We always store our Wolverine Boxes up on small trees so in the summer the Bears can only swing them round and round. Bryan thought about how to protect the caught Wolverine from shrew and other damage. The set below is a trial set. It has the ordinary coniber in the box but a small cable is attached to one of the arms. Once the Wolverine sets the trap off... the movement of the trap opening up pulls the cable off the headless nail in the tree and allows the log to drop so that the Wolverine in the trap is suspended about 6 feet up in the air. We have thousands of shrews here.
First thing Bryan does when we get back from checking the Line is to put 3 Marten on the top rack with a 1/2" piece of lite coil about 1 1/2 feet below them. He lets them sit in the covered box for 15 minutes and them takes them out and adds the next patch. He does this with squirrels and weasels also. He uses a small pair of wise grips to hold the small piece of mosquito coil.
With Bryan's thumb he pushes out the ears.
Once on the stretcher he uses the two feet as a guide to centering the hide. .
Bryan uses his fingers to first get the feet in position and then with the thick end of the belly stick he makes the feet straight and off to each side just a little so that the pelly stick has room to go up.
The stretcher is pushed up and the mouth positioned around the top of the board.
He uses the two feet to pull so that fur is stretched.
Then he proceeds to pin.
He always brushes against the hair starting at the head and working up.
Insert the belly stick and then tap the stretcher 3 or 4 times on your toe to give the fur loaf.
It just takes a few minutes once you know what you're doing. First Bryan removes cardboard inserts and the pins.
Then he pulls out the belly stick.
Then he turns the nose inside out with his thumbs.
And nose is pushed into mouth.
Then pushed more in with his thumb keeping his left fish closed around the hide.
With the belly stick thick end he slowly pushes the hide inside out. ALWAYS KEEPING HIS FIST TIGHTLY AROUND THE TOP OF THE TURNING HIDE IN A TIGHT CIRCLE. If YOU DO NOT DO THIS RIGHT YOU CAN PUNCTURE THE HIDE.
So the movement is mainly with his left hand that is holding the fur. It releases the fur and moves down and makes another tight circle then he pushes further with the belly stick.
Next he turns the lips
Rough sketches made this morning during coffee.
With body grip type traps, trigger positioning is ALL IMPORTANT. The only time you would put the trigger off to one side and parallel is with a Vertical box (which we prefer).
With a V in the center ....it results in a lot of head neck catches. These Marten can take a long time to die, also a bigger animal such as a Fisher may not get it's head in far enough and escape wounded. (this is with 120 magnums).
When a trap is only 5 " diameter the reach is only 2 1/2" so you prefer your animal further in. The point with body grips is to get the animal in the proper position before the trap goes off.
In my vertical sets, the Marten or the Shrews can not get at my bait. The bait is suspended on a 1/4" screen shelf 4 to 5" above the coniber or trap. This puts the Marten in the perfect strike zone, resulting in neck chest grips. I have watched 2 Marten enter my sets. Both expired quicker than I could walk over the 30'.
When they get up and their head stops against the screen their right foot steps on the trigger. Another Point.... The first thing I do is take off all of the trap fasheners... whether chains or cables and redo them... it doesn't matter which side you pick.... I pick the left for my trap fasheners with the trigger at the back - (so it is the highest point). When you make a set it is always the same and they are all the same length so when you switch out a frozen Marten the next trap is easy to install. AND NEVER TIE IT TO THE BOX. YOU'LL END UP WITH A WOLVERINE OR FOX TAKING THE BOX OFF INTO THE BUSH. We use small dog leash clasps but you can make your own Quick Fasteners of Marten trapping. Use #9 Wire and 1/8" or 3/32" ferrules. The toggle is made from # 9 wire twisted. Bryan said he will make one up so that Vikki can take some pictures.
Bryan was unhappy with the previous design (this arch had been flown in here by a friend) so this summer when we were out he took it apart and reconfigured it.
It work on the same principal but now there are very few moving parts... no pins, no hinges, no locks, nothing that can snap up and break your jaw and now no red paint as danger!!!! One of the biggest change was to switch it over to wheels from skiies. Bryan lengthened the tongue and put a 2 " ball receiver on it. The tongue is a slider/telescopic tongue so that you don't need to position the quad perfect to hook up.
Bryan strenghtened the sides and raised the height of the arch. Now a 16" log can be raised 8" off the ground. He welded some chain link on the outside to accommodate bungee strap or ropes encase he wanted to strap on a box for hauling stuff. Bryan plans on painting it this spring. The tires, wheels and spindles are off the rear of a Volkswagen Rabbit from the Atlin dump. He cut the drums right off to make it lighter.
