Can I get any advice on live trapping beaver? I have trapped a lot of them but never tried live trapping them. I would like to learn more about it as I have been asked if I would be willing to live trap some. Thanks for any advice.

I have a video of a ADC trapper using that Hancock trap . If I was looking to live trap beaver that's the trap I would go with .

Every method or trap has it's pros and cons. The cheapest I know of is a snare, with some cable cutters.Setting the snare so as not to have entanglement.

There are the use of pan trap cages. ADC on this forum has shown his. It would be in the archives. I have many videos on this link to my channnel that show the actual catch of various beaver as it takes place. Many differt traps and sets are used. http://www.youtube.com/user/kirkdekalb?feature=results_main

The best thing, is to get answers that are specific to your situation. Such as; Are you wanting to set trails or runs, scent sets in the water or edge of the bank, opening up a dam and making dam sets. Are you going to trap public areas. Are you going to have to transport the beaver-- will a transport cage work with the trap you have selected. Can you use the cage you selected for a transport cage. Will weather conditions be such as to catch the animal on the edge of the water and not in water.

You might want to think of these and come back with your situation.

Like Kirk said a Snare is the cheap way to go. Thats how I do a live beaver job. Put a deer stop on your snare. For transport a trash can with a lid tied town with a ratchet strap. I know it looks a little red neck but its cheap and effective.

If you end up doing any amount of live trapping beaver you will find that having several types of devices and snares will be the best method of harvest. Then it is the matter of determining which device is best suited to the conditions and area where it will fit in best.When dealing with potential theft and shy beaver sometimes a non visible and easily camoflauged trap is best suited for the job.Time will teach you these things.

My first question is always why do you want to do this in the first place? Is it a request from the client, state regulations, local restrictions, or just because you've never done it before and want to try it? I know you said client request, but why do they want live capture and what must you do with it once caught? Dealing with a dead beaver is almost always easier and more time efficient.

Having to deal with a live beaver can add additional issues to the job. For instance, if you do use a snare and the beaver is to be translocated you have to get the snare off the beaver before releasing it. Don't think that the beaver will just sit still while you try to remove the cable. Based on your transport container you may have to take the cable off before putting it in to it or you may have to take it off once it's inside, neither of which may be easy. If you are euthanizing it anyway, do you have restrictions on how that must be done? Can you just shoot it (this is not a legal option in Ohio) or must you use another method such as CO or CO2?

Another logistic to look at if you're using cage traps is how you have to get them to the site. Based on location, hauling cage or suitcase style traps to the set can be difficult to start with let alone with the additional weight and movement of a live animal. Walking a 10 degree grade with a 20 - 40 lb trap is bad enough, but add a 40 lb beaver to it and it magnifies the problems. Now add all the little limbs that like to grab on to your equipment or the meticulous lawn that cannot have any drag marks and it makes you wonder if you're really charging enough for all your hassles. And don't rule out that you may also need additional equipment such as a sled, cart, or ATV to transport everything in and out along with transfer cages or containers and equipment to make the transfer. Then you have to factor in WHERE and HOW you need to do the transfer so the beaver doesn't get away.

As Kirk pointed out, each situation will be different so without specifics it is difficult to give suggestions except for don't deal with a live beaver unless you have to.

Thanks for the input. The request is for translocation by The state agency, so they would need to be alive. Locations will be all on rivers and creeks. All areas are easy to access. There There is only a couple dams to set, There are lots of slides and trails on the edge of banks, I guess I am curious what the most effective method is on rivers and creeks. Thanks

I had a beaver job last fall that required using cage traps. One of the traps I used was the two piece beaver trap made by Advanced Trap.

I had very good success setting this trap using a castor mound in the rear of the cage.

Relocating the animal is easy with two people. Sliding two rods through the cage, front to back, makes moving it with a beaver in it fairly easy.

sgs, That trap looks pretty slick. Can you send me or post some pictures of the trap in action, set or with catches ect.. Is the best option of the three beaver traps that are offered on that website?

Here's one setup...

The scene...



The set...



The catch...

I don't know. It's the only one of Kirks beaver traps that I've used.

I doubt that there is a "best" trap for live catching beaver. It is situation dependent. But I'll tell you this, for a castor mound set, using a cage, I can't imagine a "better" result. Now if Kirk could make this trap weigh just ten pounds I would declare it "the best". lol

was this a caster set on that mound behind the cage? What time of year was this?

It could have been a bialys trap that guy used . There's a DVD on live trapping beaver that cover both types of live traps . The guy was trapping in MA . After watching the DVD I felt I could do this . He also took chain and lock to every single trap because he was paying 350.00 per trap at that time . It was a very good DVD I felt after watching . No he didn't have Kirks trap as I'm sure that cage trap would work much better than the cage traps he had . The bailey or handcock he mostly place sugar maple cut like 8" long and took his pocket knife to the sticks to add eye appeal to them . They were wired to the fence and castor was added . He had some other sets as well . If your planning to live trap that DVD would be a good way to get some tips . Words are good but video tells a better story at least for me . I just hope I'm not faced with live trapping someday . Beavers a lot of work now without having to use a large trap like that . For me it's snares , conibears, leg holds . I like to gang set and take down the whole colony the first night . Taking extra time to set lots of traps saves time for me in long run . My buddy sets up just a couple of traps and spends wasted gas and time checking day after day and he is always faced with that one beaver that just will not go down . That's the problem i see with the live traps why play if there's no need . If you can't use real beaver steel that's a different store . Oh I beg for the day my phone is left in the truck and I'm running 14 miles of beaver infested river in my jet boat . Setting for coyote and fox up on the high ground and cross overs on the feeders . Strapping rat traps on floating logs . Pockets sets for mink coon wonder why that little mink trap held the biggest beaver of the day . Is there anything better brothers .

I have to use live traps here in Maine, Its not by client choice its by state regulation. We relocate to areas picked out by our Fishand Wildlife Bio's .

Nope. If you look at the set picture you can see a little pile if leaves and mud in the back of the cage. That was my caster mound.

The pictures are from last November.

The last pic shows he has been shot at. [/quote] how does one resist chasing your little women's rear end around with that

Snaring works well. In the 90's I snared and relocated more beaver than anyone in the state, hundreds. Had good luck with it, but once in a while snared beaver would get hung up on something unseen. People are more sensitive to snaring than wire cage devices. Before you make a decision it is imperative that the pros and cons of all devices be thoroughly explored. There are vast differences.

Looks like a tail piercing to me. Pan the river...you might find the ring!

What is the best you have found to translocate a beaver that is snared? How are they getting out of the snare? What are you using for snares?

Also on the cage trap front, What is everyones favorite bait and lure? Also do you brace or attatch you cage down? This is great info lets keep it coming!!

Live snaring in a nutshell, (also used by Idaho Game Dept.)

Easiest I have found for live snaring and relocating, hook up a snare with relaxing lock, also with a long extension cable, placing a quick link connector between the snare and cable. Place a large holding box/cage in the water out from where the beaver is caught. I used a Williams type large cage trap placed upside down with the door opened on the bottom in perhaps a foot of water. You can now steer the beaver into the cage by your movements and if need be, grab the long cable and direct him into the cage as he tries to swim away into deeper water. You will take a bath.

Once the beaver is in the cage, lift it up on the open end of the cage and flip the cage over until the door drops closed, put a twist of wire on the bottom of the door. Unbuckle the link and snare, leaving the beaver in the cage with the snare on him. In a little time the snares sometimes fall off on their own. If not, a 3/16 rod with a round hook on the end will work to pull the lock back and loosen it up through the cage wire. Takes no time. Found that the old Thompson locks were good for that as well as Byron Reicherts locks. Have done it hundreds of times.

Two things to watch for if you want to keep a beaver live. Make sure he can not hang up on the bottom or you will drown him. Also, make sure he can stay in the water during hot weather or he will go into heat exhaustion quickly. If they do become lethargic and overheated, you can bring them back to life by placing them in a cool mountain stream and moving them around until they come back. It can take some time and even when seem pretty limp, don't give up, they often revive. On a warm day, even 80's, don't leave them in the truck, even in the shade when you think its not bad. They will overheat. Rule is, take them out of the water, transport and release.

When using lure I try to keep it a distance from the traps so that they focus on the lure separately from the traps and don't have a trap to look at when checking out the lure. It can be up on the bank, up a small channel or up in the air.

Hope this helps.

I also use a large Williams trap to relocate snared beaver. But I do it a little different than Jim. I first unhook the beaver from the anchor and pull him to a level dry working space(if one is available). Then I take the anchoring end of the snare and run it though the open upside down trap and thread it through the back mesh. Now all you have to do is pull the beaver into the trap, or push/slide the trap down the snare over the beaver. Finally invert the cage so the door closes and locks. For removing the snare I reach through the cage with pair of long needle nose pliers, and grab the loop near the lock, give it a good pull and it will usually release. If the kock does not release pull the loop up to the side of the cage with the pliers and cut it off with a good pair of side cuts or cable cutters.

The only reason I can think of to relocate beaver would be something of great angst. ( This would include a neighbor with an Obama sign or someone who stole your girlfriend; the guy who stole your wife has enough trouble already )

I actually did relocate the second largest beaver I've ever caught to a friend who had a zoo. ( And orders for live beaver ) That beaver ended up in a zoo in Green Bay. ( The last I heard he had beat out several defensive backs for a starting job on the Packers ) As good as their defense was last year, I don't doubt it.