Trapping wolves in north eastern BC

[tanner]

I want to keep those that trusted me with there money up on what I am doing with it.

Tanner Unruh

[tanner]

January 15
Back on Saturday (13th) I drove to town to put furs on the bus for auction. Part way to town my pickup started surging and dying. Shut off several times, making it especial hard to go through intersections but I made it to the bus depot and sent the furs off to make the Helsinki sale in Finland. Hoping this sale is a good one plus I need the advance dollars. As I made a couple more stops around town the pickup would run fine for a wile then start sputtering and dying again, often with a ticking sound. We just came through some very cold weather (-35&-40C) so figured the fuel might be gelling despite showing good fuel pressure after the fuel filter. So bought some anti gel and dumped in a very healthy dose. Made it home sputtering and surging.
Next day Sunday truck started fine and never gave me any trouble all day. So refueled adding more fuel conditioner in preparation for today
So this morning I packed and loaded to go up to the trapline for the next two days. And the truck starts sputtering and surging again! I started up the highway hopping it would clear up or I would just go anyway. But caution got the better of me so I turned around and drove home. Spent the rest of the day trying to track down the problem including replacing the fuel filter (another trip to town). Still sputtering and ticking. The ticking seems to be coming from the fuel pump, not good!

https://i.imgur.com/3DD2vIw.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jQThnvC.jpg

[tanner]

January 16
Checked a few more things to confirm the problem is probably the injection pump. Then spent the rest of the day taking it out so it can be rebuilt. Not a fun job, I would much rather be hanging cable.

[tanner]

January 17
Sent the injection pump down to Dawson Cr. with my uncle, to be rebuilt.
My Dad was able to take me up the highway and drop me off so I could push my trail in farther and set more snares. We left early enough to get on the trail at daylight. On the way in I found the first wolf catch of the season!
https://i.imgur.com/PSFnN0J.jpg
And the second close by!!
https://i.imgur.com/njv1HjZ.jpg
The one looks like a nice black colour. The other is gray. All 16 wolves last year were varied versions of gray. So that's a nice change.
Spent the remainder of the day breaking trail the rest of the way in too the cabin. I had a little daylight left so looked around some and found wolf sign to set on tomorrow. Capped off a great day hearing a lone wolf howl. He'll just have to wait his turn to catch a ride out:)

[tanner]

January 18
Got lots of good trail snares set out. I am very hopeful we will have something next time the wolves come through. Made it out at dark. Dad came back out to pick me up. A three hour round trip for him.
https://i.imgur.com/yvm5SWB.jpg

[tanner]

January 20
Took yesterday off to chill and do some odd thinks around home
Today checked my wolf sets around home here. No catch or sign this time. Last time they came through the wolves were acting strange. They would stay in the bush and didn't come out to follow my skidoo trail for more than 20 meters at a time, only came out in a couple places. And didn’t go to the bait, despite hitting it hard when I put it out. Hmm, someone may have tipped them off.

[leadpillproductions]

Right on keep it up , what area do you have to trap

[DeepJeep]

very cool tanner. Hope your truck gets fixed up soon.

[Seeker]

"1. BAITS
In the past, due to where I live and access to road kill, my bait was very limited. I had to learn how to get the wolves with little or no bait. This involved following them, getting to know regular routes as opposed to random trails. This took time but eventually started to pay off and I killed a pile of them this way.
LOADS of bait can work. Best time to create bait piles is immediately after bears den up. If you can, it can be beneficial for someone who does NOT SET TRAPS to drop baits for the trapper after a handful of wolves have been whacked. Wolves will smell the culprit who killed their members and register their scent as trouble. When the wolf killer drops more bait, the educated wolves will commonly not go near them due to the 'killer scent' factor. YES, they are this smart. I noted a pack or two doing this with me in the past. One large pile I maintained, the wolves would come down the road and the whole pack would lay down about 100 yards outside my nearest snare. Two wolves would circumnavigate the pile, go back, grab the pack and leave. they never went to the pile once. However, they told me where they felt safe and I zipped the two leaders on their safety trail the 3rd time they came to circle."

From Proguide66

I wonder if this is what you are running into.... Some great pictures. Keep up the great work.

[eric]

Nice to see a fairly close to me trapper on here.
Keep up the good work Tanner.
Very much appreciate your efforts in trying to control these preds.

Eric

[pg83]

Great job so far Tanner, looking forward to your updates!

[Brez]

Good job. What kind of truck to you have? I ahve an F150 and found a faulty or loose fuel pump fuse. bought new one and jammed it in hard and no problems so far. It's fuse 27 on panel on rad.

[guest]

Hats off to you Tanner, I know your run to town ...... Isn't just around the corner. It's a major haul for him guys, parts stores are one every several hundred miles. If that.

So cudos to you, your dedication, your Pops help, your yard work to make things better for all wildlife. Good on ya

[Norwestalta]

Great thread Tanner. Keep it up

[Remsoles]

Giving this thread a bump up, I know Tanner is working hard to catch what he can.
I grew up just down the road from him, (kinda related lol) we started trapping around the same time but we went to different careers as we grew older. Sometimes wish I could still get out trapping as it has it's charm for sure. And I'd love to take out a bunch of wolves! But for now I'll just have to promise to do my best to take out any that I see with my logging truck.

[325]

Good work Tanner!

Guys who hunt the north, open your wallets and help Tanner help YOU!

[cuervosail]

Well done, Tanner. You're hard work is appeciated.

[tanner]

Hey guys, I haven't died, just busy. I will update on Tuesday I got the pickup going, sort of

[Moose63]

Thanks Tanner.

[tanner]

January 23
Borrowed Dad's pickup to go up the highway to set out some marten boxes and check the line.

When trapping in the mountains here most of the trails are on creeks and rivers. The same place the wolves typically travel. This is different from the flat ground closer to Fort Nelson. When putting in these trails I am often following wolf tracks and am watching where they are going trying to get in there head so to speak. Looking for opportunities. It makes sense to me to put in the trail and set it up for wolves first. Then add sets for other animals after in the places that don't interfere with the wolf sets. Marten, wolverine and such are easily called in with bait and lure. And rarely have the caution canines do. So I don't think this method hurts there catch much. And am sure catches more wolves. Wolves are the priority, the other fur helps with the expenses.
January 24
Spent the night in an old cabin on the line. Added some more wolf snares before heading out. On the way out I picked up a marten in one of the traps I'd set yesterday!
https://i.imgur.com/EOaP3Zth.jpg

[tanner]

January 30 & 31
Installed the rebuilt injection pump. And a blown front wheel bearing. Along with a grease and fluid check.
https://i.imgur.com/YS8PC64l.jpg https://i.imgur.com/z58adIyl.jpg

[tanner]

February 1
On the drive up the pickup ran okay with the new pump, but seemed a little off, just not sure what.
Picked up a marten on the way in and got a better look at the wolf tracks this go, do to my past tracks and snow fall. Still no sign of the one wolf left from the first pack. The next pack has two left for sure, no more than four. The third looks like only four, but possibly as many as six.
​https://i.imgur.com/2SoP9ZIl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eFUi3jPl.jpg

[tanner]

February 2 Finished checking the snares, adding a few hear and there. Then broke trail up another creek and set a few more. This creek if probably another pack but am not positive.
Hit some overflow on the way out. It was a good trail all except for this spot, almost knee deep. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the skimmer wasn’t right full of snow! Managed to get on some old trail still froze and dumped the skimmer.
https://i.imgur.com/fyh4qZkl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZM57Xlul.jpg

When I got out to the pickup it wouldn't start! It rolled over fine but wouldn’t fire. I tried priming it, fuel is getting to the pump. Then cracked the injection line to ensure fuel was getting to the injectors, it was. Started to smell raw fuel when rolling it over so figured it’s ether getting too much fuel or the injectors aren’t misting the fuel properly. It is possible when the pump went it put filings or crud in the injectors? I ended up boosting it with my skidoo and eventual it did start.

[tanner]

February 3-4 On an exercise with the Canadian Rangers
February 5 Attended a meeting in FSJ with Dad
February 6 Did some odd tasks around home and went to town. By the time I got back had flu symptoms and by evening was very sick.
February 7 I survived the night and figured I would probably live. So I ventured out and checked the line around home here. This time when I checked, the wolves had visited the bait but didn’t come in the same places as last time so didn’t hit any of my snares this time through. They are also hitting another bait I added a few KM away. Did catch some other fur though, including a very large fisher.
https://i.imgur.com/YTAKzR7l.jpg

[tanner]

"1. BAITS
In the past, due to where I live and access to road kill, my bait was very limited. I had to learn how to get the wolves with little or no bait. This involved following them, getting to know regular routes as opposed to random trails. This took time but eventually started to pay off and I killed a pile of them this way.
LOADS of bait can work. Best time to create bait piles is immediately after bears den up. If you can, it can be beneficial for someone who does NOT SET TRAPS to drop baits for the trapper after a handful of wolves have been whacked. Wolves will smell the culprit who killed their members and register their scent as trouble. When the wolf killer drops more bait, the educated wolves will commonly not go near them due to the 'killer scent' factor. YES, they are this smart. I noted a pack or two doing this with me in the past. One large pile I maintained, the wolves would come down the road and the whole pack would lay down about 100 yards outside my nearest snare. Two wolves would circumnavigate the pile, go back, grab the pack and leave. they never went to the pile once. However, they told me where they felt safe and I zipped the two leaders on their safety trail the 3rd time they came to circle."

From Proguide66

I wonder if this is what you are running into.... Some great pictures. Keep up the great work.

I think it is. However I placed the bait initially and they hit it hard the first time. I added another bait a couple KM away and they are hitting it now too. So that should give me some great opportunities, especially now that the snow is getting deeper. They are just telling me I need to be a little more sneaky.

[Bear Chaser]

Had your glow plugs function checked recently?
My old F350 was giving the same problem. No problem starting when plugged in but little bit cold and good luck.

[crazy ducker]

Or on the f35p there are two solenoids one is a glow plugs and the other is for a heater element in the air intake
awesome job trapping this season

[f350ps]

Try and follow along guys, it's a Dodge, don't hold that against him! Good job Tanner, hope ya keep up the whackin and stackin! :) K

[Thunderstix]

I am really enjoying this thread. My son is trapping up in Fort Nelson, well near Nevis Creek along the Redfern Trail to be more exact, but he lives in Fort Nelson. I get the occasional picture from him.... Wish I still there so I could go with him.

[3g outdoors]

Good work Tanner, There is a pack that's been heading up cabin ck every few weeks, we have pulled a few out but its still a pretty big bunch. Are you in that far yet?, they are due back any day now.

[hellojello74]

I am really enjoying this thread. My son is trapping up in Fort Nelson, well near Nevis Creek along the Redfern Trail to be more exact, but he lives in Fort Nelson. I get the occasional picture from him.... Wish I still there so I could go with him.


Would love to see some progress from there too! Would even like to donate if he would accept.
Used to spend lots of time up there and would like to go back one day.

[Thunderstix]

I will ask for some recent pictures

[tanner]

Hey guys it’s been hard to put words together here. When I start the day I want to get stuff done, not sit and write, and by the end, I am tired and really don’t feel like trying to pull my thoughts together in a coherent format. But I will try to become more disciplined and set aside some time for this writing thing.

Anyway not much to report the last three weeks. A little wolf sign here and there, but not much and not consistent like in the past. There just aren’t many wolves left to catch and with less pack members they need less food, so cover less ground to get it.
We did pick a third one up on Tuesday, however an eagle was on him and had already destroyed the pelt so left him eat his fill.
We are seeing lots more game sign this winter.

[tanner]

https://i.imgur.com/C2UjwZ2l.jpg
February 26
Dad came out to help open some trail and try and get on a new pack of wolves.
Had a few mishaps on the way
https://i.imgur.com/aSGNYIrl.jpg

Sure is nice to have help

https://i.imgur.com/XQf813El.jpg
but made some progress despite being tiered and sore by the end of the day. Backtracked to an old line cabin for the night. We will push the trail down farther and set it up tomorrow

27
Up early. Got some good sets in on the trail we made yesterday and push on a bit farther then headed home.
Picked up five marten and a third wolf! However an eagle was on him and had already destroyed the pelt so we just let him eat his fill.
https://i.imgur.com/euWi6MHl.jpg

[tanner]

Hey folks, an update and something of a wrap up here.
In early March I finally snagged one of the wolves around home here. Unfortunately he chewed off the snare. However at least one neighbor down the road killed one from this pack, so that's good.
And mid March got another one out of the mountains. So that makes four from the mountains.
https://i.imgur.com/u2HxTJDl.jpg
We sure aren’t seeing many out there, only one in this pack, two left in that, and maybe three in those other packs.
And the game numbers we are seeing this winter are very encouraging
https://i.imgur.com/v5wNwZ0l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fDt7bYxl.jpg
So that wraps it up for the mountains this year. We pulled the last of the snares out there on Mar 29-30. The sun is bringing some real heat to bare on those south facing slopes and the snow is leaving fast so spring is coming.

[tanner]

Oh hey, here is a picture of that third wolf after the eagle was on him. Not pretty but everybody has to eat.
https://i.imgur.com/a3KRZZ1l.jpg

[nature girl]

Thanks tanner for taking out some wolves. Much appreciated for all your hard work.