what are every ones theory as to why you catch beavers by the leg or feet in conibears? Is it crawling over them or a last minute attempt to turn around? I had a removal job in a private lake and the beavers had been messed with severely! By that I mean traped by a landowner, shot by hunters, dens dug up with front end loaders. They avoided conis like the plague ! And footholds were out of the question! Owner ran his dogs there every day! I did finally manage to catch a breeding pair of two year olds! But I do not believe those to be the original founders a river is less than a quarter of a mile away with a nice creek going directly to this lake I was having fired traps daily with the occasional rat in a 330 so I decided to replace them with 280magnums and started catching beavers by the back legs one coming out of a bank den the other going in. no luck at all with snares. I still have at least one beaver left these crazy beavers have dug exit holes from there bank dens to avoid water if necessary i have yet to catch any kits I originally thought it was a old bachelor beaver living in this lake and still believe its the one left. I need a unconventional set to get this wise old vetran! I have 20 days of season left to pull it off the owner gave me the green light on footholds so I plan to give him a castor mound set this week

They are either climbing over the trap or trying to turn away from It. Probably some of both.

that's kind of what I figured is there any thing a guy can do to help prevent this? Ive even tried mb 1216 there thinking a more inviting opening would make all the difference but they just avoided it all together. these beavers are taking me to school I like it but its hair pulling at the same time

Call the feds. LOL

personally id prefer to call S.W.A.T

^^^^^^^^^ Most likely a trap shy beaver turning away from it.

Tony I feel for you. I got a old gal like that. 4 years running I can clean out the rest but not her. She's has covered my 330s with seaweed She even took one away. Never seen it again.

The other day she knocked one over that I had a log over the top, she knocked that log away and rolled my coni still in its stand over She may get mounted if I ever get her

I did get one of her front feet in a #4 last year


The "leg catch" with a coni I don't know, I caught a 55 lbs one last season in the bottom of a 7 foot deep channel with my 1216 set vertically on a long pole. And had her by only one rear leg in it

Maybe it's time to build a torpedo like Aix uses, and snag them in a couple snares?

lol I have considered that! The odd thing is there is very little fresh sign at this lake a quick check and a guy would believe its been abandoned. And I my self believed this till it rained. And a beaver added fresh chewings over the drain pipe along with mud and rocks! That's been a full week ago. Its a rather far drive so I haven't been checking it as often! But I will be there tommmorrow delivering some fish to restock his lake. I plan to have a few traps with me if I find any fresh activety

Front foot catches I believe happen when a beaver tries to move the trap out of the way. Rear leg catches happen when a beaver decides to turn suddenly instead of going through the trap.

The owner has offered to pay me but now its personal!Ive witnessed beavers doing some strange things once pressured but these are just plain baffling me!

Ive heard of catchs like that but I blows your mind to have a beaver sitting on bank in a lethal set.Im just glad I wired that trap to a dead tree!Even my trapline dog was a bit surpised

I can send you a couple castor sacs from michigan to use, or some oil from sacs might be a totally different smell for it

I' ve yet to use any kind of atractors on these beaver. All the sets ive been making are bank dens or crawlouts with snares. But thanks troy I have several different commercial as well as homemade beaver lures. I just hardly ever start out with any lures. I like to leave that cat in the bag till I run out of options. But I will agree your northern castor smells much better than ours! I might take you up on that offer in the future though!

Use a trap tray at the dam or a 330 as a foothold set for back foot underwater.

Just give me a holler and I'll send some down

there is no dam its just a big lake down in the woods!They are bank den beaver. Sounds simple but as a said they have dug exit holes out the backsides of there bank dens and the largest coni I can have on land is a 155 and snares have to be submerged They are well established and very educated they have been in this lake for over ten years

Trays at the crawlouts?

Im lost never heard of a tray elaborate please? And sorry I would never feel comfortable using a bg as a foothold device. Way to many domestics in this area and our conservation dept finally loosened there grip on bg restrictions. No way will I give them a reason to change their mind

What trigger wire configuration do you typically use?