Trapping

I have been a little sick the past couple of days, but I managed to get up today and out with Dan to check a couple of our traps. No catch, but I don't blame those little guys for not wanting to be out in this -45c weather! I thought I would use this post to explain a little about trapping, for those who do not know how it works.

Here is one of our box sets. There is a piece of meat in the back, which is smothered in Marten and/or Fischer lure, so they can smell it. They will climb up a tree branch and into the box, and once they make the slightest touch on the prongs in the middle, the trap goes off, and it is an instantaneous kill. You have to be extremely careful when setting these traps, they are very fragile, and if your hand accidentally touches the prongs when it is set, then expect your hand to be broken in million pieces! Ouch!
The animal is then taken home to be skinned, fleshed, stretched and dried, then they are ready to be sold, or ready to be tanned for personal use!

The walk to one of our traps. Winter wonderland!

Here is a little something I just finished making. We got an accidental weasel catch, so instead of wasting it, I skinned it out, and made a mini fur rug type thing!

Tomorrow we will be checking the rest of our traps, keeping positive and hoping we have caught something!
Right now, Dan is cooking some amazing Elk meat supper, so we're going to eat, relax, and keep warm for the rest of the night. Hoping to get up early and start our day!