Tiger

[Humptulips]

I received permission from Jack Whitman to repost this picture. I met Jack in person recently. One heck of a nice guy. I have been sending civets to him for some research he is doing so we have been in contact for about a year. The guy has filled about the most incredible trapping bucket list imaginable. I listened to him give a demo on wolf trapping and spent a little time with him afterwards.
His explanation and picture afterwards.

The (short) story behind the photo....

In early 1993 I took some time off from my job in Alaska to trap tigers for a study of said critters in Far Eastern Russia. Trapped a couple (indeed, Humptulips, with foot snares), then migrated to a different area (near the North Korean border in Russia) and began a study on Far Eastern leopards. Caught some leopards, Himalayan bears, brown bears, and miscellaneous other critters. Was over there for a year right after Glasnost and Perestroika, one of very few westerners in that part of Russia at the time. Stayed a year, then back to Alaska. Returned a couple of times after that to hunt (Russian boar, Roe deer, Sika deer) with a couple of the Russians I worked with that had become fast friends. Was a wonderful year. On the other hand, was happy to get back to interior Alaska.

[Watimberghost]

Really cool

[UrbanTrapper]

Legend! 

[blnelson]

It was nice of him to share. Thanks

[Kit Carson]

Wow 

Thank you for sharing

[Trapper John]

   Nice bucket list 

Very Nice Bruce, thanks for sharing
JC   

[DOUBLELUNG]

Very cool, thanks for sharing.  I went to graduate school at the University of Wyoming with John Goodrich, the principal investigator on that study, if you want to read a neat bio https://www.panthera.org/people/john-goodrich-phd.  John is also an excellent outdoorsman, hunter and trapper.  John sent one of our fellow students a track cast from a large male Siberian tiger, it is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen, about 9" x 11".

Some of you I'm sure have read about Bart Schleyer from Wyoming, one of the project's other bear and tiger trappers.  In a very bizarre coincidence, Bart was killed and eaten by a grizzly in the Yukon while he was on a solo archery moose hunting trip.  https://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/mark-t-sullivan/2007/09/last-wild-man

[nwwanderer]

Thank you, reality and perception with predators rarely correlate.  Thirty years later what is the situation with far eastern big cats?

[DOUBLELUNG]

Thank you, reality and perception with predators rarely correlate.  Thirty years later what is the situation with far eastern big cats?

Unfortunately in fairly rapid decline.  Tiger bones are major mojo in Chinese medicine, upwards of $10k is what I've heard quoted for a full set of bones.

[Jeremy S]

Great photo and story.

[Machias]

Wow, very cool!

[pianoman9701]

Very cool stuff. Thanks for sharing it.