The water is 12 feet deep within inches of the bank. The bank is smooth for about 40 yards aound this picture. The beaver are literally crawling out everywhere.

What kind of set would you make here???????????

Castor mound.

foothold on a drownder

yep.

The bank is undercut for the entire length. Strong current and boat traffic is also a problem here.

Just cause we are buddies and all, and I have trapped with you more than a few times, plus I have seen this spot, if I were you, I would just move down the bank 50 yeads and catch the dumb ones on the cross over just east of that castor mound. I fear if you find someone that can tell you a good set for that beaver, you will loose your breeding stock. That is what I would do. I only catch the dumb ones myself.

lol.....I'm tryin' to broaden my horizons here Tony...I've never set a trap here, as you well know. To many easier places close by....but....I was hoping to hear from an experienced beaver trapper on this one. There is a pile of spots like this on the lower line I started this year that don't have all the easy crossovers to set up close by them.

If they are crawling out (and I see cuttings) they are likely hungry and would go for green stick/ food lure. I/d use a shovel to manipulate the bank enough for a trap of choice. If foothold...a long cable drowner (or long rebar drowner) CAN be used here. Have to be careful, however. Or you could try one of those beaver floats (with bait) that has been posted recently.

If their coming out of the water there find a slide and set it, or Dig one yourself in a good area, and put a 330 over it. That's what I'd do. -K.D.

the slide is about 40 yards wide. kinda hard to neck that down. the bank is a huge mass of roots with water undercut beneath it. If you cut out a knotch for a foothold, it would have to be set on dry land. Too much wave motion from passing boats to set a 330 in the water.............

Don't want to try the beaver float.....would take up to much room in the boat...

so........?????????

yep, if i wanted to catch them all, which i wouldn't but if i did id go up stream maybe 20 yards or so, if the water is swift dig or make a slide into the bank at an angle to the water from down stream that way when mr beaver comes out of the swift water he is at an angle and not fighting the current setup with a castor lure on a drowner, or as mr howard states always leave some seed.

Definately don't want to catch them all.....I'd hate to have to clean them all! lol I've trapped this stretch of river for the last 14 years and I only take a certain amount each year.

I'm just looking for ideas of sets that folks use on these wide open banks......

Some good ideas so far.......

A stick dipped in lure and placed just past a trap will bring them to THAT spot. Use your head to figure out what to do next, lol.

LOL!!!! I hear ya Jtwapper! Jsut looking for that simple, stupid, quaranteed, can't miss, catch em' every time set!

Take a shovel dig an inlet that is about 24inches long and 12inches wide set a 330, foothold, or snare in the length of the inlet. You could then bait it or set a castor mound.

Snare on the bank

Jsut looking for that simple, stupid, quaranteed, can't miss, catch em' every time set!

After 30 years im still looking for that one too, lol.

exactly what thompson said, as they will use the new crawl out.
put a couple drops of beaver oil on your gloves and slick it up good,it will be all over but the skinning

Yall are comming up with some good ideas here. Thanks for the input!!!

Hey Jackie.....if ya ever find it, call me!!!lol

Eric...I'm certainly not the most accomplished beaver buster on this site but I wonder it Calvin's set wouldn't work with a snare in place of the foothold as some of the others have mentioned?