By: Bears Butt

Feb. 20th, After two days off from trapping, I headed out and the weather was rather nice and balmy.  I checked my traps and had 13 rats.  Not too bad.  As I finished up checking my traps, a stiff South wind began to blow.  The temp dropped 20 degrees within 30 minutes,  I went to setting more traps down an area I have never trapped before…Distant Fish Springs is what I am calling it….I set 43 traps…that was all I had with me.  It was VERY COLD when I finished at 3:30 p.m.

Tomorrow I am going to pull 35 traps on a line I call, Arrow Head, and put them out on Distant Fish Springs, providing there are places for that many traps.

Back home to skin, Bob had 3 rats and he had already skinned 3 he caught last Saturday.  We have caught 75 rats in the first week I have been trapping and don’t forget the 100 Bob has in his freezer.  A good start to our season.

Written on February 21st, 2012 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

I wish all my visiting friends to know I really appreciate you coming on here and putting up with my foolishness.

Most of you are reading this from Utah, which is understandable, but there are a few others around the nation that are also regular visitors.

So, those from Brookpark, Ohio, Seattle, Washington, Minneapolis, Minn. and Brandon, So. Dakota…thank you all!

Visit often, I may just have a surprise for you one of these days!

Bears Butt

Written on February 20th, 2012 , Uncategorized
By: Bears Butt

Today, Monday Feb. 20, 2012 marks the day of one of the biggest wild fur sales of the year, only beat by the one to be held in May.

Speculators have been predicting Muskrat fur prices to be anywhere upwards of possibly $11!  For us trappers, that is very good news.  Of course at our level, we could not possibly get that price, but we should be able to get somewhere close to a couple of dollars less than that.  A price totally acceptable in my mind.

The first of two runs is currently ongoing in the swamp and those who have the opportunity to be out there will iron in the water ways, should be catching some pretty good numbers of the little critters.

Later, I will post the results of the auction in Canada.  They said they only had 360,000 muskrats in the auction, a number quite substantially below the average.  They usually have near one million rat hides.  What is going on with the trappers?  Are they holding their catches?  Or, are they not trapping them?

Bears Butt

Muskrat sold for $10.19 average!!!!!  That is HUGE!  Bring your big check books Mr. fur buyers!

Written on February 20th, 2012 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

ENTER “The Adventures of Bears Butt and Winemaker”!!  TA DA!!!!

Today we are venturing off in almost unchartered territory.  We are venturing South and traveling along the length of the Wasatch Mountains by the fastest means of public transportation available to date….Front Runner!  From there it will be Trax to our destination in the Sandy section of the SLC valley.

Winemaker has never in all her aged days been on any sort of a train, be it an exception the one at Lagoon.

I, on the other hand,  have been on three trains in my past, and therefore am considered the train expert among our traveling duo.

Wish us luck and good fortune on our adventure and if no more stories/articles or what-have-yous are ever posted on this web site again it will be because of some sort of absurd misfortune that took the duo down.

Until later!  ADOU!

Bears Butt

Later!  We made it!  Frontrunner/Trax…From Ogden to Sandy…A great day.  Met some great folks from up Fielding way…Had a wonderful day…including a nice meal at Macaroni Grill in downtown SLC.

Now it’s home to a cold brew and a movie called Tuskagee Airmen.  The snow is just now beginning to fall, and we are settled in for our evening.

I’ll tell you $13.50 for an all UTA ride pass for up to 4 people is worth it!  I could not have driven to Sandy (9400 South) and back home for that.  Plus it was very relaxing and just had to look out the window and converse with new found folks doing similar things.

Bears Butt

Written on February 18th, 2012 , Uncategorized
By: Bears Butt

Would it be cool or what to own a T-shirt with the Bears Butt Squiggly printed on it and words that said “BearsButt.com”?

Who might order one?

 

Written on February 17th, 2012 , Uncategorized
By: Bears Butt

Man o man do I have my work cut out for me.  I just looked up my statistics for this site and I have only had visitors from 32 of our 50 states.  What is up with the rest of America?  Get on board here!

Alaska?  Anyone?

Hawaii?  Hello!

Nevada?  Come on!  I visit you every year!

Maine?  For heavens sake people.  It’s cold there right now!  Start searching the web!

Written on February 15th, 2012 , Uncategorized
By: Bears Butt

OK.  So here is the deal.  Bob owns all the traps and has them all tagged with his trapper number.  I have a permission slip signed by him allowing me to use his traps in pursuit of the wild fur bearers that inhabit the swamps.  Everything is legal.

He has been trapping since the first of January and including his catch from yesterday, which was 5 rats, he has 99 rats caught, skinned and in the freezer.  In order to keep things simple, and simple is the very best way to keep all things, I “lent” him one of my rats from yesterdays catch, in order to have an even 100 rats in the freezer.  Heck, we are partners in this trapping deal anyway, so why not lend him one of my famous rats.

So, Monday I started trapping for this season and I set 35 traps.  Yesterday I checked those 35 traps and had 19 rats caught!  Not bad for an old guy.  I also had about 5 other traps that were set off, with nothing in them.  I consider yesterdays catch “above average”.

I also, took a few hours and set an additional 35 traps.  So, I have a total of 70 traps out in the field.  Bob has 85 traps out, but about half of them are frozen in about 8 inches of ice…totally unusable, until things thaw out.

We have evidence that the rats are beginning their spring run.  What does that mean?  They are out looking for mates…it’s mating season.  We have seen where the majority of the males have swollen glands which is a good sign of the beginning of the season, and we are seeing some bite marks on some, which means they are fighting.  We don’t like to see the bite marks, but it comes with the trapping season.  If you think about it, almost every male animal in the world fights when it comes to mating season.

And so, throughout this trapping season, I will be updating you on the catches of the day, the interesting things that take place on the trap line and a running total of “ME against BOB” on the catch rate.

Today, we awoke to snow!  YUK.  A rat trappers “not fun” thing to have to deal with.  It lays the toolies down, covers up the flags that mark where the traps are located, and makes you really wet while checking the traps.  Bob has already called and is taking the day off.  I, on the other hand, have a strong desire to catch 100 rats before Monday of next week, and so I am driven to go out into the cold, snowy elements in pursuit of the tricky little rat of the swamp…”The Marshrabbit”!

Until later today!

Bears Butt

Wed., Feb. 15th, 2012

With it snowing as I left the house and headed west, the roads were terrible from West Corinne out to just past Little Mountain.  20 mph and I felt like I was on a skating rink.  Once out at the parking spot, I called Bob and told him to save his gas and don’t try to attempt coming out, it just wasn’t worth it.

Then I donned every bit of warm/dry clothes, coats, gloves etc. that I had with me and headed out to check my 70 traps.  By the time I got the 70th one checked I was soaked to the bone!  Cold, wet and not really feeling all that well.  I passed on setting more traps and headed back to the truck.

Right now I’m recovering from the chill and wet while I wait for Bob to come back from grocery shopping.  And then it will be time to head to the shed and do some skinning/fleshing and stretching of fur….Total count for today…19!

As for that number I again consider it a success, as last night was windy and snowy.  A night that most rats would rather stay huddled in their homes than venture out looking for love or food.

More tomorrow!

Feb. 16…It’s tomorrow already.  The weather looks a whole lot better than yesterday.  Today it’s clear and a bit colder.  I expect a thin layer of ice on the water and am hoping for 12 rats.  12 would give me an even 50 rats in 3 days trapping.  I would love that!

I am expecting to set another line of traps this afternoon.  I would have set them yesterday, but I was cold and totally soaked.  Everything is dry now and I’m ready for a very positive day on the line.  Maybe I’ll take a picture or two.

Later!

Bears Butt

Feb. 17…Had plans to put out another 30 or so traps today, but then we decided to take a little trip tomorrow (Sat.) down to SLC to a show.  So, rather than catch a bunch of rats and have them sitting like dead ducks for the hawks and raccoons I passed on setting more traps until Monday.

Todays catch was not great.  Was breaking 1/2 inch of ice all day, that means last night was very cold.  Only caught 7 rats today and Bob caught none.

No trapping tomorrow or Sunday…next report will be Monday, Feb. 20.

Bears Butt

Written on February 15th, 2012 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

Feb 13, 2012….Let the trapping begin!!!

I have loaded in the truck, 100 conibears, 50 leg holds, 3 colony traps and 5 snares….do I need more?

The toy is gassed, I have loads of clothes in case it gets cold and/or wet.  Boots, rubber gloves, stocking cap, sandwich, water, pistol, bullets….it almost sounds like I’m going for a week.

Move over muskrats, here I come!

Bears Butt

Feb. 2012

Set 35 traps today.  Awesome and beautiful day.  Almost hot outside.

Written on February 13th, 2012 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

Written on February 12th, 2012 , Jokes I like!
By: Bears Butt

 

I have a friend who likes to deal with whatever he thinks might make him a penny, a dime, nickel or whatever.  Making a few cents is what it is all about.  His name is Frank.

An honest man.  A man of integrity.  A man of character (to say the least).  A man who knows what he wants and he works hard at trying to make a few dollars at whatever he is doing.  Always looking for a bargain.  Buy it low and sell it high.  That’s Frank.

When he is buying something, he will never pay what you are asking unless it is absurdly under priced.   If your price is in line with its value, he will talk you down in your asking price until he is happy to buy it.

Almost always smiling and friendly until the deal is made…and then..the deal is made.  It’s his problem or yours.  But either way, he will honor an amount of “guarantee”, be it, once it’s in your truck it’s yours, or I’ll write you a bill of sale and guarantee it for 3 days.  Money back.

Once Frank wanted a new truck…a Ford truck.  He wanted a work truck with no frills.  No floor mats would be fine with him.  It must have a heater, four wheel drive and a radio would be nice.  If you are old enough to remember, the 50’s and 60’s trucks came that way.  Wind down/up windows.  Manual seat adjustments.  AM radio.  The better ones even had a windshield washer that sprayed onto your windshield.

Well , that was the type of truck Frank wanted.  He called around and heard all the B.S. about what each Ford dealer had.  He could order one, but it would come with floor mats,  electric this and electric that.  It would have a radio that could play CD’s etc., 6 speakers, heated outside mirrors etc. etc. etc.

Frank did not want that, and he especially did not want the price they were asking.  He was looking for a ¾ ton Ford truck, 4 wheel drive for around $12,000.  Is that so out of line?  Not to Frank it wasn’t.  But as the years went by and inflation kept driving the lowest price ever so much higher, Frank was falling into the “new truck price, pay it or go away” dilemma.  No dealer was coming down from the price they were asking…none of them!  And so, Frank eventually bought his no frills truck.  I have no idea what he paid, but I’m sure the salesman only made enough to buy his lunch that day.

So, here is Frank and his hobby.  Garage sales!  Storage Bay auctions!  Friends calling and asking him to buy this or that.  Every day, every weekend, all the time…Frank is looking for that ever illusive chest of drawers with the locked bottom drawer full of uncirculated 1943 D pennies.

Recently Frank was at a Garage Sale, and I’m sure he was asking the little old widow lady if she had any sporting goods that wasn’t on display, and hoping her answer would lead to a firearm in mint condition, a few boxes of ammo, a gun case to go with it and at a price far below the $50 Frank had in his wallet.  When suddenly, a lady who was also shopping in the same garage sale, blurted out, “does anyone here have a dryer they want to sell”?

Of course Frank has several dryers in his storage shed  “over on Malvern”.  And he makes arrangements with her to meet up and make a deal.

At Malvern he guarantees her it works, even though he has never plugged it in.  He gives her an “unconditional guarantee for three days”!  Now THAT is a great deal, coming from Frank.  I figure he never really looked her in the eyes, but most likely was looking lower than her chin the whole time.  And he helped load it up in her truck.

A day later she calls him up…”Frank, I just want you to know, this dryer you sold me is awesome!  I love it”!  Frank is delighted to hear it worked and was just what she needed to dry her wet clothes.   She went on to ask him if he could use her old broken one for salvage because it was in her way and she needed to get rid of it.  Of course, Frank is willing to be the hero and take it off her hands.  After all, scrap dryers are getting about $10 at the salvage yard.  Add that to Franks already large haul of cash from the sale of his $2 dryer that he sold her. (These prices are just guesses on my part as I have no idea what salvage value is nor do I know how much Frank paid for his dryer).

So, Frank goes over to her place to pick up the old broken dryer.  Franks wife, June, also goes along for the ride.  She probably suspects this buxom lady might be up to some sort of trick and she needs to help defend Frank from his “old man” thoughts.  Frank is able to load this broken down dryer into the back of his truck.  Whether he had help or not I don’t know, but with a good looking, buxom lady standing close by, a man’s ego can get him to do most anything.

Back over at Malvern, June is sitting in the truck minding her business as Frank pushes the dryer out and onto the ground with a bang!  Frank climbs down from the back of the pickup and suddenly realizes there are a couple of coins laying there on the ground by the dryer.  He picks them up and as he does he sees another coin trying to come out from between the bottom of the dryer and one of the side panels.  He tips the dryer on its side and proceeds to pull the bottom panel off the dryer.  When it is off, his eyes got REALLY WIDE as he peered into the dryer and saw hands full of coins laying there.  Literally hands full and he begins to scoop them up in his double hands and carries them to June.  She lays a newspaper on her lap and Frank dumps the hand full of coins onto the newspaper.  He goes back for another scoop and then another.

Grinning from ear to ear, like I know Frank to do when things are going exceptionally well for him, he almost totally dismantles that dryer to find every one of the coins that had found themselves trapped in there over many years of use.  Yes, a 1960’s vintage clothes dryer…you know…a green one.  Thousands of loads of dried clothes have been put through that dryer and over the years, a coin here and a coin there and suddenly the dryer just can’t do another load.  Did the motor stop because it was worn out or did the coins lodge in the space the drum rolled in and caused it to bind up?  We will never know.

What we do know is that when Frank and June counted up the money that was taken from the bottom of that dryer they had a total of $10.85!!!!  Amazing!

So, there you have the story of Frank and just one of his dealings.  Could this have been his best deal ever?  I think not, but it sure is a heck of a story from a man who tells the cops he is in the salvage business and they tell him he does not fit the mold.

Congratulations Frank!  Good job my friend!

Bears Butt

Feb. 2012

Written on February 12th, 2012 , Just more stories

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BearsButt.com | Stories, Ramblings & Random Stuff From an Old Mountain Man

Just some of my old stories, new stories, and in general what is going on in my life.