Coyote if you talking about my set the otter were funneled to bank by me with tree/branches. It was narrow and deep so I chose to cover all depths.

Len,
A couple things for you to try on your spikes. If you bend your bottom stop once more where it hangs on the bottom of your lock, so that it doesn't touch the lock when it is set, you will find it with take less pressure to set the snare into motion when an animal hits it. With the stop bearing on the lock like you have pictured on the Flat rate box, it causes whatever pressure the animal is exerting to the cable to be first transferred to the lock and then to the locking hole, which causes the lock to drag or bear more at the locking hole. Bend that bottom stop until it makes a near complete circle before loading the cable and it will open up just a tad when you load it. This allows the lock to "pivot" freely on the cable without the stop transferring that pressure to the locking hole. As the lock pivots on the bottom hole the elongation of the loop will reach a certain point to where the locking hole is inline with the cable and just jumps shut with much less drag of the lock on the cable. Tough to explain but take that snare you have pictured and try it after curling the "cradle" enough the stop doesn't hit the bottom of the lock and you'll see what I mean.
Also to keep your safety cable tight on the pole after you have it set, try pulling the safety cable tight and into a "gash" above ice at the top of the pole like this.
This keeps the safety cable tight until it freezes in and keeps it up where you don't chop it when you go back to check. The loose cable on the pole is a foothold for a beaver as it works the pole.
I used to use the continuity tester on conibears when I used them but don't want all the wires on my poles. I'd probably just chop them anyway. LOL I thought about adding a loop to the safety cable where I could put the wires, which they would pull when caught. May do that some day.Maybe evn put the connectors on the anchor loop on one of the spikes. That would tell a guy when they have pulled them off the pole and if put on the top snares wouldn't take alot of wire.
I tried the 1/16" 7x7 and had so many troubles with it I gave it up in short order. Really tough to get in the hole as it would curl up with hardly any slush in the hole, left bad marks on the leather, but worked well for extremity catches. I had a beaver get up on the ice and watched it break it infront of my eyes when I approached. I'd tied the safety cable to the root of an upturned tree and couldn't get a clear shot at the beaver. When I walked around the tree it made a dash for the hole which was still open and snapped the cable, or what was not already broken from it twisting it up on the baitpole, above ice. I recaught it on a regular baitpole about 4 days later and it had a terrible mark on the leather. I get a few beaver up on the ice, especially late spring, when the holes don't freeze fast, so gave up on it. Don't use Camlocs either. Mainly because when I pull them up they all freeze, and I have to blow on them to thaw enough to reset the locks to get them back in the ice. Also had some trouble with Northern Pike hitting them until I started painting them black. Lots of pike hanging around the feedpiles of beaver houses. Here the minnows are around the feedpiles and fan the ice to keep the water open, in lakes that freeze out. I have some poles I go back to and chop minnows for a foot down. I always have Crappie bait. LOL

Thanks Rally I know just what your talking about on the loading. It takes some experience to see how the loading imparts the stress points as you are describing and know what you mean by the drag affect. I will keep that in mind.

I have used a chain saw in the past to cut holes in the ice, but had problems with it freezing up in between uses. Is there a solution to that problem besides a heat source.

Try cutting a little wood after it will dry up the saw.

We just gun it for a short bit and the friction of the chain dry's it out. That is the big thing, is keeping the chain from freezing to the bar. Even if it does, just run the bar across a log and when the teeth catch in the bark, it will help break it free.

-TJ

You know I still haven't tried the pole/bait set before for beavers. All I've been doing is finding the runways and setting two snares there and another at the feed pile. I was thinking about the bait/pole set with a few snares on it like the ones you fellas are discussing but haven't gone around to mindling with it just yet. Does anyone use the foothold traps exclusively? Or any pics of a setup using them? Wonder if the #3 four coil bridgers would work alright?

Nick

I found two houses the other day. I have no idea how deep the water is. But after reading this thread, I'm busting out the chainsaw and going to give it a shot on tuesday.

ak go to page 2 of this topic. Maineiac shows a chair set using a trap and bait

FT / Rally, I found two houses about 100 yds apart. I can see the feed pile to the first one, sticks sticking up out of the ice. The creek is maybe 15 yards wide. It is super slow moving water. When you put in your bait poles, do the snares face towards the house or does it really matter? The same goes for baited 330's.
The second house I can't tell were the feed pile is. The snow melted and you can't get down to the ice to see air bubbles, how far back from the house would you recommend placing a feed pole or baited conibear?

Try to get your bait poles in high traffic areas. I always face the snares to and away from the house, so the scores will be most visable to a beaver leaving or working the edge of the feedpile, heading back to the house. If you look at the pictures of my snare poles you will see a score UNDER each snare, or where the snare hangs closest to the pole. This will bring the beaver to your loops as they most often start chewing the pole where they believe another beaver has already started chewing.
I try to keep my poles adj to the feedpile yet not so close the beaver will swim by them while leaving, without seing them or have to come back to work the pole. Most often about half way through the feedpile, or there abouts. Five foot of water is about right for a snare pole with 4 snares, much deeper and I may consider putting 6 snares on the pole. Soft or hard bottom at this location?
Here is a picture of a buddy of mine and my finger in the picture. Note the location of the poles and the feed pile. If you look at the far side of the feed pile you will see there are two poles sticking up there(downstream), and only one by him. I have my best luck most often downstream from the house and often put two poles here. Why, I believe is that the beaver are coming out of the house and carrying waste sticks or sticks they have already peeled, and because they (particularly the adult male) uses this exit most often, as it is closest to the dam, which I believe he checks any time he leaves the lodge.
If you get a chance to check out a beaver colony during open water periods, you'll most likely see most droppings and peeled sticks just downstream from the lodge. Wether it is the current that causes them to collect there or the beaver deposits them there I cannot prove, but have had my best luck downstream from the lodge when snaring in a colony that resides where there is much current.

I poked around today and found a third house. There are this years cuts on the trees nearby, but I'll be danged if I can locate a feed bed. Tuesday I'm going to take the chainsaw and put in some sets, I'll take pic's and see what happens.

Are the breather holes on the tops of the houses "crystalized"?

I want to say yes, but there is so much dang frost right now. The houses look small, but there is fresh cut (this years) around each house.

HFT there possibly are beaver there and the feed is all under ice & overflow check for the crsytalization Rally talks of as a sign someone is home

I'll do that. I seen otter sign in the begining of the year near one house, but other then thier tracks I have not seen anything else of them.

I've run into the same thing on some dead water going into a lake. No dam, house is definitely occupied. Cut a half dozen holes up and down stream from house and found no feed bed. Don't they usually put their feed bed close to the house? The beaver cut off the sticks I put in the holes so I'm going to set it soon as my snares come in. Wish I had found this post before I ordered my snaring supplies.

I'd put down a couple poles at each house. The worst that can happen is they will chew the pole and not get caught. At least then you'll know to reset.

I have a similar deal, however, my beaver in this area are an attractant for more desieable critters, and as such, I leave them alone. Beaver are generally easy to catch. Wait for ice-out, if you must, and the hides will be prime.

That brings up a good point. This is my first year trapping and don't plan on racking up big numbers, just get feel for it, work out the kinks so I can do it on a bigger scale next year. There doesn't seem to be anyone else trapping beaver in the area that I'm going to be. What month would you say the hides are in the best shape over all.