# And were off - Part 3 .



## C2C

Been a long time coming, tomorrow setting 2 baits hopefully. This last big storm should put the grizz to bed I'm hoping . I had 3 big baits last year and gave up one if them this year because of bears . The other 2 I can see from the top of the river bank and twll if they were ok to enter 
This third one was a walk in that wasnt visible til you were in it ...I caught 20 coyotes there last year ,lost 1 to an eagle ,9 had mange and left with 10 mediocre dogs for an extra 40 mile round trip .. not worth the effort and expense. I will ask for permission to come and call the area once in awhile .
You may think what's the worry about bears in dead of winter..blacks no problem .. grizz are a different beast ..
I've seen tracks in December thru February while pred calling, some of the big boars never truly hibernate and can come out for a stroll anytime ...I'm carrying an air horn on a pressure can this year while snaring and hope I never need it . Pepper spray is great as long as the wind is in your favor, if not ?? Well at least you will be a seasoned meal .
Will take some pics as I go and hope you will follow along , last year is gonna be hard to beat









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## pokeyjeeper

Get after them good luck


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## hassell

You're bang on about the grizz., I use to go an hour early to get set up out at the farm, after cutting tracks I've changed my ways, tough to get away with no trees.


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## C2C

hassell said:


> You're bang on about the grizz., I use to go an hour early to get set up out at the farm, after cutting tracks I've changed my ways, tough to get away with no trees.


Yup, at least I hope to see if anything is at the site .. coyotes rarely get it all cleaned up so if it is I know I've had unwanted company .

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## glenway

Got my seat ready for the show. Don't kill yourself trying to set another milestone. Everyone only has one best year.


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## knapper

Who has the popcorn for the event. We all will be watching and cheering you on.


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## hassell

Yes I agree with all of you, this will be my favorite channel this winter season.


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## youngdon

Mine too !

Have at them young man !


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## C2C

Lol.. thanx folks 
.cocked, locked and ready to rock !!!









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## C2C

Lunch of champions ....a tube steak and a can of Dr. Pepper ..









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## hassell

Homemade round steak.


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*Can't Wail for your first check Cam------I'll be watching for the results---The Master is at work GUYS -I like round steak too* :cook: :biggrin: :eating: *------------------------*


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## youngdon

A couple things Cam,

1.) Did you cut yourself ? How many stitches ?

2.) Never tell anyone you ate a tube steak, those two words have a very differnt meaning to some.


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## C2C

youngdon said:


> A couple things Cam,
> 1.) Did you cut yourself ? How many stitches ?
> 2.) Never tell anyone you ate a tube steak, those two words have a very differnt meaning to some.


Maybe some folks ..LOL...

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## C2C

Got out and set 9 at one bait and 17 at the other . Not alot of sign but enough to set on . I put the others in past known travel locations 
2 bags of deer scraps and bones at one and a road kill button buck at the other . I wore a set of heavy rain pants today to keep dry and I think it may help with scent control...heres a couple sets from today . I wont be real surprised if I draw a blank on first check Wednesday ,but am hopeful . Idk know I will have more trails to set tho and if they clean up the bait it will be perfect cause I know they will be back .
One big concern this year is the hi number of eagles around , them and ravens are bad news on caught dogs. 
Tomorrow I will help my son Jordan set one of his baits ,gonna need his big quad to get in .























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## youngdon

Good luck. We’re pulling for you.


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## azpredatorhunter

Good luck C2C...


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## C2C

First check this morning and wouldn't you know it ,I forgot my camera ..first of the year stone cold dead and no catch photo..very disturbance so reset was easy . Golden eagle on the bones and bait pile ,hope he minds his manners . A few tracks into the bait but just random ,no trails to set so.may have to move a little downstream . Rebaited with a fresh road killed bambi.
Second site I had a porcupine, should make the rancher happy .. a couple snares knocked down by deer but that all . Set another 6 snares on past catch spots .
Wind has changed to the north and temp dropping fast after a beautiful warm day so hopeful for skiff of snow . Check Jordan's tomorrow. Also picked up another piece of ground to snare so best check it out as well .























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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*WTG Buddy---------off and running-----Congrats on your catch*


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## hassell

Right on, great start.


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## youngdon

Congrats on the first of many.

Dang.... your neighbor is losing a lot of deer......


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## pokeyjeeper

Congrats keep after them


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## C2C

Had a blank today..lots more tracks coming into east bait site so got 6.more snares set . Weatherman calling for snow flurries this weekend hope he is right . 
South site still barren of tracks ,lots of birds working the bait so it will happen .

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## pokeyjeeper

Well that stinks keep blocking the trails it will happen soon


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## Ruger

Keep piling up the fur!!!


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Well that stinks keep blocking the trails it will happen soon


The brush is a little thin in places and I did block some trails , the cows mowed it short in a week long blizzard we had in October .Deer season ended about a week ago and coyotes are still a little spooky cause everyone was taking a poke at them . The landowners son shot 6 of them near my spots so that takes a small bite out of the population as well . There will be more move in , checking today . A small snow storm last night should freshen up the area and I have expectations of success today .

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## C2C

Third check today and good and bad ..first bait I was greeted with 4 eagles flying off..one on the bait itself , the other finishing off my catch..total loss . All that was left was a head and a long strip of fur holding the hindlegs and tail , not a good way to start. Freshened bait and on to the least one .
As I approached the last bait my wife spotted a coyote running off out of the bait. I bailed out of the truck and got out the rifle , I whistled and stopped him at a long poke and held on top of his back ,taking out a front leg .. he hobbled thru the brush onto the shallow frozen river and I held a touch higher and knocked him down for keeps. No time for the range finder to start but now I checked it .. 350 to start and finished at 365 ..I'll take it . 4 eagles and a bunch of ravens flew out of this site as well .. I almost hated to go in and check . Snare number 3 has caught a deer and the breakaway has opened as planned and released him ..Coyote Tracks are everywhere and first dog has also been damaged, a baseball size hole in chest between front legs, maybe we can patch it . I pull the set as birds will now look for lunch there .On to check the other 22 snares and number 15 holds a freshly caught coyote and from the running tracks into it I would wager he was with the one I shot and i totally missed seeing him because I was intent on the other one ... almost comical as I can see where he comes firing down the trail , hit the snare and lays himself out kinda Road Runner and the Coyote cartoon ..lol. 
Now to retrieve the dog on the ice , I know the river is very shallow where I have chosen to cross but still not totally frozen and I crunch thru 6 times ankle deep in the process..still gives you the pucker factor ..lol . He is worth the walk and in great shape and not shot up bad .
I have 3 more sets and the second to last holds an absolutely beautiful big male ..I quickly remake and load my sled with the 4th dog and set out to climb back up to the truck . I get halfway up and make it to the shelf where the brush ends and that's all I'm going to pull.. Deb throws down the 1/4 " roll of rope and we tie it to the truck and she pulls it up the rest of the way ..
We.head home and discuss how to keep the birds from getting our catch and the only solution we can come up with is daily checks early in the morning





































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## hassell

Congrats. and thanks for taking us along on the adventure.


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## C2C

Thanx Rick ...if anyone can help.me out with pictures I'd appreciate it , I don't know why they are all sideways.

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## C2C

The run thru









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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*WOW!!!! GRATS ON YOUR CATCH-FUN GOING ALONG WITH YOU----WTG BUDDY*


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## glenway

I can understand how frustrating it must be to lose anything to coyotes. Trouble is, you can't be everywhere early in the morning. Maybe like the go-fast fishermen in the tourneys. Get a screaming fast sled.

Good thing you have a cooperative wife to minimize time checking and to help with retrievals.


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## C2C

glenway said:


> I can understand how frustrating it must be to lose anything to coyotes. Trouble is, you can't be everywhere early in the morning. Maybe like the go-fast fishermen in the tourneys. Get a screaming fast sled.
> 
> Good thing you have a cooperative wife to minimize time checking and to help with retrievals.​


Yes Glen , she is a great lady and very supportive of me in all that I do .
She is as frustrated as.me with these magnificent birds that have been reduced to mere scavengers in our minds .
I've decided to go to early morning every day checks for a time and see what changes. It won't be anymore miles traveled than I was doing last year because I dropped the far end of my former line ..also going to move my meatbaited piles away from snare area in an effort to move the birds a bit. I will still use gut piles down in the old spot , they will disappear quickly but scent should remain to attract dogs ..it isnt gonna be near as productive number wise but maybe I can still make a dollar...
Otherwise it's back to calling or sitting bait piles .

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## azpredatorhunter

Early morning checks is probably your best bet ????????... or maybe start placing your bait piles under trees or something, so the vultures ????don't see it.


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## youngdon

Congrats on the catches Cam. It is a shame that he Eagles ruin your hard earned catches. A big +1 on your wife lending support and a hand. She’s the best catch you ever made. Snare ? Leg hold?


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## glenway

You have the will and you'll find the best way without a doubt.


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## C2C

youngdon said:


> Congrats on the catches Cam. It is a shame that he Eagles ruin your hard earned catches. A big +1 on your wife lending support and a hand. She's the best catch you ever made. Snare ? Leg hold?


Little gold band , left hand 3rd finger ..lol.and yes she is the best .

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## C2C

So nothing this morning . My son went and checked while I took my dad to a doctor's appointment ..
Jordan placed some more bait in a different spot up and out of the river bottom in hopes of attracting the birds up top away from the snares sets ..the dogs will still come up from there to eat but I think it should at least slow the eagles down.

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## pokeyjeeper

Wow what an adventure congrats on the coyotes you’re pictures that are sideways are you taking them with a smartphone if so turn your phone sideways so that bottom of the phone is facing to the right and they will come out correct in the post I’ve ran into that problem at work emailing pictures and my boss showed me this trick


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Wow what an adventure congrats on the coyotes you're pictures that are sideways are you taking them with a smartphone if so turn your phone sideways so that bottom of the phone is facing to the right and they will come out correct in the post I've ran into that problem at work emailing pictures and my boss showed me this trick


Thanx buddy I had no trouble with pick posted about deer hunting dont know what's happened but I could try .

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## azpredatorhunter

Try to crop your pics so they are rectangular... ???? works from me ????


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## C2C

I'll try

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## C2C

Check day today...nothing in east bait but a coyote was on his way in when I got there and spooked him ..set one more hillside snare on fresh tracks. Birds have been working the bait we left up top 
Second site held one coyote and lots of fresh tracks , 2.more snares set ,now in places where they will hopefully be hid somewhat when caught ..only saw one eagle today ,I'm hoping they have found a dead cow or something elsewhere to eat .
Another roadkill for bait 
















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I've posted pictures to other sites and texts and this only place that puts em sideways ...


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*Nice catch C2C-WTG*


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## youngdon

Your neighbor must be mad as heck !


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## pokeyjeeper

Keep it up bud


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## C2C

Not much to report , another check today and another blank .. a little depressing in fact . I'm not used to this stuff after the good success we had last year . We have some snow but the temp is hi for this time of year and coyotes arent hitting baits hard. Gophers are back out and with lots of mice the dogs are having a hard time filling up. One highlight is the fact that the eagles have moved on for the time being ,I'm guessing they've found a dead cow in one of the nearby herds and are sticking with it .
I set a couple more blind trail sets today and freshened up both baits with fresh roadkill. Saturday I will find a shallow crossing in the river and set the incoming brush in known travel routes, those extra snares just as well be out ..
The weather here has been crazy, I have very little snow and warm temps here . Ground isn't frozen and I can push in the 18" rebar stakes by hand . A friend of mine snaring 100.miles to the north has so much snow in his area that he can only set 25 % of his sites because they are all blown in..
. I'm confident that things will improve and am ready for the change. In the meantime we will keep plugging along and get some more snares out and do some calling in calm days ..

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## youngdon

Keep after them.


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## pokeyjeeper

Keep going things will turn around soon


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## C2C

A ray of sunshine today ..2 in of fresh snow and a drop in temp of 15 degrees and the dogs are back .. well at least at one bait .I caught this nice one where they come up off the river and there are lots of tracks they sisnt make it in ro the bait but there's hope . The pigs I stopped off at the top on both sites have been checked out but not disturbed by coyotes so looks like the attractants are working. 2 eagles a re still hanging around but minded there business the last couple days .I finally got across the river and started a new bait in some good brush, set 4 snares and will add as the coyotes work thru . 
Had my nephew Hunter with me and we went to call a favorite spot after checking. Bumped a young goose looking coyote in the way in and were able to collect him . So 2 today and hopes of more to come ,thanx for the encouragement friends.









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## hassell

Well done sir.


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## youngdon

????????


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## pokeyjeeper

Nice one congrats


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## glenway

A thinking man's work and the right man is on the job.

I'd like to see that goose looking coyote. Don't tell me they've grown wings now.


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## C2C

glenway said:


> A thinking man's work and the right man is on the job.
> 
> I'd like to see that goose looking coyote. Don't tell me they've grown wings now.


Hahaha.....i see that too and wondered how it could happen ..a good one turns into a goose one ..fat fingers I guess  you say a thinking man's work ,well I'm here to tell you that I'm wracking my brain about these dogs ..I've set the same as last year where I had success and even a bunch any out of the box . Biggest problem is numbers ,they just dont seem to be as hi as last year . Every year is different I'll have to roll with the punches and take what I can
I'm hopeful about the new spot I'm set in and the increase in dog traffic Saturday, checking in a couple hrs and will keep you informed. 

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## C2C

Nice day today .. before the wind that Rick so graciously sent this afternoon !!
Got to the first bait and a few new tracks in different places so I set 3 snares on sign . Dogs have found the pigs on top the hill here so I drug them over the snow bank to top edge of the brush to get them back to river bottom ..one half barrel of pig scraps were still froze in it so I figured I'd just let it roll.into the brush. Things went well until it got thru the brush and headed breakneck speed for the bottom. It crashed down the trail and.destroyed one snare set i had there ..nope I was tired and upset and didnt go way back down and.fix it .
On to second site . As I neared the pig pile on top I started seeing lots more tracks ,and yup.they found it too . A 100# hog was completely eaten and second started , more tracks than a school yard .
So I grabbed the two pigs and headed for the bottom with my backpack and dead sled nothing in the first bait site so it's on to the new one ....over there I found a couple more Trails where I should have set snares complete with new tracks so I set snares on them... bait was cleaned up but no dogs in the first three snares so in yo the last one and it held a beauty ..nice clean catch but bad case of Waterhead which I can't figure ,he was caught right behind the ears and tight to the jaw should have finished him quickly but he ruined the set ...so I pulled it and made two sets one either 10 yards on the same Trail.
Loaded up the coyote and headed back for the truck with one Hillside set remaining ....I got to it and knew there was something there immediately as the ribbon was gone and the support wire was bent to the side , peeking over the edge I could see a nice pale coyote still alive should have killed him as well but he had wrapped the cable around the back foot and it wouldn't lock tight on his neck . I dispatched him with my 17 HMR remade the set and made another set on another Trail 20 yards away coming down off the top..
Time to pull these two up to the top and as I neared the truck I spied another dog coming back to the bait ...he saw me the same time I saw him and my 22-250 was in the truck no chance for shot and he was gone..so finally a decent day ,Jordan caught one as well so off to the skinners..























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Looks like pokey was right , if I turn phone camera 90° to the left pics are correct..thx bud .


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## hassell

Well done.


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## youngdon

Glad to hear things are turning around. You need to make some Momma cash quick.


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## pokeyjeeper

Nice ones cam congrats
I don't know why turning the phone when taking pictures makes them come up right on here but it does lol same thing with my work email as I have to take pictures at work of parts and email them if you turn the bottom of the phone to the right 90* they come up correctly don't know why I'm just a dumb farm kid lol


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## C2C

Update 
. Had a little tiff with my skinner . Took him both my dogs and I get a text back saying there is something wrong with one ,and a picture ..the tail.is off !! It was.in mint.condition and he pulled the tail off ..he is sometimes in too big a hurry and he doesnt use his knife enough . I'm not impressed .

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## youngdon

Uuggghh !


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## glenway

Those skinned out coyotes on the wall sure represent a huge amount of effort. That PhD from Yote U. doesn't come cheap.

PhD: Piled high and Deep


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## C2C

glenway said:


> Those skinned out coyotes on the wall sure represent a huge amount of effort. That PhD from Yote U. doesn't come cheap.
> 
> PhD: Piled high and Deep


Yes it's a lot of work on everyone's part ..the ******* stairmaster certainly seems to get steeper every year. 
Weather has turned much warmer and windy over night, pleasant for the cows and bad for snaring ..oh well I know where my bread is buttered tho and coyotes certainly dont pay the big bills.

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## pokeyjeeper

That sucks but I’ve dun it myself


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## C2C

Windy today but a much better check . 5 at my first site !!! All were untouched and alive except a.big male with mange . I hate the live part but it didnt look like they had been caught long and the fact that they went dead may have saved them from the resident eagle that was there again today . I dispatch with a 17hmr and got things reset , all places were disturbed very little . 
My son was with me today to help and I sure needed it ..we had a little heart to heart talk and he said hes quitting his snare line ...worried about the tapeworm bug and he doesnt like the snare program. I dont blame him and support him in his choice ,nothing wrong with a kind heart . I will take over his line possibly first of next week and will give him whatever I catch there.






























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## youngdon

You saying that you support his decision was not necessary. 
We know you that well sir.

Nice catch today !


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*WTG Cam----------Very nice catch---They have Great Fur super color-------------*


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## hassell

Those a beauties for sure, congrats..


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## pokeyjeeper

Congrats man I never get tired of looking at the coyotes you have there


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## C2C

youngdon said:


> You saying that you support his decision was not necessary.
> We know you that well sir.
> 
> Nice catch today !


Thank you for the compliment Don ...my boy is special to me as all kids are to their folks ..he is a 6'3" 220# gentle giant of a man and would do anything for anyone ..maybe I should take a lesson from him and try and be a better person ,it would be hard to match him . The bug scare is real but after talking with a retired Dr. friend of mine I am a little more at ease with it . He says the Echinococous bug is nothing new and has been a cycle with moose and wolves ,and sheep and sheep dogs..virtually forever ..it has merely come to light because someone has showed up with symptoms and their Doc has gone looking .Do we still.need to be careful? YES ... and I handle everything with rubber gloves and wash my outer clothes after handling a dog ,use sanitary wipes and stay away from close contact with fur , especially soiled ones .The 5-15 year incubation period after exposure has me troubled a bit and even tho tests show negative I could still have it ..if I do I will deal with it when I show symptoms . In the mean time I will continue stacking them up and saving mule deer fawns in the process. A person cant live in fear and stay at home ..that would be no life and kill me quicker .Other locals have sold some catch already and are averaging $120 ... my eye is set on a small boat to take the grandkids fishing and by gosh I'm gonna get it lol









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## hassell

Well said Cam..


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## pokeyjeeper

Let's see if I fixed this picture


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## C2C

Pokey you are da man ..

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## youngdon

I never had a problem until lately. I edited my picture ( it was upright in my phone and posted sideways. So I changed it in my phone to the opposite side and it still posted sideways like the original. Then I changed it back to normal o my phone and it posted right. ???


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## glenway

Echinococcus: I can see where you should be concerned with handling the coyotes and your cattle, but the little bit of research I uncovered indicates it to be rare in North America. Do you know of anyone who has contracted this affliction? Never heard of it around here.


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## C2C

The tech that did the ultrasound said he had seen 1.positive test in 30 years .. and 4 in last 6 months . A local fur buyer had/ has it for sure . He under went aggressive anti biotic treatments and the disease in so called remission but may flair up again . Another friend also has a cyst on his liver but blood tests have shown inconclusive .These 2 guys are hi volume handlers of hides ,both buying and skinning and those are the ones that are at higher risk . There are others scattered around the province so not necessarily a pocket of disease . Supposedly 12 cases in whole country . I've always tried and be clean and careful because of mange but have started to wear a mask as well ..maybe too late but I'm confident all will be well as long as I'm careful . I'm going out on a limb but not even gonna really brush and primp my prepared hides , told by a buyer that they still spot defects despite coverup efforts so not worth the extra risk. 
Checking again tomorrow, see what shows up .

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## C2C

youngdon said:


> I never had a problem until lately. I edited my picture ( it was upright in my phone and posted sideways. So I changed it in my phone to the opposite side and it still posted sideways like the original. Then I changed it back to normal o my phone and it posted right. ???


I take all my pictures for this site sideways now and they show up correct , this is only forum i have the twisted problem on .

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## azpredatorhunter

I'm going out on a limb but not even gonna really brush and primp my prepared hides , told by a buyer that they still spot defects despite coverup efforts so not worth the extra risk.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk[/quote] I call bs... your fur buyer is full of it. They rather not pay you top dollar for your pelts. Keep doing what you've been doing. Just wear a mask and gloves if your worried.

They are slick at what they do... you gotta be slicker ????


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## C2C

Well yesterday makes my year complete , I had a chew out ...it happens a couple times a year and sometimes I get lucky like last year and catch them back . This one was a bizarre one . Of course i forgot my phone in the truck so no pic but i will take one tomorrow but try to explain it today. It was a set in a deep V shaped cow trail where the dogs were traveling . I cut a couple.bushes and laid them on one side to block and narrow the trail and planted a small branch either side of an opening in which I set the snare , 10 " diameter, a foot off the ground . When I approached the set there was nothing out of the ordinary to suggest a catch , no disturbance, no animal but also no snare hanging . Support wire was still 90° to the trail and snare cable was off to the side of the trail cut in half slick and clean .. a hint of blood on it but not heavy and cable wasnt all frayed just a clean cut ,like it had been cut with pliers. Extension cable wasnt even pulled out of where I had hid it under a branch . Snow had all.melted and ground was froze so no tracks so I reset it and walked down the trail 75 yds to where there was a little snow still on it to see if there was any sign of the critter. What I saw explained the chew. There in a 10 ft stretch of snow where 3 tracks heading away ...wolf . I got a little excited then and scanned the surrounding bush hoping that maybe he had gotten tangled on it with his new piece of jewelry but no luck ...so now I have real.purpose for the rest of the season, hoping against all odds that he returns and makes a mistake and I see him ..hes wise to the snares because he didnt even fight it , as soon as he felt it he bit the skinny 1/16 cable off. 
The rest of my spots held only another porcupine , baits were untouched and no visible new tracks ..lots of snow is gone with the warm 11°C temp and hi winds . A chance of snow Sunday and a 10 ° drop.in temp.that I'm hoping will.make the coyotes return . Update you tomorrow.

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## pokeyjeeper

Sounds like a fun and exciting day on the line hopefully mr wolf will be back


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## C2C

I hope so pokey ,.hes made.it personal now ..I was gonna put up.a.couple trail cams like.last year ,better late than never it will happen tomorrow.

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## youngdon

I wonder how many other wolves are around, and if they have run your coyotes off.


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## hassell

Good luck, exciting to say the least, I never wanted them on my line though I had a few, like wolverine - get them early in the game or they make your life miserable.


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## C2C

youngdon said:


> I wonder how many other wolves are around, and if they have run your coyotes off.


You know Don, I had never thought of that ... it is remote and could possibly be the case... a wolf was shot 3 weeks ago 10 miles to the west ...if only I had some fresh snow.

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## C2C

hassell said:


> Good luck, exciting to say the least, I never wanted them on my line though I had a few, like wolverine - get them early in the game or they make your life miserable.


Thanks Rick , shaping up to be interesting to say the least .

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## knapper

A rifle may be worth the weight to carry.


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## glenway

They'd put you in jail if you snared one here - dang libs! The excitement and anticipation of the great unknown will accompany you on each leg of your checks now.

I think Confucius said that.


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## C2C

knapper said:


> A rifle may be worth the weight to carry.


I carry my 22 250 in the truck all the time and tho it may not be quite what I need I'd darn sure have a go with it . I can see my baits from the truck and are on top.of them.beforr anything in the river bottom can see me .

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## C2C

glenway said:


> They'd put you in jail if you snared one here - dang libs! The excitement and anticipation of the great unknown will accompany you on each leg of your checks now.
> 
> I think Confucius said that.


Sure will Glen ..as I said earlier I'm planning a wolf trip here in Jan back north where I use to guide , a 5 hr drive away ...kinda strange that I've virtually got one in my back yard ..it turns cold I'm gonna try pokeys howler maybe this week .
As far trouble when I catch one ,the county gives out a $500 bounty to the first 5 taken each year ...that's Canadian money but still a chunk of change ..lol. kids caught one last winter 3 miles to the north of my baits.

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## hassell

C2C said:


> I carry my 22 250 in the truck all the time and tho it may not be quite what I need I'd darn sure have a go with it . I can see my baits from the truck and are on top.of them.beforr anything in the river bottom can see me .
> 
> Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk


I shot one XL wolf with the 250 around 150 yds., did 2 rollovers and ran 10 ft., thought I had grabbed the 300 instead of the 250.


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## C2C

Well I was wrong when I said my year was complete with the chew out ..today I had a breakaway opened with some type of dog hair in it, either the wolf or a real big coyote . I didnt walk right up to this set last time ,just saw nothing there so assumed it was up . It may have been the same critter that chewed out on last check ..got caught in this and fought it and when he went thru the next one decided to just cut it off . 
Rest of the snares were a blank today other than the Easter bunny that decided to retire in one 
Lots of snares down since last check even with the little wire tie I put on them. What a different year than last year ,brutal .
Heres a picture of the broken BAD, a the spot where I had the chew last time























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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*Tough luck for sure------hope things get better for you--Merry Christmas to you and your's*


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## glenway

Snowshoe! I sure loved to chase them around long ago. I considered each one a trophy.


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## C2C

Jack rabbit Glen , the long tall skinny version of a snowshoe ...yup it's a tough year folks but hey ,if it was easy every one would be doing it .That's why it's called trapping ,not catching ..lol.I get frustrated but still enjoy every day afield and am getting in shape every day out doors is a blessing . Forecast is for continued warm weather with no snow or cold in sight so I'm gonna set up a bait in a different location and sit over it on afternoons. No where to snare near it and way too many eagles there anyway. Who knows , maybe I'll get lucky and have a wolf come by .

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## knapper

I wish you the best of luck because I know you have the skill.


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## pokeyjeeper

Wow sounds like you’re getting beat up the plan on calling sounds like a great one good luck and merry Christmas


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## C2C

Thanx again for the reassurance friends, regardless of the lack of success I'm still enjoying every trip afield . It's not the way I'm setting or such like that's got me low on catches it's the weather not pushing dogs into the bait sites ..they are still around just plain not hungry. Hunger and deep snow are the motivators that makes them travel and move which in turn puts them on trails holding snares . So far the last month weve had neither in my area ...also lots of mice to eat as well as if you can believe it , gophers still out !!
Folks north of me 150 miles have had a severe winter with over a foot of snow and low temps constantly since Dec 1 and are piling up the coyotes, I'm glad for their success . As I write this i am listening to a pair of coyotes hunting pheasants in the predawn darkness in a thick brush patch within 150 yds of my house ..birds fly up into the trees and dogs cant reach them and sit under and howl in frustration ...so close and yet so far .
I check again today and will keep you updated .

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## C2C

I hate technology, had whole report typed and didnt get 
posted before.it disappeared .

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## C2C

Let me start today's report with a little story ,a fellow Trapper here in Alberta is posting a similar threat to mine on a different forum.. he gets much the same comments as I do with lots of encouragement and congratulations.. last week he received a private message from one of those that had given him some gracious comments on his thread and a request to accompany him on his line for a day... he graciously invited this person to go with him on a given date but before the day came the trapper felt a little bit odd about the request and did some research on the individual..
What he's found out astounded him he found the person was actually the president of a major anti-hunting anti trapping organization here in Canada and it appears he was merely trying to gain info to be used against us... yes we all hope that everything in our line happens according to the way it should but we all know that sometimes things go awry .... not all catches are perfect and that not everything works out the way it should ...this wouldn't go well in our favour if an anti was to find it...
So how did he handle it ? He made a phone call to this person and confronted him about it, when the anti found that the gig was up the conversation got nasty and my fellow Trapper won't even repeat details of the conversation only to say that he was bombarded with many explicit and verbal abusive remarks..
I was also approached recently by member of this form asking me for an interview to be written up in a local newspaper.... this individual had also made gracious remarks on my threads and I considered him a great person but after hearing the above story I thought maybe I should check the water before I consented . I asked him about his writing and that I wanted to make sure that he was indeed not an anti trapper... I haven't heard back from him so I contacted another member and asked about this person ....he told me that we need more people like this fellow and wishes there was more members on our forum with his same standards... so it appears in my attempt to weed out the riff raff that I have merely put my foot in my mouth and offended a great man.
To the individual concerned I expressed my deepest apologies if you are reading this and hope you will contact me so I can make my apology in person and conduct an interview for you..

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## C2C

Now to something a little more pleasant.
Today's check involved another lesson learned... as I was nearing my first bait site a rounded a corner on the riverbank to see a coyote six hundred yards ahead of me trotting down the ice towards my bait site..
He was unaware of my presence and too far for a shot so I merely watched him hop up on the riverbank hunt a bit in a little brush and then head into the brush where my snares are located.. I quietly made my way down the road stop the truck and quietly sneak to the edge of the bank with my rifle to see if I could get a poke at him.
He was nowhere in sight he hadn't kept going down the river or I would have seen him ,he hadn't come out on the top either so I knew he had to be somewhere close I sat down and waited to see what would appear ...after three minutes nothing showed so I stood up to go get my gear to start checking and lo and behold 50 ft down the Steep Bank in the brush he was caught in one of the snares..pretty cool I thought ,but the best is yet to come. 
I made my way down the bank took him out of the snare and reset it but here's the best part ...it's the very snare spot that caught The Mangy coyote 4checks earlier , a week ago. I hadn't touched him I had merely left him in the snare not wanting to get mixed up in the mange bug. However I got to thinking I better get him out of the sight he might be stopping others from coming in so on my last check I had removed him and reset it and today it paid off..LESSON LEARNED,,NEVER LEAVE A DEAD COYOTE IN YOUR BAIT SITE..
If I hadn't removed him and reset I never would have caught this one. The rest of the snares today held nothing but this catch was very worthwhile to me.. I've started setting a few snares now on outside travel routes in Hope's of picking up.coyotes passing by , all baits were freshened last time and nothing has touched them so they arent hungry .

Check my final bait Spot close to home here and there was nothing except a broken Breakaway were a whitetail had gotten caught in the snare ....Breakaway had worked perfectly and released the deer... I pulled the five in this site and dismantled the set as the ground is too soft and I'm really cutting up the road in this fellow's place to get in there to check ...if it tightens up I will go back and reset.
Yesterday my son and I took 3 roadkill deer and set up a bait site 10 miles from home in our summer pasture ...this is the place where I did the same thing last year with the dead cow and was able to take a half-dozen coyotes, no place to snare no brush and too many eagles even if there was enough brush to set in.... I will let it sit a couple days and go back and sit in my blind and see what shows up..In the meantime a very Merry Chrustmss to all predator talk members from us here in the unfrozen north .









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## youngdon

If I was your fellow trapper I’d have taken the guy out for a really tough day of nothing. Once I got him to the farthest point THEN. I would have confronted him. If he got foul I’d have let him find his own way back.


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## C2C

youngdon said:


> If I was your fellow trapper I'd have taken the guy out for a really tough day of nothing. Once I got him to the farthest point THEN. I would have confronted him. If he got foul I'd have let him find his own way back.


Hahaha...this guys line is remote to say the least so that would have been a great idea ..could have left him for bait but there's some things that even coyotes and bears wont eat

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## hassell

Great update as usual Cam, thanks for sharing.


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## hassell

C2C said:


> Let me start today's report with a little story ,a fellow Trapper here in Alberta is posting a similar threat to mine on a different forum.. he gets much the same comments as I do with lots of encouragement and congratulations.. last week he received a private message from one of those that had given him some gracious comments on his thread and a request to accompany him on his line for a day... he graciously invited this person to go with him on a given date but before the day came the trapper felt a little bit odd about the request and did some research on the individual..
> What he's found out astounded him he found the person was actually the president of a major anti-hunting anti trapping organization here in Canada and it appears he was merely trying to gain info to be used against us... yes we all hope that everything in our line happens according to the way it should but we all know that sometimes things go awry .... not all catches are perfect and that not everything works out the way it should ...this wouldn't go well in our favour if an anti was to find it...
> So how did he handle it ? He made a phone call to this person and confronted him about it, when the anti found that the gig was up the conversation got nasty and my fellow Trapper won't even repeat details of the conversation only to say that he was bombarded with many explicit and verbal abusive remarks..
> I was also approached recently by member of this form asking me for an interview to be written up in a local newspaper.... this individual had also made gracious remarks on my threads and I considered him a great person but after hearing the above story I thought maybe I should check the water before I consented . I asked him about his writing and that I wanted to make sure that he was indeed not an anti trapper... I haven't heard back from him so I contacted another member and asked about this person ....he told me that we need more people like this fellow and wishes there was more members on our forum with his same standards... so it appears in my attempt to weed out the riff raff that I have merely put my foot in my mouth and offended a great man.
> To the individual concerned I expressed my deepest apologies if you are reading this and hope you will contact me so I can make my apology in person and conduct an interview for you..
> 
> Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk


 I'm sure things will turn out as I know both have many years of wisdom to share with the hunting fraternity.


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## pokeyjeeper

Congrats on another one funny how we are always learning my grandpa always said if you learned one thing today then today was not a waste he was a farmer and school teacher I’ve tried to live my life by these words always looking to learn something new


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## glenway

Great stuff. Merry Christmas and have a great Boxing Day with that wonderful family.


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## azpredatorhunter

No reason to apologize in my book, your just covering your ass. I would have done the same C2C... I had a some anti send me some nasty emails years ago how he wished my family ill will... I put an end to his crap with one email... I told him how I was gonna wound the next animal I shoot just for him ????. Never got another email from him ????

Just for the record... I would never wound an animal on purpose. But he didn't know that... I hope he cried himself to sleep.


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## C2C

Mery Christmas to all my extended family at PT ,good friends are hard to come by and I count all of you as friends 

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## murphyranch

There's only one remedy for people like that. A good piece of hickory

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## C2C

What can I say ... blank ,zip zilch, nada ... not a thing in snares ..baits untouched ,no snow to show tracks if there were any ..lots of fresh air and exercise si day wasnt a total loss ..took by 16 year old.nephew with me and we pred called a couple places with only a coyote bumped out in our approach . Set a couple more snares on travel routes in Hope's something will show up ..one in pic.

So in to the bait site we set up on Monday ,loaded a couple more roadkill deer and found the last 2 placed untouched ,not real surprising considering the lack of cold and snow. 
Went farther into the pasture and parked truck and walked a half mile to call ..Upon setting up we spotted a coyote southwest of us a half mile ..he would listen but no attempt to come in ,just merely kept on his merry way to our left . He ran into a different dog that proceeded to bark and howl at us each time I called ..I was using my old faithful Larry D Jones wailer handcall given to me 37 years ago for our first Christmas together..thought maybe I had lost my touch but when I turned to look west I spotted what looked like a light bulb headed my way ...it was a beautiful coyote with the sun shining behind her and she was coming hard !! 
Incoming I whispered to Hunter and as he turned to.look he was enthralled ..this was the first coyote wed had come into us . Sorry bud I told him ,you're gonna have to hold still and watch ,if you move she'll see you and stop..no problem he replied ,shes yours . On she came and reached the fence at 233 yards and slow only momentarily ,on she came and slowed and stopped at 133.. I settled my crosshairs low in her chest and folded like a card table at the shot..my nephew was as thrilled as if he had pulled that trigger himself and exclaimed cool !! Meanwhile the coyote to the south started howling again and I howled back a couple times but after 10 mins it was obvious he wasn't coming so we left him talking to himself and headed back to the truck ....so the day ended up with one beauty ,guess if the coyotes wont come to the bait and snares that I'll have to try and call them in ..I have plans for another spot tomorrow with my son Jordan .
















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## knapper

You put out the snares and they will come eventually. Hope you get snow and cold weather soon, we finally got some and it will hang around now. Best of luck to you.


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## pokeyjeeper

Congrats on calling one in cam it’s another great looking coyote


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## hassell

She's real pretty, no snow here either, orchard owners here are worried about the tree's starting to bud out.


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## C2C

hassell said:


> She's real pretty, no snow here either, orchard owners here are worried about the tree's starting to bud out.


I'm sure they are..worried here too about the possibility of more winterkill in alfalfa with the pooling of snow melted and now frozen in large ice patches . The snow will come ,that's a given but with my luck it will all be during calving time . Got strong west winds again today .
You dont have to go far north to hit winter, friends say that only 20 miles that way it is true winter , 8 inches of fresh snow and temp hasnt been above minus 12 for weeks now 
They are having good luck in the snares ,8 coyotes and a fox yesterday.

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## youngdon

That is one pretty coyote. Congrats and nice shooting


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## C2C

Heres one from today Don , totally different color but the nicest fur I've taken this year









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## youngdon

That coyote seems really well marked( no not by Mr. Steinman) . Maybe it’s me.


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## pokeyjeeper

Starting to stack a few up slow and steady wins the race congrats on another one


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Starting to stack a few up slow and steady wins the race congrats on another one


Thanx pokey ,nothing to report today except another beautiful winter day ..no wind so we called a remote spot and saw nothing 
I placed a deer carcass out near the river and out cameras up , give it a few days then I'll return and check the card ...lots of old tracks there gives me some hope .

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## C2C

So today was the straw that broke the snaremans back ...I sold 2 coyotes to an older guy to get tanned for his grandsons last spring ..the kids were in town today for the holidays so I took them and their grandpa to see where the pelts come from ..got to the first bait site and was finally greeted with a catch , looks good from a distance but as I get closer I see I've been vandalized ...yup eagles have helped themselves again . From the looks of it the coyotes was caught last night because it wasnt froze and the birds found it before I got there at 10 a.m. ...kids were wide eyed at the site, 12 and 16 years old but pretty graphic for kids that arent uaed to such stuff. 
Checked the rest of my stuff and had another deer opened breakaway ..so the kids went home and I took my son Jordan with me to check the new bait site I had setup closer to home out by the river across from the Indian reserve ....placed a.road killed deer and staked it down ,put up trail camera there on Saturday and today most of the deer is gone and a few muddy tracks on what little snow we have ..perfect!!! So I go to setting snares, easy in this spot ,well defined trails and trees to anchor to . As I'm setting the 3rd one Jordan says dad it's not a matter of if you are gonna catch a rez dog ,its how many and what color ...my heart sank as I checked the card .. 5 different dogs of different colors .One wore a complete muzzle full of porcupine quills . I'm quite sure these dogs are completely feral but it would be just my luck to catch one and while I'm taking his dead carcass out I'd a snare to have the owner show up. 2 coyotes were also on camera but I'm afraid if I caught them that the dogs would tear them up too . So I removed my snares and put my tail between my legs and headed home after what is likely my lowest day of snaring ..my next move ? Well I have a wolf hunt slated for 3 days next with a friend and I'll be taking pokeys howler, so i may just hang my snares on the Bush for a week and see what the weather looks like next Thursday when I get back ..supposed to be cold then so may rebait heavy and run for a week and then call it a season ....I'm tired of feeding my catch to the birds .
To top it all off I have exceeded my cap for posting photos for the month so will have to wait a couple days til I can do that ..maybe I'll just have a shower,some supper and go to bed..hope tomorrow is better .

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## hassell

Tough one for sure Cam but you made the right call. Wolf hunt sounds like fun, are you heading to an area where winter is actually happening, cold weather and wintering wildlife area's with a foot of snow is perfect. Good luck.


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## azpredatorhunter

C2C, how far from the bait piles do you set your snares?


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## C2C

azpredatorhunter said:


> C2C, how far from the bait piles do you set your snares?


Brush is limited in my area and so I dont have a lot of options . I don't set within 50 ft cause I don't want to catch eagles ,the ones I've had destroyed were anywhere from 20 yds to this one at 50 yds away ...lots of bait on the pile but they prefer warm coyote over cold roadkill deer . Birds hadn't been around for a couple weeks and neither had coyotes and I'm guessing they had found a cow or something else to eat ...looks like maybe that has been cleaned up as eagles showed up 4 days ago and now some of the coyotes are here as well .

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## C2C

hassell said:


> Tough one for sure Cam but you made the right call. Wolf hunt sounds like fun, are you heading to an area where winter is actually happening, cold weather and wintering wildlife area's with a foot of snow is perfect. Good luck.


Yes Rick , it is my old guiding area.. they have a ft of snow and hi temp has been in mid minus teens for a couple weeks. I think a change of scenery will do me good . I refuse to catch coyotes just to feed em to the eagles .

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## youngdon

These are C2C's pics that he asked me to post for him. 
Look close at the red dog in the first picture, he has a mouth full of quills.


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## knapper

Too bad cam is having so much trouble this year.


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## C2C

knapper said:


> Too bad cam is having so much trouble this year.


Some days you're the windshield 
Some days you're the bug ....I'll be alright ,I still have my health and good friends at PT to cheer me up ..had a good peptalk from Don this morning and things will change ..if they dont ? Well there's always next year 

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## glenway

It all averages out.


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## pokeyjeeper

Wow what a day if I were you I’d be getting ready for the wolf hunting trip but I’ve never taken a wolf myself as it’s not aloud here good luck calling take lots of pictures


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Wow what a day if I were you I'd be getting ready for the wolf hunting trip but I've never taken a wolf myself as it's not aloud here good luck calling take lots of pictures


Its gonna happen and I'll keep you informed ..thanx again .

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## knapper

good luck on the wolf hunt.


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## C2C

knapper said:


> good luck on the wolf hunt.


Thanx , I'll take some pics to share ..gonna be like Christmas again , I always love going back to the area where I spent some many happy days ,a little different now after all.the logging but still beautiful country . I hope to see some of the wild horses again .

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## C2C

So today was a bust and I've decided that on my Friday check I will pull this part of my line 
. The eagle was back again finishing off the last of the coyote that he wrecked and it's about gone , I'm not gonna give him anymore this year ..my wife Deb was with me on the trip and it's always a pleasure having here go .. she stands watch on top the river bank cause shes afraid I am gonna stumble into a bear that has come out for a stroll. 
Well she gave me a start today ,got to the last site and she says " Cam there's something moving in the brush on the hillside I think it's a bear " . Now theres a pucker.moment for ya ...I was almost ready to head down in and check and I came back to the truck to check it out. After 10 minutes with the binos we couldn't see any more movement in the thinly brushed hillside and I told her to keep a close watch cause I was going in . I put my air horn in the top of my bib overalls and completed my check . She watched the whole time and when.i got back ahe said she found the source of the movement 
There is a grizzly bear sized patch if brown grass in the dark bush and moving about in the middle of it was an owl !!! Just enough movement to make the whole thing look alive . Whew..what a relief . Nothing at this site either so as we headed home I commented that I wished I had closed all the snares today and quit for the season. It's a 35 mile round trip and I'm getting no where fast ..but my best friend came up with a solution..

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## C2C

She says , " Friday pull the snares on this south line ....go west back to where Jordan was snaring 2 weeks ago and see if the baits he left have been cleaned up and if they have , refresh them and reset .." 
What an angel!! Here I'm about ready to jump off a bridge and she pulls me back from the edge. Soooooo, after I get.my 4wd fixed in my truck (watched a.youtube video that hopefully gives a cheap and easy fix) I will.get ready to start a new spot for a bit and see if I can salvage a portion of my season .
He was seeing tracks and sign constantly but too much snow in that area was keeping them up on the bare ridges where travel was easier .with some luck maybe I can catch a few ...

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## hassell

Go for it.


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## pokeyjeeper

Pucker moment for real get your 4x4 fixed and hit it hard


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## azpredatorhunter

Well C2C I would first try setting your snares father away from the bait pile. Or if you don't have an issue with people stealing your catch... try using something like a CD to maybe scare off the ????. The $$ chrome spinner things work for pigeons... maybe the pinwheels would work.


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## C2C

azpredatorhunter said:


> Well C2C I would first try setting your snares father away from the bait pile. Or if you don't have an issue with people stealing your catch... try using something like a CD to maybe scare off the . The $$ chrome spinner things work for pigeons... maybe the pinwheels would work.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 20191231_070324.png
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 20191231_070405.png


Thanx àz, all good ideas but I have a problem with very little brush to set in ..I'm talking miles of wide open where a snare not only a.snare cant be hidden but our wild winds would blow them down in minutes . I watched this eagle for few minutes yesterday and he is onto the whole dead coyote deal..hunting each brush patch up and down the river ..I know hes after rabbits too but an easy target like a catch is not gonna be passed up . Cant really blame him , it's what they do ..but it's at my expense .After I pull these spots I will come ba k to the area a couple times in the next month and either sit just watch or do some coyote vocals, those are usually good in January. 
A friend that is having good success in the winter areas north of me cant keep bait in his piles there is so much activity, mine havent been touched because they dont need it . I've never had his problem even when coyotes were present as we usually caught most on their way in .

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## azpredatorhunter

I don't know C2C. If it were me I would throw some old cows, and every road killed deer you can find on the bait pile to keep the vultures full, and set far away from it. Or try a CD or holographic tape over the snare and see if it works... the flashing might attract a Lynx at night..

What about no bait ???? maybe the ???????? will move on.


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## azpredatorhunter

Put some holographic pinwheels around your bait pile, set a trail cam up and see if it keeps the ???? away... and then see if it affects the coyote. Who knows maybe after awhile the coyote will accociate the pinwheels with food and come a runnig when they see one ???? ????.


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## C2C

You've got some pretty good ideas AZ..and don't get me wrong I appreciate all the help and suggestions I can get ..
I considered the dead cow pile but after Consulting my veterinarian I don't want to bring a disease into an uninfected area... if it was my own place with my own dead cow I do it in a heartbeat and have before... however I can't do that on somebody else's land knowing I could really cause a problem..
I'm afraid the reflective tape would be a hindrance as well, I go to great lengths camoing my snares and cutting down reflection to avoid refusals.. bright Moonlight nights are bad for refusals especially when there's lots of snow and it can really reflect... coyotes can easily spot your snare and tape would only magnify it..
My dead pile of 3 fresh road kill deer in another area has been there for twelve days and remains untouched seems as if the coyotes are grown wings and migrated... however I do know the when they decide to hit it it will disappear overnight I will then rebate and be back waiting

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## C2C

I talked with the landowners kid today and he told me that he hadn't been seeing any coyote even after a 3 hr ride on his quad so I have a pretty good idea why I havent been catching many coyotes ...oh well...next year I will do things different 
I have a slight dilemma after today's weather change ..a freakish snow storm has left us with 4 in of snow here at home ,dont know how.much on the line ..if theres are coyotes in the area it should tell me tomorrow , I may hang them up for a week and reset when I get back from the wolf hunt and hope.the eagle has taken off or I can pull them 
.what would all of you do ?

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## youngdon

I’m no trapper but at this point I think I might leave what’s there for seed. Something happened to either run them off or wipe them out. After your last two years successes I can’t think of another reason why.


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## glenway

I wonder how large - or small - the area is that the coyotes are running with the warm weather you've experienced. You hit it right when you said they don't have to move as much and that's what I've noticed with *all* wildlife during warm weather. They don't move or eat as much as when things get tough.

Like any wildlife, birth rates and growth are linked directly to food supplies, predatory influences and disease. It's all cyclical in nature.

Time will change it all. Just maybe not this time to your liking.


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## C2C

Thanks for the comments Don and Glen 
. Something has sure changed from last year , weather is totally different which is likely the big reason I've had poor success.. CLIMATE CHANGE !!!!! That's it !! Lol. Others here in the south have had poor years this season too so im not alone ..one friend has only taken 1 in snares and a couple shooting in the last month so I have nothing to complain about ..let you know how today goes .

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## C2C

Sad day yesterday , after a snowfall the previous day I checked yesterday and found only one set if tracks near each bait site so decided to pull all my snares way out there 
Season was a far cry from.last years banner year but for the most part I still had fun . Checked the area where Jordan quit 2 weeks ago and one set of tracks there as well , the rest of his bait lay untouched since that time .
Dont know anyone that is having much luck down here so that is some consolation. I will do some calling for.yhe rest of the month then get ready for calving ..thanx for following .

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## C2C

Sad day yesterday , after a snowfall the previous day I checked yesterday and found only one set if tracks near each bait site so decided to pull all my snares way out there 
Season was a far cry from.last years banner year but for the most part I still had fun . Checked the area where Jordan quit 2 weeks ago and one set of tracks there as well , the rest of his bait lay untouched since that time .
Dont know anyone that is having much luck down here so that is some consolation. I will do some calling for.yhe rest of the month then get ready for calving ..thanx for following .

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## C2C

Sad day yesterday , after a snowfall the previous day I checked yesterday and found only one set if tracks near each bait site so decided to pull all my snares way out there 
Season was a far cry from.last years banner year but for the most part I still had fun . Checked the area where Jordan quit 2 weeks ago and one set of tracks there as well , the rest of his bait lay untouched since that time .
Dont know anyone that is having much luck down here so that is some consolation. I will do some calling for.yhe rest of the month then get ready for calving ..thanx for following .

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## youngdon

Sorry to hear that Cam, next year is going to be better.

I thought I was in " Groundhog Day " for a minute. Lol


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## glenway

Sure can't catch 'em if they ain't there. Gonna be a lot of head scratching and planning before next season.


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## azpredatorhunter

It happens... I remember muskrat trapping in open water one year, and the next year at the same time it was frozen solid.


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## pokeyjeeper

Well that sucks at least you know what the problem was with the low catch count get ready for the wolf hunting trip and start planning for next year


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## C2C

youngdon said:


> Sorry to hear that Cam, next year is going to be better.
> 
> I thought I was in " Groundhog Day " for a minute. Lol


L O L !!! Ya don't know what happened with the double post...I'll only be in a mourning til I get my next one ..

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## C2C

Yup , already planning for next year . First off gonna prebait the one site for sure and see if that helps, also tried the back pond thru the ice ..fins or fur ,at this stage of the game I'm not fussy









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## youngdon

Dinner !


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Well that sucks at least you know what the problem was with the low catch count get ready for the wolf hunting trip and start planning for next year


A.part of you is going with me pokey and I can hardly wait ..packed and ready 

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## hassell

Good luck, may the winds stay away.


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## C2C

hassell said:


> Good luck, may the winds stay away.


Thanx Rick supposed to be cold and maybe some fresh snow .

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## C2C

Well it looks like I am going to plan C ..
I appreciate all the support that my friends here on PT have given me and after a pep talk from 2 local snare men who are having decent success ,I am going to.be back.in the game come next Thursday .
Both of these fellas are using pig and beef scraps from local slaughterhouses as bait and have offered to get me some to try...that and the thought of sitting on an ice fishing stool for the rest of January has me ready to pull out the few remaining hairs that I have..lol. I had thought of trying these but supply is limited and I didnt want to budge in on their supply . I am dropping off 4 rubbermaid totes to buddy Dennis on Monday on my way to wolf hunt and I will pick them up on Thursday when I go to the city to sell the hides we have . He will get them filled with meat scraps ...maybe a change of bait will make a difference . After some thought I'm going to abandon my 2 former bait sites and start afresh for a couple weeks. This coupled with a weather forecast of a major cold front for at least 10 days might be what is needed to draw a fresh crowd of coyotes..I think part of the problem with my old sites is the fact that with no new snow to kinda wash away some scent from me checking regularly the coyotes get wise to the place ... AND .... landowners kid is going to Mexico for 10 days so I should have free reign on the local.coyote population.The new spot is about 450 yrs down river from my former one ,has decent bush and lots of trails and with some snow  I will try to set on sign if possible after I prebait for a couple days. The only downfall I see is still the eagle possibility.. he has been gone the last 2 checks but could return at any time ..lets pray he doesnt .Brush in this area is stout enough that I can tie off to trees instead of using ground stakes ,cutting down on lots of work and time . I may even be able to check from top of the river bank and keep scent contamination to a minimum. 
Marty Senneker is buying for Groeny and said to be paying good money, so we will see what good is .If I'm not satisfied with his offer I will drop them off at the FHA depot on the way home ..

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## youngdon

Going to plan C just furthers my confidence in your professionalism. Many guys would just scratch their heads and give up. 
Good luck on the wolf hunt, don't be dirtying up Mommas new trailer.


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## knapper

With your single mindedness I would hate to have you after me for any reason because I know you would get me.


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## glenway

See! That head scratching is already working. How sweet it will be! We are all pulling for you, Cam!


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## C2C

Lol..feeling up beat and enthuses this morning ..thanx for the comments. Don we stay in a mom and pops little backwoods motel where I used to stay a when I was guiding in the area so trailer is safe ..clean and warm ..

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## C2C

glenway said:


> See! That head scratching is already working. How sweet it will be! We are all pulling for you, Cam!


Thanx bud ,gonna do my best

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## C2C

knapper said:


> With your single mindedness I would hate to have you after me for any reason because I know you would get me.


Haha..gotta have a purpose in life whether its snaring ,family , work .
Whatever..balance to and the way I look at it I'm only gonna have only so many years to do this ..my wife is continually encouraging me and I love her for that support ,most guys dont hear that from their best friend .
So as for catching you? I dont know if I would but bet I would sure try ..lol 

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## azpredatorhunter

Good luck on your hunt... and the rest of your season.

My first year trapping Bobcats... I would have used filet mignon ???? to catch just one.


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## C2C

azpredatorhunter said:


> Good luck on your hunt... and the rest of your season.
> 
> My first year trapping Bobcats... I would have used filet mignon  to catch just one.


Try it and let me know if it works, 
Maybe coyotes would take it .

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## C2C

Back from a whirlwind 3 day wolf hunt ..no wolves sighted but had alot of fun with a good friend . We called many places using fawn bleat and coyote vocals but no takers ,not evem a.coyote even tho there were plenty of tracks. 
Our hunting method is to travel roads after dark and wolf howl to try and locate for a calling session the following day .Doe calls I use the wolf.howl on a foxpro as well as the.new howler custom built for me for this trip by fellow forum member and friend pokeyjeeper..usually this works good but we only had one group answer a long ways off ..and the call.i was using was the handmade howler by pokeyjeeper ..thanx again buddy.. we found a wolf bait set up by another hunter and it was feeding a lynx at the time 
.quite a thrill to see him and we watched him from 300 yds for about a half hr . I couldn't get a pic of him but will post a link to a Facebook site if there is interest ..when I saw the spot it dawned on me that it was in fact posted on FB ..bait didnt look as tho it had been touched by wolves yet but certainly making that cat happy..a trail camera was guarding the spot and we had no intention of hunting another guys bait some pulled out .
Saw a bunch of wild horses as well always a treat. Came home today and got.my meager collection of furs ready to take to buyer tomorrow. Also picked up 4 ribs of pork scraps that I hope to prebait my new spot for plan C ..let you know how it goes tomorrow .. wouldnt you know it ,the onomy pic upside down is my rifle qit pokeys howler ..if some one can fix it I would appreciate it 
.






























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## glenway

Some good visuals and I'm sure lots of excitement.

I'd do a trip like that even if I knew the outcome would have been like yours.


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## hassell

As long as a good time was had by all is what it is all about. Thanks for sharing.


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## youngdon




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## pokeyjeeper

Very cool sounding Hunt well I guess we know the wolf howler works thanks for sharing your hunt and get plan C going great picture of the wild horses


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## C2C

Thanx Don for straightening out the photo ,don't know why sometimes seem to go south ..

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## C2C

Pokey I was thrilled to death when I heard those 3 wolves howl back at me in answer to your call ..I appreciate it so much , too bad we couldn't connect with them ..looks like I.may get another hunt here closer to home in the coming week so will try it again ...
Plan C is well under way , I baited 3 spots today with pig parts and trimmings from a slaughterhouse and set 19 snares on fresh sign in the brush..I will be checking them come Saturday and adding where I see fit .. a favourable forecast has up to 4 in of snow this weekend and temps dropping to minus mid teens by then and minus 29 for a hi on Tuesday ..... just what the doctor ordered .
Sold our meager take of fur to the Groeny buyer , I ave .$118 CAD , my son $125.. thought of sending to auction but I would have had to get $139 there to come out even ..

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## C2C

Today is check day and I look forward to it with renewed enthusiasm..will be setting snares in any new tracks leading to baits and refreshing them .I think the pork scraps will help as they really smell . 
Checked our dead deer shooting pile yesterday and the dogs have found it .. 8 still on it at 10 am..we got one , probably the only one that was rubbed in the whole bunch . Let you know how it goes .

P.s.. a buddy had someone steal 5 caught coyotes in one of his baits yesterday ..not gonna be pretty if he catches them .

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## C2C

An exciting trip to say the least , my prebaited set was hit hard and cleaned out by birds and coyotes ..I didnt catch anything in that bush but a travel route set 200 yards away held this beauty..the bait site was full of tracks so I set another 10 snares and look forward to mondays check .
In to my other former bait site..I didnt have time to prebait it but it doesn't matter , it has more tracks in one place than I have ever seen before!! AND I LEARNED ONE BIG LESSON TODAY !! 
If you arent absolutely sure that you are done snaring for a year and things are slow ,simply hang the snare up in a bush and give it a week to see if things change ..the big change here is the Weather ..a majir cold snap is beginning and the dogs appear to be back , unless one coyote made a boat load of tracks ..lol.. I started setting again on the most active trails and ran out of extensions cause I wasn't expecting to reset ..I got 13 in so that's a start . I counted and I had 32 set before, if those trails only 3 hadn't been traveled !! How.much easier it would have been ti simply rehang cable ..
Also learned something else with the fresh snow ..in a couple of spots where I have caught numerous dogs in the past , tracks went siqn the trail and when they got to snare position, they left the trail 10 from in advance ,walked around the spot and returned to the trail 6 -10 ft beyond..so , they must be associating that spot with danger ( maybe remember seeing brothers or sister hanging there ).
My good luck charm Deb was with me today and was as thrilled as me with the catch .. she had told me bit to pull the snares, just lift them ..guess I better start listening..Got her home in time for half the grandkids to show up and I left for the last check ..the dead pile. 
Sneaked in to see if there were any dogs and only 2 eagles there ..3 PM, so i was early and settled into my blind to wait ..beautiful afternoon despite-15 ° ,only a slight northeast wind so I was confident that something would show ..coyotes started to howl.in multiple locations to the west of me.but nothing came and when he wind changed to my back with 15 mins of light I abandoned ship and headed for home ..it had been a good day and I'm glad we are back in the game .
I took my coyote up to the skinner and picked up a fresh killed hog for bait ..I like to quarter them up before they get froze cause they give off more scent and make it easier for coyotes and birds to work on them . 
Tomorrow is indeed a day of rest but I'll be back at it again in Monday and hope you'll come along. 
Also have a pic of the blind near the bait I sat at this afternoon , deer is near the post at top right..not much cover here .

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## knapper

Glad to see things have turned around for you.


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## glenway

Hope you still have some hair on your head after all that scratching; looks like you can give those fingernails a break for a while.

Like you've mentioned before: weather. You've "weathered" the storm, my friend.

We all feel better now.


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## C2C

glenway said:


> Hope you still have some hair on your head after all that scratching; looks like you can give those fingernails a break for a while.
> 
> Like you've mentioned before: weather. You've "weathered" the storm, my friend.
> 
> We all feel better now.


Very little hair Glen ..lol..finger nails are real short too .. I have the old mans cul de sac type haircut to start with ..Im predipoaed to being bald due to genetics but this hasnt helped . Weatherman is calling for minus 24 ish as a hi all week so it will be interesting.
.Can hardly wait to check Monday morning .

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## pokeyjeeper

Good deal to be back in the game congrats on a fine look coyote


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## youngdon

There are worse things than being bald. 
I think.


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## C2C

Well I feel.like Im back from the dead !! Cold weather sure had coyotes moving last couple of days ,glad I reset my snares..Coyotes had made it into both baits but still quite a bit left ..I hung I don't know how.many more ,just know that I got a.flag on each one ...it was -25 today and since I was going by myself I told folks at home that if they sent didnt hear from me by 2 PM then to come looking for me ..well I was working setting snares and dragging coyotes like a mad man I all.of a sudden it was 1:50 , I had to climb the last hill out with 3 on the sled and drive 3 miles to get cell service , what a panic !! I still.had 2 more spots I wanted to set but no time. 
I made a crazy rush 1/2 up the hill and was spent so got to the top and strung down 125' of rope and hooked it to the truck to pull it up .
Once there I loaded up and got to cell service at 2:01, just barely in time..
Finally got a.whole hunch of pics for you. I should have had a couple more ,3 duck unders and a couple more snares brushed aside ..maybe Wednesday..lol. 5 is such a nice number ..the small one ,.a pup was missing a back foot .
You'll notice quite a bit of disturbance at a couple sets ,one was caught with a front foot thru the loop and the other the spring didnt fire ...was sure glad I had a nice cold drink after my workout, I had left it in the back of the truck for an hour and half and it was perfect ..
Heres my haul line ,saves my life at times



















































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## C2C

Skinning shack
















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## hassell

Way to go, congrats..


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*Nice ones---Glad you had a great day-----Thanks for sharing your line*


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## youngdon

It’s great to see you posting some numbers.


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## glenway

Persistence pays!


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## pokeyjeeper

Wow what a haul congrats


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## knapper

That is a great turn around in luck/skill.


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## C2C

knapper said:


> That is a great turn around in luck/skill.


I will take a big.load of luck any day knapper..hope it happens again today .

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## C2C

Had another good day today, 5 total with 3 for me in the snares and Jordan shot 2 ..he insisted in going with me today because of the cold ..first coyote came when I checked a snare on a trail thru the cattails while feeding cows ..whole area was smashed down by cows and he was in rough shape , I think they worked him over. Tge deer have been hitting g the hay stack had in this cold weather so I hauled them a nice second cutting bale about 800 yards away in Hope's they will stay there instead of coming to the stack .we had a 2 hr late start because of chores and an equipment malfunction so i had him drop me off at the first location to check while he drive over to a second bait 3 miles away to make sure no eagles were misbehaving... no fresh tracks here but 2 eagles circling have me spooked again . ..on his way back he shot a nice big white male and I had nothing. 
Second site there were a few new tracks and caught 2 ,one a dandy ..I set a few new spots and we headed for home. 
I dropped him off to go home and loaded a roadkill and a secret concoction of scent ..got a text from him when half way to last spot and he said he had another coyote..lol..darn kid now maybe I know who was back dooring me ..
I got to.my spot and unloaded to refresh the bait , first in goes the roadkill deer ,I quarter it but dont remove them and dump the 5 gallon bucket of scent ..and dont try this stuff at home ..it is a bucket of pig after birth and I'm here to tell you it is the rankest bucket of crap I have ever smelled in my life ..time will tell if it works or repels. I got 6 more snares set and dropped of dogs at the skinners..finally time to head home and I got here just in time to unload 2 of tubs of butcher scraps that Deb had picked up for me ..yes she is my best friend , not every one would haul them in there SUV just for me .






























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## murphyranch

Very good day. I've been having some luck here in Oklahoma doing some calling. Finally got some cold weather-not near as cold as yours- and a few days with no wind that got the coyotes responding to a call. Keep after them and good luck.

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## pokeyjeeper

Sounds like another great day on the trap line congrats


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## hassell

Ya those cows worked that yote over, Congrats. on the catch's, warmer temps. heading your way Sun..


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## glenway

The thinking man with a PhD in coyotes earns his credentials. No shortcuts to success. Impressive!


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## C2C

hassell said:


> Ya those cows worked that yote over, Congrats. on the catch's, warmer temps. heading your way Sun..


Ya afraid so Rick ..I'll keep after them til.end of the month now that I'm set up again ..I have 45 snares out . Taking a break today as it is our 38th anniversary..got the best wife and friend in the world .

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## C2C

glenway said:


> The thinking man with a PhD in coyotes earns his credentials. No shortcuts to success. Impressive!


Giving me too much credit Glen, hunger is a great motivator for a cold coyote ..lol

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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*Congratulations on your Anniversary---GOOD JOB---------Nice catch 0n the trapline*---------


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## hassell

Congrats. on this special day.


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## C2C

So today I should be buying a lotto ticket . 
I went and checked a close to home bait before heading off for lunch ..nothing in first 9 snares but in # 10 I have a nice coyote caught around the chest like a cinch on a saddle . He is wound around a small tree at that spot and fighting the snare .I've seen them break off doing this before so drop my pack and shoulder my 17 hmr to dispatch him behind the shoulder ..
Imagine my surprise when I hit the breakaway at 30 yds and release him !! Got enough penetration with that tiny bullet into the chest cavity to kill him after a 40 yd run ..hope about that , catch and release snaring ..
Snare number 11 held a jackrabbit so more bait for tomorrow.









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## pokeyjeeper

Wow that’s crazy congrats on another one


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Wow that's crazy congrats on another one


Thanx John , I'll take em anyway I can get em ..

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## youngdon

Congratulations to you and Deb. 
Happy Anniversary my friend.


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## C2C

A day of ups and downs ..my ain dropped me.off to check the east bait and hurried to the west one to make sure we had no live ones there ..nothing in sight for him and so he came back for me ..I had to put a half dozen snares that deer had knocked down and lowered 3 that coyotes had gone under ..another eagle was patrolling the river there .
On to the west site and as we neared it an eagle flew out from the corner set ..8 got a pit in my stomach and when I peaked over the edge was.greeted by 2 more ..and they were on a coyote . Talk about depressing ,Jordy was also upset .." There was nothing there dad when I checked an hour ago ,I sat and watched the whole area for 5 minutes and didn't see a thing "..we had 2 inches of.snow last night and the eagles had somehow found him buried underneath it .. so I took the snare off fir parts and left him there. Nothing in the rest of the site so we headed home . 
I dropped Jordy off for.him to go home and went to check my last site with my elderly father . On the way there iqas lucky eniugh to shoot a coyote that crossed the road in front of us , an unexpected bonus .
The last site held a.nice big male and I removed him ,freshened the bait and set a couple more snares. 
So.now I face a dilemma, stay set out south and see what happens or pull them and avoid feeding the eagles ..not really a rough decision, I've had enough of the birds destroying my catch so I will pull those ones for the last time this season..guess I did alright by setting again out there ,11 in a week. I will still run the new spot for another week .
I'm afraid the only way to get around the eagle problem is to check at dawn every day and there is no way I can do that . I start chores in the dark at 7 and after an hr and a half I'm able to get on the road for a 20 mile drive one way . So I will have to be content with doing some calling a few times when I get the chance .Heres todays catch 
..the third one isn't really that bad..lol.























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## glenway

A good week in one tough business.


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## hassell

Well done sir.


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## C2C

glenway said:


> A good week in one tough business.


Yes Glen it has become tough but I still love it..very for starting when you lose a catch but I guess I knew I was taking a chance when I set that last snare. In hindsight it should have been 50 ft down the trail so a catch would be better hidden ,but this was the best pinch point so I gambled and lost . I did alright for the week 12 more shared and 1.shot , so at least I know I wasnt doing anything wrong in the technique department . Cold weather was sure.my friend ...by the way the paper came yesterday ,thanx.

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## C2C

hassell said:


> Well done sir.


Thanx Rick ..

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## youngdon

Too bad them eagles have such a good vantage point to spot your catches.


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## pokeyjeeper

Congrats too bad you can’t feed them eagles a lead sandwich coyotes should be breeding soon so calling will be easier if you play a coyote love song


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## C2C

youngdon said:


> Too bad them eagles have such a good vantage point to spot your catches.


No kidding , the original drone.

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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Congrats too bad you can't feed them eagles a lead sandwich coyotes should be breeding soon so calling will be easier if you play a coyote love song


Oh but I would love to get even ..but it sure would open a whole can of worms of a guy was to do that .

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## C2C

Today I headed to the south sets to pull almost the snares ..kinda sad doing it ..again ..lol. 
First site held a beautiful male coyote that I saved from the ever present and hungry eyes of the resident eagle . Yup he was sitting up too on the river bank not far off, sure glad i beat him . Lots of new tracks circling the bait site ,wish this one had gotten caught a bit farther in then maybe I would have had another as well .
At the last site there were no fresh tracks and that made it easier to pull the stuff. I kinda wanted to call this spot when I was done , but was a little leary of doing it . The river takes a hard right down there and it's a good spot to call from past experience but the area is filled with small caves that could be holding one of the resident sleeping grizz... not what I want to meet with my 22 250 ..I know its nit likely to happen but with my luck the way it's been I took no chances . 
AI I ended the year in those locations with an extra 13 coyotes in last week..well worth the effort. 
I came home to check the close bait and caught another coyote ,not a pretty one but he counts one .
The cold weather that has been my friend for the past week is about to change ,the impending chinook arch is indicating that warmth is on the way. 
I'll check my other sets tomorrow and let you know how it goes. Pics from today 























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## pokeyjeeper

Not a bad day at least the eagles didn’t get to them before you congrats on more fur


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## glenway

"...by the way the paper came yesterday ,thanx.





















"

Doesn't surprise me. Mail carrier had a long walk but glad it finally made it.

And, happy that things have turned around so well after all.


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## C2C

Thanx guys ..mail is fast til it reaches the dog team at Canadian border..
Got a.call from a buddy last .night about the eagles , he said the only time he ever had trouble with them was when he used deer for bait ..he has used deer to attract them and hold them away at a distance but not bear his bait pile and he catches 125+ like we did last year . 
His son also snares and uses coyote carcasses at a distance to feed birds and hasnt had a problem. He has them.near a grove of tall cotton woods and says the carcasses are always cleaned up and he has counted upwards of 100 eagles at any given time waiting for more ,says they look like starlings there are so many ..these guys are both on 3 day checks and so far so .good ...
I had heard of this before but it made no sense to me , I thought that this would just get them trained to eat coyotes but I will be trying it next year . They both use butcher house scraps like pork and beef ,even when frozen these still give off an odor .
A but late for this year but I'm gonna try this next year for sure . Cold snap is broke, only minus 15 this morning, will check what's left for snares this afternoon. 

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## C2C

Went a checked my last big snare set today and drew a.blank ..no big deal ,lots of tracks around it ,they'll come in . I drive a fence line coming out of there and set 4 fence line snares on travelling trails . I'm not a big fan of fence lines sets but a friend of mine has had good luck using the magnum spring snares resulting in quick kills so I'll give it a chance .
Deb was with me again today ,my good luck charm and spotted spotted a fox curled up in a field at about 70 yrs. I got out with my 17hmr and he ran to 90 and stopped long enough for a shot . He helped at the shot and ran another 60.and dropped . He will make a.nice tanned hide for my wolf hunting buddy ,hes wanted one for a couple years .
We get home and I decide I want to prebait and reset a bait 200 yds from the house. My son Jordan had lifted the snares when I was gone wolf hunting 13 days ago ..well he didnt get em all , 1 held a coyote frozen stiff as a board, bonus ! 
Not a real pretty dog but a catch none the less ,so I rebaited and rest all 3 . No idea how.long he has been in there cause I havent checked in 2 weeks ..no harm it was a good catch with no disturbance so I will drop him at the skinners in a couple days when he thaws out
















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## glenway

Beautiful color on that fox! And, a 'yote that wasn't for the birds. Not bad, eh?


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## C2C

glenway said:


> Beautiful color on that fox! And, a 'yote that wasn't for the birds. Not bad, eh?


Finally ..lol.

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## pokeyjeeper

Nice looking fox and coyote congrats


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## C2C

Just cant help.myself, set 5 more snares close to the yard . I hear the coyotes bark and howl each night as they are after the pheasants that roost close and they drive me crazy..couple of the sets ..lots of tracks at both spots . The one at the tree has raccoon tracks as well.
















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## C2C

Had a good day today , after chores I went to pull snares in one spot because the road was getting sloppy and I didntbwant to wreck it going in every day to check 
. Last snare the held a.big coyote ,in perfect shape ..poor guy was recovering from a broken front leg ..wont hurt any more ...
Just before dark i went to town for the mail and decided to call the place I shot the big strange colored coyote a couple weeks ago .. the wind was far from perfect but I figured I'd try anyway ...midway thru the first set a coyote burst from cover at 150 yds and came skidding to a stop at 100 when he hit my wind..dropped him with one shot and his buddy trailing him turned and headed straight for the farmers house a half mile away ,no chance for a shot there ..hes a nother off colored critter with a beautiful fur . Hes gonna need a wash job as off side is quite blood soaked ,not a big hole but I saw blood as soon as the bullet hit him ..now sitting at 37 for the winter, a far cry from last year but I'm gonna try for 40 before fur gets too rubbed .
















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## hassell

Well done.


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## pokeyjeeper

Nice job calling congrats


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## C2C

Snare sets were unproductive today but a foot trap finally produced a nice red fox . 
A coyote made it into the bait last night and was still there this morning so I left them for a.couple more days in hopes that he will bump.into one of the snares









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## hassell

A pretty one, congrats.


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## C2C

Interesting turn of events today ..I went back out to my distant snare sites to make sure I hadn't missed picking any snares and clean up all bones . On my far east site there had been a roadkill mule deer buck for 3 weeks and it was untouched and stale when I pulled snares Jan 18... today I walked in to find the deer gone ...and I mean gone . No bones, no hide ,no paunch ,nothing but maybe 2 cups full of hair . Kinda weird and spooky, the site is in thick knee hi brush that would surely catch and pull out hair if it had been dragged off ,none on any trails . It's just like it had been lifted and carried out and away. With the healthy resident grizzly population in the area I have a hunch that one has come out in this +12 C weather and had a snack .
There is virtually no snow for tracks but it is forecast for the week end ,if it does I will go back and glass the area for any fresh sign . If the area wasn't so hard to get in and out I'd take my last roadkill out and set up a camera ,the river ice is a little sketchy now so it would mean going the long way around . 
The other 2 bait sites are full of bones and hair where coyotes have cleaned up the carcasses ,much different than the first one . They are what I expected to find at the mule buck site ..what a spooky surprise. 
I had my 22 250 and calls with me and had intended to try a call but thought better of it after my find or should I say lack of a find .

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## pokeyjeeper

Wow crazy stuff there big brownie are no joke from what I’ve heard be safe bud nice red you get a few days ago I thought I posted on I but seen I didn’t congrats


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Wow crazy stuff there big brownie are no joke from what I've heard be safe bud nice red you get a few days ago I thought I posted on I but seen I didn't congrats


Thanx pokey ..no they are nothing to play with ,I'll be careful . Both of the other sites were at I expected with bones and hair scattered..this one shook me up .

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## C2C

, I've been hearing them howl every night for a week so drove a mile from home and took a short walk into a big stubble field and set up . Put out my decoy and the foxpro and started with a female howl series ...immediately a pair of coyotes lit up howling behind me at probably 600 yds. I let them finish and turned on a.male howl and after a couple of barks from them.they were on their way .. I turned and set up and picked them up at 300 and closing fast. As they got to 125 yds they skylined me and skidded to a stop .. looked to be a pair ,the smaller pale female was badly rubbed and the.male looked good so he took one for the team ..chest on shot so next exit and I have another beauty. 
It took me longer to walk in and set up than it did to get him to me ,forgot how.much fun calling was .









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## pokeyjeeper

Another nice one congrats bud


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## youngdon

Sweet looking coyote. Congrats.


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## glenway

"Took one for the team..." Yeah. Your team!

You made this one seem easy.


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## hassell

Great looking yote, congrats.


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## C2C

glenway said:


> "Took one for the team..." Yeah. Your team!
> 
> You made this one seem easy.


Haha..I have a small team and every new member helps ..
This is probably the fastest I have ever gotten a coyote with the call ..it took longer to walk in the half mile than it took for him to get close enough for the shot..hide is still great on him .

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## C2C

That's my boy !! Called in this nice coyote with the howler that pokey made me ..also caught my first trash panda of the year in a snare
















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## C2C

The remake









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## pokeyjeeper

Oh my fur on that howler congrats I knew it would call coyotes as I had it doing good vocals before I shipped her to you if you stay out on the top of the board you can get estrus chirps breeding season is here and it’s my go to sound kind of a peep peep peep peep peep


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## C2C

Will do pokey , shes a keeper 

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## SWAMPBUCK10PT

*Way to go Guys ---2 great looking Dogs---Nice Bandit too------Congrats*


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## glenway

Nothing stopping Pokey from going global with his calls now that he has the perfect marketing tool: that photo!

Good stuff all around!


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## C2C

glenway said:


> Nothing stopping Pokey from going global with his calls now that he has the perfect marketing tool: that photo!
> 
> Good stuff all around!


I can see it now ..

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## pokeyjeeper

glenway said:


> Nothing stopping Pokey from going global with his calls now that he has the perfect marketing tool: that photo!
> 
> Good stuff all around!





C2C said:


> I can see it now ..
> Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk


Lol you guys are too much


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## C2C

#2 today









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## hassell

Congrats., with the wind you're getting you'll have to lead them about a 100 yds. for a shot.


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## pokeyjeeper

Boy you’re starting to stack up them ringtails congrats


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Boy you're starting to stack up them ringtails congrats


I'd be catching more pokey but this close to the house and I dont dare use traps cause of the house cats .

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## C2C

Finally another coyote and close to home..rangefinder says only 164 yds...when I checked them 2 days ago I set out my new trail camera and for once I picked the right spot , got the entire catch sequence on video . From the time he got caught til moment he expired was about 4 mins , however he only fought snare what I would call hard for leas than 40 seconds. Another interesting sequence was a different coyote the day before somehow brushing past the snare without knocking it down or getting caught . A skunk had passed under it as well as 4 nice pheasants . I sent a pic of the catch to my son and he brought the truck down close to haul the coyote ,very little snow but I did see one dog like print as I neared the truck.. looks slightly bigger than a coyote I thought ..trail camera said so as well , caught coyote at 130 a.m. and at 10:18 a.m. the neigh ours dog came thru and sniffed it !! Sure glad he missed the other snare 20 ft away ..I had remade the set by after seeing the video I went and pulled both because I just know he will be back sometime now .
Coyote is a good color but hide is looking a little worn from all the brush and fence crossing..looks like its time to go ice fishing instead .

Heres some pics from
the camera .































































the remake which I pulled ..too bad , it's a great spot .

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## pokeyjeeper

Good stuff congrats on another one


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## youngdon

Good work setting the camera just right. I’m thankful the neighbors dog didn’t get caught.


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## C2C

Me too Don . Camera paid for itself big time.. I also set a snare on a raccoon / skunk den .pic included ... i havent checked yet today but all indications say that a skunk got there before a raccoon ..









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## C2C

Yup









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## pokeyjeeper

Mr polecat 
Did you take him home to your wife my wife loves the smell of them


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## C2C

pokeyjeeper said:


> Mr polecat
> Did you take him home to your wife my wife loves the smell of them


Lol...she gets to smell it every day ,especially with a west wind . Hes only 150 yds from the house..

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## C2C

Caught another today, close to home..I had set with deer bones for a bait in a willow patch, 3 snares in a triangle surrounding it . Caught one here a months go as well . This poor guy had chewed out of someone elses snare when he been leg caught , a smooth cam lock with heavy cable 3/32..felt sorry for him ,glad we could ease his suffering .























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## hassell

Well done.


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## pokeyjeeper

Crazy how tuff they are congrats on another one


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## C2C

Sold 18 furs tonite locally ,ave 135 straight thru ..kept 2 best ones to send to FHA auction ..considering catching some beaver ,cant kick the trapping itch..lol

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## glenway

A good reward for all the effort.


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## youngdon

Congrats on your bounty.


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## C2C

Yup that's the sun's going down on the last day of the 2019-2020 snaring season for me.. been a challenging year but I had a lot of fun and learned a few things.. ended up the year with 52 coyotes 2 Fox 2 raccoons and a whole bunch of memories..
Wasn't as rewarding as last year I did enjoy the time I spend the field. I'm planning for next year already and will try a few new strategies that I picked up from some fellows snare men here. The Eagles and the weather were my biggest challenges this year..the lack of snow and no cold for three-quarters of the Season really cut into my returns but it's not all about money or catch size I got in good shape , saw some nice mule deer bucks and learned a few things about coyote I didn't know before.
Next year I'm going to butcher scraps for bait I'm going to use my roadkill deer at a different location to try and keep the Eagles off my catches ,maybe it'll work maybe it won't but it's worth a try because they cost $600 worth of coyotes this year.. I will also place a pile a skinned coyote carcasses a fair distance from my baits on an attempt to attract the Eagles there , it's work well for a friend I have here.
The demise of NAFA this year also presented a challenge as to how the Market Heights I sold all but three to local buyers and made good money maybe I should have sent them to fur Harvesters after this first sale here in a month I will know what I should have done... right or wrong it's always easier to look in the rearview mirror and say what should I have done , would a, should a , could a , lol... I still have three hides that we'll go to fur Harvesters I will let you know how that turns out.
Next fall I can't start snaring any earlier than I did this year, December one will be my start up to date but I plan on doing a bunch of calling in areas that I'm not able to snare and pick up some of the coyotes at the deer hunters are shooting. I also will attempt to prebate my bait sites if I think the Bears are gone to sleep..
All my snares are pulled and put away, time to make plans for next year.
Thanks to all my friends on Predator talk that followed this thread and for your kind comments and encouraging words , it helped me through a lot of frustration.. like a True Farmer there's always next year... take care.









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## knapper

We/I will be watching for your post and don't be a stranger in the mean time.


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## glenway

Thanks for the ride on a most challenging season. Wishing you the best during calving season and looking forward to more adventures when the time comes.


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## hassell

Very challenging to say the least but you stuck it out, can't wait till next season and thanks for the great posts and pic's you put on here. Great closing pic..


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## youngdon

The highs and lows of this season had us all on the edge of our keyboards pulling for you. 
I'm looking forward to next year already! Thanks for the good reads.


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## C2C

Thanx guys , I had a goal of.making enough cash to buy a small boat to take the grandkids fishing and I.met that ...boat has been purchased and now I got a pile of work to do before the season opens and time is available..I'll still be around knapper, wont comment as much as I have in the past few months ,I've got a new quarry to catch ..lol









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## hassell

Looks like you might still have some busy time coming up, sure has been warm, just about done all the pruning, early this year.


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## pokeyjeeper

Thanks for taking us along cam from the looks of that last picture it looks like play time is over for awhile good luck stay safe


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## C2C

Thanx fellas ,yes playtime is over..I'll be back at em before you know it . In the meantime I may trail some.problem.beaver at the local golf course, that's about as close as I ever come to playing the game .

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