The Beaver Flew in Yesterday.... so we're in the greens again!!!!

Finally we could hear it coming.....

George came along for a visit

After staying for a chat they are ready to leave.

Just about forgot to give Chris some eggs....took them out just at the last minute.

A fly by.....

They stayed for a couple of hours..... it was great.  Then after they left I went thru all the boxed.  It was like a second Christmas.......... all the fresh veggies,  piles of newspapers and some mail.  A letter from our good friend Larry with drawings on the envelope.  A book from our dear friend Vic.  Lots of DVD's for next year.  George brought Bryan a case of beer.  Bryan went and checked the Bucket Trail while I stored the stuff.  Then we had a salad and read our books.   Quiet is in store.... after all the chatting.  Boy we were tired.

Snake Skin

Preserving a snake skin .....   split the skin.  rub gently Borax on inside skin.  Pin it down scales up on a long piece of cardboard.  Dry slowly in a dark cool spot (60 to 70 F).  Should be done in 3 days.  Then you can mount it.    This is not a tanned snake skin.   It will be stiff.   Have fun Ken.   We are 2 1/2 km from the line cabin.  Should have trail opened up to that cabin by next week.  We go work on it every third day.
Oh Yeah.....almost forgot to ask ..... was it a Republican or Democrat snake?????  You will have to be more liberal in the application of Borax on the Democrat and if it was a Republican tack the skin on the board face down using large nails.  And you can be thankful you didn't catch it north of the border because I don't know the solution to these ones.

Checking the Inklin Trail

A nice large Weasel

Moose pond east of lake...sun never gets much higher than this now.

It's so easy now..... takes an hour to skidoo the 6 kms down to the Inklin.  Hard to remember it took 3 1/2 years to find a route, make it skidoo-able and than quad-able.  Lots of hard, hard work but we can now enjoy the fruits of our labour.

First nice Marten of the trip

4 squirrels ( brought back 15 today)

no squirrel at end of stretched wire????

fur from remains of squirrel

 A Grizzly Marking Tree

The knob....where Mountain Goats are sometimes seen.

Second nice Martin

Snow laden alder over the trail

Inklin River.... Bryan on Tundra 300

Back just before sunset to the lake

"This is Don Taylor calling the Winter Shed"

A loud clear voice calls "This is 514 and it is precisely 4:00 o'clock on Wednesday January 15. It is -35 right now in Watson Lake." and he gives the weeks forecast.  Then calls the different camps.   
"Scoop Lake, this is 514 calling"
"Hi Don this is Scoop Lake"  " Hi Herb, How's it going"   etc etc etc. "No traffic here"
" Amber Lodge this is 514 calling"   "No response heard"
"Jack Pine this is 514 calling"
" Hi Don, it is -43 here and no sun"  "Hi Dick,  well don't wear out the floor"  "No traffic here".
"Tagish, 514"  "Hi Don, it is -29 here and snowing"  Well Al, keep warm and talk to you tomorrow"  "No traffic"
"Green River, 514 calling.    Hi Don, no real snow here yet."  " Well are you still using the quad?"
 "Teslee, 514 calling.   "No response heard"
 "Beaver Crow, 514 calling.  "No response heard"
"Little Jimmy, 514 calling.  "No response heard"
"Cromody Lodge, 514 calling."  "Well, a big good evening to you Don"  " Thanks, hows it going there Dave?
"Kolla Tan Tan, 514 calling." " Don, this is Kolla Tan Tan"  " Hi Sharon, how's it your way?"  "It's my day at home, and everything is good here.  Thanks for the call"  "No traffic here"
" King Salmon, 514 calling"  " King Salmon here"  "Hi Bryan, you get more snow yet?"  "Still only 8". 
"Peace River, 514 calling"  "Hi Don"  "Hi Angelica,  etc , etc, etc."
"Cabin Creek, 514 calling"  "Good evening Don"  "Hi Bill, is everything okay your way?" etc etc etc.
"Thomas River, 514 calling"  " Thomas River here"  "Hi Guy, any traffic?"  "No traffic here, Don. Thanks for the call"  "Talk to you tomorrow.
"567, 514 calling"  " Hi Don"  "Well how's Overflow Bob tonight"  etc etc etc.
"Rose Lake, this is 514"  no response heard
"Is there any station that I haven't called?  "  " Hi Don it's Larson Portable" " Well, hi Martin,  how's it your way" etc etc etc.
"The Winter shed is now over"  "Goodnight"

THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF THE NIGHTLY SERVICE DON TAYLOR OUT OF WATSON LAKE, YUKON HAS PROVIDED FOR MANY YEARS TO REMOTE TRAPPERS AND OTHERS OUT IN THE BUSH.  "ON SHED" used to be at 7 pm each night from Oct thru to spring but because of poor reception it was moved to 4 pm.  For some of these trappers it is the only voice they hear for months and months.  It is also a big safety net because everyone knows when someone has not been on the SBX for many days.  Over the years Don has saved several lives.  At the end of the "On Shed" the radio is busy with chatting.  It is like going to the coffee shop.  If you have an SBX and are out..... sign on.  Crystal 4441

Wolf Population Control.... Is it necessary????

Two Large Wolves right on the ass of a Moose

To conserve energy the wolf tries to stay in the made footprints.

Two days ago we noticed fresh track 100 ' out on the lake.  There you could see one wolf headed off the moose and forced it back off the lake... the tracks went just behind our fence then out on the lake again.  You could see by the tracks that every time the moose tried to make a stand the two large wolves were biting at it's back legs to keep it running...  There was no blood .... just hairs so the chase had just started. Now even days later we are still discussing if they have killed that moose yet. Even at night you find yourself going thru the last days of that moose.
We believe we encountered these two wolf tracks 12 days ago 3 km east of us.  At that time they were working the hillside like a grid pattern, trying to flush out a moose, grouse or rabbit.... but they were full.  You can tell full wolves when they don't want to investigate your marten boxes.
We watch a lot of BBC Earth dvd's narrated by David Attenborough.  (Life) (Nature's Most Amazing Events) (Blue Planet).....plus all the rest.  They show the kill.  It is hard to watch but it is nature.  But the pack of Lions attacks that zebra, or ostridge and goes for the jugular and the prey is dead within minutes.  A wolf can not kill a moose outright.... it has to bleed it, try to tear out it's asshole and pull the intestines out.Wolves do not go near the front or they get killed or maned badly.  First they keep it running,,, and running and running until it is tired.  Then they take a bite out of the back end...and another bit.  It takes 4 days at least of torture... 
There is a good article    by John Thompson   in the Yukon News.  go to   /http://yukon-news.com/news/21266/   about Bob Hayes opinion on trying to control wolf populations.  His book is called Wolves of the Yukon and we are looking forward to reading it.
Here is our point that no one has commented on.  WOLVES CAN OUT MULTIPLY UNGULATES BY A RATIO OF AT LEAST 3 TO 1.  We agree with Bob Hayes that large scale wolf culling, done periodically, is not the answer.  It may even cause greater fluctuations in predator-prey populations than if left unattended.  Small scale trapping and shooting of large predators, does work, if it is ongoing.  We are totally against using aircraft or vehicles to shoot from to kill any kind of animal.  Poison is even worse. 

Overflow.... Understanding It and our way of getting out

Understanding your enemy is the easiest way to defeat them. 
3 Factors cause overflow....sometimes all 3 at once.  After the ice forms... snow load, thickening of the ice and creeks flowing into the lake.  All cause pressurization much like hydraulic pumps forcing the water to find escape routes.
When the ice first forms on the lake it expands and cracks.... then at the intersections of these cracks are the usual blow outs but there can be others (springs & currents).  This all results in a layer of water on top of the ice that may not freeze for weeks, it there's enough snow insulating it.  Usually the farther from shore and the closer to one of these blowouts the deeper the water on top of the ice.  (1" to 12").
Now why does this become a problem for skidoo's....??????   The water in the snow on top of the ice melts a thin layer of the surface of the ice causing the ice to become super slippery.  The snow and slush between your track and the ice surface doesn't have enough lateral stability to allow your track to propel your machine.
SOLUTIONS.....   Take the long route... instead of crossing that lake or pond.... if you can and if your machine can handle the deep powder on shore (the ice is hung up on shore and can't allow the water on top.)
SNOWSHOES AND A PLASTIC SCOOP SHOVEL ARE A MUST!!!!!!!
When I have to cross a lake covered by deep snow I walk out with snowshoes on and dig down and see what I'm dealing with.  Also the second rider stays well back.  If there is more than 4" of water, I won't cross.  Attempting to pull a toboggan across will get you stuck almost every time.
WHEN YOU GET STUCK BY YOURSELF.....with a light machine.
FIRST ROUTE.... If you can roll your machine over and back by yourself.... pack an area beside it and throwing snow and trampling it down by snowshoe.  Roll the machine on it's side onto the platform.  Clean out the undercarriage.  Shovel a whole bunch of snow and pack another platform where the skidoo was stuck.  Now pack a trail in front of the skidoo with your snowshoes.  Usually 50 ft.  Let the trail set up if it's cold enough.  The more you walk on it the better it sets up.  If you're strong enough and you can turn your skidoo around that becomes an option.
800 SKANDIC SUPER WIDE TRACK ( weighs 900 lbs plus snow/slush in track)
WHAT DO YOU DO!!!!!!
You cut some long poles (green poles with bark plus 1" branches) no more than 3" thick and as long as possible.  Dig the whole machine out and dig out behind the track.   Pack a tapered ramp behind the machine.... poke these long poles (2 or 3 of them) small end first under the end of the track.  Then back your machine up on this.  STAND BESIDE the machine and push the machine back while using reverse.  GO SLOW.....DON'T REV it up or it will spit the poles out.  At least now your up and out and not froze in.
DON'T LEAVE YOUR MACHINE TIL THE NEXT DAY OR YOU'LL BE USING AN AXE TO CHOP THE SKIDOO OUT.
550 TUNDRA    use the first way mentioned.
800     4 STROKE   If you have two good men you have to roll the skidoo over quickly and do it all within 5 minutes.... the quicker the better or you risk engine hydraulicking.  The oil in the crank case leaks thru the valu system and into your cylinder fowling you plug and preventing the engine from turning over.
2 STROKE   In a 2 stroke there is not a problem in laying it on it's side for half an hour and they won't hydraulic.  Don't leave it on it's side for a day because it may flood your fuel system.  The longer you leave it on it's side the more you risk it flooding it's fuel system.  15 minutes is usually not a problem.
It is a good idea to always have a rubber hammer, axe and chainsaw along with the snowshoes and shovel.

Spring is Coming..... It is only -22. C

Gen is on a trowley from Canadian Tire.

 The generator and the water pump are up by the wood stove... We've gone back to when we first came here....buckets of water everywhere...and water is heated on the wood stove for doing dishes.

 We did 200 meters on Walkers Trail today... we are only 4 1/2 to 5 km from the line cabin.   this pic is of us leaving.  It you had seem the same pic when we got back .... it would have been alot different... but I was far too frozen to stop and take a pic.  My left cheek was telling me I had frostbite. 

 This is a nice 34 lb male Wolverine.  We followed it's trail along our skidoo path past 2 feed stations ( this is where the wolf meat, squirrel meat, martin meat lies for feeding the eagles, Ravins and Canadian Jays)  It circled the meat but kept going on our trail along the lake... where finally the wolverine went into one of the trap boxes.

At night we are listening to the radio.... We tried CNN but they have gotten ridiculous... talking about silly stuff.  It has turned into a gossip station.  We turned to the CBC North and listened to an hour on a Moslim women  and her childhood. She is guarded by every nations police force because she is telling how she grew up.  She has written "Nomad" and "Infidel".  A very interesting woman.   Well worth the listening to. 

Art... we really  enjoy your comments.  The wolves were about 75lbs.  These were not the dominate pair or main group.   Just the followers of a big pack.  The big pack came again but didn't go into the snare spots.  They went to where we had piled a lot of dead squirrels.  We are heading down to the Inklin tomorrow to see if they came back.  Re: the rock.  We tried a 5 gal pale of rocks last year and it did work.

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS

It takes all your wits, knowledge and endurance.....when the temperatures drop.  Tempers flair, there is a lot of  "Next year it will be different"....."We will do this outside"  We will do this down in the crawl space".
A lot of wood is burnt because you can't turn the stove down.  Someone has to stay up ..... because the wood stove is on high....   Candles are put under the water pump.....anything helps...    You watch the cat as it nears the candles....  but you've put them in pots that won't tip over.  There is little sleep for the one that isn't skinning wolves. 
This morning it was -37 .C.  and it stayed that way all day.  Down in the crawl space it was plus 2 at 5 am early this morning but then Vikki finally fell asleep on the floor by the door... the only cool spot in the cabin.  (The sleeping loft is upstairs shut off from the heat).  Vikki was awoken because her feet were starting to get cold.... "For goodness sake... there are only embers in the wood stove"....quick,,,, quick before Bryan wakes up....get the fire going again!!!!!!  ( Bryan had been skinning wolves all day yesterday til 12:30 am last night.) Took us til 6 tonight to get the water system running again.   Tonight Bryan is taking the water pump apart and bringing it up onto the cabin floor.  Not an easy thing to do.  Vikki is heading to bed at 9 pm.  At 12:30 a.m. it is her turn again, once again to make sure the cabin is safe overnight.  
Note ..... Watson Lake, Yukon   200 miles NE of us recorded the coldest temps in Canada last night. 
Note..... On the SBX this morning.... we heard Dick from Jack Pine saying "  I'll be wearing out the floor with all my pacing.... it was -44 there this morning..... he is located 200 miles northeast of Watson Lake.
Note..... The Beaver Bush plane was going to come in here yesterday but that got cancelled until warmer weather.

Thawing out the frozen water pipes

6" Stove pipe goes down thur the floor into crawl space.

 Two nights ago high winds (80k) double-drafted our Blaze King Wood stove during the night and it burnt out all the wood, some what like blowing over an open fire.  We woke up to a cold cabin and frozen water lines.  Now this usually doesn't happen until it is -35 . C.  but here it was only -21 and all frozen up.  The old timers used to use a damper half way up the stove pipe but it has it's draw backs.... hard to clean the stove pipe and also a major cause of cabin fires.

Hair dryer lying at bottom of pic is used to heat the small pump areas

Mr Heater Portable Buddy

There is a 6" duct fan in this pipe which runs anytime the generator is on.

 The system we have now for heating the crawl space is some 6" stove pipe installed right beside the Blaze King going down into the crawl space and going out alone the floor towards the water pump area.  There is a 6" duct fan in the pipe downstairs which comes on every time the generator runs.  It draws the hot air from the stove area down into the crawlspace where our veggies, supplies and water system are located.  Even with it running each night for a few hours the crawl space hovers around 1 to 3.c. 
When the water system freezes up it requires the use of the hairdryer and also the Mr Heater Portable Buddy (uses 1 lb propane bottles and there is an adapter that is available for 20 lbs..... on our shopping list).  Takes an hour or two. 
This summer we are thinking about putting in floor pipe down around the 4' area around the perimeter and make up a water jacket for the Blaze King wood stove.  We'd put the potatoes, carrots etc in the middle of the room.  We are also going to buy more 6" stove pipe so that the pipe beside the stove goes right up to the ceiling where most of the hot air is.  then we might have to install another fan if the draw isn't enough.
The lack of snow for insulation around the bottom of the cabin is hurting us this year also.  We only have 1 foot of snow here at 1500 ft elevation when at this time last year we had 6'.  Up in the hi valleys there is 4' instead of 12'.

The Sun Will Still Shine.....but get ready to stock up

Soon  we will see a lot more of this beautiful sun. 

Start buying your basic food supplies now, plant the biggest garden ever, start to garden!!!!!!!
Buy dried beans, grains, oats, dried fruit, nuts, molasses, brown sugar etc etc etc.  One of the world largest recognised investment research companies in the world has presented it's own option that within the next 365 days the US dollar will be disconnected from the price of a barrel of fuel.....causing food shortages and large price increase, ........  causing riots in urban areas.  They are advising getting 6 months food and water put aside down in the States.  Up here in the great white north we have gotten used to getting veggies, fruits etc for the US.  But you had better start to think about if that changed quickly.  We are.   It is a long read but well worth the hour.   Look up Stansberry and Associates Investment  .... the video is at the top of the page  Subject    The Most Important Day in America in 50 years.    
This is not the end of the world ...... Our good friends down south will work it out..... but in the mean time put some supplies away.

Wolfing

Wolfing is a tough proposition for trappers.  A huge amount of work for small monetary gain.  In the last 4 years we didn't bother with them.  We've watched the Moose and Mountain Goat population decline rapidly.  We are centered on a 4 thousand square mile trapline area where no guide outfitter is working or no other trapper is allowed to operate .  There are no roads and we have never seen any sign of resident hunters.  We've also seen the size of the wolf packs increase dramatically , as we cut their tracks on our trapline trails. 
We love to see wolves and occasionally hear them (they are very seldom vocal).    BUT we also love to see Moose, Mountain Goats, Grizzlies, Wolverine, Lynx, Beaver and Grouse.   A wolf pack takes down a moose about every 4 days.... and they kill for sport .... leaving lots of kills on their way.  This is good for the small animals.... but for every one pound of moose meat out there .... there is more than 50 pounds of mice and voles, the feed of most small animals.
In the four years we have been out here we have only harvested one moose and we will never shot a Mountain Goat here.
We feel it is our duty to try to control the growth of the packs of wolves in our area. 
We feel we are far more bambi lovers than the average greenie who protests too much or criticize without any hands on knowledge.
These wolves were taken with Marty Senneker power snares on 1/16th cable with break a way devices ..... involves a triggered spring and a toothed camlock.  All died within seconds with no evidence of struggling.... guide sticks still up....  no circling. 
In a very few years from now we would have almost no moose, goats, and see very few wolf tracks in the snow.  The mythology of Mother Nature being perfectly balanced if left alone is hogwash.... she swings like a huge pendulum battering many species into oblivion.    example... the west coast salmon stock  could easily be wiped out with a rise in ocean temperatures, low breeding salmon stock, unchecked seals, uncontrolled pollock fishing ( imitation crab and for fish burgers.....the pollock fleet throw out the dead salmon they catch by mistake because it would be added to their quota).... and the overfishing by commercial fisherman..Then the Grizzly will either have to adjust or they will disappear.

The Canadian Environment Ministry and their staff including Conservation Officers are the best in the world....bar none.... at managing Canadian wildlife populations.  Our system is not like any other in the world. 

Breaking Trail to Walker's Valley Line Cabin

TRAIL IS RIGHT AHEAD BUT THERE WAS A LOT MORE SNOW TO COVER STUMPS LAST YEAR

THERE WAS A GOOD FIVE FEET OF MORE SNOW LAST YEAR

SO VIKKI WALKS AHEAD TROMPING DOWN THE SNOW EXPOSING THE WOOD THEN BRYAN CHAINSAWS

IT'S A DARN GOOD WORK OUT FOR US BOTH.  ONLY 4 KM TO GO TO LINE CABIN

YOU HAVE TO KEEP SMILING AND JUST TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME.  WE'LL BE AT THE LINE CABIN BEFORE WE KNOW IT.  WE ARE AVERAGING 2 TO 300 METRES A DAY BUT WE ONLY DO THE WALKER'S LINE EVERY THIRD DAY.

THAT'S THE WAY THE TRAIL SHOULD LOOK

HANNAH IS IMPRESSED WITH THE DAY'S TAKE

FISHER (THAT WE BELIEVE GOT OUR CATS & CHICKENS) PLUS TWO MARTEN, A WEASEL AND 9 SQUIRREL