The Call of The Wilderness II: A New Beginning

THE CALL

OF THE

WILDERNESS II

A NEW BEGINNING

DAVE VANDER MEER

© 2024 Dave Vander Meer. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2983-4 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2984-1 (e)

Published by AuthorHouse 08/13/2024

CONTENTS

Introduction

Trapping Equipment

Preseason Planning

The Day A Canada Goose Saved My Life

The Fall the Bears Forgot to Sleep

Fun with Bill and Don

Of Moose and Men

Cabin Building Excursion

The Call of The Wilderness: A New Beginning

When The Stars Align

Joe And Orville

Forest Fires and Floods (Mother Nature at Her Worst)

The Dangers of Life in the Wilderness

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Ice Stories

Bear Hunting 101

A Study in The New Magnum Series of Body Gripping Traps

Tips and Tricks from Over the Years

INTRODUCTION

Four years after landing on Hiawatha Lake for my first wilderness adventure, I was again embarking on a new challenge. A new trapline, with all the work that it involved, but in what I hoped was a much better fur producing location. It was the perfect recipe for me. New country to explore, new challenges to over come, and more fun than a city boy should be allowed to have.

This will be, most likely, the last book that I attempt. It is being done because of the many requests that I received from the readers of my first book, but it is getting harder and harder to find the time to sit down and just do the work. Of course, it doesn’t help that I was 3/4’s done when I accidentally erased the entire twelve months of work.

Thanks for reading along and KEEP YOUR BOOTS DRY!

Dave Vander Meer

TRAPPING EQUIPMENT

Boy oh boy, where do you start on this subject? I am always asked, How do you know when you have to much equipment? Now that is an easy one to answer. There is no such thing as to much, just not enough, or all I need (for now). First a person must decide what animals are going to be available to trap in his or her area and whether or not they might want to pursue them all. An idea of how many sets for each species, your mode of travel and your local weather conditions will all contribute to deciding what your equipment needs will be.

For instance, in my area I don’t set mink traps until November the 1st (because that is when the season opens) but freeze up usually happens close to the 10th of November with skim ice forming as early as October. So, I will only get a week or two of open water mink sets in at the best of times. Because of that I don’t make a lot of foot trap drowning sets other than in a few places where fast water will keep them effective further into the season. Obviously, for that reason, I have a larger supply of the #120 conibear traps for mink than I do the foot traps.

Once a person has decided how much area is available to trap, how much time they will have to dedicate to, not only running the lines but also to spend taking proper care of the furs that are harvested, along with what species are available to you, you can start your list.

There is a huge choice of traps available, and everyone seems to have their favourite for various reasons so I will list all the traps that will work well and you can pick your favourites. Oh, and in the following lists of traps conibear refers to all types of legal body gripping traps.

Mink - # 1 longspring*, # 1 ½ longspring, # 1 coilspring*, # 1 ½ coilspring, # 2 longspring, # 2 coilspring, # 120 conibear and in some areas a # 110 conibear* is still legal to be used.

* I recommend some extra weight be added to assist drowning when using the smaller traps

Muskrats - # 1 longspring*, # 1 ½ longspring, # 2 longspring, # 1 coilspring*, # 1 ½ coilspring, # 2 coilspring, # 110 conibear*, # 120 conibear, # 160 conibear and the # 220 conibear can be used but it is a bit of overkill.

*I recommend some extra weight be added to assist drowning when using the smaller traps

Beaver - # 3 longspring, # 4 longspring, # 3 coilspring, # 4 coilspring, # 280 conibear, # 330 conibear, # 330 magnum conibear and snares with locks when set under the ice. All foothold traps should be used with a proper drowning method like a slide wire and lock system. Some guys are starting to use the bigger foot traps like the MB 750’s and such due to the larger catch area of the traps. I have always found proper trap placement and a few well-placed guide sticks work just as well.

Otter - # 3 longspring, # 4 longspring, # 3 coilspring, # 4 coilspring, # 220 conibear, # 280 conibear and # 330 conibear. Again, all foothold traps must be used with proper drowning sets.

Weasel - # 1 ½ longspring* with one jaw welded into a body gripping design, # 110 conibear, # 120 conibear and the large wooden platform rat traps.

*not a certified trap in most locations.

Red Squirrel - # 110 conibear, # 120 conibear and the wooden platform rat traps. Plus, snares set on a pole where the animal falls and cannot climb back up also work well.

Marten - # 120 conibear, # 160 conibear. In no case should a foot trap be used for marten trapping.

Fisher- # 160 conibear, # 220 conibear and the #280 conibear. Again, foothold traps should not be used for these animals. However, I understand that certain states do not allow body gripping traps to be set on land due to pets getting in them, so foot traps are the only option.

Fox - # 1 ½ coilspring, # 2 coilspring, # 2 longspring, snares with locks and the power snares.

Coyote - # 2 longspring, # 3 longspring, # 2 coilspring, # 3 coilspring, snares with locks and the power snares.

Lynx - # 3 longspring, # 4 longspring, # 3 coilspring, # 4 coilspring, # 330 conibears, snares with locks and the power snares.

Raccoon - # 220 conibear, # 280 conibear, cage traps and the DP traps.

Wolves - # 4 longspring, # 4 coilspring, snares with locks and the power snares. Any specialized heavy duty wolf traps work well also.

Possums – Whatever, just hit them with a stick. Or use a live trap, # 120 conibear, # 160 conibear and # 220 conibear.

Skunks - # 120 conibear, # 160 conibear, # 220 conibear and the midsized live traps. I have also noticed that a lot of people seem to like to use their car to harvest these animals.

Bobcat - # 2 longspring, # 3 longspring, # 2 coilspring, # 3 coilspring, snares, power snares and the very large live (cage) traps.

Wolverine - # 330 conibear and power snares.

Bear – foot snares (in some locations) and shooting. The old-style bear traps should never be used.

All foot traps set on land should be the soft grip (padded jaws) or the offset jawed traps. These sets should be checked regularly, check your regions trapping regulations as to local laws since some areas have a 24-hour time limit between checking’s. All the mentioned foot traps are not available in OS or padded jaws style so check your regulations as always.

These trap choices are the most common, but I do understand that some rare regions still allow marten to be caught with foot traps. But just because it is allowed that doesn’t mean it should be done.

All trappers need a very good, sharp axe. I also carry a brush axe with me for trail clearing. It is a very effective tool for clearing small trees and branches. In the northern regions a good chainsaw is needed for trail clearing as well as for cutting firewood and building sets. In deep snow conditions a good, proper sized pair of snowshoes is very important along with a good harness system. There are many different types of harnesses on the market and later in the book I will show you how to make a good pair for yourself.

Proper footwear is one of the most important items on your list of supplies. Depending on your area you need to take into consideration the temperature the amount of water that you may be walking in and so forth. Comfortable feet make for a comfortable day. Gloves and a good jacket are as important but remember that you do not want to over dress because in very cold temperatures sweat can cause serious problems. A comfortable hat and your ensemble is now completed.

Following is a list of many other items that a trapper may need. Now not everyone will need every item, but all could be useful to most.

- Ice chisel

- More than 1 axe

- Splitting axe if firewood is needed

- Bucksaw in case your chainsaw breaks down

- Large packsacks

- Fur bags

- Compass or GPS

- Trap anchors and drag hooks

- Conibear holders

- A supply of wire plus fence staples and nails

- Hammer or a hatchet works even better

- An assortment of trapping scents

- Stretchers for all species

- Fleshing beams

- Push pins and beaver nails

- Pliers with wire cutter (Lineman Pliers work the best)

- Trap setters

- Emergency kit (fire starter, trail mix or bars, an emergency blanket, a small first aid kit)

- Skinning knives and fleshing tools

- Knife sharpening tools

- Modes of transportation (snowmobile, canoes, boats, ATV’s)

- Sleigh and or trailer

- Flagging tape

- A skinning shed so your wife doesn’t freak out on you for puncturing a mink’s scent glands in the basement. (Not that it ever happened to me)

- Maps of your area

- A supply of bait to start the season

- A supply of lures/scents for the animals that you will be after

- Marten, mink, fisher and or coon boxes

- Hip waders and/or chest waders and fall waterproof boots

- Winter boots in accordance with your local temperatures

- Gloves, mitts and possible waterproof ones as well

PRESEASON PLANNING

There have been many arguments about what the best recent invention to help a trapper in his quest for a larger catch. From the D.P. traps to as far back as the Conibears, but if you ask me the greatest addition in recent years has been (now think about this before you howl) the availability of Google Earth on the computer. If I could count the number of hours and miles that this magical, trail planning, godsend has saved me it would astound you. I do not go into a new area of my trapline these days without spending some time on the computer searching out the best possible trail locations and searching for unmapped beaver ponds. As well, when looking for viable bear bait sites for my Black bear hunting operation this is one of the most valuable timesaving tools available. Gone are the days of my youth when all my fall and wintertime was spent exploring my lines. Now I have responsibilities other than myself so anything that can make my time more efficient is an absolute blessing.

I well remember the days gone by that I would walk a dozen miles or so (like in my first book when I was on the trail to Scuckasu Lake) where a few minutes on Google Earth would have saved me a whole day of wandering around in the wilderness, for all intensive purposes lost. Actually, I have never been lost, but I did get turned around for two days one time. But I digress, if you are planning to trap new areas save yourself some time and check it out. And trust me I know most old timers will balk at the thought, as I did when I first started on the computer.

My summer evenings are spent (the few that I have where I am not at my fishing lodge) in the trapping shed getting things ready for the fall. Any free days that I have I head out to the bush to cut new trails, clear existing trails, get sets ready (build cubbies, get fisher poles set up and set wolf scent posts in place) as well as scouting for new beaver lodges. Looking for tracks along the rivers is a good way to get excited about the coming season and give you some indication of the critter populations. Besides it is good to get out to the camp and cut your wood supply for the winter.

The biggest time saver for the start of the season is locating your beaver houses well in advance of opening day. As I check for live houses I clear the trails, locate rat logs and cut my notches in them, maybe build a few float sets if needed, build rock mink cubbies, set up my lynx cubbies, prepare my snare locations, prebait my wolf bait stations and just generally scout for sign. As I am walking, I keep my eyes open for mice which are the best early indicator of what your marten and mink population is going to be like. The year of a good seed crop will see a boost in rodent populations and that winter will generally see a jump in the predator numbers also. Just like the lynx follow the rabbit cycles so do the other animals follow their food supply. This year for instance I am seeing mice constantly scurrying in front of me as I walk through the bush.

With the low water levels this year I can see mink tracks in abundance along the muddy banks of the beaver ponds and streams, as well as mink scat on logs and rock piles which is always a good sign. I prebait the lynx cubbies as well as the marten sets, but the marten sets can’t be done to early or the bears will just tear them down and destroy your boxes so that is a time sensitive issue. Basically, what you are trying to do is make it as easy to get your sets out on the day you decide to start trapping because there is little enough time once the season opens and you don’t need to be wasting time on these other chores that could have been done earlier in the fall.

But that of course depends on the level at which you will be trapping. The weekender will not have to spend as much time as someone who is running longlines. For myself by the 7th of November when all the seasons are open, I will have approximately one hundred and fifty sets out for the various species. Just checking those traps does not allow much free time to be cutting trail, scouting and making new sets. That is why I spend so much time in the preseason getting things done.

Back at home all the chores like dyeing and waxing traps, making snares, building new marten and fisher/coon boxes as well as making scents and baits for the coming season are the things that keep me busy in the summer when I can get away from my wife’s honey-do-list. I do use some commercial scents but I do like to try some of my own concoctions along with them, and besides the smell keeps the wife out of my trapping shed.

I even go so far as to bring my traps into the bush and have them at the set locations for when I intend to make the sets. Again, this is only saving me a couple of minutes at each location but if I am setting 50 traps a day that adds up to a couple of hours of extra time. So go forth and explore my friends, the bush is a great place to be even before the season opens.

THE DAY A CANADA GOOSE SAVED MY LIFE

I could hear the brakes squealing as I opened my eyes from the hours nap. The train was slowing as it approached the 20-mile marker, which was the start of the trail into Nagagami Lake and my trapline beyond. The snow situation was no better here than it had been at home in White River.

Early April had been very warm. Much warmer than normal, and most of the snow had melted in the past five days since I had left the bush. As the train pulled up to the trail head I could see that at least the solid packed snowmobile trail had survived the melt and looked to be easily drivable.

I was on my last trip of the season, heading into Hiawatha Lake and further to finally end up at Fraser Lake, to pull my remaining beaver traps out. But I had almost waited to long and from the look of things I might have trouble crossing the rivers between where I was and Fraser Lake, thirty-two miles distant. It was going to be a quick trip if everything went according to plan, which I might add does not happen very often, hoping to be back home in White River in four days. A week after that my job with the fire fighting crew was starting up and if this weather kept up we would be in for an early and severe fire season.

Stepping down from the VIA Rail passenger train I figured the time was close to 2 PM. With the much longer spring days there was plenty of time to get to camp before darkness dropped over the land. I moved two cars back, to the baggage car and took my ten gallons of gas from the baggage handler. Then with a blast of the whistle the train started moving again and soon pulled out of sight, heading west toward Nakina or Armstrong, I was not quite sure which line they took past my drop off spot.

I was at the end of my second year trapping the wilderness of Northern Ontario, and I had enjoyed a very successful season, at least by my greenhorn standards. Now however the fun was over for several months, and like all things never to be repeated. After these traps were pulled, I could start dreaming about next season and all the adventures that would take place.

But back to the present as I looked at my Arctic Cat snowmobile, perched precariously on top of the pile of snow that had not melted because the sled had shaded it. Surrounded by water that was at least five inches deep I slopped my way to it and was relieved to find that the ground at least was still frozen solid under all this water. Flipping my eight foot Totem sleigh over I then eased the sled down from it’s perch and fired her up. Hooking up the sleigh hitch I strapped the gas cans and my snowshoes into the sleigh, and I was once again on the trail. The good news was that once in the forested area the snow had not melted nearly as much, other than of course where I had to drive through the scattered Spruce Bogs that were splattered around this countryside. The trail was in great shape because Joe Kuhl had used his small Caterpillar dozer to groom the trail for hauling in the forty-five-gallon drums of fuel that would keep his camp operating all summer. Joe was the owner of K-Vee Lodge, a fishing resort on Nagagami Lake. I enjoyed the trail while it lasted because I knew that once I reached my trapline the trail would be a roller coaster ride for the next twenty-five miles.

Forty minutes later I could see the expanse of Nagagami Lake opening before me and was surprised to see Joe’s snowmobile parked at the camp and smoke rising from the chimney. I had been certain that Joe and Orville would have been in town by now, not wanting to get stuck in here with the machines. I pulled up at the cabin, cause in the north you never drive by an occupied camp without at least stopping to say hi and let the people know where you are heading and what the plans are.

As I shut my machine down I heard Holy crap Dave, a bit late in the season to be heading into the bush ain’t it?

Hey Joe I replied. Ya, but I have sets out and I am not gonna lose the traps and waste the furs if I can help it.

Anyway, who could have planned for this weather.

You know it was 65 degrees here yesterday Joe proclaimed. Hey it is a gorgeous evening, why don’t you stay and come fishing with us, the pickerel are biting like crazy.

Well it was not like me to turn down a good feed of fresh Walleye so I replied in the affirmative and with that I accepted an offer of coffee before heading out to the fishing hole. Orville came in the cabin a few minutes later, having been out cutting firewood for the upcoming tourist season.

Hey Dave, what are you doing here? After I finished explaining it all over again we loaded up the fishing gear and headed to the west shore of the little island about a mile from Joes camp. A couple of hours later we had enough fish for a nice feed plus some extra for me to take with me to Hiawatha Lake. It was almost dark by the time we made it back to camp and I could feel a drop in temperature moving in. Not thinking much about it because the temperature always drops at night I shrugged it off. I should however have noticed that the evening sky was slowly being blotted out by a heavy cloud bank that was moving in from the north. But my face was buried in a big plate of Walleye fillets and fries so the weather was going by unnoticed by everyone in the cabin.

At some point in the evening a gust of wind shook the building and I got up to see what Mother Nature was sending us. The temperature had dropped from a balmy fifty degrees while we were fishing to a cool twenty-two at this point. A strong wind howling out of the north and the now visible cloud bank, visible because of the lack of stars, warned me of things to come. But there was no way I was heading out in the pitch black anyway with no trail to follow across this ten-mile-wide lake. So, it was off to bed, wondering what the morning would bring.

At some point in the middle of the night I awoke to answer natures call and was greeted by the onslaught of the first wave in an army of snowflakes. They were just the first of many I could tell, and they were being driven almost parallel to the ground by what must have been a forty mile per hour wind. Oh well there was nothing I could do about it so back to bed I went.

Dawn arrived with my first glimpse of what a spring blizzard was like. Snow blowing level with the lake ice and visibility down to what looked like less that a hundred yards. But I had walked through storms earlier in the winter that were, as far as memory served, as bad as this one was. Joe and Orville tried to get me to stay but time was running out and I needed to get finished up here and get back home before work started, not that there would be any fires for awhile after this mess, so with breakfast finished I bid the guy’s farewell and headed out. Once outside however I had second thoughts as the full force of the wind and the lack of visibility gave me pause.

It was only ten miles I figured and as long as I stayed on my course, which was about twenty degrees off north, I would end up at my trail head to Hiawatha Lake. What could go wrong with that? Even if I drifted a bit one way or the other when I hit the shoreline, I would just follow it to the end of the long narrow bay where Hiawatha Creek emptied into the big lake. With the wind straight out of the north it should be easy to stay on course so off I went, down the long grade from Joes lodge to the lake. A minute later I turned around and there was nothing but a wall of white. But I was committed now and taking a compass bearing I throttled up and drove straight into the gale. By the second time I stopped to take a bearing I decided that I could forgo the frozen fingers and just use the wind on my face to guide me. As long as the wind driven snow was hitting my left eye, I should be perfect. The problem developed when I could not keep my face above the windshield any longer due to the frozen face deal.

So, hiding my face behind the protection of the windshield I would peak out occasionally, and correct my course if needed. Now you got to understand that I was not able to go very fast, the wind was sapping the heat from my body and hands faster than any time I had ever experienced before. I seriously felt like I was snowmobiling in a giant bowl of milk, with no sense of direction other than the north wind. I carried on like this for what seemed like forever but, in reality, could only have been a half hour when my frozen brain registered a sound that it did not comprehend, and so was ignored.

But it persisted and so I looked up to try and understand what I was hearing. There it was again, and it instantly made my hand relax on the throttle. Straining to see through my frozen eye lashes I finally picked out a darker spot in the white expanse. And the sound again, I hadn’t been imagining it. Canada Geese honking! I jammed on the brakes, knowing that there was only one reason that geese would be standing there in this weather.

Sure enough. There they were, standing on the edge of open water, not fifty feet away from me. I was about to drive straight into the wide-open river mouth where the Nagagami River drained out of the lake. I don’t know how deep it was there, but it would not have mattered in the least. Even if I was to have made it out of the water, I would have been dead from exposure in minutes with no chance of shelter and a fire. If those geese had not been there, or if they had not honked at me, or then if I had not looked up in time I would have driven straight into the lake. That was an adrenaline rush that warmed my blood in a hurry and gave me enough of a pause to turn around and head back to Joes camp. I was dead west of the camp but there was no way I was going to cross the center of the lake again, so I pointed myself south to put the wind at my back and in a few minutes the shoreline appeared on my left side.

Now I was golden because all I had to do was follow the shoreline right to the camp, making sure that I watched for the mouth of the Buck River, which emptied into the lake at the extreme south end. Finally I arrived at the ramp up to the camp and turned left to climb the hill. I shut the machine down and stumbled to the door, not even bothering to knock. What an awesome feeling that blast of heat from the wood stove was. Joe and Orville just sat there staring like the Abominable Snowman had just crashed through the door. And thinking about it I probably looked like it.

Christ sakes Dave Joe exclaimed. Orville, get him a coffee.

Well, that was not much fun. I quipped and then proceeded, between sips of that precious, life-giving elixir that some people just call coffee, to explain what had happened. Needless to say, the rest of the day was spent stoking the fire and drinking coffee. If I ended up being late for work, it was better than being dead for work I reasoned.

The following morning dawned clear and cold. Gazing out on the lake it looked like a stormy sea that was frozen in place. Drift after drift as far as the eye could see and they looked high. But you couldn’t really tell how high until you got down there. Again, I bid Joe and Orville goodbye and off I went. I had no problem with visibility now as long as I was looking east or west. The visibility to the north and south was limited to about ten feet either way. The snow drifts were eight feet high and my only way to advance was to run the length of the drift which was anywhere from a hundred yards to two miles long and then turn down the next drift in the opposite direction. The ice between the drifts was bare so it was easy going but when you are driving as far as two miles each time to make a twenty-foot advance toward your goal you have a tendency to burn up a lot more fuel than you planned on.

By the time I was halfway across the lake I had burnt through all the gas that I had with me. I knew there was gas at the cabin but that was ten miles away still and there was not enough to get all the traps pulled so I dug the snowshoes out of the sleigh and pointed them towards Joes camp, again. It was an odd feeling climbing the drifts and then standing on the top, like I was on Mount Everest, Joes cabin clearly visible in the bright sunlight and then jumping up and down to break the crest of the huge drifts before dropping off the top and into the gap between drifts again.

By the time I got back to the camp it was to close to dark to do anything, so Joe said he would get the Alpine out and break the trail for me in the morning. The Alpine is a big double track snowmobile that is kick ass for breaking through heavy snow. I also bought some extra gas from Joe and the next morning I climbed on the back of the machine as Joe said, Hold on to something, this is going to be rough.

Well, it was, and I did. Joe blasted right through those drifts like a tank following my snowshoe tracks right to the sled. I was amazed to say the least and as I took the gas from the back rack of his machine Joe said he would break the trail right to the portage into Hiawatha. By the time I had the machine all gassed up and started I could hear Joe making his way back from the north end of the lake. I thanked him profusely and then headed north, arriving at my cabin several hours later. I was not able to drive the machine anywhere without snowshoeing the trails first. This was going to be a long arduous trip after what started out to be a quick three day in and out.

A week later I arrived back in White River, eight beavers richer and another valuable lesson learned. Bill and Don had wondered what the heck was going on and Bill had covered for me at work so that was cool. Plus, I was only a couple days late. Joe however, had become a man that I respected and admired more than any other in my life and over the years became a very close friend.

And as a side bar, many years later, when recalling that story to my kids, my daughter Caitlyn, at five years old decided that I was no longer allowed to kill Canada Geese because I might kill the one that had saved my life. How do you argue with that logic?

THE FALL THE BEARS FORGOT TO SLEEP

October of 2016 saw the start of the warmest trapping season I had encountered in my forty-four years of chasing furbearers around the bush. Now some might say that it was great to have nice warm weather for trapping and not have to worry about the ice freezing up my beaver traps. In reality I was of the same mind at the beginning of the fall thinking that I would increase on my previous years catch of beaver if the weather did stay like they said it was going to.

I had, before the seasons opening, already trapped over a hundred beaver close to home for the bounty and now hoped to pelt a couple hundred more by the end of the season. I had the previous year and then again, this fall purchased a number of the new Magnum beaver traps in both the Belisle models and the Savageau twelve and eleven inch and had been very impressed the earlier year with the quick kill ability of them. Most of the beavers caught in them were dead on the spot, not even pulling the small stabilizer sticks out of the mud. And so, I had ordered three dozen more of them and got rid of a lot of my older traps that I had been using for twenty-five years or so.

I never thought that having a basically instant kill was going to be a problem, but I was soon to find out different, and it was the bears that were going to be the teachers this fall.

As usual I started setting traps slow at the start of the season, needing to show the farmers that had given me permission that I was out doing something at least, but not wanting to take a ton of beaver that would grade light and not be worth much. Plus, I needed to get some baits out for coyotes so I could start setting snares in a few weeks or so.

The first week I set mainly my ponds that I did not have much of a rat population to worry about and set mainly the few older traps, like Dukes and Conibears, that would generally not hold a rat even if they did spring them. That way I was not catching rats that were out of season and not worth much anyway. Besides after the first rat caught out of season the rest had to be turned into the game wardens.

So anyway, about five days into the trapping I stopped to check a pond of nuisance beavers that were flooding a farmer’s driveway and was surprised to see one of the traps missing. The entire area around the set was crushed down and my first impression was that someone had stolen the trap. However, I shortly found where something had packed a trail through some willows and there I found half of a castor, laying in a spot where a bear had obviously been lying while it ate the beaver out of the trap. Further scanning however turned up no trap anywhere so I concluded that I had scared the animal away mid-meal and it had run with the trap and whatever part of the beaver was left.

This was one of the few traps that I had set where there were few if any rats and of course it had to be a Savageau 12 x 11. They didn’t touch the Duke traps that had beaver in them, because those traps were at the end of the wire and underwater.

Score for the bears, 1 beaver and 1 Savageau trap.

Five days later at a farm several miles away I had a single trap set on a castor mound that had produced three beavers already. From a distance I could see that the trap was sprung again but until I got close, I didn’t notice that the cable was pulled tight. But not into the water, it was into the willows and had nothing in it but a two-inch patch of beaver skin. Bear droppings were everywhere. That set produced two more eaten beavers in the same number of checks and so it got pulled.

Score for the bears now? 4 beaver and 1 Savageau trap.

By now I was setting traps in the locations that had many rats in the area so I was only setting the Belisles and Savageaus in these spots and the Dukes and such in the rat free areas. While changing the traps over I had a nice pond with two awesome trails over the dam that I had set the previous year and caught seven beaver and a few rats in six checks. This pond was only a mile from the last one where I had lost the three beaver so in hindsight I should have known better, but after the third check of these sets I had just two beaver and two rats, before the bear found them. Two missing beaver and one missing Belisle later I moved on.

Score for the bears now, 6 beaver and 1 Savageau trap and 1 Belisle trap.

This was where it all started getting very interesting as it was well into the time when the bears should be, if not sleeping at least they should be backing off on the food consumption. I have trapped during warm falls on the odd occasion, none like this however, and had only lost two beaver traps to bears in my entire life until this year. Now I had close to forty traps set for beaver scattered over about fifteen miles of farmland. Just a mile from my house one morning I stopped to check two dam sets and again found an eaten beaver. By now you would think I would have learned my lesson, but NO, I reset the trap to come back the next day and I had to run the bear off my set. He had already eaten one beaver in the trap and before that it had taken the whole other trap and beaver away.

Score for the bears now, 9 beaver, 2 Savageau traps and 1 Belisle trap.

Anyway, you are getting the point and by the time I pulled out of the farmland and moved onto my RTL I had lost 17 beaver and 12 traps, 9 of them being Savageaus and 3 Belisles. At one particular pond I had caught five beaver before the bears found my sets. The next two checks landed me a rat and an eaten beaver and then finally all three traps gone and the entire area flattened with bear tracks. Now don’t get me wrong, they got some beaver but not even close to all of them as I ended up with about 150 between what was boarded and what was rough skinned and in the freezer.

By now it was the middle of November and we were starting to get a little cooler weather, not near what the norm was but cooler at least. A week into trapping in the RTL and the bears were at it again. One trap and beaver were gone, the anchor tree having a spot where the cable had cut a half inch into the wood from the bear pulling. That was however the last beaver trap that they got off me although they did take a 120 Savageau from a mink box as well. Not sure if anything was in it but I think not. Maybe one of my bear hunters will get a bear this spring with my trap on its foot.

So as to my conclusions about these new Magnum traps, they are so efficient at dispatching the animals that a large percentage of the beaver do not fight enough to get into deeper water and so were easy picking for the bears. And after awhile, I believe that the bears were just following my tracks and pulling the traps out by the cable. So at the end of the fall season I had lost 18 beaver, 10 Savageaus and 3 Belisles. Total value of approximately 700 dollars. I guess I will give this round to the bears.... but come spring payback is going to be a bitch.

FUN WITH BILL AND DON

You know there are people in your life that think the same way you do, maybe act the same way you do, or just generally when you are together it seems to just be a lot more fun to be alive.

Well, my two buddies from Ontario were just those kinds of guys. Many, many days and nights out in the trapping cabins, or in the bars, or at the conventions in North Bay were just a string of memories that will stick with me forever.

I first met Bill when I worked in the Green Gables Hotel serving drinks in the bar to get some cash before flying into my first trapline on Hiawatha Lake. Bill walked up to the bar and said, Hey, I hear you are a trapper?

We chatted a bit about my planned trip into the bush but since it was going to be in a few days I only talked to him a couple of times before I left. Upon my return, having been alone in the bush for two months, I started back in the bar part-time to raise some cash to be able to buy a snowmobile and so got to know Bill and his trapping partner Don pretty good. They had a line just out of town about ten miles so when I was not in the bush or working, I would go out and run their lines with them.

Bill had a habit of having animals come back to life around him. One time we had gone down a short trail and he