The snow was falling gently, looking almost out of place in the pre-dawn gloom. I had checked a few raccoon traps and found them empty. The coons, no doubt, had spent the night holed up rather than slopping through the snow. However, as I parked my pickup along a dry creek, I was met with an unmistakable smell the moment I stepped out into the cold. My flashlight confirmed my nose as it lit up a wonderfully furred striped skunk caught in a body grip. The morning was looking a whole lot better.
Fur trapping provides a wonderful opportunity to get into the fields and forests during the winter months. I used to think that, as a bowhunter, I had a firm grasp on the nuances of wildlife in their natural habitats.