Last week was our final week of the trapping season, and despite spending nearly all of our time rotating shifts in blinds at various rocket net locations, we did not manage to catch any more deer.
There was one moment when we came very close, but luck was not on our side. The net was fired on two does, but they somehow managed to escape by the time our crew made it down to the net. While we all were frustrated and disappointed, we had high hopes for our next try.
The camera at this site had shown deer making an appearance every single day at various times, so we were very confident in our chance to catch them again. Unfortunately, that chance never came. The deer never returned while we sat in the blind. Our only company was about a dozen turkeys, who gave us quite an entertaining show—strutting, fighting, etc.
As for our Clover traps, we shut them all down after the ground thawed and we discovered how easily the stakes holding the traps in place could be removed. Oh, and then there’s the fact that we unintentionally trapped a bear, which ate all of our corn before tearing his way out of the trap’s netting. We were disappointed not to get a glimpse of the bear but also relieved that we didn’t have to find a way to get it out of the trap.
So, with all of that, I am sad to say that our deer trapping season has come to a close. Wrestling deer has been an incredible and wonderfully fun experience. I learned a lot from this job and gained a significant amount of confidence as far as my physical capabilities are concerned, and I wish the future winter crews luck. It’s not an easy job!”
-Kelsey Wellington, Field Tech
Northern Field Crew
If you would like to receive email alerts of new blog posts, subscribe here.
And Follow us on Twitter @WTDresearch
