I found good beaver sign on a small feeder creek that flows into the main river . The creek is fairly narrow from 10 feet to about 5 feet wide in most spots . It varies from thigh to chest deep . I found a natural narrow spot . The left side is blocked by brush to the bottom and there is about a 24" channel on the right side of the creek with a very slightly undercut bank . The channel is approximately 3 feet deep . There is a pretty good current flowing through the channel . My question is how will a beaver travel this ? Will he swim the bottom or will he swim up top ? I have one 330 left to set and I'd like to put the odds in my favor when I set it tomorrow .

i'd probably hang it under a good sized dive pole but only after i checked out the spot further back that looks blocked down more.

I'd set the 330 on the bottom and jam some sticks in next to it to fence the beaver through it. If there's much debris in the water it may snap the trap though. Can you make a little cut up the bank and throw a caster mound at the top of it? Then set the 330 in the cut you made.

The spot further up is the edge of a gravel/sand bar with a little water coming over it . The stream curls around the sandbar and widens up there . The spot in the above photo is the most narrow spot for a good ways . John , I put a castor mound set and put a 330 covering a shortcut / crossover in a windy section of the stream further down toward the main river .. The sign looks like several beaver are using this feeder creek because the main river is in flood stage . They are up this creek feeding on willow . There are several spots where there are fresh sticks peeled/eaten . I want to set some blind sets as well as castor mounds and lured sets

If you set the narrow pinch points you'll catch beaver and otter. I don't know if that's an issue or not.

configure your triggers different you will miss biggest majority of the otters and debris.But the bottom hugging the inside cotour and a dive stick is how I would set it up

Here in NY after the otter season is closed (now) we have a certain trigger position we have to conform to . This spot is about three feet deep . If I set the bottom I won't need a dive stick . I only have the one 330 left and I was wondering if the beaver would swim on top in this spot or on the bottom .

I think the answer to your question is yes-depending on what they are doing, they will travel the top or the bottom. But, based on what you are saying and asking...I will put a 330 on the bottom 9 times out of 10 as opposed to the top with open space under it. No, 330s always go to the bottom for me unless suspended in a pond on an under ice set. Even if the 330 is used at a castor set it will still be on the bottom, in that case the bottom is just much closer to the top.

A little further down on the right hand side is a little indentation. I would dig it out a bit with a shovel and place the half submerged 330 (if allowed) that you have left to set in front of it and make a castor set there. The beaver would be swimming on top and would have to notice it as it passed by so close. It would be a pretty easy set to make as well.

Interesting results on this little creek . This little feeder creek is shaped like s sidewinder snake . It folds back and forth on itself several times with only a few yards separating the sections . Just upstream from where it flows into the main river is a crossover/low spot that is about 5 yards long and fills with water when the creek is high . I put a blind set 330 covering this spot because it showed sign of being used by beaver . A little ways upstream I put in a castor mound set right in the middle of an area that shows sign of fresh feeding . Then I set a bottom edge set in the pinch point further upstream in the above photo . The first night I caught a 30 pounder coming downstream .

I recieved an order from F&T of some Belisle traps . I degreased them and found a perfect pinch point further upstream .
I put one of the Belisles in and it fit the spot perfect . The next morning I had another 30 pounder in the crossover set coming upstream and a 52 pound beaver held by the left front foot in the Belisle !


The big one had to have passed the castor mound set and avoided the bottom edge set to get caught in the Belisle . The trigger wires were twisted together and moved to the far left of the trap . How did he (big male) get caught by the front foot and show no interest in the castor mound set ?

He's seen a few traps and was turning around to avoid the trap but hit the trigger wire with his front foot and set it off

Thats my thought

Keep up the good work VH! Looks like you'll be the one giving advice soon

..or found dead kin blocking the path, in square wire from your previous catch(s).

If you'll cable the trap to shore and don't over stabilize, the catch normally ends up swung downstream NOT blocking the path of others, so as to tip them off.
Claudie Taylor taught us to always try and make it so your catch is not in the way of their kin for this reason.

The Sullivan Stabilizer or a clone works well for this...if the bottom is sandy or mud.

Trapperjohn , its definitely possible that the big one saw dead kin on his way upstream . The crossover set is the first set he would have come to headed up the creek from the main river and that set connected immediately two days in a row . I'm new to beaver trapping and don't have a lot of gear . I'll have to look up the sullivan stabilizer and start cabling off away from the set site but in a way I'm glad I didn't on this set . That big beaver pretty much tore up the set but the Belisle acted like a leghold on a drowner . The both spring eyes were wired off to the big log spanning the creek . I don't know why I did both sides because so far no beaver has even moved the 330s off the support sticks and i've just been wiring off one side . He was DOA under water and I'm glad not alive sitting on the bank waiting for me as dispatch in this spot would be difficult with a firearm . Michigan Trappin I believe you're right . I think he saw the bright shiny new Belisle and tried to turn back to his right swinging his left front foot out catching the trigger . John Deere Steve I'm loving every second of this beaver trapping ! . I can't believe I waited this long to do it . I'm usually chasing rats now but this year the rats have been tearing each other up earlier then usual so I backed off them except for testing out floats . This beaver trapping gives me something to do until the shad start running and the stripers and fluke seasons start .

What trapperjohn and John Deere said, also get em out of site ASAP or others may bite the dead ones too. Set every conceivable tight spot. Some won't work castor first time thru, don't know why.

Bunp