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#22872 - 08/27/15 11:16 PM Marten Boxes
ron finewood Offline
Member

Registered: 03/31/10
Posts: 514
Loc: palmyra, new york
As per Redsnow's suggestion-----lets talk about Marten trapping. I have never tried or caught one. I have an area with an open season [ Fall ], thousands of acres of coniferous trees, tons of Red Squirrels and Snowshoe rabbits, ridges, valleys, creeks/streams/rivers and I think there are Marten there---although I have never seen any sign. I am thinking about some boxes --- on leaning poles or trees--- with beaver meat for bait and a body grip in the box with a cable around the tree---long enough so any catch will touch the ground when caught---as is a rule around here. Can I get any help with this?

Ron

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#22876 - 08/28/15 09:39 AM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
musher Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2376
Loc: Qc.
Your habitat sounds good and so does your method. Set on the ridges near the streams and you should connect if there are any around.

Marten do not leave a lot of sign. Don't be shy about putting in lots of sets. 3 a mile is not too much.

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#22877 - 08/28/15 02:13 PM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
Ric Offline


Registered: 07/22/00
Posts: 3695
Loc: Wellington,OH=USA
Trapped one Marten in my whole life so no expert by a long shot. But letting the catch drop to the ground to furnish mouse like creatures with high quality bedding material sounds problematic. Yes I read the NY regulations, I would figure a way to keep you catch "unsuspended" but off the ground

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#22878 - 08/29/15 10:10 AM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
musher Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2376
Loc: Qc.
The mouse bedding thing is true BUT you have to have the rodents there for it to be a problem. They will do the same thing with any other fur left on the ground. I've had them burrow into fox and beaver.

However, it does seem to happen to marten more often.

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#22879 - 08/29/15 12:16 PM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
ron finewood Offline
Member

Registered: 03/31/10
Posts: 514
Loc: palmyra, new york
I had this conversation a couple years ago with a local DEC Officer, although the subject animal was Fisher, not Marten. I mentioned how the "not fully suspended" rule meant that my intended catch would lay on the earth and be harmed by mice, voles, or what have you. He stated that the rule was a "grey" area in the law and as far as he was concerned, a critter caught in a suitable bodygrip trap, lets say---about 4' above the ground, would be expired moments after the trap fired, so theoretically, I was NOT suspending a live animal by using a short cable for attachment. I am thinking that a different DEC Officer may read the Law differently. Who would know! I do now use 4' long attachment cables.

Ron

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#22881 - 08/29/15 05:00 PM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
Ric Offline


Registered: 07/22/00
Posts: 3695
Loc: Wellington,OH=USA
I don't see anywhere in the regulations that weather the animal is alive or dead is mentioned. So no "gray area" in my opinion.

WLO reading what they want into a statute, regulation,law whatever it is in your case is a large pet peeve with me. These things are written down and codified for a reason.

That being said under the definition of suspension [Suspension: This term applies to animals fully suspended in the air by means of the trap anchoring system (typically a chain, cable or wire). It does not apply to traps set in water or to traps that are directly and firmly attached to an elevated structure, such as a tree.(bold added)]. This could be done with a BG in such a way that you could keep the critter off the ground and still be within the regulation

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#22888 - 08/31/15 11:41 AM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
redsnow Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
I think Ron was more or less asking for a blueprint of a marten box also. You've got the exact dimensions of your trap, still it'd be better if you'd have one to play with, right there in your hands.

I don't have much experience with marten either, I spent about 2 weeks in Wyoming with Tom Krause, on his marten line. At one time, we had 120 traps working, and covered a good bit of ground. Second best vacation of my life!

There are a lot of ways to build a box. But here are a few things to keep in mind. You'll need a place or way to secure your bait, a nail through the bottom will work. Impale your bait on the nail, if a marten would get to the bait, at least it's gotta work for it.

You'll need enough clearance for the traps dog to fire.

The notch for your springs, it'd probably be easiest to cut that grove with a chain saw. You need a little daylight on each side of the springs. Go back and look at the link Musher posted about the Cree Harvest, watch how the man twists the springs up, binding the trap in the box. With a good trap, good springs, it's pretty solid.

(I don't like the way the man has the box tied to that pole, I'll try to work over that video tomorrow.)

But one other thing, if you'd leave your bottom board a little bit long, that will give you a way to nail the box to your tree or pole. You can pre-drill 2 or 3 holes on both ends, and give you an easy way to attach the box. Musher and I talked about this before, you want the box solid, but if a bear comes along, it's best if it just knocks the box off of the tree, but it's still in one piece. A couple little nails will hold it in place.

You'll also need to think about your trigger shape/style.

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#23126 - 11/21/15 05:15 AM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
Talachulitna Jim Offline
Member

Registered: 12/09/00
Posts: 317
Loc: Anchorage, AK
I quit making my own marten boxes when I realized how bulky and heavy they are, even if you haul them on a sled. I went to flower pots and motor route tubes. They're light and a bunch will fit inside each other. I'm not trapping anymore, but here is how I used to do it.

Flower pot set: Find some plastic flowerpots, solid ones, not flimsy, big enough to stick a 120 bodygrip across the opening. Cut two slots, opposite each other, in the rim of the pot, about an inch wide and approximately 1.5 inches deep. This is where your 120 springs will go when the trap is set.

At a ninety-degree angle from a line between the slots, cut two holes in the side at the top of the pot, near the rim, and two holes near the bottom. You will slip annealed trapping wire through these holes to wire the pot to a tree, hanging upside down. In the bottom (now top) of the pot should be two more small holes for wiring your bait inside the pot. I also liked to use a visual attractor, like a bunch of grouse feathers or a strip of fur, beside the bait. Also, a visual attractor that will move in the wind is a good thing to hang outside the set but nearby.

The marten sees the attractor, finds the pot, and gets nailed when he tries to grab the bait. I'd always hang the trap so the marten hung above the ground. Lots of carnivorous shrews out there.

Motor route tube set: These are the boxes you see hanging below mailboxes for newspaper deliveries. They are used exactly like marten boxes. I believe I got mine here: http://www.continentalproducts.com/motor_tubes.php I found that I liked the extra large size better than the regular, mainly because they have a larger opening and will hold a Belisle.

I would bait and wire-up a bunch of these pots and tubes ahead of time, wind the wire around the tube or pot, and stuff them inside each other. When I got to a good set location (usually where I saw marten tracks in the snow), I'd whip out a pot or tube, wire it up, and be on my way. And only have to take my gloves off for half a minute of wiring.

Jim

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#23127 - 11/21/15 11:06 AM Re: Marten Boxes [Re: ron finewood]
ron finewood Offline
Member

Registered: 03/31/10
Posts: 514
Loc: palmyra, new york
Great info, Jim. Thank you very much.

Ron

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