The last trip through the Big Springs gate for the 2014 season.  It has been an interesting event trapping so far out on the East line.  I have learned a thing or two about trapping out there and if there was more time I’m sure I would learn even more about it.  The length of the line extends farther than I can see and I just know the majority of the rats are ‘out there’!  Out there where the edge of the ice covers the main flow of water, where the Marti Gras is!

The season closing is a bitter-sweet event and I guess the biggest thing about it is the expense of travel fuel comes to an end…this pleases Winemaker, as it isn’t cheap running a rig that only gets 12 or 13 mpg.  I need a different rig…something that has power enough to pull my hunting trailer, is a pickup with 4 doors and gets 50 mpg….is there such a rig out there for under $5,000?  Only in my dreams.

Yesterday when I pulled into the yard, I got out and immediately noticed I had a very low tire on the trailer.  I had been watching that tire all season and keeping my fingers crossed that it would make it to the end of the season before I had to replace it.  In the shed I have had two replacement tires to put on the trailer that Crock gave me last year and I had procrastinated doing it, so it is my fault the tire didn’t make it to the last day.  So, I had to do some scrambling to get the tires off the trailer and up to Rattler to have them both changed out.  He jumped right on it for me, gave me a deal on the work that was unbelievable (Thank you Rattler) and I had the “new” tires on within an hour.  They aren’t balanced on the rims, but what the heck…it’s a utility trailer.  If I detect problems I’ll take them to some place that can balance them.

So, the tires I had on the trailer were 195 75R 15’s…whatever that means…and the replacement tires are 205 75R 15’s…bigger and wider than the ones that came off.  My spare is on a 14 inch rim, so now I’m looking to get that upgraded to a 15 inch and putting the “good” tire I had Rattler change out on the 15 inch rim when I get one.  As for today, if I have a flat, the trailer will look and act funny with an oversize tire on one side and a 14 inch tire on the other.  I’ll have to drive the slow go way if that happens.

I have been very blessed this trapping season to have made it to the last day with that tire and not had any issues with the vehicles.  When you think about all that could happen with any one of the three (tow rig, trailer, toy) and not to have any issues except the flat yesterday, I have been very lucky and I know that.  Thanks to the powers that be for that!

Well, don’t think that this will be the last story of this season because it won’t be.  There is still a lot of work to be done at home to get the remaining furs ready for the auction.  This will be our first year to ship furs to the auction and I want each of you to ride with us on this journey.  There will be plenty of play-by-play action in this regard.

Out on the line yesterday, I stopped and helped Bob with a couple of this floats that he was pulling.  He has a tough time with their bulkiness and excess water weight.  Floats are great to catch a lot of rats swimming around in deep open water, but when it comes to pulling them, they have soaked up a ton of water and are not a very pleasant tool to pull.  We are thinking about replacing them with some made out of a different, lighter material.  When we get around to experimenting with our idea you can be assured there will be a story printed, with pictures, on our attempt.

Well, while helping Bob with the floats, he offered a “beer bet” and for the sake of a beer bet, I took him up on it…my foolishness, just for the sake of a beer bet.  The bet:  Bob, “I’ll bet you a beer I catch more rats than you tomorrow”!  Me, “Ok”!

I know I don’t have a ghost of a chance to win that and so I have already kissed the 25 ounce beer that he gave me the other day for my “win” and am prepared to give it back to him tonight when we are taking care of the rats from today and yesterday in the shed.  I tried to talk him out of the bet last night buy he wouldn’t have anything to do with that….a bet made is a bet made….and remember “It’s better to be ‘owed’ then screwed out of it”!

Todays weather is going to be somewhat windy but otherwise warm and dry, highs expected in the mid to upper 50’s…it will be nice and what better day for pulling the last of the traps.

I don’t expect to catch any rats today and so it will be a trap pulling day with the fuel expense all coming out of the pocket.  It’s worth it just to be out there in the field.

Bears Butt

March 15, 2014 (“Et to Brute, Beware the ides of March”)

P.M. REPORT

They said it was going to be nice weather today, what they didn’t say was it wouldn’t quit blowing until after noon!  And it was pretty cold to boot!

I arrived at the trapping spot about 9:15 and unloaded.  I doubled up on my rain coats for the wind protection and headed for the far end of the line.  By pulling traps from the last trap towards the first trap it makes the burden a lot easier.  About half way through the line I came to a spot where I drive around a pretty big expanse of toolies and wet ground.  Earlier in the week I had driven over the wet ground without any problems and so I thought I’d save myself about 5 minutes by cutting across it this time.  The problem was the ground had thawed out during the week and I mean thawed out BIG TIME!  I felt the tires sinking but I didn’t think I had that far to go to get across and so I gunned it!  The tires spun and down I went!  Clear up to the running boards!  I was hung and being hung in a condition like this was not a good thing.

Nearby was what was left of an old corral and so I slogged my way over to it and brought back some boards and logs, thinking I could lay them down across the treads and get myself un-stuck.  I tried and tried and only got into the mire deeper and deeper.  There was no way I could get out without help!  HELP!

I looked toward the truck, hoping to see a knight in shining armor coming my way…had I been a princess I’m certain I would have seen one, but in my case, I felt like the ugly toad with nothing to look forward to but the wart on the witches chin to look at.  I had to walk.  It was close to a mile back to the truck, so I grabbed my hydration pack and began my saunter.  Et To Butt/e.  It took me quite awhile to get back and in the meanwhile I had a good long talk to myself about being stupid.  Trying to save a couple of minutes now will cost me the rest of the day.  And what if everyone has plans, I’ll have to come back tomorrow.  Butt, you are the most stupid, ignorant, lazy, good for nothing, dumb, think you know everything, butt wipe in the whole wide world!  Of course I can’t tell you everything I said to myself while I walked that mile back to the truck, nor can I tell you everything that was said while I drove down the road to get cell phone service to make my first call.

I got hold of Weasel and he was more than happy to drop all his plans and come to the aid of his dad.  After all, what’s the difference between making $1,000 programming or getting muddy and pushing his stupid dads toy out of the bog that he shouldn’t have been playing in in the first place?

I then continued toward home and called Wapiti…He too dropped everything he had planned the rest of the day in order to put on his hip boots and come play in the mud with me and Weasel.  What better to do on a lovely Spring day?  Drink beer and have a picnic?  Heck no!  Let’s go get muddy and mucky and break stuff because of a dummie like Butt who likes to get his rig buried in mud up to the bottom of the seat!  Sure, I’ll be glad to help your out!

More on all of this tomorrow.

We did get the rig unstuck and I did get my traps pulled.  That should suffice.

What did I catch?  Heck!  I expected ZERO…instead I caught 3!!!!  Wooppiiiieeee!

The down side is Bob caught 5….there goes that 25 ouncer!

Bears Butt