Wow, talk about a life time of education in an hour or so. Great info. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

If the day time temps ever stay below 40 we may start building ice. Just enough of a shorline skin to prevent foot holds and not enough to even think about getting out on.

It may have been stated already on one of the nine pages, if so, sorry for the repeat, but do you guys believe the feed bed "spoils" later on in the season and fresh baited snares and 330's are even more productive or are they as good early? Thanks.

Shorthair that is precisely why I surfaced this thread. It is golden!
What new and long time trapper can learn on a thread like this is just that. A life time of trapping experience. There is not better resource in my mind that the trappers here willing to share what it has taken years to accomplish. New trappers are truly blessed to have this site.

I have not found bait to be of any consistent use before Jan or later. The later the better.

I agree with FT, Shorthair and you hit it with the statement regarding spoils. However I would not use the word spoil more than I would use this annology, the cream of the crop is gone and when a nice new white branch appears it's like fresh bread out of the oven.

As far as more productive ? That depends if you are talking about baited traps/snares vs run trapping. IMO winter is the best time to bait but runs are still very productive.

Good

Thanks for posting this....I have a hut I'd like to try my hand at snaring beaver...spent most of yesterday reading it...thanks again!

I re-read this and learned a few things I missed the first time, now I am thinking about winter trapping a flowage after Christmas time. This thread has re-inspired the insane desire to chop ice and catch beaver! ;0)

Another tip to get you on the entrance.When you roll up to a beaver house look for the side of the house that has a more gradual slant from top to ice level.most of the time the entrance will be on the side of the house with the slant as opposed to the straiter side.

Boco...I am not sure I understand you comment ?

The more steep the slope or angle the more likely the entrance is there ? Or the other way ?

Seems like most of my lodges are all equal .

I'm pretty sure he means the other way. The more gentle the slope into the water is often the side where the entrance is

Yes what white said.Its not 100% but is a good indicator when the house is configured that way.

I'd agree with that Boco, on bank denning beaver or river beaver, but not so much with pond beaver.Usually runs going up onto pond beaver houses are located at the most shallow water or on the same side as the feedpile, because that is most often where they get the material to build the lodge, and replace that material with the feedpile.

I never noticed this indication but then perhaps my beaver are sky scapers builders with most of them in ponds ? BOCO, White and Rally thank you for the leason though and I will use that info on the next lodge

Rally I do agree with you as I tend to find entrances heading towards the feed pile or at most at a 90 degree angle and have yet to find on at a 180 degree but I have found back and side doors.

Good point Rally. Most of the ponds in this area start out as bank beaver on a creek or small river and over time become a flooded pond.The slope of the house indicates where the original channel is under the water,thus usually the deepest water,and main entrance.Speaking of feed beds we found one at a house this week that measured 128 ft(went back with tape and measured it) out from the house,the largest feed bed I have heard of in this area.

WOW ! That guy is prepared for winter !

I am thinking he had a lot of help putting up all those greens.

Boco,
How deep is the water where that big feedpile is located? If it is shallow and heavy ice later, that big, but shallow feed pile may not be enough.
I snared a shallow hard bottom pond like that once. The otter bored a hole in the dam and the water levl dropped about two feet. The pond was only about 5 feet deep to start with and had about 25 inches of ice. The beaver were chewing out of the ice next to the house where the ice receeded and they were eating the tops of the feed pile above the ice. They were pretty easy to catch I snared two on the ice and the third one went to the timber wolves. I should have know better.

Rally,the water up here is usually no more than 5 feet deep in any pond due to the flat landscape,some may be 8feet but not too often.Water often drops in mid winter as the bush runoff gets locked up.The majority of beaver seem to do alright when the water drops as the ice usually hangs up on the feed bed and they seem to access it.In the past I have trapped beaver in Jan.and the only place there was water was at the entrance.We had a week of about 50below c.and by the time I retrieved the beaver I was hauling blocks of ice in my sleigh.lol.The only time I have seen beaver chew out is usually late winter and invariably thru the air vent on top of the house.When I trap these beaver they are starving and usually only have willow and spruce for feed.As for the big feed bed we have not set it up yet, we are just now breaking trail for marten.The house is of average size.

got a question
i checked a house today and it has a frost ring and i know theres beaver in there the problem is that under the 10 inches of ice there is 10 inches of water it is deep on a different side of the lodge but it is nowhere near the feed bed
should i set snares (or 330s) there or just gie up on the house and get it during ce out come spring

Locate the main entrance and set two or three 330's.

i'd say, if you absolutly wanted to trap it now you'd have to use a 330. Pretty hard to set snare poles in 10 inches of water. The beaver don't pay much attention to snare poles this early anways it seems. I'd wait till spring on that house though myself.

Here's my favorite way of Under Ice Trapping Beaver.

Top of my hand represents where the ice is.