Tracks in the snow

The original game camera. Cheap and covers a wide swath. Don't much like snow these days, but as long as it's not deep enough I have to shovel it or get equipment out to move it, don't mind it now and then. Get to find out what goes on around here at night.

We got about 4 inches of snow monday and tuesday, so two nights of tracks now. Took trash out this morning........group of deer came thru again last night.......6 to 8 of em. Maybe 100 feet from back door. Mostly does......rabbits all over. Early this morning a fox came thru checking out hiddy holes the rabbits use. Fox was also only 100 feet or so from back door. Possum is hanging around landscaping by the house......at one point was only 10 feet from the front door. In the past, found out I have mink in the neighborhood..............also a couple hundred feet from back door and same distance to the chicken house. Was not amused to see that.

Always interesting to find all that goes bump in the night. It comes alive out there after dark.

Probably the best training tool for new trappers is snow. If someone takes the time to follow tracks and thinks about why the animal walked where it did they really begin to understand the habits of their quarry.

I think of it as reading the morning paper. Look out and see what happened during the night !

Nothing is better IMO for understanding how critter are reacting to your sets or if an area is worth setting. You can see that when a fox or yote is traveling evenly down a trail and stops and reverses direction just feet away from a well hidden, descented snare that some are more educated than others. Or that a bobcat can pass right thru an 8" loop like a circus performer sometimes. If you can drive a hundred miles and not see a single set of canine tracks over several days in areas that you have taken them in the past seasons something has drastically changed. Little can educate a trapper on the behavior of animals more than following them in the snow thru a days activity. You can't deny it when you see the tracks of the deer you didn't see all day in the stand walked across the deck out front in the morning, lol.

Nothing better than seeing tracks in the fresh snow headed to your trap or jackpot when walking in or riding down the trail.

1980: My brother, spent lots of days following coon tracks in the snow. Sort of revolutionize a bunch of us trappers in Southern Minnesota

Wiebe outdoors

nothing I love more than to get out after a snow and see what the animals are doing.

Snow would be nice for learning. Of course snow is not common in these parts so just have to 'wing it'.

Couple years back, I drove up to the farm. Winter like now and about an inch or so of dry powder had dropped in the night. Got there about 9 AM..........around 10:30 or so, mom asked me to take a letter to be mailed down to the mailbox. As soon as I got to the driveway I noticed a pair of fresh coyote tracks in the snow. Was asking myself how I missed those when I drove in.........when their tracks crossed my fresh tire track........and their prints were on top of it. I hadn't missed anything. Cheeky dogs had come thru looking for barn cats. Had come in past the grain bins down the driveway and within 50 feet of front living room with us sitting in it. Continued on down the driveway, past the mailbox and into the woods beyond. Like a pair of ghosts, we never knew they were there.

Snow is very helpful. I rely on it every year when it comes th snaring. Go out find tracks makes notes on where and when. Especially with coyote. Many years of watching and catching on a properly makes much easier on where to start looking the following year. This male coyote came through a week ago with two others. They went all the way across the family farm like they were on a mission. I found where they left the high ground and went into a tamerack swamp. I hung a snare there and found where they exited the swamp and hung a snare there. 2 nights ago they came back through following the same route. They got to the first snare and the big male was there waiting for me.

Neighbor's pond where I have trapped rats in the past. Busy place.





I make out at least a couple coyotes, a mink???, and maybe a fox. All converging on this........X marks the spot.