After getting into a conversation on downgrading beaver due to conibear marks, the question came up about conibear marks on mink and rats. Most of us could not recall to many marks on rats at all, Why does it seem that beaver most always have them and rats dont. The group of use mostly 160 size for rats but some 110. 120 and 220 thrown in. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

A fur buyer showed them to me on some of my beaver when I started. Suggested I try Belisle, said they generally cause less fur damage. I have Belisle, Victor, and Sleepy Creek in 330's and they all leave a mark to some degree, breaking the hair at the strike, I think. Clean, behind the head catches are the only thing that really eliminates the damage, or footholds with drown-rigs. I don't catch many beaver though, so I'm curious what others say.

Combination of not a quick dispatch and the trap allowing the animal to slide in the trap.

its a bruise from blunt force trama same thing happens from a bullet only smaller. Its a unavoidable mark! How many guys have got beavers tanned and seen were the hair slipped from a coni or cable? ive got a few and never noticed it and the mark on the leather is still there to prove were to look. I've wondered if that's just a reason to nit pic a other wise perfect hide! Come on i live in misery ive never seen a Stetson that looked like its owner stuffed his head in a coni. I'm sure it probably does weaken the leather the same as a scar weakens skin

Since stetson's are wool of felt, it's a non issue for them.
Full length garments will have to be repaired before it's used. Top dollar beaver aren't being chopped up for felt.

If you are talking about the trapmark on the leather,there will be no downgrade for that unless there is some corresponding fur damage on the other side.
Weak springs,poor clamping force(gaps in the jaws)and poor setting-dog on top in center-can all cause hair loss.A strong trap with good clamping force,that is set with the dog on the bottom or off set to one side if on top,and a trap that releases from the support and moves with the beaver all will prevent fur damage.
Also never lift or carry a beaver by the trap.Lift the beaver out of the water by a back foot,and remove the trap at the catch site.
I cringe when I see the pics of guys holding up big heavy beaver by the trap,lol.

X2 on a strong trap. Caught a otter this year around the middle in a 330. That bugger fought that trap for some time by the looks of the area. The trap wore a small hole in its hide, So of course it graded damaged at FHA. That thing wont bring to much money.

Otters. So far, I’ve caught 4 over the last 3 years. One was waiting in a NoBS 1.5 dbl jaw at the end of a deep drowning wire. The other 3 were in 330s, set in the water with the trigger on the bottom. All were
neck catches. Two of the 330s were Sleepy Creeks and one was a Belisle. Based on this experience I feel 330s work fine when the trigger wires are “T” shaped and on the bottom.

I've caught a bunch of otter - in 330s, 280s, 220s, and 160s. When I set a 330 it always has the trigger on the bottom and the wires in a T. I have caught otter every way you can imagine - neck catch, suitcased, hip caught and even by the tail. If they are in go mode when they hit a 330 they can and will get caught way back. I much prefer to catch otter in 280 and 220 sized traps - or a 160 as it is almost always right behind the ears and lights out.

IMO a 330-size trap is a poor choice for otter unless it is fully submerged.
For fast moving otter’s a 330-size trap quite often closes on them to far back resulting in poor hip catches that don’t dispatch them quickly. My experience with the smaller 280 is that it closes faster and results in fewer, if any, poor catches. The 280 will also capture more of the incidental mink and muskrats that often trigger 330 beaver and otter sets without getting caught. Thus, it is the ultimate otter trap IMO. The 220 also has its place also in those narrow pinch points.

Any beaver I catch in my MB 1216's has a mark on the back.

This some it ll up for how I would word it. As for otter I use 330 and 220 . The 330 I set in under water and just 2 marks on them. II got otter this season that had just 2 small marks from a 330 .It did not give much of a fight. The game warden when he came done to tag it seen it and said I had got it good behind the ears.

That's a thought i really never thought much about. but a good point none the less.!

gotta keep my large 12 dollar beaver in top form...lol

All.
Thanks for the input, we presently use Belisle, Duke and Victor. My partners set with metal body grip holders/stands, I use sticks that allow the beaver to break away from the set location. We are keeping track of the marks, size of beaver, multiple catches at same site and will watch the grading when we ship next time to Fur Harvesters. Open water has been limited due to ice and we are a little to old to be excited about going ice chopping. Season ends this weekend for our zone. Anyway thanks for all the comments. Jim