.

When setting footholds for wolverines at cubby sets, or hanging bait sets, are you covering up your traps like you would for a canid? Or leaving them exposed like you can for cats?

I’m not wishing away our fall hunting season, but I’m itching for the snow to fly.

You don't have t hide them as well, as you would for canines. I use a cover over the pan to keep snow from getting under the pan. So just enough snow to hold cover in place.

Thanks for the reply.

I'm just trying to increase the variation in my sets this year. I had quite a few refusals last year and I'd like to try and decrease that if possible.

I cover all my trap with a single ply of paper towel and then minimum amount of snow to make it look seamless. If you have a trap smart wolverine around leave one trap exposed and he’ll get caught in the other trap that’s covered.

Paper towel - was taught a long time ago to use wax paper. Does not freeze so easily. Crumple up and then tear enough to work around the dog and under each jaw. Requires pic to demo and do not know how to post pic. But if works for you Ryan then can't argue with success.

One trap exposed and other not so for wolverine reminds me of smart wolves and fox. They working a bait station like that and going around your snares then reach in from the side of where they passing regular and drop snares. No visible sign of you and they often go into a snare after repeated refusals. You and many on forum have noticed this.

Here iin southeast, I first bed the trap as solid as possible. I use no pan cover at all, but do use moss or hemlock tips to blend the trap.
I have had poor luck with any conibear sets, (exactly one gulo), though I make those sets every year.
I have few refusals with footholds in hemlock cubbies, though.

I always cover mine but do so with as little snow as possible. It may also depend on where you are and the quality of your snow. Some like AK Viking or guys on the Kenai have to struggle with wet snow that makes everything more difficult. If you have cold, dry conditions it seems to work better.

I quit using actual cubbies long ago as they seemed to create a challenge for wolverine to find another entrance point than the one I intended. BUT......if you do use a cubby I am a firm believer in using a snare or two behind or beside the cubby. That will take advantage of their tendency to circle the cubby before committing.

If you have a smart one I would make a series of very similar sets along your line. Do not use any traps at a couple of them. ( if he is going to beat you anyway, you may as well boost his confidence). Once he experiences zero consequences at a couple of sets and gets paid with a good meal...........put traps at the next set. Often times they get bolder after a couple successful raids.

I also like to target the back foot.

Great info.

Can you describe how to target the back foot?

Sounds to me that you have one of those magical locations. Location is more than half the battle with wolverine.

For what it’s worth I like to set for wolverine with footholds. I’ve gotten a few in 330’s but the go to foothold trap is so effective and has no avoidance. The big bonus over the last three seasons is that the wolves have been getting hung up in the sets. No ideas as to why, but killing is killing.

Are you only going to use footholds? Should also be using coni ears and snares.

Mad_mike - what’s your foothold preference?
I’ve heard everything from MB750/650 to Bridger No. 5s.


Might try some snares, but that’s a new thing for me.
Do you have recommendations on a snare size? Loop size? Gear? Cable size?

Alder, I run the No BS K9 Extremes in my cubbies.

If you catch a wolverine in a foothold, guaranteed he’s gonna work on that trap/foot. I like the 650 for wolverines. No room for doing much damage to the foot.
I used 3/32nd, 1x19 cable for them. But they twist and roll in a snare so best to get them elevated
The archive or species specific forms will help.
Where will you be trapping? What kind of country?

Thanks fellas.

Yeah, the archive threads have been super helpful I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel (or thread). I just didn't see much for actual foothold sets on there (pics or how to set for a rear foot).

Just received some expand-a-pan pan triggers for 330's. Interested to try those this year on a few cubby sets.

marten- I'm in western alaska

What I concentrate on is getting them to stand up to reach the bait. I want them to stand but not climb. So get that bait just high enough that they can get their mouth on it and pull while standing. Set your traps so they will step in one or both while "pole dancing". Be sure the bait has some bone in it so that it will force them to work to pull it down. I usually hang mine from an old snare.

I think it is more productive to get their vision directed upwards at a hanging bait rather than at ground level in a cubby. I believe they are less likely to notice a trap if they are looking up.

Very good info. Wish I could give them a go. No such luck in MN.

We have major bird issues here, if they can see bait. In fact, it is common for them to follow me through the woods. I try to have bait piles above the tide line, partly to keep the birds busy. Of course it attracts other animals as well. I keep traps well away from the piles, though.

Here you go, Sir Ken...right to your point. Jack has the original.

Perfect example Sharon !!

This is what I prefer to see


Use a bait that they can't easily get loose


This is ideal IMO. Front and rear hooked up.



This is how I space the traps. Anchored in opposite directions so they can't cross & tangle

A front and rear axle hookup would be a perfect situation to take photos and video of them , snarling and talking. No worries of them pulling out in that one...

This past season was my first year specifically targeting wolverine.

I was running a combination of foot holds and 330's. Used moose, caribou, beaver, elk, deer and fish scraps for bait. They did not touch the fish and had little interest in beaver. Moose seemed to be their favorite though.

Caught 3 wolverine in footholds and one in a 330. I was using #3 coil springs that had been 4 coiled and using 2-3 swivels on each trap. A mix of old Victor square jaws and Bridgers some with offset jaws and some with regular jaws. I did not have any issues holding wolverine in the footholds, but I did have issues catching them in them. They spent a lot of time educating me... They were good at tripping traps regardless of how well I thought I disguised them. I used wax paper and snow to blend my traps. I started adding traps to sets them tripped or circumvented and they would find another way past the traps or just trip more traps. They had no interest in my cubby's with 330's.

Every wolverine I caught was missing a toe or toes on various feet and one female was missing all her toes on one front foot. I had nobody trapping within 30-50 miles of me so these suckers cover some ground.

I had most of my success and failure at snow hole sets. My last wolverine was caught in an unusual set so I included a pic of that. This set was made at the end of my line, its a 5 mile section they just laughed at my sets all season. Well till the last check that is. This set had three #3's spaced evenly around the tree, slight overkill but it worked.

This guy had a #3 on a front and a back foot back in 2009 maybe. He chewed down both anchor trees and took off with two traps on him. I found him hung up about 200 yards away.

Thanks fellas. Glad to hear #3s work.

I know they probably aren’t the best trap for gulo but they’re certainly more affordable.

Thanks for all of the insight. I’d post some of my sets, but I don’t know how. Amazing how much I felt I learned in one season.

Are you seasoned vets still feeling that way? That you learn something new about their behavior or travels every season?

I use 330 bucket sets for wolverine and I'm lucky enough that they seem to charge right in, however, I do pick up wolverine in lynx cubbies and I haven't had any issue holding them in a standard #3 northwoods or #4 longspring. The only issue is chewing which means less $$ and if you have a set out in the open where there is nothing for them to chew on they will be gone lickety split if they can't run with the drag. I caught a large male once in a foothold attached to a 7 or 8 foot birch drag and he ran straight up the creek stopping to chew on the drag every once in awhile. He eventually chewed the drag to about one and a half feet long!! He decided to go up a cut bank and the chain got twisted around a big root, he dug quite a hole!!

I prefer to just lull them to sleep but then your friend comes along and riles them all up and you have to put them in a sleeper hold.

Stone Cold Steve Gulo, is that you?

Appreciate everyone sharing their various methods.

Can’t wait for December. I think I’m most excited to hunt for carcass parts as wolverine bait.

Here in my office, I have a wolverine rug on the wall. My first wolverine. Circa 1972?

It is a small female. Caught it in a #2CS (a snowhole set for fox) by three front toes. She was probably was not in the trap more than an hour when my dog team and I (luckily) came up on the set and out came the ol' .22.

I'm pretty proud of my first wolverine.... but I definitely do NOT recommend the #2CS as a go-to wolverine trap!

Pete

Me and my grandpa and one of my friends were out camping. We had one lone caribou walk all along the ridge towards us while we cooked and ate breakfast at first daylight. I went down and shot it then hauled it back to the cabin. We opened some canned mandarine oranges for dessert and as we were eating those my Grandpa spotted something coming from the opposite direction. Turned out to be a wolverine that i then shot with my old 243 blr once it came close enough. I gave it to my Grandma. She had it tanned and she still has it amongst her treasures. First one that i didnt shoot was a long haired female caught in a snare. I love setting for and catching wolverine. Each one is awesome and Ill never get tired of seeing them in my traps and snares. I dont mind working with the fur too except for the big old males full of scar tissue. Seen a few over the years with nasty injuries but they still had plenty of fat on them. Tough as nails those wolverine. Hard to beat the 330/220 but i have a soft spot for snaring them. Caught a whole bunch in 2 coiled #3 soft catch traps set for lynx and ive only seen 3 get out in 30+ years. probably didnt catch much of the foot with those ones. A well built #3 with 4 coils is a good wolverine trap in my opinion and I have no worries setting my 2 coiled as well. A good catch above the foot pads and a little cold weather and theyre not going anywhere.

Mb750 pull out.

This old boy was scratching on my door while I was sleeping the night before. Caught him in a duke 330 in the woodpile

I was just getting over the cold when I picked this one up. I was restless after spending a few days inside so I took off to a short line around midnight. Came around the corner and the river was covered with big wolverine tracks and I had a trap set just a little further. Sure enough he followed my trail and ended up getting a toe in there. My headlight was dying and very dim so that was fun.


Last one for now. I just got out of the hospital and rushed home to skin this one here. I went out after a good snowfall and hit the wolverine country looking for fresh tracks. Late in the day I crossed big tracks and started following. About an hour later I spotted him running through deep snow amongst scattered little trees. Once I got close I loaded up and pulled the trigger and nothing. Tried again and nothing. I splashed my 223 with gas line anti freeze and put it on my back. Keeping the wolverine in a fairly open spot I kept loading and pulling the trigger until my gun finally fired. I was pouring sweat and my head started throbbing.
I was a little over 40km from town with no way to communicate. What followed was the worst ride of my life. I ran into two wolves on the way to town and the grey was easy so I got him and threw it over my lap. The black was just right there and I had lots of space but I was feeling like I was going to pass out so I kept going. I walked into my grandparents house and dropped to the floor. Extreme dehydration. When I stopped sweating and started to burn up was really scary but I could see town lights so I kept going. I was scared to go hunting for a while after that. My little nephew Rylan helped me work on both furs after getting an IV at the hospital. We skinned the wolverine then the wolf and I kept thinking how easily I could’ve got the black wolf.

I like a piece of wax paper i buy the stuff they sell for deli sandwiches no cutting measuring anything like that rip it for the dog lay it on and a very light covering of snow occasionally I forget it at home and when that happens I am not at all worried about leaving my trap fully exposed

Thanks otterman. Sounds like trapping wolves vs wolverines in footholds is very different.

Is there a way to upload pics from a phone to the thread?

Use the icon that has the blue arrow, above the area where you type a post. Top row of icons, second from the end.
I have a hard time doing several on one post, and you may need to re-size.

I'm technologically illiterate and don't know how to resize pictures. But somebody on here told me the simple way to do it if the website tells you the picture is too big is simply to take a screenshot of the picture. That works great and is easy, apparently screenshots are always a lower resolution.

Here’s an example of a set that was refused multiple times

Buckets and large open ended boxes are the only sets I had any refusals at. This year I plan to paint my boxes and cover them with snow and or brush to make them look natural. The buckets I will continue to keep putting out and maybe one will eventually stick its head in there.

Well, you had one stomping around there, and you are are a trapper. Figure out how to catch the SOB. That’s all I can do when I deal with a near miss. Nobody gives me a hug and suggestion.
You have been steered towards solutions, archived threads as well as personal knowledge.

Hahaha. Not looking for hugs, maybe suggestions. I have some ideas though thanks to what you’ve all shared. Maybe I’ll get plum lucky this year. Always look forward to my Minnesota Trap Prod orders in the mail.

Mike, you don’t always have to be so mad.
Edit: I know I’m new - only making a joke about your user name.
The thing I’ve appreciated the most about wolverine trapping IS the lack of resources online and how few people do it. I have no problem earning it the hard way.

You’re fine poking at my user name, Alder. I was trying to spur you on. Ultimately you have to make your success.

Good luck, hope you get ‘em.

I don't elevate my bucket sets like in your pic, I put mine on the ground and then put spruce boughs, snow, or tuck it in a logjam to make it look natural.

Vic- I think that's a good idea. I have a few spots in mind where that would likely work well.

I do think I should take some extra steps to put spruce boughs around/covering the bucket to make it appear less foreign.

If they are refusing buckets, I would do something else. I tried buckets and milk crates, but 12 years of putting one near a cubbie, I never got one with plastic. Had one 330 Belidle pulled out of a milk crate, (the only time a wolverine made contact with a crate set), and ate the 1/2 beaver wired to the crate. It then went to the spruce cubbie, 30 yards away, and found the NO BS.
I sometimes set 2 traps, one inside the entrance, and one around one side or the other.
One time, that resulted in a very angry gulo that had one trap on a front foot, and one trap firmly attached to the tail!

Buckets are still going to go up. Too easy not to put some out.
But, I’ll increase set variations with coni’s.

Some of these buckets are going to get the foothold treatment.
But, I’d rather catch them in coni’s to be totally honest.

Need to put an order in with Mr. Hanson, but would like to chat with him first.

Every one is a little different. Some dive right into the box on the first time checking it out. Others get smart but just pay attention to what they do and try a set. Might not seem logical but if it works it works. I was getting a lot of them going into cubbies by the back so I set a few cubbies with no trap in front and sure enough Id get them behind the cubby. Another one that made me lose sleep was in the habit of eating my snared animals one year. I tried everything to catch him. Then for about 3 trips in a row I’d find my #3 upside down but still set. One of my uncles told me the next time you see that, set the trap upside down with the pan facing down and enough space underneath for it to fire. It worked. He was so used to getting a paw underneath and flipping it over that it actually worked. Never seen one do that before or since but I’ll
Know what to do if it ever happens again. Other wolverine over the years just had their way with my trapline and I never did get some of those smart old ones. I Love trapping wolverine and I Can’t wait for November already.

Ryan I like that upside down trap set. I will try and remember it if I ever run into a wolverine doing that.

Yup. The uncle that describes that set to me had seen it before too so I guess a few wolverine know how it’s done. Probably had a bad experience with a trap. Some old timers taught me a sure fire way to get them hard to catch ones. I won’t describe it here but it involves J hooks. I’ve never tried it and don’t plan to.

I've seen that method employed for coyotes. I never knew who did it, but twice when I was young I came across it in the woods. It may work for wolverines but I very much doubt it is effective for canines.

Well, it was outlawed here, the j-hooks. Must not have been effective.

J-hooks, huh? Always thought that was an old wives tail back home.

What an awful way to go.

Anyways- do you guys prep your traps any fancy way for wolverine?
Gas (de-grease), hang & rust, then wax? Or just put them in the ground as is?

I’m working on getting all their pan tensions the same. I’m thinking roughly 6lbs?

The no-bs traps I have come with some coating that is very hard. Almost wolverine-proof for a few catches.
Other than that, I do wax most footholds.

I am trapping north of Anchorage and do not use wax but I boil my traps to get contaminates and scent off them.

I have 3 no bs traps in the mail. Once they arrive I’ll see if they’re what I want to be using and grab another 48 if so

Will be waiting to hear what you think Ryan.

Did you go for the big ones or the juniors?

I think you are going to be happy with the No BS traps Ryan. They are very well made. I have a dozen of their wolf traps and a dozen of the K9 extreme.

Which BS model are you all using? The wolf, wolf junior, or coyote?

My 3 k9 extremes are here. Going to open the parcel and check them out after supper

I am using the wolf for wolves and picked up a doz coyote for wolverine/lynx this spring.

Just my opinion here but this is how I view this set.
The bucket is a red flag because it is so unnatural in that context. You could have success with just the 330 without the bucket.

OR. Put the bucket on the ground and bury it with snow......leaving only the opening visible and oriented to the downwind direction.


Remember...it's winter and every critter has a heat/energy budget that he is trying to maximize. I prefer not to make them work hard for something that looks unnatural.

I use milk crates and the wolverine don't seem to mind going into them. Never caught anything in a bucket. Tried a couple times. I'll try the set Ryan sent me with a bucket on the top of a pole this winter if I set a line at my coast camp. It will be super cool to see a wolverine hanging from a pole in the treeless tundra. I'll see if I can find the pictures Ryan sent me

Thank you for the feedback. That makes a lot of sense.

Might do two sets at that site next year. One with just a conibear and bracket/nails and brushed in a bit.

And one dug under a pine tree as that was frequently traveled area.

I did have success on a vertical. Definitely neat seeing one hanging waiting for you.

Bucket set. Works good around beaver houses too.

End of season picking up trap one year and the set was snapped and bait robbed by a big male wolverine. Always good to see sign for the following season. I don’t use plastic very much but this set has always worked for me. Usually set it for foxes that were close to camp that I couldn’t spare a plywood box for. Picked up a couple wolverine with this set too. It’s good to wire the bucket and bury it solid so the animals don’t easily figure it out. I usually put a couple thick willows on each side of the bucket and then bury it all with snow. Trap is sitting in a flat piece of driftwood. One stake per spring and lot of brush. Blend it right in.
Then look at it like this for a second before you move on to the set.

Could make the same set with all the brush I see here

Got to make a bunch of these this fall.
Wire mesh fence around a couple trees and a 330 hung on a stick wire the bait to to the fence on the back. I think these might work best near a jackpot. But they work good on there own on travel routes.

I keep it simple, stick the bucket in the snow and throw some brush around it. When I put bait in the bucket I pour some water in the bottom so it freezes in there. Works good for both wolverine and lynx.

Yup: plane and simple. The problem up here is one good blow and we would never see that set again.
But elavated on a bank or a brush pile and be a good set. Curious wolf might even stick his head in there.
When I use milk crates I always tie them up about 8" up on a tree or on some kind of elavation.

Thanks all for your advice. Hunting season has started. Just didn't want the long timers to think I dipped out.

Good luck hunting this season!

Update: Was able to explore some new country this weekend and finally figured out a way to get to where I want to go. Figuring out which creeks to cross right now is a maze with our crummy conditions.

First time using coni brackets and first cubbie set.
Game on.

Need to go build a bridge and clear trail now that I've found my way in.

Wish they made a square bucket that a 330 fit in nicely like a 220 does in a 4 gal square bucket.