Its that time again....

[ctom]

....when we start to see evidence of screeching tires, broken glass and deer carcasses along the roadways. This morning a pretty nice doe was smacked just up the street. I heard the smack from in the house and I am deaf. Today's incident was due to driving way beyond the posted speed limit so the damage done to the car gets no sympathy from me, being a residential area and having a school very close.

The deer that got hit was a definite doa and had basically been gutted on impact. Sure made a mess for all the employees of the Mayo Clinic to see as they passed along headed for work. Still, if you live in this northern part of the country the deer ruts is just beginning to shape up and as fields are picked and  the rut progresses the deer will be out and about at all hours so take care on the roads.

[pjmcla]

Make sure you watch out for the skunks as well.  For some unknown reason, there has been a rash of skunk hits around here.       Sure will make you wash your vehicle several times -- at the car wash.

[ctom]

Lots of them laying dead along the roads right now P. Ma and I caught a whiff of one the other evening while sitting out on the patio.

[Muskygary]

A little skunk smells good this time of year! Most of the furbearers populations are up. With fur prices so low, no one traps anymore. I ran a trapline for over thirty years, really enjoyed it, but now days with the price of gas and low pelt price it's not worth the effort.

[ctom]

And then you have the anti's that are constantly harassing trapper.

Here in Minnesota the bird hunters are trying to get legislation passed to change how conibears are used, even on private property. Always some headache that goes with trapping, much like hunting in general. Then there are the outlaws and trespassers.

A few years ago I got set up on deer opener and at about 11 in the morning two kids about 13-14 came along with some traps and a huge sack of acorns. They went to work setting the traps after wiring them to trees and spread the acorns all around the set. While they were doing this all I heard them talking about catching was wild turkey. Not really leagal and they were in camo on private property. Never once bothered to look up. So after they left I climbed down and snapped the traps and ditched them where I could haul them off the hill that evening. When I got to the car I talked with the land owner and told him about the two and he said he thought he knew them so I road along while he went to talk with their old man. The kids were shooting hoops in the driveway when we pulled in and I recognized them right off. The old man got a bad case of indignation when confronted with the issue so the land owner and I went back to his house and made a call. Come to find out that the dad was sending the boys out to get turkeys because the meat was cheap. Apparently there were like 7 or 8 turkeys in their freezer and of course there were no licenses issues for any of them. That was expensive meat they didn't get to eat.

I agree with you on the cost/benefit of trapping Gary. Its too bad its falling by the wayside. I have some pretty fond memories from when I did some trapping....except for one that involved one of your striped buddies.