Hello,
After a long time lurking and a few comments, I've decided to attempt to write more and to start one of the journals you see on here. My family and I lived in Stebbins for 9 years before moving to Kotzebue last year and then to Unalakleet this year. We spend our summers commercial fishing in Dry bay near Yakutat. I was not able to trap or hunt as much as I had hoped in Kotzebue, so that is part of the reasoning for doing this writing as well.

We started direct marketing our fish this year, and it went way better then we could of ever imagined, but the best part was that my kids are getting to the age where they can come fishing on the river with me more and more often. Fishing was good, if not great, particularly the king run. This summer we also added a new pup to the family as our old bear dog left us after 9 great years of service to my family and our friends family. We got an American Leopard Hound. She's our first ever hound, and its been interesting to watch her hunting instincts slowly come out.



My kids favorite game of run under the net haha

My wife has an odd love of mending net, not that im complaining



It was also a banner year for morels, and it might be one fo the best ways to spend an evening as a family.




After the summer and putting away fish we were up to Unalakleet for work and moose hunting. My hunting buddy and I set up a nice camp down the coast and hunted every weekend of September. Was great and we each got good meat in the freezer.



My buddys 65 1/4 incher, only picture I have of it and its super blurry

My small tasty bull

Called this brown in to about 25 yards while we were trying to call a bull to us. Not the biggest but a great coat and one less calf eater. I'm also probably one of the few people in the super minority who really doesn't mind brown bear meat.

My new traps, snares, and supplies came in today. I'm excited to get ready and have been planning my line since last winter. I ordered from Ted's for the first time and have to say I'm super happy with how the snares came bundled. The HOT latches look great and simple to use, but best of all I didn't get accused of shipping in pot as he vacuum sealed the lures! My wife even let me bring the box in the house!

I am excited to start a new line with some friends who have been in the area for a while, and really just getting out a lot more. I'm far from an expert and welcome any criticisms or ideas.

Great start on your journal. Look forward to following it.

Looking forward to reading your journal this year as well!
Good deal on filling the freezer! The smaller moose taste better by the way IMO The one your buddy got is a dandy!
I love bear meat brown or black. Honestly believe if you take care of it right it turns out great. I have only had one fall brownie that there was no way I was eating. Had three inches of fat on its hump and you talk about stink!
Hope you have tight chains this year!

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks everyone, and HFT I know what you mean. My buddy shot one last year and I had bear sausage already frying in my mind, first cut into it quickly changed my mind. Smelled worse then my out house after cabbage night haha.

I lived in Unk from 2000 to 2003. Heard the bad news there today.
I had a marten line that ran up some hills in a NE direction from town. Produced 30 marten a year the last 2 seasons I trapped it. Would switch to lynx by Xmas. The iditarod trail from Unk to Shak was good lynx back then. Also would run south on the beach and then run east along the base of the hills and cut a trail thru each drainage and set for lynx. All the drainage between the beach and South river had rabbits and lynx. Dang wind and warm spells kept me from trapping the south hills the last winter I lived there. No snow to get down there. No shortage of wolverine either.
Miss that country!

That is where we are thinking of running some lines, or way up river past old woman. Went out over the weekend North of town to check out some spots and so lots of promising sign. Excited to get started soon, just need to get the new traps boiled and dyed, which is this weekends project. Has anyone ever used FMJ? I bought some this year but am still on the fence a little.




We got out Saturday morning looking for some birds or even an awake black bear but no luck. Saw some really good trapping country and sign though so that was a positive. My son told me all the spots we were going to put sets, and apparently thats every tree haha.



Finished up grinding the last of the moose on Sunday, tried making the imitation bacon they sell at Alasaka butcher supply and have to say it came out pretty good.

I think I remember HFT tried full metal jacket, maybe he'll chime in. Otherwise, I haven't heard of anyone else using it.

I used it once years ago. I used it on some brand new traps I got right when the season opened one year. Degreased them and dipped them in full metal jacket, had them in the ground a day or two later. It was easy to use, but you want to put at least two preferably three coats. I thought it worked pretty good but I preferred waxing them old style. Been long enough since I used it I don't really remember why I preferred hot waxing, just know that I did, but didnt dislike the full metal jacket.

Pretty country!
Yeah I used that FMJ on traps once. If you read on the trapping page alot of guys say not to use it in water or wet conditions, that it gets cloudy and stinky. I found out the hard way that FMJ and my snow conditions didn't mix well together. And when you go from nailing fox and yotes consistently to having refusal after refusal you know you messed up.
Had to run 4 dozen traps through the concrete mixer to get them cleaned up and FMJ off of them.
So my opinion is stick to waxing the traps On the other hand I have had good luck using FMJ on snares after I spray paint them. I get quite a few years from them after dipping them in that stuff.
Another opinion is that formula one stuff is junk, used it one year and in the middle of the season it started flaking then rusting up under the stuff. Easier to remove then FMJ but didn't meet my expectations.
After those 2 experiences I will stick to the tried and true method of waxing

Couldn’t find any big ones huh? Just kidding. That’s a nice bull. Nice to see your kids involved.

Thanks for all the comments.

I saw that it wasnt good for water sets, didnt think of snow as a water set honestly but now will probably stay away from it. Might put it on my snares and marten traps after I spray paint them as I have a bunch of it. I also had a poor performance with the formula one stuff. Was supposed to be brown and it ended up a bright shade of green and then rusted off.

Ryan, yeah it was a nice bull with a huge body of steaks haha.

I’ve been busier then I intended and fell a little behind, which has really been ok as the weather warmed up quite a bit last week but has dropped back down this weekend. Finally got traps and snares boiled and dipped. Still haven’t decided on using the FMJ, as I have gotten advice saying how great it is and also how terrible it is haha. I think I’m leaning against using it as I don’t have anyway to get it off if need be.

Have gotten some new ideas of where exactly to set thanks to a conversation with martentrapper.

Traveling next weekend for coaching, then hoping to start setting some steel.

First batch. Being behind from schedule my buddy wanted to dip in his shop, layer of cardboard made clean up easy. Once dry well place them in a tote with willow leaves and beach grass till ready to set.

Good deal! Looking forward to your adventures!

Looking forward to following your progress this season. Good luck and be safe..

Fun to follow along on your guys northern adventures.

Good luck!

Well the best laid schemes of mice and men as they say...... Havent had a chance to set any traps yet. Got stuck in Kotz for 7 days with wrestling and now my wife is heading out early to SVA to help with volleyball regionals and not sure ill find a baby sitter. Hoping to get going this weekend and if not definitely will over thanksgiving.

Finally got out over the weekend and got some steel set. Open creeks made travel slower then we had hoped and got less of our short line out than we had wanted. Planning on checking monday or Tuesday after work and adding a few more sets. Was a good day regardless but hoping the temps drop a little more and we can start getting out to where we hope to put most of our effort.



My Son likes his job of Carrying the lures


First Marten set out

Good to hear you got gear out and love seeing you doing it with a youngster! Hope you guys connect!