With yesterdays posting including the video of how we measured our rat catch and sort them into piles, I made a phone call to one of our potential buyers that lives outside the state. I told him I did him a favor by posting up that video and the entire post which included the pictures of the stacks of various sizes of rats.
Later in the day I received a phone call, but did not hear it come in and so he left a message saying he had been viewing “my emails” and was putting together some prices…he said he would call me back today but no call has come through thus far.
While I was busy doing what I was doing, Bob received a call from another interested buyer, who said he was having dinner with someone of his acquaintance and their discussion would include our rats…he is to come through with a bid on Monday.
So, we see there is quite a bit of interest in our rats and by all rights there should be. 89% Large and bigger is nothing to scoff at.
What a fantastic day…not only was it a gorgeous day weather wise, it was a great day in every way…Late this afternoon I called Weasel to come and help me take down the rats that were still on stretchers in the trapping shed. He came about 4ish. That was a good time because first off it was the warmest part of the day and secondly I had finished what I was doing in the house…readying for paint….
I told Bob we needed to get together for a picture which I plan on sending into the Fur-Fish and Game magazine for their “End of the Line” pictures. I wanted a picture of all the rats sorted by size and all the trappers and helpers in the picture. A great year with lots of help and fun had by all.
Weasel showed up about the time I was talking to Bob, who was working hard on his raspberry patch…no time for taking time off.
And then I took a short video about how the sorting was to be done and how it was going. Of course this is a “You Tube Video” and the whole world will be able to see it…Weasel was most welcome to be the star of the show.
Once the rats were sorted by size, I took several pictures of the piles…literally piles…of rats of various sizes. And just as I suspected the majority of the piles were LARGE or BIGGER!
I threatened to sort out the damage from the non-damage, but because the nicks and bites were so few, I decided not to do that…a total waste of time…we figure we have around 4% damage of some sort or another and any of the graders would sort what I would call “slight damage” as “bad damage” etc. so why waste my time. Yes, I admit we do have some “bad damage”, but the total lot of any sort of bite marks and tears is so minimal it doesn’t matter.
What I like most about this years catch is the size of the critters we caught…over 85% were large and up….You will see from the pictures of the piles.
There are only 7 small rats, that is rats that measure between 9 1/2 and 11 inches from the nose to the hip or saddle of the hide, not the tip of the tail portion. We had no rats the measured under 9 1/2 inches.
Just as the sign says, 76 medium sized rats, 11 to 12 1/2 inches long.
380 rats that are large, 12 1/2 to 14 inches. You might be asking yourself right now “How can a rat measure 12 1/2 and be considered a large when it was the top end of a medium size”? When you look at a 12 1/2 inch rat and are deciding which pile to put it in, medium or large, you have to consider the width as well as the weight of it. After some sorting, and it doesn’t take much, you get a feel for the rat you are holding in your hand and can quickly make your decision. Of course if you are a buyer, which pile do you think you would put it in?
Extra Large…now those are some nice looking rats right there. The sign says 269, but in reality we miscounted and the total is 268…our bad….These rats measure 14 to 15 1/2 inches long. Rats this size can take your leg off if you aren’t careful out in the field.
Extra Extra Large…47 of them guys and they measure 15 1/2 to 17 inches in length…17 inches! Those guys will for sure take a leg if you turn your back and this is the reason we all “pack heat” when we trap. If 47 of them came at a trapper at the same time, you would be reading about his demise in the paper.
And look at these two fellas…Triple Extra Large! In order to be classed in this bracket they have to exceed 17 inches long and these two guys almost go 18 inches! I really think these guys were cross bred with beavers and some how made it out to our trapping area.
When you lump all of this size grading down to numbers, out catch this season was 89% large or bigger rats! 689 out of 780 rats! This catch deserves at least $10 average with today’s prices.
So hear are the guys that made this catch possible…well one guy is missing, Cole, Breks brother. Does this look like a crew that could catch and process 780 rats? YES! From left to right, our Skinner Man, Brek, Bob (sitting), Behind him, none other than Bears Butt himself, Weasel and Wapiti (sitting)…little Abby is by Bobs side as she was the entire trapping season, in the field or at home in the shed. A hearty THANK YOU to Savanna (Georgia) for taking this great picture of the crew and the catch.
Now all the rats have been placed in sacks, marked by quantity and size and are ready to either be sold or frozen…buyers decide.
This is too funny to let slide by and so I have to share it with you.
Background: Bones and Tracker were in Hawaii when the gang all went over to Wendover for the annual fun weekend out there. So, with them not going to be there, Sherry and I decided we would stay home and keep on working on the painting and trapping stuff. It all worked out well for all of us.
Now, Bones wants to go over and have a fun couple of days and we said we would like to go with them if they didn’t mind. Of course more is better right? So, now it’s time to figure out when would be the best time to go over. We all have lots going on what with the farm work, personal lives, on going house chores and the upcoming Youth Turkey hunt etc. Tracker has his work as well and needs at least a weeks lead time to let his boss know he will be gone a couple of days. And so it all goes.
Well, the thing I need to share with you is the email I got this morning and my reply. I don’t know where this will all go, but I will keep you posted on the emails as they come in. Bones and Tracker don’t go on Bears Butt Dot Com, nor do they look at Facebook, so when they find out about me doing this, I will probably not be able to post anything more on Bears Butt Dot Com…broken fingers, arms and such….So here is the email I got this morning:
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Written by Bones:
Clyde and I can go to Wendover this month or the first two weeks of next month with the exception for the last Sunday and Monday of this month. He just needs a week to let his boss know and get things in order.
When do you think you would like to go? We want to go on a Sunday and come back on Monday, rooms are cheaper and our lucky day is Sunday. Just checked the calendar and the second weekend is Mothers Day and I know we can’t go then. Or maybe we just wait and go after CVR sometime in June. But then you guys were planning on going somewhere in June. Let us know when you can go, maybe May 5th!?
The lottery run is April 14 and I think that is when White Trapper’s grandson get blessed and you were going to that. So we will have to think about when we will go for lottery!!!
Holy cow, there is so much going on!!!
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Funny huh? Confusing too I might add.
This is my reply:
Sherry and I can go to Wendover this month, but not the last weekend of the month or the first weekend of next month. She has to work on Mondays, so Sundays are out for us, but any other day except the ones where I have to go on the Youth Turkey Hunts, which includes Thursday before the first weekend of the Youth Turkey Hunt because I am in charge of setting up the camp. So it looks like pretty much any time you want to go.
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I’m sure she is scratching her head as much as I was after reading her email to me. Like I said, I don’t know where this will all go, but I’ll try and keep you posted as the emails come in.
The buyer who was to show up yesterday stiffed us….what is that saying? He thinks we think he is not interested and is playing his game…we will freeze them.
Today I plan on taking all the rats and placing them on a tarp outside, grading them by size and then taking a picture. It’s something I have desired to do since we finished our trapping season. I want everyone involved with the trapping to be in the picture, but I doubt that will happen, especially skinner man Brek and his brother Cole.
The picture will then be submitted to Fur-Fish and Game magazine for their “End of the Trapline” pictures….they might print it…who knows.
I’ll post up the picture on this post when I get it done.
Weasel and I attended a meeting of volunteers for the 3rd annual Guided Youth Turkey Hunt last night. A great bunch of guys showed up for the meeting and it was one of the best meetings I have attended in a long, long time. Assignments were made, lots of voices were heard and some wonderful ideas were batted about. Several changes are being made over last years event and all of them are on a positive note. The volunteers this year will have a lot more free time to get involved with the camp and the hunts.
Most of the guides were on hand for the meeting and they are going to do a site visit this Saturday to get a feel for the land and do a bit of spotting on their own. Like was said, a guide can be a fantastic guide, but if he doesn’t know the country he is hunting in he might as well not be there. This years chosen few youth hunters are in for a wonderful treat…not only to get to hunt on private property that is loaded with turkeys, but to be guided by some of the best guides in Utah. These guys really know their turkey crap…and that is a good thing!
If you have a youth hunter, under age 18, you really need to consider getting into this drawing…$25 p/entry and you can enter as often as you want. And in addition to that, if you don’t have a youth hunter but would like to attend a special turkey hunting seminar, enjoy a meal and listen to a high quality band at the camp site, just plop down $25 and it will be yours for the taking.
Another SUPER deal they are planning for this hunt is that they will choose alternative hunters from those who have entered…Six youth hunters will be chosen from the pool as the ones selected for the hunt…Then Six more names will be drawn as backup or alternative hunters….All 12 will be notified as to their winning/standby status when the drawing is completed (April 15)…As the youth hunters bag their birds, the alternate names will be contacted and told when they need to be at the site to join in on the hunt! HOW ABOUT THAT FOR A WINNING DEAL!!!
This is going to be far better than last years (my first ever at an event like this) and trust me, last years event was so much fun I just had to make it back for this years event! I’m pretty excited about it.
So, I have copied an email that is being circulated and have chosen to put it on here just so you can see this is not just any ordinary event that is going to happen…This one is very special:
UWC members,
The deadline for the 3rd annual turkey camp is April 14th, 2013. The last 2 years have been a great time with many birds harvested and smiles all around. Go to the link below and donate to get your youngsters name in the hat for one of 6 guided turkey hunts. As an added bonus, all entrants and one guest will be invited for no additional charge to our 2013 turkey seminar provided by The International Sportsman’s Expo and Darin Gardner Taxidermy. We will have lunch, live music and award winning taxidermist and turkey guide, Darin Gardner will be on hand to teach turkey hunters both young and old how to be more successful in their turkey hunting adventures. I hope you will join us for a great time on the mountain!
So, let’s not relax just yet. The trapping season is coming to a close, but that does not mean things are going into a depression…quite the contrary. I was able to finish up what I could with the base boards on the new tile…double coat of paint and the caulking all done…there is still more to do, but the tile guy needs to come and finish with his part. In the background another crew is getting prepared to attack the house and lay down some carpet…that is to happen tomorrow…my job now shifts to clearing the way for them to do their job….up against the blue wall everyone! Stand back!
But WHOAAAA! There are some lucky kids that need me to help them bag a wild turkey! Well, I won’t be actually helping them bag the bird, but I will be doing some part to help them enjoy the hunt…and tonight Weasel and I will be attending a meeting to discuss whatever it is we need to discuss with the guys in charge of the event…the United Wildlife Cooperative….If YOU have not joined this group of dedicated people yet…YOU NEED TO! Just go on their web site and sign up! It’s easy, painless and free….what more could you want. Oh, and make a donation to their cause, it won’t be wasted money, it goes toward doing something for our wildlife and our heritage as outdoors men and women.
http://unitedwildlifecooperative.org/
And you don’t have to live in Utah to join them!
I have made up a bunch of “turkey dream catchers” that will be given to the kids who are lucky enough to be drawn for this event.
That looks like enough to give one to everyone…but I’m sorry…There are only enough for the kids, their guardians and the guides…The rest of you will have to make your own.
If there is anything that can catch a dream of bagging a big old tom turkey, these little bad boys should do it!
Earlier I mentioned my next adventure…well this is it! The 2013 Youth Turkey Hunt! If it is anything like it was last year it will be a awesome event!
Yesterday was filled with phone calls and messages….all doing with the rats. With so much discussion one would think we had a gold mine sitting around and in some ways we do….The next buyer to come around will be coming tomorrow (Wednesday)….listening through the phone his eyes are wide…..We are hoping his pockets are deep as well.
The following link takes you to the page that tells the whole story, but I believe this is a very good idea. They are looking into a proposal to re-introduce Grey Prairie Jackalopes into our Federal Parks, beginning in Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
Most of us have seen some of the taxidermy varieties at places we have shopped, but they vary quite a bit from the real thing. There have not been any of the Prairie variety found in the United States since the mid 1700’s, but lately a small group was discovered just across the Canadian Border, north of Central Montana.
Let’s hope they can capture a few breeding pairs and get them started again.
Short and sweet…the trapping season is almost over for this year as the buyers are now beginning to get really interested in purchasing our rats.
One of the buyers came by on Saturday and looked them over…actually, he sat in the shed and looked them over…I took one of the hangers down and he thumbed through them and made his assessment of the lot of them from that sampling. Which is actually all that was needed as the rest of them are just like that 50. Over all, we have a catch that exceeds anything we have caught in the past as far as the size of the rats goes. They are mostly XL size or bigger…sure there are a few mediums and large, but for the most part they average XL.
He did make a comment about what another buyer said…the other buyer was talking to him about our rats and said “they are put up ‘skinny'”! Meaning our stretchers are not as wide as they should be…he came back with “no they aren’t, I gave them some of those stretchers and they are properly sized”…or something to that effect.
This buyer did in fact give us some stretchers a few years back and Bob went through all of the stretchers we have and adjusted them to exactly fit the model shown in the fur handlers booklet that we have hanging in the shed.
So, what happens now?
This buyer I’m talking about did call Bob yesterday morning and gave him a bid on the rats…a way too low bid I might add…and Bob called me to let me know what it was. I commented on the fact that we could always freeze the rats and let them go later…maybe in June if the price came up. Our tasks for today are to contact a few other buyers and let them know we are very interested in a “fair” bid and that we are ready to sell. All the rats hanging are now cured and ready to come down.
Bob has his lot of buyers to call, as do I and that will be something that will happen first thing…once we think they are up and have had their coffee. Oh, and I almost forgot…the buyer who has given us his first bid also wants me to tell one of the buyers I’m to call, to give him a call…sort of confusing huh? Well, if bidder number one (as I’ll call him) wants another buyer to call him about our rats, he must want him to know the quality of our rats, and he also wants him to give us a fair price…that is quite a good thing for him to do for us. It makes sense to me that if we have the quality of rats that we know we have, we should get top dollar for them.
The way I see it, if a buyer ends up with our rats, they could take them, grade them and put them with the token other rats they may have bought from other trappers that equal ours, to create a “top grade, top quality” shipment and send them off to auction. And then take the rest of what they have and send them in a different shipment…the top lot will net them substantially more than the “run of the mill” shipment to follow and any loss of money from the second shipment will be greatly offset by the top lot they first shipped. Well, that’s my take on it anyway.
Another way to think of it is our own undoing perhaps. Maybe with this years high grade of big rats, we might be better off if the buyers graded them…it’s sort of a catch 22 situation. We do have some very large rats in the mix. Some that exceed 18 inches in length with the majority of the rats exceeding 15 inches…I have said I would like a picture of them graded by size laying on the tarp and everyone who has been involved this year in the picture (buyers excluded). The picture would show a very very small stack of under 15 inches, and a very small stack of over 17 inches and the rest would be in the middle in a huge stack with Conner, Weasel, Bob, Brek, Cole, Wapiti and I in the background….A cool picture for sure….especially if I was in focus.
Utah Fishing Reports
