THEHAPPYTRAPPERS2.BLOGSPOT.CA

WE HATE TO LOSE OUR FOLLOWERS...... SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN WITH US RIGHT FROM THE FIRST.  But this blog is being archived.   Please take note of the new blog and try to find it. I will send you a link if you will email us at thehappytrappers@gmail.com  I will send you the newest post.  Bookmark that link.  Some people are having trouble changing to the new blog and I am really sorry for the inconvenience. 
THEHAPPYTRAPPERS2.BLOGSPOT.CA     OR The Happy Trappers Sixth Year
This is not the Subcription blog.... just the continuation of our living out here.

Griz, Boat and Quad

Coming back to base camp we had a couple of moments of panic.
Vikki, Hannah and Ishi were in the boat traveling about 70 feet from the shore and Bryan was traveling the trail about 50 feet from the shore on the quad.  We were traveling about the same speed and were paralel.  Vikki turned into a bay and there was a Grizzly on the shore 50 feet ahead.  It took one look and charged into the bush.  Vikki started to yell "There's a Bear coming.  There's a Bear coming".  
Bryan said later that all of a sudden he was aware of Bear tracks in front of him in the snow and as he looked up the trail there was the Bears Butt going like crazy just in front of him.  It stayed on the trail for about 50 ft and then headed up the hill.  

Up the 1000 ft climb in 5 " of Snow Oct 13 with Quad

 The snow started to stay on the ground about 4:30 Friday night.  After 2" of accumulation, Bryan said we'd better start packing up.  We'd been pushing the trail further and so gathered up the hoe, shovels, saws etc and headed back to the temporary camp site.  By 5:30 there was 3".  We had to decide whether to make a run for base camp this late in the day.  It's a 1000 ft climb in the 7 km route but lots of the elevation climb is made in The Long Drop and The Steep Drop.  We were already really tired and so decided to stay were we where taking the chance that it didn't snow all night. 

 Overnight it had snowed another 2".  We waited for mid day and started the trip back up to the mountain lake.  Vikki did not have the courage to drive up The Steep Drop (or two other spots).  Bryan told her to walk up.  It is hard enough just walking up this Drop.  It's in 3 parts and some of it 30 and 40 %.  In the pic above Bryan is in the mid climb of the three.   Below he has just reached the top the the climb.  Vikki was able to drive up the Long Drop..... Bryan came back and said "I'm real proud of you".  Vikki was pretty stressed out.

Bear, Bryan's Back and We're Off again tomorrow

We are seeing only big Boar Grizzly and Black Bear this year.  Not one sow or cub, yearling or teenager.  Bryan's theory is that the Big Boars follow the big Runs of Salmon.  This year the lake here had a big run of Sockeye (over 7,000).  The sows know to stay away or face the conflict.  This is quite a contrast to 2010.  On one evening in late Sept. we counted 21 different groups of sows and cubs.  

 This big Boar Grizzly appeared just a dark.  It has a cinnamon cross bun look.

Alone Vikki reads her Kindle and has pizza warmed up on the top of the working canner.
Late that night she heard loud branches breaking and listened to this noise for about an hour about 70 feet from the cabin.  She finally could see the big Grizzly silhouetted against the lake.  Finally it strolled off and she feel asleep again.
 

 Bryan came back around 4 pm.  While Vikki was waiting on the dock her noticed that the Moose antlers and skull were gone from beside the dock.  Bryan had submerged them there in 3.5 feet of water thinking they'd be safe til he got back and could finish cleaning out the skull.  She told Bryan "that Griz last night stole the antlers and the remains must be over there in the trees."  Bryan went over and found them.  The Grizzly had done a great job of cleaning out the brains, eating off the nose, but the rest was okay.

 We are all heading down to make trail early tomorrow.  Be back late Friday night.  We can't stay too long away because the two little freezers wouldn't stay frozen.

Wolves Still Here on Lake Eating Last of the Sockeye Salmon

 All night long they were vocal.  Sometimes near, sometimes just a hint in the air.  In the morning there was a couple across the narrows.  About every 70 feet they would find something to eat.  Just about all the Sockeye are dead now.  What Vikki thought was still salmon is the large Dolly Varden eating the Salmon eggs.

 Bryan talked to Vikki this morning on the SBX and she mentioned what a argumentative, quarreling Wolf pack this was.  He told her that in the spring the Alpha and Beta pair go off to have pups.  The pack is disbanded.  Off singles, small groups go to spend the summer hunting Moose calves, Bear cubs, Grouse, Rabbits,  Beaver, Mice and Baby Mountain Goats.  Now they are packing up again and forming the pecking order.  In large groups the wolves separate and cover large areas.  When they find something like a moose, they sound the call which brings the pack together to join in the long kill.

207 Fly By

Just a few minutes ago Vikki heard a plane coming low and fast and loud.  She was making a big batch of spagetti sauce but grabbed the Icom VHF Air Band Transceiver IC-A6 and ran out side just in time to see Chris in his 207 fly by low infront of the cabin.  
"Hello"  she said.  
"Hi, how are you?"Chris asked. 
"I'm fine, how are you?"
 "Great" replied Chris. "Is Bryan still down at the Inklin?"
"Yes, he's working hard down there,  thanks for the Fly By"
"See you soon."  and then Chris was gone.
 

Wolf Pack

 Vikki had heard this Wolf pack arrive on the lake at about 3:30 last night.  Their howling woke her up.  There was the usual howling plus one wolf sounded like a nasty gremlin from a horror movie.  Not like any howling wolf sound she had ever heard.  The next morning there they were across the narrows arguing and fighting and really carrying on.  Vikki thinks there were 5 or 6.  These are the big Timber wolves, not the small grey coastal wolf.  It is good that they are on the other side of the lake.  Bee went running up to the cabin door.  Hannah could even hear them and came out on the dock and set quietly.  These wolves were so upset with each other that they paid us no mind.  Also there is courage in numbers as we found out 4 years ago when they stormed our cabins.  If Vikki had done a wolf howl they just more than likely would have swam the 300 feet to check out the intruder.  This is one pack of very confident animals.

Bryan headed down to the Inklin. Bear and snow coming

 On Monday Bryan headed down to the Inklin to work on trail.  He said he'd be gone a week.  We are able to talk to each other twice a day, by the new crystal in our SBX-11 Radio.  The next morning a big fat bear showed up across the narrows.  Vikki thinks it a big Boar Black Bear.  A few nights later a big bear took down the electric fence wire in two places.  This could be the fellow.

Cutting up Moose Meat... Ishi needs a bath

Bryan cut up three of the Moose quarters and Vikki wrapped and froze.  Also Vikki ground up Moose Hamburger (we add a little good moose fat) and froze.  
Ishi got into the dieing Salmon on the lake shore and so got a bath for her efforts. 

The Canadian Jay or Whiskey Jack sure enjoys the meat scraps.  Hannah is still doing okay.  She is in no pain but sure sleeps alot now.

SOUR MOOSE HIDE BAIT FOR TRAPPING

We found this in an old Alaska Trapping book and it works!!!!!
Cut the Moose hide into 2' squares.  Fold the flesh to flesh and roll up.
Put in Plastic bags and then into chicken feed bag or stronger gunnie sack.
Roll it tight to get all the air out.
Store high in trees.... out of reach of Bears... has to be at least 12 ' off the ground.
IT DOESN'T ROT.... IT SOURS.  IT'S THE THICK INSULATION OF THE MOOSE HAIR THAT KEEPS IT FROM ROTTING.
When you're ready to use it in trapping season it smells like sardines and moose.  Not a foul smell but it is strong.
Last year I cut it into quarters and later regretted it when I was trying to cut it up with an axe.  It was like axing a rolled up carpet.  This year it is cut into 15 pieces.

This Post is also on the PAY FOR VIEW BLOG but some of you are having trouble getting on the site.  I am working on it.  

Bull Moose in Yard... plus Magpie and Stellar's Jay return

 Vikki was in the cabin and looked up and out the window a Big Bull Moose was walking over the fence into the yard.  Vikki's remark made Bryan think a Grizzly was in the yard.  We both went scrambling for cameras and Bryan couldn't get his camera to open.  By the time Bryan went outside with a big camera the Bull was outside the fence at the other end thrashing the willow bushes.  Then off he went.

We are pretty sure it's the same pair traveling together.  The Stellar's Jay and the Magpie were both here together again.  Both were familiar with the place we put meat scraps... Just like last winter.