Hi all, first post here. I just started trapping this year and I know next to nothing. Made my first beaver sets last night and checked them to find disappointment this morning. This set was a Bridger #5 set on a drowning cable with a castor mound. I found my trap twisted up in my drowning cable and it had only slid about a foot down the line. I’m guessing once the twist in the cable happened, the beaver was able to slip free. I have a swivel at both ends of the cable and both ends of the trap chain. Staled at the top and attached to a cinder block at the bottom. The castor mound had been torn apart as well. I’m just trying to paint a picture in my head of what happened and what I can do differently.

Is this on public land and how visible was your set to human eyes? I only ask that as I have some Bridger #5s for beaver and there's no "slipping out" of them once a beaver puts its foot in one. Even if you just got a toe you would have a nail in the trap or something. My first inclination is that someone tripped your trap and stepped on your mound. But I could be wrong and hope I am.

did you have your drown wire tight ?

Not offset enough and it grabbed the beaver by the belly hair?

I don’t see a poke stick, beaver came hard and fast, “beached” and kicked trap with back foot rolling it out of the bed, firing the trap and causing it to slide down the cable and then hitting it again when it left giving the twist in the cable?

My thought as well sounds like a loose cable. Also I wouldn't worry about swivels on the cable just one at the trap one in the middle of the trap chain and one attaching trap to cable. The cable should be tight so no need to swivel it. Dont het discouraged you were in the right place at the right time with the right set and lure but it was his lucky day. Keep at it.

Cinder block may not have been enough weight at the bottom end. Beaver could have pulled sideways at first sliding the block enough to create the slack in the cable which caused most of your problems. Bad luck because you made the proper efforts to do it all correctly. Good luck in the future....don't get discouraged.

Tight slide wire as stated, I always position my #5's with the dog at the 3 o'clock position and offset about 4"-5". I try to target a back foot catch but not opposed to front foot catch in shallow water if the beaver is walking. Try to envision that the beaver's chest will hit the bank or guide stick and then he will drop his back feet, for a back foot target I'm probably elbow deep and offset by that 5". Don't get discouraged- there are a lot of variables

Are you sure your drowning lock was positioned so it would slide down the cable ? Also possible it got breasted .

Cinder blocks are not the best choice for drowner weights. They seem heavy out of the water but because of their bulk are not very dense making them lighter when submerged. Fairly easy for a beaver to move enough to get some slack in the cable.

Lots of pertinent comments. while on the surface beaver trapping seems somewhat simple, there is a lot to it. There is also a lot that can go wrong.
Question that come to mind (may have been mentioned above) are"
*How was the trap positioned, located, and bedded?
Was it off set? Was it running with the jaws running the correct way?
*Did you force the beaver to step down when you wanted it to?
*Were you targeting front or back foot?
*Was your drowner positioned to function properly?
*Did you guide the beaver over the trap?

The list could go on.
It would probably be of benefit to get some education. Lots of decent books and DVDs available on trapping beaver.
Educations costs you. You will pay one way or the other. Learning from others is less costly and less painful as a general rule.

Sometimes beaver just refuse to go down the wire or rod. I've had two beaver refuse this year on drowning rods.

Try again....don't give up.

Make sure your deep end weight is heavy enough...I quit using cinder blocks in 87' . Cable had to be tight or the slid can bind easily. Also as mentioned above ^, the slide lovk could have been put on backwards- it happens.

The trap bed should be made so as the beaver motors up to the trap It's chest makes contact with the front bed wall, or poke sticks. The beaver plants its feet down over the pan then and bam....when it dives that trip down needs to be smooth and clear of tangle so it goes down quick.

I used cable for a while when I was new into trapping...but it gets kinked and ruined. Chain worked better for me as did feed sack filled at location with sand or better yet rocks if Available. Toss out the sac and tighten line, stake next to the bed position trap, set trap ...push in poinyt chew sticks in front of front jaw. Add lure....next time with that beaver you could just make mud mound and pit a couple white chew sticks on top for attraction...no lure.

Thanks for all the advice guys, heck of a learning curve for all this. I’ve got a couple books coming in the mail. The trap was offset a little, maybe 2-3” with the dog at 3 o’clock. Sounds like maybe more offset was needed, add some poke sticks and tighten up the cable. I double checked the slider direction and it was on correctly.

Well once you get it down...youll start naili g them regular!

At least you are taking the advive to heart. If uour cable kinks...change it out and keep that lint smooth and tight.

I use chain Now If Im using a drowning weight. The 10' fiberglass slide rods are what I grab first though. Light and easy to carry in.

Pick up the floating white peeled sticks you find , keep a few of them in your wader pocket or packbasket/ sled etc...where the new floating sticks appear in the next few days show you good trap locations.

Don't worry man, I've been beaver trapping for over 40 years and I still get sprung traps with nothing in them sometimes.

Lot's of darn good advice already given, but chief among them is you gotta make that beaver step on the pan. When they come into a set swimming their front feet are often tucked up on the belly. It needs to hit something with its chest and make it take a step. Also make sure that trap is firmed into the mud as much as possible.

I don't believe the beaver breasted the trap. I don't believe a beaver caught by it's chest hairs is going to tangle up the cable that way. I'm figuring the cable had slack in it. If the beaver had been caught by the tail, it could have pulled out when the trap got tangled in the cable. Just a guess, but that's the way I'd figure it.

I hate beavers.
Hope that helps.

Not the set in question but I found some success this morning. First beaver!! Thanks for all the help guys.

What did you do wrong?

You started beaver trapping!