Is it just me or does anyone else like catching the younger beaver. Their fur, in my opinion, is a lot softer, and they are easier to put up.

As I am getting ready to set my first ever beaver sets I will let you know.

When I have to pack them out a mile or more I like to catch the small ones.

Good luck.

If I cant see vehicle I skin close to catch site and leave in an open spot for eagles.

I skin a lot of them in the field, but sometimes here in the south you are racing thunderstorms and tornadoes to get your traps checked during beaver season and don't have much choice but to grab them and run.

Yes younger beaver is much nicer. Easier to catch and much easier to take care of.

I find the LG beaver(55-60) and the XL beaver(60-65)have the best fur overall.

My daughter in law is from Canada and isn’t wild about me. I tell you this to explain how much it hurts to agree with Boco but it is what it is!

Don't like to catch the young ones. Takes the same amount of work as the older bigger ones and are not worth as much as a muskrat.

I like catching the two year olds. They don’t have that crazy tough red membrane on the front shoulders that is a PIA to flesh.

I will actually take any beaver I can catch. I have had that problem since I was a teen.

If you like $4/pelt young ones are just fine. They do tan nice to make mitts or hats out of but you need a lot of them to make any money in the market it is right now.

The youger ones have some interesting variation in quality as far as guard hair coverage and texture of guard hair. At least where I am and for the season we have. Some of them if you can spot the absence or sparse coverage of guard hair on the bellies, you can dorsal skin them and have a nice patch of fur that is almost like a plucked hide.

Still would prefer to catch mom and dad for fur, meat and castor value.

X2

I couldn't get the twenty-four inch bar on my saw through the ice in some spots yesterday. I wound up finding thin ice when I went in up to my waist. It was a long wet slog back to my truck. I got one set in. I'll take whatever happens to stick its nose in the BG.