I have been rigging drowners with #3 dls and #3 bridgers. I have had some success but I'm also getting misses with hair in the jaw. I think I'm pinching their chests. I set the trap off center from what I think their approach will be and put little sticks in front of the trap. The trap is set in 1-3" of water. Any ideas on why I'm missing them or what I should be doing differently?

Are the traps down at the end of the drowner? #3s aren't what I would be using and you may be getting pull outs.
Lose those sticks and set for a front foot get that beaver WALKING In shallow water. just enough water to cover the trap. And do the offset at about 4" right or left. And make sure the beaver Is stepping between the jaws not over them.

I have the same problem. I set one set with a leghold, trap was sprung more than once. Offset, shallow and bedded, #3 dls. I gave up and caught them in conibears.

Lots of beavers have been trapped with #3 DLS.A couple of important points when using a number 3 double longspring for beaver.
-make sure springs are strong.
-bed the trap level with the bottom.
-make a berm in front of the trap that the beaver has to climb over.
-use some subtle guiding to line him up.
-positive drowning system.
-#3's work best in blind applications like a crossover or feed trail haul out.(no castor)

A beaver is a heavy footed animal lots of pan tension is a must!
Also I think a trap with a counter sunk pan like the NObs trap would really cut down on the sprung traps.
The belly cannot set it off. But lots of pan tension should take care of most of your issues.

God Bless

Dustin

guard the front of the trap with breasting sticks so that they put their feet down instead of swimming into the trap

Need more info...........you have not told us if your setting at slides or mounds or dam break sets

Breasting sitx as PT mentioned could sure help.......as shown in Paul dvd Beaver Sites and Sets...you DID ask for that for Christmas didn't you?

Bridger #3 is a great beaver trap. Especially targeting a front foot. It is just as "deep" in jaw height as most 4s and 5s.

If you can get that up in the 3 inches of shallow water IMO you have two options:
1) dig that trap bed down two inches below the surrounding bottom. This avoids the chest and puts the trap about 1" below level.
2) BEST is to put a stick at least thumb sized in FRONT of the trap 1" down and the trap on the other side level set with the bottom. Chest hits that stick and the beaver steps over into the trap. Spring beaver with castor that stick can be wrist sized and out of the water a bit and they will go over it.
*if you get a back foot using the second method the beaver was coming from the other way likely. So on a castor set look for where he went up the bank elsewhere.
Two other options are:
-Go to 5-6 water and you won't have that trouble but will get a back foot some of the time.
- In extended shallow-Put a glob of beaver lure of any sort on a thumb sized peeled beaver sticking a foot out of the water. Either block the back lightly or set in a slight current downstream. The jaw of a #3 Bridger 1-2" away from the stick and the pan 1" below the adjacent bottom. the beaver comes to a stop in front of the stick and lifts himself up to smell the lure. You get multiple chances to get his foot on the pan. Avoid entanglement or you will get a twist off. I usually run a long slide drowner to deep enough water. Super nuisance set because the attractor can be far from shore. In a foot of water place the trap for a back foot catch.

Yes. Switch to MB750's. Seriously REAL beaver sized traps make a HUGE difference for the novice beaver trapper. I can even catch them with the 750's. In fact I'm sure I could catch more beaver (and educate fewer beavers) with 6 MB750's than with 12 #3 sized coyote traps.

[/quote]


What trap do you use when you do use castor? I have never been able to consistently get that front foot catch. I just use snares or bodygrippers usually, but maybe I'll mess with some legholds in the spring just to learn how.

Boco makes a good point when he speaks of making a small earth berm In front of the trap. You get that beaver stepping over that berm and right Into the trap. A 2" thick stick would also work.

Wow, Thanks everyone. I will make some changes and try these ideas. I should have mentioned initially that I am restricted by law to a 6.5" trap

Dustin brings up a good point with lower pans, why are beaver pans set up high? I wanted to try one of my Extremes for beaver this year since I target front foot when I have beaver to trap.

This is the way I trap beaver for a front foot catch. Get them walking and you will catch them. Ole Gary knows a thing or two!

What ADC said...

What I've read/ been told.. if you're using castor there's a good chance that beaver is gonna have his hands full while approaching so he won't be putting front feet into set. Try without castor or set for back foot with bigger trap. Double check ur state regulations as jawed dry land sets & jawed traps set underwater may have different size limits.. you may be able to go to bigger traps being submerged underwater. The mud/earth berm helped me significantly as well

#3 Bridgers are about the best beaver trap in their size range. But they have to be 4 coiled and very strong to hold them consistently by a back foot. Breasting sticks have never worked consistently for me. Here's a thread I did a while back that explains in detail what you need to do to consistently catch and hold beaver in footholds. It works extremely well for me.

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1707388/beaver-footholds-with-pics#Post1707388

Great post, thanks for sharing