Live Trap/Hunt

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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
First check!

Well I was so excited to go check the traps for the first time as I have said. Was fortunate to have the ability to take the day off work yesterday and got up to get going. The weather had other plans, since we had gotten about six inches of fresh snow. So I spent the first two hours of the morning shoveling and running the snow blower to clear the driveway, walkways and sidewalk around my house. Took a shower and got going. Drive took what seemed like forever because of the roads. Thankfully they are logging out past where the traps are set so the single lane dirt road was plowed. Almost getting hit by four different loaded logging trucks ups the pucker factor driving around blind corners.
Waiting on a couple of logging trucks to come down a steep hill section.
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About a mile or so from where the traps are set I saw a wolf in the road. Man was I excited!! He had a limp like he was hurt and was alone. My first thought seeing his limp and then finding a little blood in his track has that he had tripped one of the traps and gotten out?? I backed the truck to a wide section of the road, grabbed the rifle and took off thru the timber to try and follow him. Man these animals are smart and they are absolutely ghosts! He went downhill turned right thru some thick brush that I had to crawl thru. Then he turned back hard left and downhill again. So I circled out to the right and downhill to try and cut him off since I did not think he would cross the road again. I made it back down to the road without seeing tracks, so I walked back up the road about a 60 yards with no tracks coming out of the timber. I started back up hill thru the timber to try to find his tracks to see if he went back the opposite way he started. I made it all the way back to my starting point without cutting his tracks again?? I circled around him but was never able to see him again.
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So I know that I am in the right area and thought seeing him was a great sign that I may have gotten something. Well no beginners luck this time, the traps where empty? The hike in was even harder this time since it had dropped about 12-14 inches of new snow. Thankfully I had remembered the snowshoes.
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On the drive out I was searching harder for more sign of their travel areas. I saw tons of other game sign in the fresh snow so they still have plenty of reasons to stay in the area. About a half mile from where I saw the wolf on the way in I found where the rest of the pack had crossed the road. I picked out about five different prints with a couple being really big. I measured my hand from about where that print starts and ends. That print is about 8 inches long!!
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Stay tuned. I will go back out Saturday, if there is nothing in the traps, I am going to relocate them to the trail that they where traveling.
And for my fans??
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
Cant wait to see what happens. How many wolves can you take?

You can actually take ten. Five hunting and five trapping. You can take all ten trapping as long as it is hunting and trapping season concurrently in the zone you are in.
I am not greedy, I just want one. Beyond that it is just a bonus for me!!
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
I am not certain what Mister Ryan Avery does for a living, but I swear he was driving one of those logging trucks??!!
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
I think I am even more excited to check the traps tomorrow considering I saw a wolf and found fresh sign within a mile or so of my sets.
I am also considering ordering a few more traps just for setting when i find fresh sign like this.
Thanks for watching everyone!!
 

Shrek

WKR
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
7,069
Location
Hilliard Florida
No ! Thank you for taking us along ! Seeing the wolf and finding where the pack had crossed the road would have me super motivated. I'm sure hoping your next check is in fur !
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
Well I really hate making mistakes!! Thankfully I was alerted that I had made one before it cost me dearly!! Please read all your regulations over and over. I read them several times and still missed it.
Got the issue taken care of and will make sure I don't miss anything else!
Now back to the adventure.
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
No ! Thank you for taking us along ! Seeing the wolf and finding where the pack had crossed the road would have me super motivated. I'm sure hoping your next check is in fur !

I hope it is as well, but if it is not, relocation to the fresh sign will be done.
Seeing that wolf is really motivating!!
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
I am open to company checking the traps tomorrow if someone wants to ride along. It is a good drive and I believe I am decent company, but if you are not I will leave you for bait?

I am heading out from the house around 5:30-6:00 in the morning.
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
So still no luck! Did not see another person or vehicle in the woods today so it was really peaceful. It had snowed again and then crusted up. Man that was a workout in snowshoes. I decided to go ahead and relocate the sets to the area with the sign I found on Wednesday. It ended up being quite a job with the crusty snow . The snowshoes kept breaking thru and making the sled I pull with all the gear dump over. It was a real pain in the A$$! I am hoping the relocation will produce some activity. There is game sign all over this area. Saw several does, one nice buck, some cow elk, and tracks from a big bull. Also saw a black and brown coyote but he quickly moved on.
Fun day and would have been better if the traps where full.

I read the workbook from the trapping class again last night and feel that the sets I made today are much better than the first ones.

I know this live trap/hunt can go for a while but stay tuned because I know I will be successful.
 

Shrek

WKR
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
7,069
Location
Hilliard Florida
I'm sure the learning curve is steep for trapping animals as smart as wolves. I'm sure that the three keys to success are persistence ! persistence ! persistence ! Good hunting !
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
Alright, heading out here again shortly to check the traps. I sure hope something is waiting for me!
Just to keep a few pictures in the responses. I got my new light bar mounted to replace the others. The other two were shorter flood lights only. This one is a flood/spot combo and I actually use them regularly. I also have two four inch lights mounted just inside the camper door for loading the raft after dark and for use around camp. These things work great since it gets dark so early here in Northern Idaho. I also highly recommend putting LED lights around underneath the bed rail for loading and unloading things in the dark.
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
Another check

Man they got a lot of snow up where the traps are! So obviously nothing in them yet. I am going to need to do a little location evaluation over the next couple of days? Snow is covering the traps faster than I can get to check them. I know I am in a good location, just have to be patient.
Checking them this time I was wading thru snow that seemed to be almost waist deep. Took my son with me and even with him following me he says, "Dad the snow is up to my stomach". Hopefully the snow will let up a little. Thankfully I have a beast of a truck.
Just for info, I have a Tundra with a six inch lift and 35's and just for kicks it is supercharged.

Here is a picture of the snow to the bottom of my door.

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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
?????

Nothing again.
Everything is buried. I think that area got another foot of snow or more. Had to cut up two good sized trees out of the road and needed to chain up the truck. Only did the front chains though. I am tired, cutting trees in that much snow is quite a bit of work.
There are still active animals up there. Deer tacks all over the place and saw a cow and calf moose. Took the family with me and the wife did a little snowshoeing while I cut the trees out of the road. Fun but a lot of work!

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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
One more cool thing. My wife went snowshoeing while I was cutting the trees out of the road. SHe made a great statement to me on the drive home. She said walking up the road by herself made her understand why I love being out there so much. That really made it a good day.
 

Randle

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Dec 30, 2012
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Nope
Oh man , one of these days, keep after it, how close is the freshest sign? they are going to find them eventually. I hope to make a run with you in a week or so. Glad your family enjoyed the day with you .
 
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tri2hunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
254
Location
Moscow, ID.
Well what a night. Headed out to check the traps last night after work. Man was it cold! They had not been up there working so the road wasn't plowed and the snowmobiles had been out there over the last few days. A friend of mine went with me since he has a place out that direction. Needless to say we almost got stuck. Was not able to make it all the way to the traps because of the depth of snow and the way snow machines pack it down just enough that a vehicle can't make it. I am fortunate that the person with me offered to let me use his snowmobile to go check them. I am going to relocate to a lower elevation that I can get to without having to snowshoe 16 miles each way?
Keep watching, this will happen!!
 
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