The Eagle has landed!  But this doesn’t look like the Space Rover…or does it?

Yesterday was a very long day on the trap line and today will seem like a relaxing day….at least that’s my anticipation.  Yes, there is a lot to do, but not the pressure I felt yesterday.

Today’s goals are to pull the traps on the Trellis line, 68 of them.  I don’t expect to catch many rats from there, maybe 3 at the most.  That line has died out and we did a number on the rats.  When you look at the big picture, until yesterday all the rats we have caught up until then have come off of Pete’s place…450 of them and still counting.  The rats Bob will take for the rest of the trapping season will also come from Pete’s.  My lines will take me off of Pete’s and onto other places.

We have talked and with the swelling of the musk glands and the warmness of the weather, we feel the run is about to over take us.  With that will come the end of the trapping season.  When the run happens, we catch a ton of rats in a hurry and then….nothing…..That is just the way it is.

Changing subjects a little:  I was curious to see what the rats looked like on Nicholas’s place…it’s a small seep from it’s beginning to the end and has been for centuries.  The rats there are all inbred for those many years.  So, will the rats be small or large?  That was my question.  When I pulled the first rat out yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to find it a GIANT!  And so it was with the rest of the rats I caught…the smallest was a Large and one from the mix stretched just slightly larger than 17 1/2 inches and pristine as they come…no bite marks.

I don’t plan on setting any traps today and if you look at the count, I now have over 150 traps out.  One would think I could catch 75 rats right?  Not so.

Today is Saturday, the end of week 3 of trapping.  It was windy and rainy last night and still is today.  90% chance of rain and up to 1/2 inch expected.  What will my line net me?

3 from the Trellis, 10 from the 54 traps I set two days ago on Nicholas’s, 10 from the 27 I set yesterday on Nicholas’s and one from the 13 traps I set at Doris’ pond…24 rats today.  Because of the rain and wind I don’t expect to catch any raccoons or skunks.

Bears Butt

March 1, 2014

P.M. REPORT

Oh my heck!  What a rain storm!  I got so wet I could hardly move!  I put on all my rain gear and braved it out…I did get my traps pulled from the Trellis  and to my very much surprised face…I caught 9 rats!  Almost like a mini-run!

Then 0ff to the Promontory Mountain to check the real line.

The rain was pelting down so hard I could hardly see the road.  Crazy rain!

I pulled into the dirt road and started to spin immediately.  I put it into auto 4 wheel drive and barely made it up a slight incline to some ground with grass and solid footing.  The old truck and trailer barely made it.

I got out and prepared myself for “rain”….I put on all my rain stuff…rain pants, rain coat, rain hat, rain glasses, rain boots, rain gloves, rain happy face…did I say it was raining?

Then I took a deep breath and said to myself…well Butt, you’re here, you might as well go check some traps.  It was raining so hard by now I wasn’t sure the toy would even start and when it did, I ventured toward where I knew the first trap was.  What an adventure.  When it was over, I had my left boot half full of water, my right foot was wet and sloshy, but I did manage to catch 17 rats!  With my hat dripping water and my clothes soaking wet I made it back to the truck and fired the muthu up.  I was freezing!

Over to Doris’ pond, I caught 5 rats!!!  FIVE! Crazy huh?

Heading home I called Weasel to find out if his schedule would allow him to skin rats earlier than 5:30, so that maybe, just maybe we could have an evening with our spouses…He could…At home we started skinning our rats and put up rats from yesterday until about 6:30…perfect!

So the catch for the day!  Me 31, Bob 9, Weasel 1…41 rat day!

And look at this!

Too bad the hunters were on the other side of the road!  HAHAHAHAHA!

Bears Butt