More than likely they will and do the two I caught last weekend were on a creek less than two feet wide that dumps out of small ponds into a bigger river. Find areas you can set 280's or 330's and you will get them. If there is open water they will find it. Look where they went over that beaver wall and set the downstream side. Good luck. OT

That was the funny thing Ot there is a spot of open water by the dam and it didnt look like they even went but it but it was hard to tell with the crappy light i had..

They will otter can be extremely eratic in their patterns they may go a certain route one day and not use it the next few times through, but they will again. When you get a chance to get out there during daylight follow them around where they went and they will tell you where to set.

Big Fin,
Go make your own and find out!!! LOL
I really can't tell you one catches more than the other. I quite often use them both on the same pole. I sell way more Spikes than brackets because of the price difference. The brackets can be reused and are a big part of the cost. The brackets are cheap to replace the snare on, and will last a lifetime. The brackets are easier to use with choppers on in real cold weather, and has a swivel incorporated in the design. The brackets tangle more in the sled but bread twist ties will eliminate that. The spikes are deffinately lighter, but designed to be a one time use snare, but can often be reshaped(like the one Rob caught his beaver in looks to be) especially in 3/32"cable. I find the brackets easier to run the safety cable through also, and easier to differentiate the individual snares location when they have all been pulled down the pole after a catch. The spike is easier to change the snare angle by just tilting up hill on odd shaped poles. I like spikes better in house entrances and bank runs because there is less to see. The bracket is cheaper in the long run, but alot of trappers don't want to make their own snares.I wouldn't go sell your brackets to go to spikes, but they are handy in places.

Pscarswell,
I used 1/16" 1x19 for years and caught lots of beaver with it.The difference is in the amount of damage apparent on my beaver from the small cable. I went to larger cable to get away from the fine white lines on the beaver caused by small cable. I got a few extremity catches with the 1/16" 1x19 cable but had alot of snares pulled down to a small diametr loop with nothing in them too. I then went to 5/64" 1x19 cable and the marks were rare but extremity catches were non existant, and had a whole lot of snares pulled down to even larger loops with nothing in them. All my catches with the 5/64" 1x19 were just behind the front legs or in the center of the beaver behind the rib cage. I think I only caught one beaver by a back leg. I then went to 7x7 3/32" cable and eliminated the marks all together under ice and my extremity catches(feet, nose and tails)were quite common. I currently catch about 15-18% of my beaver by extremities, the most common being a front foot catch. I use 5/64" 7x7 when the otter season is open here as I find I catch more otter with it. It is a more subtle cable and catches more otter for me in a couple sets I use. The fine white lines on my beaver are more common with the 7x7 5/64" cable than the 7x7 3/32",but I get more extremity catches too, so figure it is a good trade when I want the otter. Otter quite often play around beaver pole sets, by grabbing the poles with their front feet and whipping theirselves around the poles while chasing each other.Also alot of the ponds I trap have substantial minnow populations and they congregate in the slots I cut to get air. A easy meal for an otter, which also puts them near my top snares. I can eliminate most of the incidental otter by using the 3/32" 7x7, which is a little stiffer and is easier to push through more slush and ice chips in the hole when setting and remaking a pole.
I don't skim my holes, but rather wear a 31" gauntlet and just throw out the big pieces of ice with my hand. I chop a hole adjacent to the pole and reach down under the ice to feel my top snares. If they have been disturbed I pull the pole. If a catch has been made they will knock down all the snares most often.
If you are curios about the difference in cable performance, there is an easy test you can do at home. Just make two snares of the same diameter cable, one in 7x7 and one in 1x19. Use the same lock, and load it if you load yor snares. Now use a finger and pull the two snares shut. When they get down to about a loop diametr of about 1.5-2"(about the diameter of a beavers front foot) which snare gets hardest to pull shut? I'll betcha a Lager it's the 1x19.

Rob,
Nice head catch. Now your hooked.

Awww crap, I just made a bunch of 1/16 snares
lol

I gotta give them a try anyway!

I switched locks and like the new style better

I will try this lock on some 3/32 cable

Lol Rally you better believe i am hooked now... I have at least 3 more ponds i can trap hope to have them set up here soon..

You da man Rob !

Good going and you did not fall though either

Thanks OAC but i hate to say this yep i did fall through again but it was my fault.. I seen a hole up towards the shore i wanted to get a good look at just thought it was strange that it was open i stepped off the path and down i went lucky it was mostly mud and i had different boots on...


Now i need to see if the meat is still good to eat i wanna try some beaver meat..

Congats Rob! With nice fluffy snow like that roll him in it and and rake snow all over the wet beaver and rub it good and it'll dry it off nice so you won't have to worry about the wet fur freezing to any metal etc. Happy trapping. ScottW

Rob, You will enjoy beaver. Back straps are great on the grill legs IMO are great in a stew. There are a number of recipes in the archives here take a look and try em out. Be sure to clean off the most of the fat.

Often those holes are otter so you might guard it with a 330.

Keep your boots dry Again...tight fitting knee highs with water proof bibs goes a long way on the beaver line.

Keep us posted !

Nice job Rob.I always think that it's like ice fishing for beaver.My boy and I are setting some today

Rally thanks for the info .I'm glad you didn't talk me into selling my brackets.I still havent been able to perfect making the snares so i still buy my replacements from you.Thanks again for the in depth answers you give.Seems like you have put a little thought into this beaver thing.LOL

Little bit. Now if I can just invent something that would skin, flesh and carry them out of the bush!!!!

Try frost scraping really fast and easy.

Rally...you need a good work dog to pull your sled for you Load up your beaver, supplies and walk out.

I tried that once and the dog sat down!!!!

Boco,

Please describe how to frost scrape?

I describe it on the CNTA forum under "fur handling" about half way down the page.Sorry I dont know how to post the link.I guess I got to study computer 101 more.

Well we checked today and it didnt go as good as i thought it would... We moved another snare pole on the far side of the lodge and stuck a baited 330 in the one run we knew for sure where it was..

But here is the bad one snare on the pole right up by the lodge was set off yea no biggie right.. Well when i was clearing the snow off of it i notice that there was beaver hair in it stuck to the lock it self.. The snare didn't close all the way tight it had around a 2 or 3 inch loop.. I hope that the beaver will come back to the pole we stuck some fresh bait down and are gonna check on Wed..

You should be fine Rob they don't seem to spook to snares like they do 330's under ice. Never had any problems before I think you will be alright. Good luck.

Thanks OT i kind of figured that just wasnt to sure.. Still havent had a chance to set up the rest of the spots yet but i did remove 4 snares from the pond i am at so i can use them at the next pond i go to...