Strictly Trapping


No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers *** No Politics
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum


~~~ Dobbins' Products Catalog ~~~


Trading Post
(Please support F&T Trading Post, our sponsor for the Trapping Only Forum)



TrappersPost
Please support Trappers post, a sponsor of the Strictly Trapping Forum



Print Thread
Hop To
Smart beavers #6199089
03/25/18 12:48 PM
03/25/18 12:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
A
AJE Offline OP
trapper
AJE  Offline OP
trapper
A

Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
We've all heard about beavers that become educated and/or trap shy. After they've had the entire off season to relax, so to speak, do these so-called educated beavers become complacent next season and thus very trappable, or do they remain 'smart' ~forever?

Last edited by AJE; 03/25/18 12:48 PM.
Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6199164
03/25/18 02:10 PM
03/25/18 02:10 PM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,971
WI
N
nimzy Offline
trapper
nimzy  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,971
WI
I believe all rodents rely on observation/education for survival. They are suspicious of inappropriate activity especially when it’s close to home. There are busy times when they do become complacent.

I always have to chuckle at that big female beaver that slaps her tail at ya in board daylight and then hauls your conibears into the middle pond (still set) once you leave. Would that qualify as smart?

Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6199206
03/25/18 03:02 PM
03/25/18 03:02 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,302
minnesota
G
goldy Offline
trapper
goldy  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,302
minnesota
Wise beaver seem to never forget. But they can be less "on edge" over time. So I guess to answer your question they never become "very" trappable. The same sights and smells they became educated to seem to stay with them.


"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6199406
03/25/18 07:22 PM
03/25/18 07:22 PM
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,445
Southern Michigan
T
trappergbus Offline
trapper
trappergbus  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,445
Southern Michigan
I save snares for the wise ones.. or sometimes footholds with fresh poplar. The good thing about snares is if they get fired they don't spook the beaver.


Common sense catches alot of fur..
Pay homage to all you harvest..
Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6199527
03/25/18 09:20 PM
03/25/18 09:20 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
trapper les Offline
trapper
trapper les  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
Every beaver can be caught .


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6199583
03/25/18 10:11 PM
03/25/18 10:11 PM
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,369
N.C MO
T
TONY.F Offline
trapper
TONY.F  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,369
N.C MO
X2 on what les says ,some just take longer with a bigger bag of tricks! And I believe lot of it depends o the amount of human activety they see on a daily weekly or monthly time frame


LIVE LIFE LIKE THEIR IS NO TOMMORROW
Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6200434
03/26/18 09:13 PM
03/26/18 09:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
T
traprjohn Offline
trapper
traprjohn  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
x3, I'm with Tony and Les

I've been called into a few jobs AFTER someone already tried....and wised them up and had the deck stacked against me.

Just gota use blind-lure free sets....and use vines and such to blend in snares and 330's


www.sevenoakstrappingsupplies.com for trap mods and gear
The 10 Commandments are not suggestions.
Buy a soldiers meal EVERY chance you can.

Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6200733
03/27/18 09:08 AM
03/27/18 09:08 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,302
minnesota
G
goldy Offline
trapper
goldy  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,302
minnesota
The original post was asking if they become unwise over time, I would say they really don't, but I agree they can all be caught. I've always had to use footholds or snares on wise beaver, usually using popple or some kind of natural set.


"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Smart beavers [Re: traprjohn] #6200743
03/27/18 09:24 AM
03/27/18 09:24 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 8,294
Louisiana
Aix sponsa Offline
trapper
Aix sponsa  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 8,294
Louisiana
Originally Posted By: traprjohn
x3, I'm with Tony and Les

I've been called into a few jobs AFTER someone already tried....and wised them up and had the deck stacked against me.

Just gota use blind-lure free sets....and use vines and such to blend in snares and 330's



I know this isn’t what the OP was asking, but I believe it is good policy to take this approach from the start. Whenever I’m setting half submerged BGs, I’m blending it with whatever is nearby. When it’s below the bottom dam and there’s Polygonum (smartweed), I’m laying some over the jaws and such so that it looks like the jaw opening is just a hole. Whether or not it’s needed is up for debate, but I can tell you I’d rather do it right the first time.

I’ve also learned to set two when I make that set, because as sure as poop stinks, a coon, otter, or nutria is going to plug one of them.


When there’s no vegetation nearby I use sticks. I also changed the length of cable that I use. In the past, I used a couple feet of 1/8” with a snare swivel. Now that I’m focusing on specific beavers a lot more, I give them plenty of cable and I try to make it so that they can wash or flop away from the set. 10 feet of cable anchored so that it can get as far away from the set as I can is what I now prefer. This also means that sticks are placed in such a way that they don’t prevent the trap from getting away from the stand area.


Doing it right the first time saves time later. This is for catching specific beavers. If you’re just fur trapping, do whatever ya want to do, which probably means whatever is quickest and easiest

Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6201257
03/27/18 09:05 PM
03/27/18 09:05 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
T
traprjohn Offline
trapper
traprjohn  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
Originally Posted By: AJE
they've had the entire off season to relax,


Sadly, I have no experience in giving beavers a season off.

Folks paid me to take every last one.


www.sevenoakstrappingsupplies.com for trap mods and gear
The 10 Commandments are not suggestions.
Buy a soldiers meal EVERY chance you can.

Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6201422
03/28/18 12:35 AM
03/28/18 12:35 AM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
trapper les Offline
trapper
trapper les  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
Back to the original post. It does seem like a wise beaver will keep their guard up for a long time.


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: Smart beavers [Re: AJE] #6201484
03/28/18 07:07 AM
03/28/18 07:07 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,735
Northern Illinois
M
MChewk Offline
trapper
MChewk  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,735
Northern Illinois
This might take this post in a different direction but I caught one that I "screwed up" after two years a mile from the original catch site. I won't go into details of my screw up or how I knew it was the same beaver...pm for that info.
Bottomline....is they can get smart and will avoid trappers obvious sets. But I won't go as far as that avoidance occurs all the time...in every instance.

Last edited by MChewk; 03/28/18 07:10 AM.
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

Moderated by  Drifter, Wolfdog91 

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1