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A little ridealong #1995461
05/16/10 07:57 PM
05/16/10 07:57 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 715
north Mississippi
M
Marty Harmon Offline OP
trapper
Marty Harmon  Offline OP
trapper
M

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 715
north Mississippi
It was almost too late for this one but I think I've found enough to make it interesting for some. I got a call for a job two counties over. It is 50.2 miles to the entrance of the property. I arrived a week after one of the biggest rains I can remember. The whole area was flooded. The man let me ride his four wheeler into the area on the raised road. After informing me not to go off to the right, " a creek that would send me swimming," I entered.

This place is in the delta, the road bed was the highest place anywhere around. I found this lodge built onto the roadbed. The owner said it wasn't there in January.


Most of the front of the lodge was under-water. I made four sets around it as it was the only place I could find. I caught five beaver there. Two large males the first night. Two above medium males the second check. One small beaver the third check. The water level was steadily going down and after it exposed the top of the dam I made a small cut and continued lowering it. The animals really started showing up and the top of the dam became a their highway. I saw unbelievable amounts of coon tracks, two bobcat tracks, and a coyote. The bobcat covered one of the dead beaver at the place I carried the carcasses to.


I don't have a blasters permit so I'll show how I cut a five foot gap in the very old dam. These are the types that give me trouble with the Tater Rake. Lots of sticks woven into the mud. I use the Sharp-shooter that I made a handle for after the original broke. It is 1 inch rebar with the same welded at the top for the handle. It is heavy enough to slice through most of the sticks, allowing for a much easier removeal. I sliced two rows at a time the width of the dam, then use the Tater rake to pull the rows into the current. The current helps clear out the cut up chunks and mud.


After using the spade to cut the roots and move deeper into the dam.

I cut a five foot gap through the dam in about thirty minutes. I probably took two 5 minute breaks during that time..LOL I'm getting old. I charged $40. for the cut that the blaster would have charged $75. for. I made a nice wage for my time and saved the customer money while doing it.

I chopped a hole into the hut after removing the beaver, making sure there weren't any little fellows. Thought some might like to see the inside. I held my breath as I stuck my hands into to take the picture. More than one time a very large cottonmouth came out from the hut while I was there. You can see one of the exit holes that is out of the water. There were three entrances to the hut that I found, this one was the only one all the way out of the water at the time the picture was taken.


Of course, after cutting the dam and finishing up on that end of the track, I had checked the other end every trip in as they had two of the duck unlimited culverts. No activity until yesterday. All of the hunting clubs were draining the many fields around and I guess it finally got low enough for the beaver to go back to work.....Just my luck.....1 mile from the dam and area I had just worked. At least this one is accessable with a truck.

I decided not to wait on the beaver to raise the level high enough for a drowning set. I only use this set with Belisle traps because they will hold the beaver by feet, tail, or whatever in case he gets caught there while working on the dam. I put the traps on slider poles so he will go out into the water instead of on the bank where his chances of escape improve dramatically. Time will tell if I made the right decision. Two snakes were killed at this last location while setting.

I let the owners know that if they have trouble this winter during trapping season, that I would sure like to help their turkey population by thinning out the predators....LOL



My protruding parts not caught by a trap*****yet****ears, nose, and left testicle.
Re: A little ridealong [Re: Marty Harmon] #1995504
05/16/10 08:24 PM
05/16/10 08:24 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,042
S.E.Iowa 36 yrs
A
ATLTrapper Offline
trapper
ATLTrapper  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,042
S.E.Iowa 36 yrs
Nice!Thanks for taking the time to post.I like all these beaver trapping ridealongs.I've never looked inside a hut,that's pretty neat.


Re: A little ridealong [Re: ATLTrapper] #1995516
05/16/10 08:32 PM
05/16/10 08:32 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,144
louisiana
K
Kirk Offline
trapper
Kirk  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,144
louisiana
Great post Marty thanks


Re: A little ridealong [Re: ATLTrapper] #1995526
05/16/10 08:39 PM
05/16/10 08:39 PM
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3
Western North Carolina
D
DoubleG Offline
trapper
DoubleG  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3
Western North Carolina
Very nice post, thanks again to all for the ride-alongs.

Re: A little ridealong [Re: Kirk] #1995527
05/16/10 08:39 PM
05/16/10 08:39 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,105
Piney va. soon be 19
cotton Offline
trapper
cotton  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,105
Piney va. soon be 19
thanks marty
no body parts caught today????????


John 3/16

ifin your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough
VTA life member

Re: A little ridealong [Re: cotton] #1995617
05/16/10 09:24 PM
05/16/10 09:24 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,341
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Jtrapper Offline
trapper
Jtrapper  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,341
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Soon as i saw that culvert i started looking for snakes, lol.

Brave man to stick your arm in a lodge this time of year! Guess we'll all get more daring on these 'reality' post, lol.


Not my circus, not my clowns.
Re: A little ridealong [Re: cotton] #1995623
05/16/10 09:26 PM
05/16/10 09:26 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,720
South Central Nebraska age 71
tmrschessie Offline
trapper
tmrschessie  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,720
South Central Nebraska age 71
Great post, thanks for sharing it with us...Tom

Re: A little ridealong [Re: tmrschessie] #1995809
05/16/10 11:05 PM
05/16/10 11:05 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,424
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
R
Riverotter2 Offline
trapper
Riverotter2  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,424
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
But blasting is funner, lol. you write more then i did, good post.

Re: A little ridealong [Re: Riverotter2] #1995810
05/16/10 11:07 PM
05/16/10 11:07 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,341
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Jtrapper Offline
trapper
Jtrapper  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,341
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
you write more then i did,


He probably got up early this morning and started on it, lol.


Not my circus, not my clowns.
Re: A little ridealong [Re: Jtrapper] #1995816
05/16/10 11:13 PM
05/16/10 11:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,424
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
R
Riverotter2 Offline
trapper
Riverotter2  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,424
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Jackie don't it look like a darn book, lol.

Re: A little ridealong [Re: Riverotter2] #1995819
05/16/10 11:13 PM
05/16/10 11:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,341
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Jtrapper Offline
trapper
Jtrapper  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,341
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Yes very sophisticated and philosophical, lol.


Not my circus, not my clowns.
Re: A little ridealong [Re: Jtrapper] #1995822
05/16/10 11:17 PM
05/16/10 11:17 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,111
Osage Bluff, MO
JeremyT Offline
trapper
JeremyT  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,111
Osage Bluff, MO
Great post Marty.

Although I was afraid to open it at first.
I thought if I went on a ride-along with you I'd probably end up with a 330 on a body part. grin


I love the smell of Castor in the morning!
Re: A little ridealong [Re: Riverotter2] #1995826
05/16/10 11:18 PM
05/16/10 11:18 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 868
West Al
D
dnew Offline
trapper
dnew  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 868
West Al
Good one!

Re: A little ridealong [Re: dnew] #1995831
05/16/10 11:20 PM
05/16/10 11:20 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 868
West Al
D
dnew Offline
trapper
dnew  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 868
West Al
I see franchise written all over these things!lol

Re: A little ridealong [Re: dnew] #1996199
05/17/10 12:00 PM
05/17/10 12:00 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 715
north Mississippi
M
Marty Harmon Offline OP
trapper
Marty Harmon  Offline OP
trapper
M

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 715
north Mississippi
Steve, you keep picking on me and I'll tell everyone about how your wife has to go over with a paper towell and wipe the scraps off of your goatee after you get through eating. Just one more time and I'm telling for sure....LOL



My protruding parts not caught by a trap*****yet****ears, nose, and left testicle.
Re: A little ridealong [Re: Marty Harmon] #1996267
05/17/10 01:49 PM
05/17/10 01:49 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,758
West Virginia,age 49
cathryn Offline
bvr-takr-upr
cathryn  Offline
bvr-takr-upr

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,758
West Virginia,age 49
im glad you didnt get snakebit.


IF IDIOTS GREW ON TREES THIS PLACE WOULD BE AN ORCHARD !

Re: A little ridealong [Re: cathryn] #1996657
05/17/10 07:02 PM
05/17/10 07:02 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,424
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
R
Riverotter2 Offline
trapper
Riverotter2  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,424
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Me to it would have killed that poor snake for sure.

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