I am working to remove a few beaver that some guy educated earlier. The stream bank is about 4 foot tall and sheer. It seems that the beaver seem to shy away from any disturbance that I make. I cut steps into the bank to access the water but that seems to tell the beaver that a trap is located here. I could really use some help and advice from the guys that have dealt with this before.

Thanks

I am currently dealing with this.so I can put you a couple weeks ahead. my creek has about 5 to 6 foot banks and if it rains the water level changes alot.what I did against the advice of some on here was make castor mounds with Backbreaker as bait.They have so much easily acessed land that you have to bring them to your trap youtube has some good videos on making them.

Enter the creek from up or downstream if possible wade the entire way setting snares on the pinch points without lure. 330s only if they can be completely submerged and out of sight. Basically set every possible travel route completely blind with no lure or other indicator of a trap. Then do your checks from as far away as possible.

Some beaver you can never catch but a few I have played with were as slick as a trap shy coyote when you get one like you have been after your better off and time ahead to catch him with a foot hold or snare most will be (square ) shy I use no lure or castor mounds and you must be totally sent free as you are enemy to him , I've seen a beaver do things that will make you question what you know about beavers when they get smart .

If you've been chasing them for a time, pull All your 330's or bodygrippers... leave them alone for 5 to 7 days and come back with 2 to 3 Large Legholds like the MB750's or bigger
Like Warrior said enter the water from a distance and stay in the water... Don't walk the banks and leave tracks or your scent... what I like to do is make 3 Completely Underwater drowner sets Stakes, traps and Chain drowners 100% below the surface... on one of their slides or make a slide type crawl out set... on the bank I put 3 white feed sticks and a few drops only of Birch oil, and on the other set use plain popple bud oil. NO Castor lure at this time... you are going for the last Female Usually and this always works for me at the end. Sneak in- sneak out

Everyone here that has been doing adc beaver work for very long has run into a trap shy beaver. I think that every trap shy beaver can be caught you just have to put a lot more effort into making your set. Things like keeping visual bank disturbance to a absolute minimum as has been mentioned is important but I think the most important thing you can do is make your set where HE wants to go, not where YOU want him to go. I look for pinch points, slides that he has made to feeding areas,etc. I don't use any lure (food or gland) for these animals as I think anything that obvious to them actually spooks them away from that area. I catch probably 95% of my beaver in snares. There are times that I would love to use a foot hold trap but because my state has outlawed their use It has forced me to use only cage traps,bodygrippers, or snares and for me anyhow, snares are really my trap of choice as I'am able to be much more creative in choosing a place to make a set.

A little tip here IF using snares...throw them in the creek, pond stream you are trapping in to rinse them off in the water.
I had a problem beaver I dealt with and had several snares out in subtle locations as previously described. My catch after a few days was ZERO...so I started to rethink my sets and came upon the fact that I was storing my snare bag amongst my other gear...dirty traps,lures, baits etc... After rinsing off and re setting up I "bingoed" the following day. Can't be too careful...

Wait till evening and shoot it with buckshot

Dam break sets like in Pauls video Beaver Sites and Sets----with breasting sticks so they drop their feet into the awaiting foothold

Summertime Beaver Trapping also by Paul Dobbins, is another great video investment in your business

Mock Feed bed sets as mentioned with skint sticks and poplar or birch or melon oils

If your birthday or anniversary is coming up, these vids would be a good present!