There is a lot of ice up here in places, and in other places the snow is melting fast and the rivers are out of their banks. More than half of my sets went a foot under water over night.

There are a few folks out trapping too, frost everywhere you'd drive a stake too. Beaver are moving on the rivers though. Pond ice is still evident a lot of places too.

Nice haul, Les. We got eight inches of snow last night, but today it's melting fast. Thick ice still on the lakes still.

Jim

Nice haul Les.Nice size to by the look of em.Tough when the bottom is still frozen.

Not many two year olds yet, but they'll move shortly.

Good job, Les. Things are opening up fast here. No sets out yet but soon, hopefully.

I seen a pond today, with quite a bit of sign around, landlocked sort of, and I think I could near walk on the ice, but there were a couple of "black holes" the size of a vehicle here and there in the ice, so ...it wont be long now. Ditch grades that are shaded have lots of ice, and forest roads have lots of snow too. Especially in tall trees.

looks like you are off to a good start Les. Checked a few places today and they are still froze up tight. Going to check some smaller shallow area this weekend. Hopefully can start putting sets in. I think I am going through trappers dt's.

Dejavu,,,seems as though ive seen this before. let er rip Les. thanks for sharing.

Yesterday. Beaver are moving pretty good now.

There is a little ice on this pond yet.

man,if'n i was just a little closer i could be helping ya skin.oh well,guess you get to have ALL the fun.Happy Easter big guy.

Gonnah have to make up some of them drowning rods...and give them a shot. How long ? Anything else I need to know...post some pics if you get a chance (of the rods). Nice haul.

You best be getting a new cable ...for the right side of that tail gate...before a guy your size ,ends up on the ground.....I’d change both of them too.

That's the lock, a piece of 1" square tubing cut both sides to a 45 with a j hook on it.

There are many modification of this little lock by different fellas. I'll let them chime in. Mine is as simple as it gets. I weld a stop, or chain link 16" up from the bottom of the rebar for a stop, and some 3/16" wire over the top end for a stake loop on rebar, and my lock, or a Diamond Death drowner lock will slip, with the trap on it, over the stake top.

I can hook a cable, or wire to this ( old spruce pole in the pond method ) or just use it as a stop. A center swivel ring works there too.

Thanks Les...how long are those rods ?

The items in the pic are drowner locks, stake loops and regular trap stops for Geotek fiberglass rods that I have. I have went to a universal stop with a loop on every one that can go anywhere on the rod for these, say, if you want two stake loops one at the top and one for a trap stop up 16" from the bottom. You'll note the welded nut and tighter double nut to hold things, and I just carry a 1/2" wrench or plyars on me.

That cable and toggle will toggle into a swivel at the end of a different type of lock, or just a long chain if one so desired.

The rods are 10' long.

I would like to share, at this point, what a tranquil and paralyzing effect this sort of work has on my body. Today, now, after yesterday, I can barely move, and coffee has never tasted better. I look forward to a good dose of ibuphofen too.

You're wackin' and stackin' though! Good show, great info on the how to. Thanks for sharing! Love the pics!

Les, you da man. Keep it up

Nice haul les

I have the coffee and ibuprofen Les.
Tom

Lol. Nice haul, les.

You think beavering hurts.....Try digging clams....I couldn’t move for 2 days...but they both hurt more now.

I would go clam digging if I was in the right place at the right time.

Picked up another 2 beaver this afternoon, but just checked one are with 5 traps there on 5 miles of ditch. Not far from there...in the next 10 miles, I set up several flowages with another 10 traps, as the snow has melted and the roads are just passable now. I have about 40 traps out, and need to move 5 of them out.

Nice country! Looks exactly the same as the stuff I trap through.

A guy that's not shy of hard work!!

I would start the day with some ibu so you're not trying to catch up with the pain later. If ibu doesn't give you any stomach issues, the big one is gi bleeds, you can do 3 800mg or 4 600 mg dosages a day (otc ibu is 200 mg each) or at least that was the old recommendation. You can also go in between with extra strength tylenol (acetaminophen), just keep that at 4 grams or less a day (also old recommendations, don't if they've changed). Back off the tylenol or drop that altogether if you're drinking much, bad juju with tylenol and alcohol or any other liver problems.

No drinking here, lol. I notice that from setting traps, or something, I can hardly make a fist right now, but , in a day or two, I'm going to quick skin a pile of beaver, on a day I don't check traps.

Way to go Les,been waiting for this thread.

Thank you. I think I will make this.

All that work for $50 worth of fur. Wish Beaver prices didn't suck so bad.

basher fits--les makes way more than 50 bucks on those between castor and hides.if you are lookin to get rich,it aint the 70's anymore.take up knitting and craft shows.

LOL. I have a pile to skin, and I'll skin today. I can check every 3rd day, I don't know if I can haul that many though. Some places I set were too early, nothing moving yet. I just want 2 year old beaver in I can do it. They are worth the most money for the time spent skinning and boarding and catch just the same.

I don't know if my little truck can handle a 75% catch day, as that is twice as many as the last pickup load. There was just 15 there. I'm just ramping up now.

Great job,Les,if I was closer I would give you a hand.Our NY season closed 4/7/2019.

Good luck les. Nice pics

Way to go buddy! Stay healthy my friend!

Chris

Nice job Les!

I always learn something from your posts and enjoy following along on your ice out beaver line. Thanks for posting!

Getting it done.... you’re the man!

he's the beavernator---he'll be back.

Well, I got near caught up skinning, 3 beaver left, and they are just a couple days dead. Tomorrow is a new day.

Yea the skinning can really bog down the operation. Enjoy the woods Les, they re neat this time of year.

A new day.....and more beavs! Got yer dump truck yet?

lee,i was thinkin one more reason for a skid steer for him.

Nope, but I might split the line in two days, and skin on the third.

Les, I am glad I don't have a lot of beaver close to the house. It is easy to justify not running far for them.

I am trying to run 160 miles every third day if possible. S 10 isn't quite big enough to haul that many beaver if every ting caught.. It's a lot of gasoline.

can't believe it but you know i'm jealous don't ya??maybe they will change it soon.

This must be the muscle drugs working, cause his hands are so sore from skinning and hosting.
Looks like you have lots of work for the winter months now Les.

The S 10 can haul a lot of beaver.

Standard floodwater beaver set with sexy popple for bait.

Another

I am caught up skinning, and grocery shopping, lol.

Tomorrow should be interesting.

Should be a mink that was playing hide and seek dead center of the pic.

That mink was just hiding from the long mink thread in the last winter that's all.

Watch for those bears Les, was 2 minutes ahead of one wanting one of my beaver today.

Until you have a bear want the beaver you are holding,,you haven't lived.And when that happens to you---you may want to have a spare pair of shorts with you.
That is--if you are the one that keeps the beaver.
And I have experienced this and lived to tell about it.But I made one change after this happened,I never shut the 4 wheeler off,when checking this spot.
Tom

Did you skin the beaver or did the bear?

And that's why every beaver needs to wind up under water after it gets caught.

I did skin the beaver.Les ,I had taken the beaver out of the trap and was hauling it up out of the pond when the bear came.
Now I sing when approaching some of my sets,I want to let bears know I am coming and give them a chance to get gone.never did have a bear eat one of my beaver.
Tom

Perhaps trapstickman will immortalize you,Tom, with a drawing!

Chris

Looks like you got a new camera,Les.
Good haul and great pics.

I had a bear) or possibly a person) take one of my beaver once. 330 and all. I did not go up into the willows to look for it. The bear might have wanted to Roshambo me for the beaver.

Hey trapper les can I steal your title for a Muskrat411 video?

how many truck loads today??

snow comin for the weekend will make them keep better if nothing else.

Tom this is how I handled the situation;
I just bet with the Grad student if it was over 30 pounds he would haul it out on todays run. Sure glad I have a tail for Paul's challenge for next years Beaver Tail contest. He was sure glad I did not set more than one trap there.

What is? or
Why is the beavers weight always; co-related to an inverse proportion formular to square of the route back to your vehicle times pi -r2 compounded by beaver stump willow chi squared.

I should have listened to Les advise about find beaver runs in peatmoss and the short end of a fencepost with the knee cap the day before.

Go for it.

I just ran my short line today and picked up 6, a one year old and 5 huge adults.
Terminal end of the rebar, lol.
yesterdays mess

New iPhone 8, to be exact. I had to put the pics on my computer and resize them to get them on here.

My title was a play on words of the title for a play called "The Vagina Monologues", so...use your own judgment, lol.

Just searched for Minnesota weather...


Man, you’re doing this when the temps are perfect! Hit 81 here today. Would have had to run the air conditioning to be hauling and skinning a half dozen beaver down here today

Thing about early spring trapping in the Northcountry is the air temps can be like 60-70 degrees and the water is around 32.

Rain and snow tomorrow.
Tom

Good luck Les!

Yep, beaver keep good in this water.

Thanks T.

Bear/beaver story(sorry Les). Northern Wisconsin spring trapping years ago. In National Forest and I had for years driven down on old railroad grade to access a river at the only point for miles any direction and the Forest Service closed my access. So I packed in 4 foothold setups the couple hundred yards on a good solid grade and set up. Couple days later I hiked in and had four travelers which I expected and had along a skinning knife so I reset and then roughed them out on a nice dry grassy slope in the sun and packed out the hides. Couple more days pass and I hike back in planning to pull and pack out my gear and more roughed out beaver. Had four more BUT the carcasses were all gone, the grass was flattened and it smelled STRONG of bear. Imagine skinning four beavers while on your knees covered with the odor of fresh beaver and pretty sure that there are eyes, noses and ears focused on you. I was even spooky with the hides in my pack on the hike out. Never saw a bear but I did hike faster going out than coming in. Yes, North OF, lots of LOUD singing and whistling.

I wired three beaver carcasses to a tree about a week ago. Pulled the card on my camera today and found this. Cleaned me out.




Cat and the carcasses.

I learned long ago to pack out the beaver where I am trapping them in the summer for nuisance.
Others would take the beaver out of the trap,and toss them away from the sets after removing castors.Not long before they were dealing with unacceptable numbers of missing traps,beaver and in many cases had harrowing experiences with irate bears.
I have had some bears take beaver and traps,especially in summer in bear country on extended checks in warmer weather,but I always pack out beaver even if I am not pelting them(nuisance).Just way too many problems in bear country if you leave the carcasses near where you are still operating.

I haven't seen any bear sign yet, but I haven't looked at every black, goopy looking turd on the road either. I have picked up a shopping bag of wolf turds from the forest roads though.
28 for today, and I didn't quite get all the traps checked, 54 of 60 traps. It got dark on me.
I have 36 to skin, so...I am now a little behind, lol.

I'll let them chill in there for a few days.

That's a good 8 hours work there if you clean skin.Nice haul Les.

You are a machine, Les. What a haul.

Wow-sa!! My body hurts just looking at all those chisel tooths!! Good thing its going to be a cool week, we have a little thunder-snow action this morning!! I won't be planting in the garden for a few days...

very nice sir and most look like pretty colored beaver you get there.

Les.....let’s say the pelts averaged 30.00 each ....like 12 years ago......could you still make a good haul like that....or would there be stiff competition ?

Your an animal, bud! Not my idea of a good time, catchin that many. Makes my back hurt to look at that pic!

Nessy, I think he is sleeping or skinning beav.......in his sleep!

There would be stiff competition.

I am awe struck. You are DA MAN Les.

Impressive Les. Heck of a lot of work, and the numbers you're catching, WOW!

I did notice your carcasses still had the tails on them. Do you toss them, or take them to make BTO, or sell them? Those big ones like you got sell for a couple dollars around here. You don't seem like a guy that would miss an opportunity or toss something that could be used, but when you're catching my whole beaver season in a day, priorities may change. I don't know that I'd worry about a tail after skinning the piles you're catching. Great work! Fun watching!

I have 3 big pails of tails lopped up and rendering in the sun as we speak. I haven't had a worthy market for tails, especially this far north.

I was shooting for a certain numerical goal , but don't believe I have the numbers to achieve it. Things, the catch , that is, will start to peter out here shortly if I don't move things around. I have nearly every trap set now.

Call me lazy (I'm good at that) but at my advanced age if I were to make catches like that I would be selling them on the carcass at today's prices.

Good job, Les....you ARE an animal.

Nice work Les, that pic makes my whole body hurt . Hats off dude

Holly cow Les you are a busy man and looks like you are about to get even more busy! Good job!

Son of a gun Les! I think you just talked me into trapping some beavers.

Funny how the supply & demand can vary from region to region. Not surprised that you're keeping yourself in BTO. I started my first batch this spring. Figure if I have the stuff to do it, I may as well try. I've used BTO for several seasons, and I like the results. Is it like sour-dough bread, where you can just keep adding to the start?

I usually start out singing--Mr. Spaceman.--"Won't you please take me along for a ride"
Tom

I don't know about the sourdough paradigm . I just took 40 tails or so out of the freezer and made another pail when I was cleaning up the freezer. I thtew away 150 of them.

Now that's a ferocious looking bear. Way to go MnMan, capturing that look.

16 more tonight, I was going to skin, but didn't.

Lord have mercy!

Looks like you are doing good Les, I just got home. Fewer beaver than last year I think and more trappers but I did OK.

Tomorrow I skin all day, lol. And a little bit tonight.

What’s the count ?

96

Yikes !

See you got a few floats Les.Is the water going up and down on the creeks,or is the banks still frozen?

The water is going down, and the frost is leaving. There is frost in the peat though.

Now that is the spitting image of Tom! Great job!

Chris

Only thing--I am not that thin LOL.
Tom

I admire your work Les-but I am also green with envy at all the beaver you are catching-man that sure looks like a lot of fun.Wish we had more beavers around-especially with the color and quality your area produces.

Thanks MB, mostly just dark beaver here, few blacks.

I see my count is off by one, I am only at 95. Still skinning here. I thought I would eat some lefse and drink some coffee and go back to it. I wouldn't have to skin for a week, as cool as it is, but....I got to keep plugging away.

Nice job Les!

Like mom always said...it's all fun and games until you have ninety-five beaver to skin.