# Unsettled but ready.



## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

As the title says I'm unsettled about the season ahead. Fur prices have crashed and only about half of last year's catch was sold and at greatly reduced prices. My ave last year was $45 CAD with a catch of 108 coyotes of which I still have 45 unsold . The 7 fox and 7 raccoons I had were all given away to friends who got them tanned at their own expense so at least they didn't go to waste . 

1 thing that is constant is a hi population of coyotes to catch so I'm planning on hitting them again ,maybe not with the gusto and enthusiasm as before but it's something I really enjoy and look forward to each year .

My dad says all hobbies cost money ...golf ,fishing ,sports ..you name it . Looks like maybe trapping is my hobby ,but hey,if it keeps me busy and I can make a buck or two and pay for gas it's worth a shot. 

Got my new trappers licence and equipment is ready ,so as soon as deer season ends Nov 30 ,I will start hangin cable ..stay tuned .









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

We will all be ready for some more winter adventures. Am also planning to look for a ****** till the end of the month though am not sure where it would go if I did connect.


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## Ruger (Jan 22, 2011)

Looking forward to following your season.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Well heck, if you’re running out of room maybe you should have used less asterisks*****


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Can’t wait to see what you do this season cam 

I was planning on trapping this year also but work has gotten-in the way again this season with no end in sight I was going to switch careers but it seems I’m to old for what I’ve applied for
Good luck I hope you get a pile of fur


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> Well heck, if you’re running out of room maybe you should have used less asterisks*****


Lol...

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Can’t wait to see what you do this season cam
> 
> I was planning on trapping this year also but work has gotten-in the way again this season with no end in sight I was going to switch careers but it seems I’m to old for what I’ve applied for
> Good luck I hope you get a pile of fur


Thanx pokey . Ya life seems to get in the way of a lot.of our dreams and aspirations. I have always wanted to.hunt caribou and had plans of putting dog money towards a hunt .Spent the.money 2 years ago on a new RV and paid cash for it from coyotes . Well now with the downturn in fur price and caribou hunts absolutely thru the roof its clear that it just plain isn't gonna happen ...so guess I will settle for a cougar hunt this year close to home with a local outfitter friend that will.let me pay for it with hay for his horses. Can't beat that for a real good cat and he gets some.good ones .4 of 12.last year made.B &C ..

I think my snares will go into tomorrow, had tracks and the parents deck this morning and at 11 a.m. he was next to the chicken coop..game on .

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

youngdon said:


> Well heck, if you’re running out of room maybe you should have used less asterisks*****


I guess I'll have to change some of the buttons over to brail, Hmm !


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

hassell said:


> I guess I'll have to change some of the buttons over to brail, Hmm !


Now try and get along you two ..lol.

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Fed the cows today and while trailing the tractor home a movement to my right caught my eye and I glanced over and a coyote was paralleling the tractor down the field about 50 ft away ..I slowed and he crossed in front of me ...no fear ..I've been pushed almost too far ...lol









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Great pic., had one do that also, followed me right through the gate closure, needless to say he didn't last long.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Hahaha...ya ,same would have happened here but couldn't reach him with a hammer .

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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

He just wanted a milk bone biscuit


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Bait is piling up , one dead from town and a couple more from the warden . I've got 4 now so that should get me prebaited . I will try and get them out this Saturday and set on Thursday when I get back from my whitetail hunt, shiuld be good trails to set on by then









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

We'll be waiting.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Right here !


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

AND WERE OFF !!! Got a call from one of my snare site landowners that the coyotes had piled his calves up in the corral and he lost 2 ...quite the kick in the pants at $1400 each . I was gonna start Dec 1 but this is close enough . The dogs ate one whole calf in 3 days and have started into the second ..it's not a great place to set ,it's in a shelter belt of trees but cover is strung out . I hate to move the carcasses at all and upset their pattern so I just set on packed trails where they take scraps back into the trees to eat . 10 set ,we will see what happens .









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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

#2









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

You'll do good.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Got to start somewhere 

I believe you will do good there


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Good luck Cam.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

First check ....3 out of 10 snares held dogs ,all in good shape and light colored !! I reset and finished the day with a nice mule buck 100 yds from my snare site. I dressed him out and left gutpile there to prebait ..a true multitasker..LOL. 

I talked with the landowner and he was thrilled to death with the results, I will keep going in this spot for about a week and see how it goes then move down to the river and get serious .
His daughter lives in the farmyard where I caught these and I told her to keep her new pup in the house for at least a week so he didn't end up in a snare or get caught by coyotes ..didn't take much persuading to get her to do that .
















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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Congrats on the coyotes, that’s a nice mulie


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Congrats on the hunt and the trapping


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Off to a great start.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Go get them C2C... at the price you had mentioned it's not a hobby anymore your just doing it for shi*s and giggles...


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

azpredatorhunter! said:


> Go get them C2C... at the price you had mentioned it's not a hobby anymore your just doing it for shi*s and giggles...


Isn't that the truth..I will check again today and prebait a couple spots I have in mind with roadkill. Very windy and about +6°C ,but weather changing Sunday to -6 then down to -16 by Wednesday. I'm headed to the Calgary bowzone Sunday for 3 days to finish deer season and when I get back I will hang cable in these orebaited spots, should be lots of sign to set on.

Who knows I may be back sooner ,nit much fun sitting in subzero temps for deer if there is much wind .. 

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Weather was so warm that the fields softened up and I didn't prebait ..cold temps coming and I will bait and set as soon as I get home and thaw out from my archery trip ...-20 and 30mph winds here I come .

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

I went on my archery trip for deer and my son Jordan prebaited 2 of 3 spots today ,said there were a few tracks thru already ..should be lots when I get back in a couple days to hang cable ..can't hire good helpn,you have to raise them .

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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

It takes a good man to raise a good man.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> It takes a good man to raise a good man.


Alot of the credit goes to his mom ,.brother..

Hunting trip was a bust so I came home a day army and will start hanging cable tomorrow...snow was too deep and crusted so deer had no feed and moved off the property I had permission on .
No problem, it was good to get away and spend a couple days with an old friend ... we have enjoyed this hunting trip for 37 consecutive years and a kill is not necessary for a good trip. -20°C and light North wind for the 2 days I was there so it was a bit chilly ... tomorrow is the day I look forward to every year ..stay tuned ..

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Spent the afternoon at 2 spots ans got set 24 and 17 snares respectively..tracks were everywhere!!! Prebait deer was abiut a third eaten and 2 coyotes were at one site ...was a frosty, cold day and I froze a finger halfway thru the first site, but a change of gloves got it thawed out ...was a.good day except for one thing ..bet you can't guess what met me at the first spot ...yup my nemesis , a golden eagle bug enough that he should have landing gear and lights on his wings like a 747.....with prices being low like they are and snaring a pile of work I won't set my last spot like I was gonna today ...if the eagles nailed dogs at my first site I will pull them all and sit it out this year . I hate to do that because I love the challenge and fun of snaring ,but it's too expensive and too much work just to feed the birds .









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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Set 8 more snares at home today ,I put out a roadkill 3 days ago 400 yds from the house and it is almost cleaned up ...in heavy willows and I.mangaed to set 6 good ones . Also 2 good trail sets on travel routes . Tomorrow I will check the hiline sites ,let's hope the eagles behaved.

Prebaited my west site this afternoon ,saw 2 dogs while walking in ..after pulling my bait 400 yds down onto the usual spot I realized how dumb I am .. There is good brush up near the top of the hill where I caught 9 dogs last year and the bigger bush at the bottom ..thinking as I walked back to the top why didn't I just bait the top and catch em.there so I don't have to pull them all the way to the top???? Man my back saves my head alot of work ..lol.. see what happens .

Sorry for the lack of pics guys ,it's been too cold to get the phone out but I will try tomorrow.










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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)




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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Sounds promising.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

“My back saves my head a lot of work”
Hahaha……Love this saying

Good luck Cam.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Hopefully you get a truck load


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Hopefully you get a truck load


Close pokey ..lol.. got a few pics for ya boys...caught 3 at first site and a chew out . Sad thing is the chewout didn't fight at all...I mean not at all !!!! From the tracks in the snow he came to end of the snare sat down and decided to chew ...would have had to be there when he got caught to get him ..bait was untouched .

Second site One live one caught this morning ,he was a little deep on the throat and thick fur plugged the lock not allowing it to slide enough ..dispatched him and moved on ..had 3 duck unders so placed a chinup stick there . I may have had the snare a touch big on the live one so closed down the rest a bit as I went . Caught another ,snow covered so must have been the first night . Stretched to end of the extension and very little sight disturbance.... 4 snares to go and next snare was off the support wire so I looked at the area for a catch to be buried under the snow ..nope ,can't see em . So started to look for extension and lo and behold the whole setup is gone...anchor bush is missing .OK, I've been here once before so started scanning the area and 50 yds away I see a branch sticking out if the cattails...now that's not supposed to be there and 3 ft to the left is a pair of ears and 2 yellow eyes staring back at me ..bingo ,meet Mr 17hmr buddy .. got.lucky guys ,he could have gone anywhere and decided to try and hide in the cattails and got hungup . Last snare was a refusal and I'm not too surprised . It's at the bottom of a steep hill and out in the open at beginning of a trail and kinda stands out so I brushed it in a bit better ..may have to move it a few ft down the trail if it happens again ..I was a but pressed for time so didn't get the chance to finish setting at this spot..abiut 6 more need to go in ..next trip. Pics 3 and4 are a catch and sight remake ,not much disturbance. 

So I finished up with 6 and am very happy with that .. 4 good colored ones ,one decent and a dark brown that I will try and peddle to my skinner for a cut in skinning charges.. still cold -19°C at 2 pm when I finished . Tomorrow I will go set the west site .



















































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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Frigging awesome Cam, thanks for sharing.


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## Ruger (Jan 22, 2011)

Way to start piling them up!!!!


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Busy day today guys . Did chores and checked the 7 snares I have close to the house ,400 yds from my doorstep and caught this pheasant killer . Took him to the skinners and picked up 4 carcasses to drop off for the eagle if I see him on the hiline again ..I also set up.my west site ,took 4.5 hrs but got 29 in . Some real beauties but too busy and in a hurry so no pics ,sorry . Lots of tracks in different places than I have ever set before so it will be interesting to see what unfolds . Many of the old standby trails have been untouched 









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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

29 ?? Holy smokes. 
the one in the picture is a beauty.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> 29 ?? Holy smokes.
> the one in the picture is a beauty.


Yes Don ,and my back and shoulders are reminding me this morning . I have them all marked with blue flagging tape so I don't forget their location., easy to find when they have something in them. I will remember them after the first check ..89 set in total in 4 locations ,will add another 4 at hiline today when I ch3ck ,haven't even put in my favorite cliffhanger yet .

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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Wow looks like you have been busy congrats on you catch so far


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Did chores this morning then checked close snares ..had this beautiful red fox ,still alive . He had started to wrap before getting fully stretched in the willows .Fox have very little value and I don't catch them intentionally, I think they are a great mouser and tho they may take the occasional pheasant I value them around . So I released him unhurt ,only to have him run right onto the next snare !!! So cut that cable as well and he bounded off ....next time he may not be as lucky. lol.

Went south to check the hiline and got sick ,had to throw up on the roadside and felt very weak . Checked the deep river spot and nothing ,same in the west spot which is very surprising . I could hear coyotes howling near both places ...next time . Came home and went to bed for the afternoon and feel much better now ..weird ,my wife has been quite sick for the past week, hoping this is the extent of it for me









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Way to go.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I’m glad you’re feeling better and thank you for not taking a picture of that.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> I’m glad you’re feeling better and thank you for not taking a picture of that.


Lol...me too ..

Better today ,1 dog at home and 3 good.pales at the west site ,I expected more there but it will happen . All 3 pulled away from the set location,wound up and made it possible to reset easily..4 all told , I wish it would snow every night and cover em up like that .























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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice catches.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Well done.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Picking them off a few at a time will add up to many very quickly congrats on your catch


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

For sure pokey, I had a slow day today . -22°C and a slight wind made for some chilly conditions. First site had 2 snares knocked over by coyotes and according to the tracks I should have had them both,just brushed by somehow .

Second place I had another chewout , so frustrating when that happens. I was hoping g he would get caught in one of the next spots but no luck ..however the next one did hold a nice coyote....covered by fresh snow he escaped the eyes of the 3 eagles . No more tracks in this spot but I did hang 3 more snares including my new cliff hanger ..I have included 2 of the new ones in pics. Tomorrow I head west to my last spot 























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## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

*CONGRATS ON ALL YOUR CATCHES CAM-----THANKS for SHARING your snare line with all of us---ALSO all the beautiful Pictures ---I Enjoy your post very much---------Have a great week------------------skip*


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

SWAMPBUCK10PT said:


> *CONGRATS ON ALL YOUR CATCHES CAM-----THANKS for SHARING your snare line with all of us---ALSO all the beautiful Pictures ---I Enjoy your post very much---------Have a great week------------------skip*


Thanx for all the support ,it's a struggle at times..froze both index fingers this week even while wearing gloves while setting snares. But I love the challenge and even though I've cut down quite a bit cause of cost it will be hard to hang it up some day .

A big temperature warmup tomorrow, so see what the wind gives me.

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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I’m glad you’re getting the snow to help with the eagles. Just keep it north of me please.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Well done again, big warmup here also.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Getting snow as well as wind now Rick ?. We have risen 20 degrees since yesterday with a strong west wind ..gonna be tough to get into the west spot today .

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

C2C said:


> Getting snow as well as wind now Rick ?. We have risen 20 degrees since yesterday with a strong west wind ..gonna be tough to get into the west spot today .
> 
> Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk


Was suppose to get a bit of rain last night but it stalled as it's still -7 here, snow to come.


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## Ruger (Jan 22, 2011)

Those definitely are some beautiful coyotes! Keep piling them up!


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

What a difference a day makes ,-2 this morning , 20° higher than yesterday ..caught a couple more and one was a pirate complete with a peg leg !!.was in good shape tho . The other not so.much ,a starving skinny pup ,hair was poor so he won't make the skinning shed . Peg leg was caught perfect, check out the pic of the set . He pulled full length of the extension off the trail and expired,easy remake . 

Nice day ,calm and warm and while I was remaking my last catch site I heard something that brought chills ...the low moan of a wolf !! I know it was ,I've heard it enough in the mountains to recognize it ..they have been seen yearly close by . In fact I called one in a mile to the east almost 10 years ago and lost him with my 22 250 in the wind . 

I didn't go looking for him ,but know he wasn't far away . I only had my 17 hmr with me so no sense spooking him . My snare setups aren't really the wolf type so the chance of holding him if caught are slim. But " IF " it is in heavy brush and he gets caught close to the back of his jaw and " IF " he wraps up quick and close I have a chance ..looking forward to Saturdays check.























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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Sounds like fun get after that big dog while he’s around howl him in and bring the Big Bang stick


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Sounds like fun get after that big dog while he’s around howl him in and bring the Big Bang stick


I plan on it pokey ,I just happen to have a custom made wolf howler .

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

I'd really be pumped if I knew wolves were around also.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Was a.confirmed wolf kill on a cow about 12 miles to the south last summer ,5 wolves remained in the area all summer and were seen 2 or 3 times a week by a local rancher . No one ever got a shot them and there is alot of land out there that is uninhabited private ground ....where the deer and the antelope play so to speak .,so there is the potential that a pack has taken up residence . This trail cam pic of mine from this summer is very faint and fuzzy but looks awful wolfy to me . I have this camera focused on a gateway in a fence and have coyotes pics passing by at the same distance and they all look substantially smaller .

If the wind dies down tomorrow morning after chores we are gonna go back west and sit and howl for an hr and see what shows up.. a wolf in the area might explain why the coyote traffic and sign has come to a grinding halt ,no tracks seen ...yet ,but he could be here .









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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Hopefully you connect with him


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

A wolf should trump a missing goose or two IMO. Just sayin’


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> A wolf should trump a missing goose or two IMO. Just sayin’


Well Don ,you have a valid point ..Both highly valued to me at this stage of the game , but I have taken a wolf before and called in 3 that were taken by others. The goose ? Well the requirement is under review by the club to allow the different subspecies of Canada's to be counted separately. I have a greater Canada and a lesser is well within reach ,maybe not approved this year but probably next . Regardless I'm still looking for a speckle belly or a Ross when the time comes .

But like anyone I would gladly take another wolf given the chance . A snaring buddy of mine is coming today to run my line with me and help pack in some fresh bait ,a couple roadkills. He doesn't know that yet,but will gladly help ....lol. let's hope that a couple of those fresh set snares that I showed from last time will be holding a dog. 









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## kiyote (Jun 15, 2014)

C2C said:


> Well Don ,you have a valid point ..Both highly valued to me at this stage of the game , but I have taken a wolf before and called in 3 that were taken by others. The goose ? Well the requirement is under review by the club to allow the different subspecies of Canada's to be counted separately. I have a greater Canada and a lesser is well within reach ,maybe not approved this year but probably next . Regardless I'm still looking for a speckle belly or a Ross when the time comes .
> 
> But like anyone I would gladly take another wolf given the chance . A snaring buddy of mine is coming today to run my line with me and help pack in some fresh bait ,a couple roadkills. He doesn't know that yet,but will gladly help ....lol. let's hope that a couple of those fresh set snares that I showed from last time will be holding a dog.
> 
> ...


way to go CAM! here's hoping you dump a bunch more.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

I had a good day going today until I got to the first spot and 2 of those eagles flew off a beautiful dog they had just opened up, I mean he was still steaming .. .not a real big hole but he's damaged, just hope my skinner can patch him up. Had a friend with me today who also snares and does some tanning ,so he will end up with this dog if I think it will get stolen at auction ..he thinks it woukd make a nice pair of mitts . Was gonna rebait both these hiline sites today with roadkill but after this incident I may be done out there if the next one on this site gets nailed too. No fresh tracks besides this coyote. 
I'm just plain not gonna feed the birds for something to do .

On to the farmyard where I caught the first 3 of the year and a real nice pale female ,that cheers a guy up immensely. 

The last spot on the hiline had one set of tracks down the hill and he never made it to the baitsite . Now I'm getting back in a better mood ...lol.. I asked my buddy how I could improve my sets and he says " if it's working ,don't fix it .." lol. His only comment was that I don't fence in my snares as much as he does . He snarss in dense bush and cottonwood river bottoms where there is lots of cover and I told him I have gone minimalist on that stuff as it seems to cause the coyotes to be more cautious when it gets thick and tight ...makes sense ,it's obviously working was his comment . We were gonna try and make a couple calling stands but he decided to call it a day and head home as he had his own spots to check because he was going fishing with his brother the next day so we parted ways and I went on to do the west site alone . 

I was greeted there by an eagle leaving the bait and.my heart sunk ,just hoping I didn't have more carnage . The only catch here was in thick brush and in great shape. I rebaited with a whole roadkill and set one more snares on the way back up to the truck .. at all my spots I have steep hills to climb back to the truck so I have rope laid out to pull the sled back up with the truck ...too soon old, too late smart ...lol. sure beats dragging them up. This hill is 450 long at about a 45 ° slope do the truck is my friend here ..lol. 

I got everything settled back in the truck ,dogs marked and equipment stacked ,so I bundled up in some warm gear and set up in the brush to wait and see if I could hear another wolf howl near dark ...these last 3 pics are my view from the sit .. nothing made a sound or showed after 2 hrs ,so I gave a long low howl with the howler that pokey made me ..I'll tell ya what , it sure cleaned house in every deer in sight !! Deer from 400 yds to a mile headed for the next county so they have obviously heard that before .. nothing showed up or answered in the next half hr so I headed for home and dropped off the dogs to my skinner . Sleep will come quickly tonite ..21 so far .



















































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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Geez that sec. pic. of the yote is a beaut., nice setup area.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Congrats on adding to the fur pile keep after them wolves it will happen


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Congrats on adding to the fur pile keep after them wolves it will happen


I will pokey , supposed to stay cold and snow a bit more. 
As for the coyotes on the hiline ,if next check produces an eagle wreck I'm gonna pull out and forget it .. hi fuel prices and low fur returns don't make it worthwhile to feed to birds .I'm 16 behind last year's pace at this time ,I know last year was exceptional, but still it's hard to justify the results. 

Far west wolf site is calling and may head that way if things don't pick up here and go to twice weekly checks . These will have to be daytime checks as I'm not abiut to do this one in the dark . 

Christmas tree outing today ,300 wm will be along for the ride ,never know what will show up . 

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Great day ,not just with catches,more later .. caught this first guy ar the close sets ,400 yds from the house . Reset and ready again. 

Second dog came at the west site ,my grandson Mason went with me and thought it was pretty cool ..lol..very few tracks here ,I was worried abiut the eagles here as well but so far they are eating the carcasses I put out . So 2 for the day ,will check hiline tomorrow and hope all is well .

Now for the good news , the elk hunter I ran into on my hiline last week shot a nice bull with the advice I gave him and keeps texting g and thanking me . He lives 3 hrs north ,up by Calgary and was glad to tag out first trip down . His name on another forum I frequent is goose slammer so a light came on upstairs. I asked hi if he is a goose slammer to which he replied " that's what I do best !" OK, I figure ,one last question ," do you run into many speckle bellies in your hunts ?" To which he started sending photos of a hunt he had thisbyear where he claimed thousands of them came in . So I told him of my quest with the archery award and he offered to fill my need without even being asked ..My friend and I will put one in your lap was his reply . You can only imagine how excited and happy I am ..gonna be a long 9 months to wait ..lol. 

And last but not least my son in law Clay talked with the landowner far west where the wolves are and asked when we should start. Anytime was the reply ,we've been baiting them for a couple weeks and have a cell camera on it ,but never get there in time when they trip it . They show up every Thursday, Friday for last 2 weeks, at least 2 and sometimes 5 . Boy would I love to go in the next couple days to set but Clay can't go til Saturday so I will get ready for then. Supposed to snow for next couple days so sign should be fresh by then and we know they are in the area . I will take some more bait ,beaver and scraps , and have a go . I have no idea where the bait that is there is set ,likely on a small lake there but close by trees shiuld have trails we can set and may have to move the existing bait .

So sleep is gonna be hard to come by for the next few days, weeks and months .. Christmas is gonna be anti climactic if we catch a wolf before then ,and the goose is hopefully a dream come true .

So Don ,I may not have to swap a goose for a wolf afterall ...lol.. enjoy the pics ,some of catches and some of buddies geese.






























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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Just the thought of you getting a chance at the speck brought a smile to my face. “You can do it”!!


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Great news for sure, a good deed has many benefits.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanx guys ,seems kind of karma like that I stopped and talked to this guy ..I'm not like that,.I stick to myself and avoid crowds and don't talk to strangers any more than I have to but something said he needed help so I did ..I didnt do it.with the intention of getting g anything in return but looks like maybe it will pay off ,lesson learned ..

On today's check ,I gotta admit I headed south with apprehension, knowing that a wreck could be in the offing ,no check for 3 days . Approached the first site and couldn't see anything from the top of the river Bank. This is where the eagle nailed one last time and it has been slow ,so I told my son that if I didn't have anything or had a wreck that I would pull all the snares, I even took a cloth shopping bag to throw em in .

Got to the first snare and chewed off  , had only wrapped twice then chewed . Not looking good I thought but proceeded to check ,a few tracks and 2 snares bumped down in next 6 then a coyote ,and in one piece!! Took him out and reset ...then another coyote and he's perfect  .. can't explain how good I felt now . Ended up with 2 here and.moved the chew spot down the trail 50 ft .First 2 pics are from this spot. 

On to the last site ,but dropped off 3 carcasses to 2 waiting eagles at the old farmstead!! Let's hope they stay here .

Last site , a few tracks no catches on first 4 sets and I can see a disturbance at the next but nothing visible ..if it's a chew I'm done . I credit the chews being a result of setting loops too big ,I find less refusals at big loops but also get more chews and live catches . I've tried to adjust them smaller as I check but miss the odd one . I froze my 2 index fingers during initial setup this year ,even with light gloves on and setting now is a fast paced feat before hands get cold . Hand warmers in mitts is the ticket but can't do it with mitts on .

Bingo! The light snow had covered the dog at this spot and he's a dandy . Reset and continued , a couple snares knocked down as tracks showed the dog had crawled under . A nice dog at next set and one more in the last . 3 total here and should had a couple more . Birds ,likely ravens had opened up the last one on rear end ,but is exactly where skin is skinned so should be ok ..

I've started putting chinups at most spots now as too many snares have been ducked under , don't ask me how they know but they do ..lol. 

Nothing on the long cliff hanger site, I have a snare near top and one at bottom and a coyote went under both . Maybe snares are a touch hi ,but it seems if they are hi I don't get as many refusals and the catches are close to the back of the jaw resulting in a quick kill. I set 2 more snare here at home when I got back where 3 coyotes went around my baitsite .

So finished with 5 today , my best so far . Tired tonite as I wrote but feeling blessed with my success .... oh and coyotes are howling right now behind the house..maybe the new sets will payoff 





































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## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

NICE DAYS CATCH CAM------BOY YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL COYOTES IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS---CONGRATS ON YOUR CATCHES--------------skip


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Seems like you’ve learned to play the eagles at least for now. All the roadkill and coyote carcasses certainly help.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Now we’re talking 
You’ve definitely gotten in the groove now with good numbers and it sounds like you’re tuning the lines in for a record catch day soon it’s too bad the fur prices are down so low as them coyotes look so good as hard as it is you’re doing a great thing keep up the great work


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanx again for all the comments and support friends ..yes they really do look good but I'm afraid the financial part is gonna put an early stop to my snaring them . Guess if I did my own skinning it would be much different but as it is I simply can't afford to keep at it . Gas is pricey too but I can handle that ,the total expense is what is gonna kill me . So as the week draws to an end I beleive I will pull my snares and concentrate on the wolf challenge up west . I will set on Saturday and make twice weekly checks that direction ...plus ,the county pays out $500 / wolf caught starting the new year so if I'm lucky enough to catch one then it least it will offset the gas ...I will still set close to home here but my longer drives to the hiline for snares is coming to a stop ..


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Nice C2C 👍


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Caught 2.more good.ones today at the west bait ,not making it easy to quit .I may keep this bait going for awhile since it is close to home . A friend claims to seen a black coyote in the area thus fall and I would live to catch him.. it's my bet that it was a small black wolf ,maybe even the one I heard howl a week ago ...ya never know ,it could happen .

Prebaiting another area close to home, pheasants need help in there ...pics to follow
















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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Real nice.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Wolf bait, a local colony butchered 2 cows today so I picked up a big Otter sled of scraps ..probably 200 lbs.









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

That will help for sure.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Looks like good bait for sure


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Things are starting to line up for this wolf adventure . I called a kid yesterday that lives at the Colony and used to skin for me about getting scraps for bait . He said that today was the day for butchering so I lucked out there .. I have twice that much deer scraps still left from coyote snaring but with CWD supposedly in my area and not in the new spot I'm not gonna be the one that gets accused of transferring it up there in my bait ,so I will use beef scraps and a couple of beaver carcasses I have in the freezer . 

Had another 6 inch of snow up there today , maybe 4 in here , and word is the only way we will get in to haul bait and set is on my Snow machine. My boy Jordan will check it out and make sure it is good to go for Saturday. After the initial setup I have no problem walking in to the site, the place I have in mind is only 400 yds off the road and even in deep snow I can manage it ..may get a chance to try out the new snow shoes I bought last season and never used ...maybe Rick has some tips for their use? 

Anyway I'm excited for the new challenge and can't wait to get started ..I will try and remember to take a bunch of pics ..

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Sounds like a good plan, what kind of shoes did you get, hopefully they have the claws underneath as they help with traction for the terrain you'll be in.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

They have claws I will get a pic today and post it .

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Good check at the west site ,2 nice ones . Yesterday's snow made it tough going and I had to walk an extra half mile going in . I had a guest with me , friend from Utah that was here on a business trip but took the morning off to get some fresh air . He has always wanted to see what snaring entailed and today gave him a good look .
















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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

How did I do Rick ?
















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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Should do the trick, I'll try and get a pic. of mine, Sherpas- the ultimate snowshoe, company has since sold a lot of years ago, what I liked the most about them was that you could put them on etc. with mitts on and the claws for side hills. They were $ 450.00 thirty years ago.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)




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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

hassell said:


> Should do the trick, I'll try and get a pic. of mine, Sherpas- the ultimate snowshoe, company has since sold a lot of years ago, what I liked the most about them was that you could put them on etc. with mitts on and the claws for side hills. They were $ 450.00 thirty years ago.


OK,thanx ..mine were anywhere close to that ..We got.news tonite that the ranchers son and another local had taken a wolf this afternoon near where we are.gonna bait ...good and bad I guess ..glad they got one ,wish it was us . The local kid with him is known to be kind of a , how do I say it nicely....use your imagination ..,.he doesn't want us there ,hope it won't be a problem .

Before we start we need a permission slip from the landowner,we are.gonna find out from him what the ground rules are gonna be ...if they plan on sitting the bait we set for our snares then this adventure is gonna be over before it starts ...too bad because they wolves are definitely on a schedule of being here Thursday and Fridays.. I don't know if the taking of one will affect the rest ,depends how many were there and how big a disturbance was made . Im hoping it was a single .
.

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

hassell said:


> View attachment 40762
> View attachment 40763


38 inches long by 10 inches wide. Snowshoe is rated for how much weight it can carry, I think mine are rated for 300 lbs..


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Those are nice, looked them up, your model looks good, where did you get them, couldn't find on any canadian sites, always travelled with my ski do.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Crappy ,I mean Canadian tire ..lol...can't remember regular price but got them on sale for about $50 off if I remember correctly ..they had hi customer reviews . These are 30" long I believe.

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Sad day friends ,glad the weather was nice . I went to the hiline to pull the snares ,I love the challenge of catching coyotes out there, I don't like the cash returns or the eagles ..lol. 

Drifting snow made it a challenge to get in but I managed . First site had a few deer close by and some had gone thru knocking down a couple snares.. caught 2 nice coyotes ,one for me and one for the eagle that was busy destroying it . 2 sets of fresh tracks thru and I caught em both .

One to the last one . It was full of mule deer, 6 snares with the BADs blown out from catching them ,another dozen knocked down and the rest were still set but some twisted out of place . 2 sets of racks here and one of them stayed on the river avoiding the bait totally, maybe a chewout victim with bad memories? The other made it thru and got caught in my very last snare..it was shown in one of my previous posts and is pic 3 on this one ,( sorry got mixed up and missed it ,it is the last one ) next is today as i checked and 4 is the result. I sure love it when a plan comes together ..lol

Got home and cleaned my equipment up and sorted out ,extensions, snares ,support wires, flagging markers what a mess !! I had started cooking them up as I was removing but some didn't cooperate so they ended up in the bucket ..lol. 

Now on to the wolf stuff ,I counted out 25 snares and extensions that had been airing out with pine boughs stuffed in them and put them in cans with more pine. Shown is the difference between coyote and wolf setups ,wolf on top with 5/64 cable ,750# BADs and magnum springs .. coyote 1/16 cable ,small springs and 265 # BADs .
Extensiin cables both 3/32"cable but wolf ones have swivels .

Was hard to leave the hiline, a perfect day in the river bottom and I stood for a few minutes reflecting on past experiences, both good and bad and I'm sure gonna miss the every other day trips. I'm still gonna try and come once a week for next couple months to call and maybe even just sit my bait sites til dark ..never know what could show up.


























































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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Congratulations on your catch so I couldn’t follow did you pull everything or just the high line


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Just the 2 baits on the hiline for now ,38 caught total since Dec 1 so off to a good start ,hope to hit 50 before I finish..will still runa couple small baits close to home and the west coyote line ..wolves on the agenda today .

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

A full day is the best way I can describe our initial wolf trip. Did chores then loaded snowmobile on a trailer as well as snare equipment and headed to the foothills at the foot of the Rockies ..the view is breath taking and if it's clear I will get it for you . My son in law Clay is my partner in this venture ,he grew up in the shadow these mountains and got us permission to snare here ..

We left my 11 year old grandson with his other grandpa that lives close by cause the snow is just plain too deep for him not to mention the cold .

Unhooked trailer with the sled and decided to go on foot ,thinking it would be too easy for locals to follow us to our intended bait site ... that was our first mistake ..lol. As we started to walk thru knee deep + snow it was soon evident that this was gonna be now walk in the park so to speak. 

We had checked the area in Google Earth and Clay had been in there his whole life because he grew up near by . We had picked our spot, a clearing in the middle of a patch of tees abiut 400 yds across . Bait was all in sleds ,about 80 # each and as we got closer to the clearing the snow kept getting deeper until it was waste deep ,so on to plan B .. I couldn't see anything wanting to go thru the effort of getting in there so we pushed thru to the east side and found a thinner spot about 40 yds from the tree edge .. as luck would have it there were 2 sets of older tracks skirting the area so we set 2 snares on them 60 yds apart then set about hanging 5 others, 1 on old tracks 2 more on our back trail and 2 more spots that just looked " wolfy "..lol. 

As we were setting up a couple of ravens circled and checked us out .. a good sign ..and when we left we could hear them back on out bait ..perfect . Bait consisted of beef scraps I got from the Colony 4 days ago and has been in our warm shop..yup its a little ripe. .

Felt funny hanging a 18in loop knee hi in a trail compared to one for a coyote ,but that's what I was told by guys that so we will see ...pics are some we hung .


We headed back to the truck across a small pond and found where the rancher had placed a dead yearling 2 weeks ago ,completely cleaned up and the deep snow was as packed as concrete with old wolf tracks ...this spot is 300 yds from the trick, our new bait is 600. Ours is a more difficult place for people to reach ai hope we have the place to our self ..Ravens were going nuts announcing our bait to all who would listen as we left and I couldn't help but grin ..we are now officially in the wolf game ...






































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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

An exciting day, did you give those new shoes a tryout? or wish you had. Anyways good luck, looks promising, ravens will help calling them in.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Sounds like a fun day except for the waist deep snow that will break a man down quick good luck with the first check


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

hassell said:


> An exciting day, did you give those new shoes a tryout? or wish you had. Anyways good luck, looks promising, ravens will help calling them in.


Wish I had ..lol..maybe this Wed when I go back to bait again ..likely use sled all I can ..

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Sounds like a fun day except for the waist deep snow that will break a man down quick good luck with the first check


Thanx pokey, snow was unreal !! I'm nit sure what to expect when I check Wednesday but I know bait will be gone...got hi hopes but not many snares in there ..maybe tho,just maybe ..

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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Grey write up. You’ve got plenty of snares to thin the pack out a bit. Congrats on getting in the game.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> Grey write up. You’ve got plenty of snares to thin the pack out a bit. Congrats on getting in the game.


Thank you not a great writer like Glenway but I try.. yes and no on the snares Don ...wolf setup is entirely different..heavier cable ,breakaways ,springs . We got our first cell cam pics back this morning of the new bait ,magpies and ravens enjoying it. I lean on going back Tuesday to refresh and set more if possible. 

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Caught another pheasant killer this morning close to home..3 one for this spot. Took him to the skinners and picked up a few dead pigs for the wolves. 

Manors cold today, -23 and a strong north wind . Supposed to get colder for 3 days then weather breaks and we warm up considerably. 

I rebaited a new site today a mile from home and saw 2 coyotes close , maybe set tomorrow.









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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Congrats on the pheasant killer we don’t have hardly any pheasants left here anymore coyotes moved in about 30 years ago and got most of them if you have magpies coming in to the wolf bait I’ll bet the wolves have found it too good luck on the check and put them snowshoes on I use mine even in 6-8 inches of snow just for better traction and if the snow is hard and crunchy it’s much quieter


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Good idea pokey ,.I may just do that..I need to take a bunch more bait in and build it up in case the wolves move in ,.I want to.keep em happy ..gonna be cold a few more days so should get them hungry.. I hope you are right and they have found it 

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Another load of bait to take to the wolf site ,gonna be a frosty sled ride tomorrow. I set 4 more snares for coyotes here close to home on a bait I started 5 days ago ,they have been in it a little. Count on this set looking different soon .
















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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Looking good.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Keep it baited up


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

So I was thinking I had it rough with birds wrecking my catch ...my buddy checked his snares today ,and what is worse than finding a nice coyote wrecked by a bird ? 

Try 4 out of 5 at one bait totally destroyed by ravens ...i can't even imagine. Poor guy drive 60 miles one way in a raging ground blizzard and found them ..so devastated that he didn't reset or remove them ,just drove home .. He is snaring a soit his son has done for 4 years ,the boy never , ever had a bird problem and this guy has caught 10 I believe and 6 have been wrecked ...says he doesn't know if he will continue there or not... I know his wife ..I'm thinking not ..

So far we have 95 pics sent back from cell cam, lots of ravens and magpies on the bait . I think it's only a matter of time til we have a contestant .
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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Today's bait trip was crazy ,whiteout conditions, -29°C and slight wind .. made 3 trips in to the bait with my snowmobile to pack a trail ...some gone but mostly still there . I set new stuff a little off to the side about 30 to try and put it in less deep snow and more trees to attach snares to . Will have to be a warmer day to try it the snowshoes. 

Sled ran well for the most part,until we got home and went to take it off the trailer...recoil rope broke in front of the shop..what a great place for a breakdown ..

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## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

C2C said:


> Today's bait trip was crazy ,whiteout conditions, -29°C and slight wind .. made 3 trips in to the bait with my snowmobile to pack a trail ...some gone but mostly still there . I set new stuff a little off to the side about 30 to try and put it in less deep snow and more trees to attach snares to . Will have to be a warmer day to try it the snowshoes.
> 
> Sled ran well for the most part,until we got home and went to take it off the trailer...recoil rope broke in front of the shop..what a great place for a breakdown ..
> 
> Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk


Never hurts to get lucky. I had one of those pull ropes on my fire truck pump break this fall as soon as I got to a fire. Talk about a helpless feeling. I'm a little upset with you because you are letting a large part of your cold air escape. Thursday is supposed to bring 40 mph winds with temps of 0. They say the wind chill could be -30. Most people in Oklahoma don't know how to handle that kind of cold. Stay safe and good luck.

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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Sounds like a cold day but at least you got lucky with the pull rope on the snowmobile


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Sorry Murph thought since it was Christmas time that I should share....our weather is supposed to moderate and get warm by the weekend which means we are gonna get some wind..we have lots of snare season left but with this much snow it's gonna be a difficult go ...anyway even if it is just a learning experience it will be worth.....as for the rope I feel very Fortunate to have made it home before it happened . My sled would have sat there til spring if it happened back there .

Still snowing as I type ,-29 °C and a touch of north wind .. by Saturday we should have +1 ...what a temp swing ...if it wasn't Christmas eve that day I might just be tempted to go for a walk and try pokeys howler on my local wolf project ..next week probably better .

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

First pics back from wolf site other than ravens and magpies ... you guessed it .. getting personal.









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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Big bird needs to find somewhere else to eat


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Yes he does John, I seem to be a ...lol. snow has stopped here but settled into a deep cold snap the last 2 days . -36°C yesterday and -30 this morning . Cows are putting away the grub now . Try and fix the sled today and go pull the last snare site west ,if it was warmer I would snowshoe into it ,a mile and a half at -30 isn't gonna happen .

More bait today , a full.load this time . Got it home and bagged it .9 full bags this time . Ravens and magpies really working the bait 

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Full blown blizzard today boys and girls ..visibility abiut 50 yds . Got a call from a friend at 7 this morning to bring tractor to get him out of the ditch . Can't even feed cows, hay won't stay on the ground and they would refuse to leave cover ,don't blame them .

We got another pic last night ,Clay says marten but I think it's too big..









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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Very cold and windy here too 

makes it hard to get anything done outside I think clay is correct unless you have wolverines and fishers there it has to be a pine marten


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Miserable day yesterday winds up to 50 mph and snowing for most of the day ...couldn't get cows fed til 4pm when it finally let up .temps rose from minus 30 to minus 9....now back down to minus 17 but no wind . Will spend a few hrs this morning plowing ourselves out .

Showed pic to a few friends and the consensus here is fox or bobcat, mostly bobber... if and when I get back in to check ,likely Monday, I will set a few cubbies with 330s to try for him ..

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

What a difference a few days make !! When Jord and I checked these snares on tuesday the temp was - 36°C ,today it is +11 °C !! 48 degrees, while worls of difference . Very pleasant today with only a slight SW wind .We took another 350 #s of beef scraps to top up the bait at far west Clay and his son Walker went with me . Ravens had scraps scattered and stripped clean ..at least we are getting them fat ..lol. 

I set 2 cubbies with 330 conis for the bobcat , pics to follow . There was a pine marten on camera this morning, helping himself to a coyote carcass and from tonites update he is back .. we aren't allowed to catch them in this zone so hopefully he steers clear . Used turkey guts in my cubbies and hung a few goose wing feathers up as an attractor . 

After baiting again we headed back to the truck we took a slightly different route along the tree line and came across wolf tracks on the ring round trail .. a couple for sure and we could see where they centered to the top of the hill to check out the wolf bait from a distance of about 80 yds downwind ..not in it yet but interested . We decided to set a couple snares here and when we started to look we found 4 extension cables and support wires on these trails that the former trapper had left last year !! Not impressed that he didn't clean up after himself .. didn't use his but took them off . 

Clay is headed back to work within 5 miles of the sets so he will sneak in before dark and hang a couple more snares here and check the cubbies because we got an updated trail cam pic here tonite ..looks like the marten is eyeing the cubby ,under the pine to his left .. if he gets caught we will submit him as an accidental catch and see if Fish and Wildlife decide to keep him or return to us under permit .































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## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

Glad your weather finally broke for you. Ours here in Oklahoma is supposed to turn around come Wednesday. The past week has been very cold. The critters do not move when it gets cold. I was catching 6-9 raccoons each morning in some cooncuff traps before the cold. Once the bottom dropped out I only caught 1 in the following 5 days.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Got much snow murph ? Wind has piled ours in the coullees and every gate and doorway we own ..lol. raccoons will start showing up here in a couple weeks when they start to rut,otherwise pretty quiet .

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## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

C2C said:


> Got much snow murph ? Wind has piled ours in the coullees and every gate and doorway we own ..lol. raccoons will start showing up here in a couple weeks when they start to rut,otherwise pretty quiet .
> 
> Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk


Just a skiff of snow. 

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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Is that a turkey penis in that cubbie behind the coni ?


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

That marten will pick that neck right out of there without touching the trigger.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> Is that a turkey penis in that cubbie behind the coni ?


No ....lol.. but kinda looks that way .

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

hassell said:


> That marten will pick that neck right out of there without touching the trigger.


No he won't, doesn't show but it's tied to the tree behind it ..lol.

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Clay went back today cause it looked like the snare was.partially closed from the oil he took and it was down..he added beaver castor scent and some Gusto to the 2 cubbies as well as Gusto and wolf urine on a big scrap of beaver fur near the 2 new snares...

He called me as he was hiking back and said he could smell the gusto at over 100 yds downwind ..perfect .

Meanwhile ,I spent this afternoon pulling out my final snare site. I haven't been in to it for 5 days and it held 3 more pretty dogs,all frozen solid and untouched by birds...a true miracle in itself. Also caught another coyote close to the house here,so a great day .






























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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

C2C said:


> No he won't, doesn't show but it's tied to the tree behind it ..lol.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk


That's a good one Cam, I've never tied bait down in a cubby, just closed it in more so they have to come in the front door, it's amazing how they would squeeze through a 110 coni to get the bait, catching them in the back hip.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Lol.. sneaky little guys are they ? I never had experience with them at all but I know that raccoons get smart with eggs in a box trap and will lift them over the trigger..I put them In a piece of stocking and tie to the end of trap ..problem solved. 

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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Looks like you’ve been busy hopefully the wolves find the bait


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Hope so pokey , get some cold weather back and we are in business ...

Looks like you know marten better than me Rick ,marten or something, got the turkey neck out of there despite my efforts...didn't eat all of it but somehow got it.loose and pulled it out of the cubby ...lol. Clay replaced so we will see what happens ,rest of the bait was still there. 

Got this pic of a nice fox this morning ,maybe he is in a cubby .









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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

The turkey penis was an inside joke. My old dentist employed a girl who was raised by and remained a vegetarian. She married and wanted to cook thanksgiving dinner for her husband and new in laws. She came back to work after and the other girls asked how it went. She turned beet red and told about pulling the giblets out. And who knew that turkeys were so well endowed.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

C2C said:


> Hope so pokey , get some cold weather back and we are in business ...
> 
> Looks like you know marten better than me Rick ,marten or something, got the turkey neck out of there despite my efforts...didn't eat all of it but somehow got it.loose and pulled it out of the cubby ...lol. Clay replaced so we will see what happens ,rest of the bait was still there.
> 
> ...


Ya you shouldn't be able to see the bait except from the front, some upright little sticks and a step over will help guide them in, keep bait hidden from view- ravens will also get it. made a big cubby set once for lynx but got a nice large wolf in a #3 digging for the bait.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> The turkey penis was an inside joke. My old dentist employed a girl who was raised by and remained a vegetarian. She married and wanted to cook thanksgiving dinner for her husband and new in laws. She came back to work after and the other girls asked how it went. She turned beet red and told about pulling the giblets out. And who knew that turkeys were so well endowed.


. Figured as much lol 

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

hassell said:


> Ya you shouldn't be able to see the bait except from the front, some upright little sticks and a step over will help guide them in, keep bait hidden from view- ravens will also get it. made a big cubby set once for lynx but got a nice large wolf in a #3 digging for the bait.


Good advice , this cubby stuff is all new to me .. I'm not trying to catch the little.buggar cause he's not fair game ,the bobber and fox are tho . I will close it in tighter next check ....would a rabbit be a better bait ?

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Ya that will work, cause you're in such an open area, setting any bait out in the open will get the birds coming in, part in and maybe a part swinging in a tree 20 ft away, anything coming in to the motion will find the cubby.(hopefully). When I targeted marten up north I'd get about 15 every couple day's with 50 sets.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanx Rick , don't want to catch him just keep bait for bobcat and fox .Had an interesting bunch of trail cam photos .. the new spot we set where wolves had overlooked bait had a visitor ,fuzzy blurry pic but thinking it was a young wolf..lower right corner.

Marten had a fun time attacking my attractor wing ..lol..then helped himself to a.meal by going in from above .

Baited the new area with a bag of scraps and coyotes seemed to find it quick. Could sure use some new snow for info ,old stuff is froze and everything walks on top with no tracks. 

I set 8 wolf snares at new bait ,but am sure the coyotes will walk under them ..hanging knee hi with a big loop. Maybe should have set a few low ones.





































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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Little guy gets around ..now at new bait .









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Where you set the 8 wolf snares I'd throw 2 or 3 out at yote height, catch a yote and the wolves will come to eat the yote and maybe not be as wary.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

hassell said:


> Where you set the 8 wolf snares I'd throw 2 or 3 out at yote height, catch a yote and the wolves will come to eat the yote and maybe not be as wary.


Good call Rick ,but not sure I can sacrifice a $30 coyote for a wolf ...lolololol...I'd do it in a heartbeat..thanx for the advice .

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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

The little guy is definitely busy


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

How far to travel to the wolf area, I see another carbon tax starting tomorrow.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

We are about 40 miles ,every 4 days or so, take turns driving so at least one of us isn't stuck with all the expense ...gotta have something to do all winter now that I'm not busy at home with snares....you don't think the tax is a good idea ??

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Ha, this fuel carbon tax - people are having enough trouble paying for high fuel costs to get to work, suppose to be one more this year.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Yes, this clown that is PM needs to go Rick ..and we in the west pay a much higher rate than the easterners.

On a brighter note ,2 of my grandsons checked the close dog snares today and brought me some luck ..2 more makes 47... set 4 more snares 
















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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Awesome, great pic's..


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Congrats on 2 more and thank you for sharing your knowledge with the youth


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Fresh raccoon tracks today using a beaver dam spillway so set a 330.. also found cat tracks close by ,another bobber ?
















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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Another empty check today in the wolf bait today ,.coyotes have discovered the bait and are fierce competition for the ravens ..13 ravens on the scraps at one time today on camera . So I did what any coyote Snareman would do...yup I hung 3 snares and we will see.what happens. No fresh wolf tracks around the bait ,but 4 were seen 2 days ago on a ranch 4 miles east .. a short.jog for em should they decide to return.. rebaited and cross out fingers . We've decide to give it another 2 weeks and then pull out of nothing shows .









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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

That bobs days are numbered I think.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

I’m thinking you’re correct young don that cat better move out of the country or he’s going to be on the fur fence 

Cam the picture of the 330 on the beaver dam is a good one


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanx guys , these are 2 different cats ,abiut 45 miles apart . Haven't seen Any more sign of the far west one that we had on camera but I'm sure he is still around . The new one is in the exact same area I took my mounted one about 10 years ago, within 100 yds of my house . Think I'll put a camera up down there and see what he looks like . Sure would be nice to get some fresh snow to help out . I hesitate using bait as the house cats go mousing down there .

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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Keep after that cat you’ll connect soon


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Hope so pokey, set another 5 snares today for him ,fresh tracks since yesterday . Had another grandson along today so got him to hang the attractor wing .

Caught a real pretty coyote as well back by the pheasant feeder..picking them off slowly
















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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Awesome, those grand kids have a blast with grandpa.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

I think so Rick , they have a 2 week Christmas break from school so I'm taking them in shifts to give their moms a break ..lol.

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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

That’s a nice break for the Moms for sure and a great introduction to trapping. If we were closer I bet my wife would beg you to get me out of her hair some days.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Enjoy them grandkids while they’re young as soon they will be chasing girls and yeah unfortunately you know what happens


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

youngdon said:


> That’s a nice break for the Moms for sure and a great introduction to trapping. If we were closer I bet my wife would beg you to get me out of her hair some days.


And I'd be glad to take you ... as long as you behaved ..


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Enjoy them grandkids while they’re young as soon they will be chasing girls and yeah unfortunately you know what happens


Don't remind me , gotta get my hooks into them first ...9 of those little boys. The twin sisters are 14 now and avid hunters as well as any other type sports junkies ..the 2 little girls ,4 and 17 months are outdoor crazy too .

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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Last big bait haul of the year, and wouldn't ya know it I didn't even take a pic ..maybe it's cause I was a tad upset about this guy caught in a snare ...dint ask how he got in there . Set knee high and a 20 in loop he was caught tight behind the jaw in a wolf snare . It's my guess that he was feeding in the baitpile and a coyote came in and spooked him and he jumped up right into on his wayout . With prices as low as they are Clay has decided to get this fox tanned for one of his boys. 

We set 4 more snares and topped up cameras with fresh batteries. Figure there has to be 2 marten hitting the pile as one seems a touch bigger than the other.

Local cat hunter shot another wolf ,this one 3/4 miles south of our baits 2 days ago ...beauty but sure made a big hole..

Sled ran good today ,was sure better than pulling 400 pounds of bait in by hand .

Kinda disappointed that we haven't caught a wolf,but if they aren't ther you can't catch em . We will watch the cell cameras and see what happens in the next week ,if nothing within 10 days or so we will hang it up ..























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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Big hole is right. Good luck Cam


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

No kidding, good luck.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Crazy that red got caught hopefully Mr wolf finds the bait soon


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Caught #49 yesterday close to home...im feeding pheasants in a feeder and dogs come in for them at night









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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Tough to be a pheasant around here though have seen more chicks the last couple years, so many birds of prey.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Another pheasant killer down congrats


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

hassell said:


> Tough to be a pheasant around here though have seen more chicks the last couple years, so many birds of prey.


Same here Rick , they are dodging hawks steady ..the feeder is tucked under some willows so at least they can eat in peace. 

I got most of my dogs back yesterday and brushed and bagged them today ,was real windy so sorry,no barn pic . Fur quality is decent but only one real good pale out of these 38..still got 3 left to pick up . I had a few that were damaged that I didn't skin or bring home























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## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

C2C said:


> Same here Rick , they are dodging hawks steady ..the feeder is tucked under some willows so at least they can eat in peace.
> 
> I got most of my dogs back yesterday and brushed and bagged them today ,was real windy so sorry,no barn pic . Fur quality is decent but only one real good pale out of these 38..still got 3 left to pick up . I had a few that were damaged that I didn't skin or bring home
> 
> ...


NICE CATCH CAM------CONGRATS----THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR TRAPPING I ENJOY IT VERY MUCH---------------svb


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Very nice indeed, Congrats..


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

They look great congrats on your success


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Had a call from a friend at 1030 last night saying " the dogs are singing west of the house and calling your name !" Promised him that I would answer ,so after chores this morning Jordy and I went to try and call them . 

Got setup,wind was perfect with rising sun at our backs ...bird distress for abiut 30 seconds then after 3 mins I hit a female coyote howl. Wasn't even finished the sequence and this dog appeared at 171 yds ...almost felt sorry for her as she squinted into the sun looking for the source of the howl but not quite . She folded like a card table at the shot and I hit the howl immediately..10 seconds later the male broke cover up onto the hill and stopped , Shoot him Jord I whispered and his shot went thru the hair on the dogs back then he was gone ..beautiful female coyote , first I have called in this year and #50 overall .
















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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Well done sir.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice work Cam.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Nicely done sir


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Morning guys, talked with a fellow last night about the fur prices and according to Jim things may be looking up ..China supposedly has done a total flip flop on lockdowns and has opened everything wide open allowing people to go back to work!! Great news if it is true . FHA had 5 Chinese buyers all booked and scheduled to come to this live sale in 2 months and if they do fur will be sold and maybe prices will come up .

I have 40 new dogs to send and 25 still held there from last year. It would be great to clear them out and start fresh . The 20 good ones I have in the freezer are gonna stay there for the time being and when things improve for sure then I will send em .

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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

This is great news hopefully the market will pickup and prices will go up again


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Hopefully that will all fall in line for you.


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## C2C (Mar 17, 2012)

Yes I hope it does guys , may take more Tham just this year but eventually maybe a turn around.. I don't thinknut will ever get back to the haydays of$100 coyote averages but if it went to $70 I would be thrilled ..I ave. 45 last year which is better than anyone else I talked to but after $15 for a skinner and 11 % commission at auction it doesn't leave much for me to pay expenses like gas , snare supplies and Dr. Pepper ..

A 60-70 average would keep.me happy .

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