Got #17 this morning a31# on a drowning rig. Fenced swans in and set the two ponds thus morning found two fresh castor mounds so looking forward to tomorrow. More beaver = more pay!

Might work myself right out of a job at this site. But will ask for a recommendation for the two other local county drain commissioners

Hey Paul, I guess I have had a number of places over the years I did not take beaver simply because they were not there. Can't expect the public to know it all as that's the reason they call us, a good thing. I am always respectful and just say, "they surely were here" but have moved on or perhaps a fur trapper caught them. Sometimes you can tell from a football field away they are gone, other times have to look a minute. One landowner thought the neighbor blew up his dam, but the feed was gone and the reason the beaver left. The old unmaintained dam went out as intended by nature. Had another spot the beaver has left the day before, tracks in the mud, but never any more sign.

Keep up the good work Michigan!

I'm at 18. But the last couple of days nothing. Moved the swans and thought I would get some In those ponds but none. Even see fresh sign there. Seen fresh tracks at large lake site pulled traps there that day. Will go back in midweek with foot holds. Did watch a otter hunt in creek Thursday while checking traps. Will go after him this fall

Discovered today how tough snapping turtles are. Two in 330s in neck and both walked away after release. Tough animals.

Seem to be low on beavers. Had a carp this morning.

Keeping track of sizes, numbers, is a good thing, but kinda like card counting, not always exact. Have to keep a sharp eye. Had one big beaver spread out on the center line the other day, so that one was easy. Yesterday noticed some intestines along the road that were obviously beaver, so made a note of it. Judy found where someone had dragged a good sized beaver off into the bushes, which matched the other big one we had just caught, good to know. Turtle time of year and they are tough. Just did 4 big turtles at a spot, a product of cross over setting, which I knew better. This time of year the castor seems to be a whole lot better, off the trail, bringing the beaver to you.

Contract ended today. Got a total of 18 beaver on the two sites. 7 at one 11 at the other. The county never showed up to bust the dam So they will need me again befor e summers out, as I know there are more in that location. It's the one were I got the 11 at.

I hear you about keeping eyes open, had one road killed beaver that I spotted on other side of large lake that I was trapping 20-25# and talked to local store owner over at that side and she said there are beavers that have a dam on the creek that comes Into the lake right over by where the road killed one was

Also the owner of the property at the other site said he seen a large beaver carrying a stick across the pond, I new there has to be at least mama beaver left mad I hadn't caught a pregnant there

Will work on final report and bill this weekend and submit to county. Will be requesting a letter of recommendation from them as well as a request to bid other projects in county

This is new to me, a time frame. I just tell them I will stay till the problem is cured, no damming. Sometimes I will back off for a time with a really educated beaver, but unless you get the last beaver for them, they still have the same problem, yes? Are the beaver still repairing the dams?

No there has been no attempt at the culvert site to repair the dam since it was partially demoed by the county. It's been about two weeks on the other site since any repair work was done there. I removed that dam myself completely 10 days ago.

Well the previous trappers at both sites (2 different trappers each of the last 3-4 years) would only catch 2-3 beaver right at dam sites and stop so I contracted to run traps for a minimum of 21 day at least
10'traps at each site, with the option of 10 additional days if I believed I could catch additional beavers

Part of one contract was that the county would remove the dam in the culvert during my contract so I could trap more effectively at that site, but they never fully removed dam. Of course in my final report to them, this will be mentioned as it has prevented the capture of the additional beavers that are lodged behind a dam further up stream.

Basically they will need to hire me again at this site as I am positive there are still beaver at this location

Basically I caught 3 times as many beaver as the previous trappers so I would think that they will continue to hire me. We shall see. I would have no problem continuing to trap if they had demolished dam as required. I do not charge a trap check fee, only a set up fee and a per beaver fee, I would charge a straight fee to get all of the beavers and require the dam break but they requested a quote based on how others had charged (except others also charged to go and check traps, which they did for a week)

Already rethinking on how I will charge and what will require for further beaver projects . Still trying to get a feel for this part, as everyone seems to hold fees charged tight to their chest.

A little less than a week ago a beaver started to rebuild the dam I took out. I called the drain commissioner and told him and offered to reset traps at no charge for set up but still same charge per beaver. The dam building stopped immediately But...... This morning I caught it. It had definitely been in a trap before (I never had one set off and empty at this location). The property owner said last year the trappers had a tie nail in one trap and commented that it would be hard to catch that one now. I got it this morning. Missing toe nail completely and healed over large 5 inch scar across its back. Only weighted 35lbs but has the largest tail of all the past 30 beavers I have caught.

Also got my first fox job yesterday

Very good P.R. to do what you did, reset at no charge, just charge for catches. I do the same with chucks too, or anything really. Sometimes chucks are absent a long time. I pick up after a few weeks and then just come back when I get the call the chuck has returned. Reset at no charge, only charge for what is taken.

You pointed out that the beaver was only 35 pounds. It's not always the monster 50-60 pound beaver that are a problem. Sometimes its 25-35 pound beaver that are educated too. Last year I even had a yearling that offered a bit of trouble, which was a first. He saw the others get caught I guess, wised him up, so went to a foot hold.

The missing toe

ttt