Beaver Trapping

[KS_Dog_Caller]

I would like some advice on trapping beavers. I'm needing to trap some nuisance animals around a pond and I've never set beaver sets before. It sounds like runs and den entrances are the best places for a set, under water of course. I plan on using a 330 conabear. Any helpful tips for a beginning trapper would be useful. Thanks.

 

[Jeff Erwin]

the best advise anyone can give you is be VERY CAREFUL WHEN USING 330'S they bite hard and it hurts /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

now for the beaver part. dont set the den entrances til last, or you will spook the beaver and wont catch any of them, other then the first one. personally I stay away from the den at all cost. find the feed beds and set the channels going to to them or the holes themselfs. you can also use a castor mound set on the bank and use a 330 with it, all you have to do is: make your castor mound then take to bushy branches and spear them in the bank about a foot above waterlevel, so they hang out in the water, (use dead branches for this) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif leaving a space big enough for the 330 to sit between, also make sure some of the branches are in the water, then lay a branch the size of your arm over the 330 and in the branches, to make a dive pole, the beaver comeing up to check out the castor mound will dive under the pole and into the 330 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif.

the important part about niuance trapping beaver is to hit them fast and hard, and don't spook them or you'll never get them /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

If legal, you can also use snares in the trails coming up the bank where they are cutting trees /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif

 

[trapwv]

I agree with Jeff, when nuisance trapping you have to be careful not to spook them. Stay away from the den entrances and hit them on slides, runs, etc.
I'll also add that I don't like to use castor at first. I've found beaver get shy of it quick if you miss them. I make castor mounds, just don't add castor until I think I have the most of them. You'll be suprised how many beaver can be caught by just making a slide, mud-pie, and add a few cleaned sticks. The visual attraction alone is normally enough without castor especially when damage trapping since you are trapping right on their territory.