Looks like alot of skinning.

Another simple set from today.

Is your lure on the bait stick?

No, it's behind it close, about 6" off the water. And it is steep and abrupt right there with some backer behind that baitstick. Trap up tight in 4 inches of water.

Similar set for a front foot catch. Lure is on the grass behind the bait stick.

I like to put lure on the ground also for beaver.
Some time if I make a swim thru in deep water with a bodygrip,I will notch the bait stick upwards with a knife and tuck the lure under the flap.

I have a habit of wetting my bait stick before I poke it in the mud. I don't think it matters, I just do it every time, and I splash the set and lure with water, so that it's smell and some lure oil runs back into the water around the set.

Here I just added a bait stick.

Appreciate the set pics, keep them coming good sir

Les, is there a specific reason you point your dog at 3 o'clock vs 12 o'clock?

There is. I don't believe in having the beaver step over a jaw. Much rather have them step between. If you look close in one of those pics, you'll see a breasting stick of thin, 1/4" diameter, protruding from the bank just above the water and parallel to it, say ...one inch off of the water, but over the dog area of the trap, or the dead spot on an MB 750, to get them to move over and put their front foot down on the pan.

Nice set photos! Do you use a food or castor based lure?

Castor based lure, and a popple bait stick.

Caught up skinning yet Les?
I went out for a little tour today-still 2 feet of snow on the backroads and more in the bush.

I am not that far behind skinning. I caught 7 more today, and pulled traps. I have some private work to do yet. I have 38 to skin, and skinned 24 yesterday.

Hands cramping? Mine do the involuntary distortion thing after skinning/fleshing just one.

A little bit. Mostly they fall asleep and go numb when I'm sleeping. Not sure why.

A common complaint in ice trappers

I've suffered from that for years, les. Masonry trade. My arms used to go numb from the elbows down but ache at the same time. The pain can be pretty intense.

I think I've got that same thing going on. I believe that the trapping and skinning activity is so intense that your muscles swell up pinching everything off.