More empty traps for me today. Did put out a few mink and weasel boxes.

Rick s Fox

Forgot I had one female weasel as well,saw a fisher track,don't think I saw a fresh wolf track today and the otter hasn't been back yet.I'd like to get one more coyote,pulling the short line this weekend.Need to do a few thing's before I fly out to CA to work with the bee's for a month,maybe miss out on some of the -30-40 temps if they make a appearance this winter.I plan on being back around the 20th of Feb,have a good rest of the night,hope you can start seeing some spots with these cooler temps coming.

Nice fox Rick! The last one I caught was really starting to rub so started pulling most of my canine sets.

Today when I went to check some otter traps I had an encounter with my nemesis. Small but deep pond in an old gravel pit and the ice wasn't thick enough for me to walk on so I'm walking along the edge of the pond up to an old abandoned beaver lodge. Seems the lodge wasn't abandoned as the otter came out to see what's going on. No open water close by so it swam around under the ice checking me out. Further investigation showed that the entrance to the lodge was too deep for me to set so now I need to figure out my game plan. LO told me he had seen an otter on this pond while bow hunting and wants it for his wall. Ice is still unsafe for a few more days at least.

Tim have you ever set 2 - 330's and carefully wired them stacked one on top of eachother between two long dead poles - wood H stands then lowered them down frontof the opening?

i did that a lot back in the day 86' to 88'
before I started welding H stands

Well, I had an interesting day. Set 4 more cat sets with 8 3Ns and a snare.
Then checked my older sets on the way back. A spot that I have caught a cat almost every year had hot fresh big Tom tracks 15 feet straight out of the mouth of my cubby. I expect to have him tomorrow evening when I get a chance to run the line!

Both of these pictures are taken, standing in the same spot.
The first is straight down on the tracks, the second is the opening of old faithful.

good luck today guys,

I am headed out in a couple of hours to check my one cat spot. After that I am going to see if we have made enough ice in the last 48 hours to SNEAK out onto some beaver ponds.

It's making a little ice today 11 here this morning and we might see the sun again later today.SPOTS will be in the near future for you guys.Have a great day everyone.

Scott, was thinking about that but won't be able to attempt anything until the ice gets a bit thicker. News said this AM that another 50 fishermen where saved off the ice yesterday. I'm more concerned about going through.
Frier Tuck, hope that Tom cooperates for you soon!

I can tell you that when I went through the ice the other day.
The water felt like it was close to freezing 😭

Good flexible wire, small cutters tool. folding hand saw. and straight dead sticks. You'll catch that otter

Checked the ice this morning, only 1/2" thick but temps are supposed to drop this week so maybe make enough ice for me to get a set in. Yesterday I put in a cubby by open water where there were lots of otter tracks in hopes it would be waiting for me there. Unfortunately a fox stole the bait so now I have that to contend with...

Wow! That's beautiful!

Bel330 they get much nicer than that,he med pale frosty rump pretty common,but I agree fox are a beautiful critter,all quite today about an inch of fresh snow today.Cool temps tonight maybe the one coyote I'm waiting for in one location will be making tracks tonight.Have a good rest of the day,it's a late lunch now!

No spots for me today. I did have to put on the snowshoes to SNEAK onto the ice. One whack with the chisel easily goes through but with the snowshoes I was able to get 9 "fair" sets in. I couldn't get to where I wanted them but they have a chance. Hopefully in a few more days we will get a little more ice so I can walk on it.

160user, you have more guts than I do. I went through the ice once with snowshoes and a pack full of traps. That was 40 years ago when I was at my peak and I barely made it out. I know that I wouldn't make it out now.
I was hoping to be humming "the cat came back" today, but he had other plans.

I Still Risk thin Ice I shouldn't But.........
I sound it out with my spud and where necessary I carry a long green pole - case I go in.

You must have had warmer temps there or it must have thawed more there than it did here. Or are the beavers keeping it thin? I have been trapping rats on the lake here for the past two weeks on my bicycle and have had ice up to 7 inches thick. Now the shoreline ice got sketchy for a few days but hip boots solved the issue whenever I broke through in the shallows. It's all good now. Be safe,,getting out with snowshoes is not so easy.