Hey Folks,
OK, here’s a test; What’s going on in this photo? This is a boreal spruce forest setting, winter, and there’s some flagging hanging from the branches, and a Compact Disc is hanging in between the flagging. In the middle of the woods, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska. Anyone?
Here’s a closer look.
Cheers
Carl
Gotta be a cache of some sort. One assumes that trapping is illegal in the Natl Park.
russell
Hey Carl,
I’d say this is probably a geo-cache location – unless it’s a Britney Spears CD, then some sap is just trying to torture wildlife and should be institutionalized. 🙂
Hey Folks,
Sorry, nope, no cache of any kind.
This a set for a lynx trap. Unlike most parks, Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve allows trapping and hunting within its boundaries. Regular folks can get a permit to hunt and trap within the Preserve boundary, and a certain number of local permits are also granted for folks to hunt and trap in the Park, under subsistence regulations.
The flagging marks where the set is, and makes it easier for the trapper to find his trap sets. The CD (a blank CD apparently, not a Britney album, Pete) is a lure, basically something that might catch a lynx’ eye, and draw him near. From what I’m told, so far 30 lynx have been trapped in the north side of the park this year, I’m not sure how many off the McCarthy Rd on the south side. In 2 weeks of hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, no shoeing, driving and snow machining, I saw one lynx – ironically enough, trotting along a trail that only a week before had been laden with wolf sets. Beautiful creature, but I didn’t manage to get a photo – it was after dark anyway, and there was almost no light.
Other lures for lynx include baits, such as fish, set under a small covey. I think it’s a shame to trap these animals, when they’re so rarely seen. It’s perfectly legal though, even in Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve. What i did find bothersome, and is NOT legal, is trappers leaving all their crap behind .. flagging, CD’s hanging from trees, beer cans with food and grease inside, and traps strewn around the place. Hopefully they’ll clean this crap up before too long.
Cheers
Carl